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Robert Brinkmann

Robert Brinkmann

Cinematographer, also editor, director and producer · Born November 20, 1961 (64) · Braunschweig, Germany

Robert Brinkmann (born November 20, 1961) is a German-born cinematographer and occasional director. He studied film production at the University of Southern California, where he eventually specialized in cinematography. After graduating, Brinkmann formed Cinescope Productions and started to produce and shoot music videos, commercials and documentaries. Cinescope also produced hundreds of low budget music videos, which launched the directing careers of many accomplished filmmakers, including Jay Roach, Lance Gentile, John Schwartzman, and Harris Done. Brinkmann's first credit as Director of Photography on a major studio feature film was for Universal Pictures' Shout (1991), starring John Travolta. He went on to shoot such films as Encino Man, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, The Cable Guy, The Rules of Attraction, and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. Brinkmann was previously married to actress Mena Suvari from 2000 - 2005. He has been married to Olive Kim since 2009.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 20, 1961 (64)
From
Braunschweig, Germany
Works as
Cinematographer, also editor, director and producer
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Robert Brinkmann's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
31%
Bonds
28%
Society
17%
Ideas
8%
Morality
6%
Survival
5%
Power
4%
Family bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 22 · Serious 6 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 17 · Charged 11 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 12

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 23 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
17
Absurd
11
Hopeful
11
Tense
8
Warm
6
Other
28

How their films linger

Feel-good20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy20
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert Brinkmann's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Brinkmann's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Duel(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • America's Burning(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Buried in Barstow(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Stars and Strife(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • HAM: A Musical Memoir(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Bixler High Private Eye(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Office Uprising(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Zombies(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Sent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Associate Producer · Cinematographer

  • A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Space Station 76(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Geek Charming(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Hard Breakers(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Dancing Ninja(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Making of 'the Pick of Destiny'(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party(2005)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Standing Still(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Rules of Attraction(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Serving Sara(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Sugar & Spice(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Screwed(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Cable Guy(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Truth About Cats & Dogs(1996)

    Cinematographer · as Irate Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Red Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • The Beverly Hillbillies(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Encino Man(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Shout(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Mirror Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Bloodfist II(1990)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • U2: Rattle and Hum(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Two Idiots in Hollywood(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Kandyland(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Last Chance Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Gaffer

  • Sicklerville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 35 titles, 34 of them dated from 1984 to 2024.

Biggest box office

The Cable Guy (1996)

$103M worldwide

Highest rated

U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

The Cable Guy (1996)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 35: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 35: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 35: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography32 of 35: 30 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thOther crew2 of 35: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s3 · crew1990s9 · 1 acting · 9 crew2000s9 · crew2010s10 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Robert Brinkmann's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 33 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive5
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · cinematographer

Stars and Strife (2020)

98th percentile spread · 61% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)

Midcredits 92nd · 79% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 50/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert Brinkmann's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles15–48 · median 33 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles26–53 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles22–79 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles17–57 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles10–49 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Brinkmann work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Brinkmann's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mena Suvari shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles