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Buddy Squires

Buddy Squires

Cinematographer, also producer

Primetime Emmy winner · Oscar nominee

Buddy Squires is an American cinematographer, known for his camera work for Ken Burns.

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Cinematographer, also producer
Titles
63 on MovieCove · 90 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 42% in 30 days

What are Buddy Squires' films like?

Across their 56 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
37%
Self
16%
Power
13%
Ideas
12%
Morality
10%
Survival
9%
Bonds
4%
Community20 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy19 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice14 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity9 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom10 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 10 · Dark 10

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

Grounded 30 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

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 5

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

Steady 24 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 29 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 12 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 12

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

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
43
Hopeful
28
Melancholic
23
Warm
12
Tense
12
Other
26

How their films linger

Thought-provoking37 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet37
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous12
  • Cyclical2
  • Other2

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 Buddy Squires' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 50 of their 63 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Buddy Squires' 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

90 credits, 63 with a MovieCove page.

  • Decades in Sports(2026)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • The American Revolution(2025)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Highway 99: A Double Album (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Her/Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Leonardo da Vinci(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Food, Inc. 2(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Dante(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Bloody Hundredth(2024)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The American Buffalo(2023)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Musica! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Cinematographer

  • Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The U.S. and the Holocaust(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Benjamin Franklin(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • ¡Viva Maestro!(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Muhammad Ali(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Oliver Sacks: His Own Life(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Hemingway(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Michael Tilson Thomas: Where Now Is (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Cinematographer

  • Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • On Broadway(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Beach: The Hell and the Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Beatrix Farrand's American Landscapes(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Bedlam(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • College Behind Bars(2019)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Country Music(2019)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Vietnam War(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Dalai Lama?(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Chinese Exclusion Act(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • VA: The Human Cost of War(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Jackie Robinson(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Betting on Zero(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Space Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Cinematographer

  • The Pulitzer at 100(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Misconception(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History(2014)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • Salinger(2013)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Constitution USA with Peter Sagal(2013)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ethel(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Central Park Five(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Woody Allen: A Documentary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • Prohibition(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Stonewall Uprising(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Soundtrack for a Revolution(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The National Parks: America's Best Idea(2009)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Black Magic(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Waiting for Hockney(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Indie Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Nanking(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The War(2007)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Coming Out Stories(2006)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • I Have Tourette's But Tourette's Doesn't Have Me(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • After Innocence(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Boys of 2nd Street Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Ulysses S. Grant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator

  • Miss America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Mark Twain(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • Ram Dass: Fierce Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer · Co-Producer

  • The Merchants of Cool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • Kindergarten(2001)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Scottsboro: An American Tragedy(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • New York: A Documentary Film(1999)

    Show 10 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony(1999)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The Truman Show: Tru-Talk(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Out of the Past(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Irish in America: Long Journey Home(1998)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Thomas Jefferson(1997)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • One Survivor Remembers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • The Way West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Baseball(1994)

    Show 9 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Compassion in Exile: The Story of the 14th Dalai Lama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • The Donner Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Coney Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer · Producer

  • The Civil War(1990)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Congress(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Thomas Hart Benton(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Statue of Liberty(1985)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Huey Long(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Brooklyn Bridge(1981)

    Additional Camera · Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 58 titles from 1981 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Nanking (2007)

$1.6M worldwide

Highest rated

The War (2007)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Civil War (1990)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 58: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing5 of 58: 0 only producing, 5 with another roleCinematography55 of 58: 50 only cinematography, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thOther crew3 of 58: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

58 titles, 6 with more than one role — cinematography and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s15 · crew2020s15 · 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.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy from 12 major nominations, 1986–2013.

WinNomination
  1. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
  2. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
  3. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
  4. 2006
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming - Single-Camera Productions
  5. 2002
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera)
  6. 2001
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming
  7. 2000
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography in Non-Fiction Program
  8. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 1995
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming
  2. 1986
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Features
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Informational Special

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Buddy Squires' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 86th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 63 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up50
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 63 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved17
  • Loved with Detractors2
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Irish in America: Long Journey Home (1998)

94th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

New York: A Documentary Film (1999)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 64/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 43. 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.

Who does Buddy Squires work with?

People who share at least 2 of Buddy Squires' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ken Burns shares the most, 24.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles