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Spencer Averick

Editor and producer, also writer · USA

2 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award winner · Oscar nominee

Spencer Averick is an American film editor and producer. Best known for his work as an editor on critically acclaimed films Middle of Nowhere (2012), Selma (2014) and for producing 2016 acclaimed documentary 13th for which he received Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature nominations at 89th Academy Awards, that he shared with director Ava DuVernay and co-producer Howard Barish. His wife is The Simpsons writer and producer Elisabeth Kiernan Averick.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

From
USA
Works as
Editor and producer, also writer
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 38 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 26Up 58% in 30 days

What are Spencer Averick's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Documentary13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Musical2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Musical 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
30%
Society
23%
Bonds
15%
Morality
11%
Power
11%
Ideas
7%
Survival
4%
Community8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 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 12 · Serious 5 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 19 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 12 · Intense 5

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

Steady 17 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 8

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 12 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 12 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 3

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

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
14
Joyful
10
Tense
6
Hopeful
9
Warm
8
Other
23

How their films linger

Thought-provoking13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet11
  • Ambiguous7
  • Cyclical1

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 Spencer Averick's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Spencer Averick'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

38 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

Career shape

A full career of 29 titles, 27 of them dated from 2008 to 2025.

Biggest box office

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

$133M worldwide

Highest rated

13th (2016)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing1 of 29: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing6 of 29: 0 only producing, 6 with another roleEditing29 of 29: 23 only editing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

29 titles, 6 with more than one role — editing and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s15 · crew2020s11 · 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

2 Primetime Emmys and a BAFTA Award from 5 major nominations, 2017.

WinNomination
  1. 2017
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary Feature
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Documentary

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 Spencer Averick's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 30 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive4
  • Cult Classic6
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · editor

The Color of Care (2022)

99th percentile spread · 65% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer, editor

When They See Us (2019)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 52, detractors 22. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

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 Spencer Averick's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 72 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Spencer Averick work with?

People who share at least 2 of Spencer Averick's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeff Clanagan shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

  • Jeff Clanagan8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Jeff Clanagan
  • Quincy Newell8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Quincy Newell
  • Dave Sirulnick4 titles    See all 4 shared titles with Dave Sirulnick
  • Jon Kamen4 titles    See all 4 shared titles with Jon Kamen

Mixed roles