Biography

Brett Pawlak (born October 25, 1982) is an American cinematographer. He was born in Castaic, California, Los Angeles County. He attended the Los Angeles Film School and began his career in cinematography, focusing on naturalistic lighting and handheld camera work. Pawlak rose to prominence through his long-standing collaboration with director Destin Daniel Cretton. Early in their partnership, he served as director of photography on Cretton's short films, I Am Not a Hipster and Short Term 12, the latter of which premiered as a feature in 2013 and garnered acclaim for its intimate, realistic visual style. His work on Short Term 12 showcased fluid camera movement and natural light. In 2016, Pawlak contributed to the pilot episode of the TV drama This Is Us, where he established a visual language that played across periods using handheld techniques. Though Yasu Tanida later assumed the series' cinematographer role after it was commissioned, Pawlak's stylistic influence remained intact. The creative partnership with Cretton continued through major feature films. Pawlak was director of photography on The Glass Castle (2017), Just Mercy (2019), Instant Family (2018), Life Itself (2018), Unicorn Store (2017), Max Steel (2016), and The Meddler (2015). Pawlak expanded his scope into the superhero and television landscape. He served as a director of photography for Marvel Studios' Wonder Man, a Disney+ TV series, reuniting with Cretton as executive producer and director. His résumé also includes work on Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012) and feature films like Maggie (2015), We Are Your Friends (2015), and A Jazzman's Blues (2022).

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