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Ben Seresin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ben Seresin
Born
Benjamin Paul Seresin

(1962-11-03) 3 November 1962 (age 63)[1]
Wellington, New Zealand
Years active1981–present
RelativesMichael Seresin (brother)
Websitewww.benseresin.com

Benjamin Paul Seresin, BSC, ASC (born 3 November 1962) is a New Zealand cinematographer, best known for his work in blockbuster action films.[2]

Background

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His father, Harry Seresin, was a Jewish emigrant from Germany who became a prominent figure in the hospitality and café industry in Wellington.[3]

He is the younger brother of Michael Seresin, who is also a cinematographer.[citation needed]

Career

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At the age of 18, he moved to Australia to enter the film industry. After serving as a camera assistant, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he has lived since 1992.[1]

Seresin described his approach to his work as "detached". "As a DP, you have to learn to both trust your eye and to be brave enough to say to the director 'This is the wrong decision'".[4]

He has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) since 2010, and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 2011.[5]

During the tumultuous production of World War Z, Seresin replaced the cinematographers Robert Richardson and Newton Thomas Sigel, who declined to return for extensive reshoots. Richardson was the original cinematographer, but major logistic problems and delays made him leave principal photography, with Siegel serving as replacement before Seresin took over. In the end, Seresin received sole credit for the film.[6][7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Notes
1997 The James Gang Mike Barker
1999 Best Laid Plans
2000 Circus Rob Walker
2004 A Good Woman Mike Barker
2007 Gone Ringan Ledwidge
2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Michael Bay
2010 Unstoppable Tony Scott
2013 Broken City Allen Hughes
Pain & Gain Michael Bay
World War Z Marc Forster
2017 The Mummy Alex Kurtzman
2021 Chaos Walking Doug Liman
Godzilla vs. Kong Adam Wingard
2023 The Mother Niki Caro
2024 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Adam Wingard

Television

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Year Title Director Notes
1990 He-Play Mike Cuff Episode "Keeper"
1996 Dalziel and Pascoe Maurice Phillips Episode "An Advancement of Learning"
2003 Keen Eddie Simon West Episode "Pilot"

TV movies

Year Title Director
1995 Go Back Out Mike Barker
1997 The Grimleys Declan Lowney
2009 Free Agents Richard Laxton

Documentary series

Year Title Director Notes
2019 The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann Chris Smith With Josep M. Civit, Geoffrey Sentamu, Patrick Smith,
James Watson and Benjamin Michael Wearing
2022 Branson With Tim Cragg and Geoffrey Sentamu

Accolades

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Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2010 Satellite Awards Best Cinematography Unstoppable Nominated [8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ben Seresin". Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Oddball on the set". New Straits Times. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Harry Seresin's coffee gallery | NZ History". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  4. ^ "New York Film Academy: Making Its Name Step by Step". Nycppnews.com. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  5. ^ "'Broken City' Director of Photography Chats at NYFA Union Square - New York Film Academy Blog". Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  6. ^ Staff, The Playlist; Jagernauth, Kevin (3 February 2016). "Watch: Robert Richardson Explains Why He Took His Name Off 'World War Z' And More In 58-Minute Cinematographer Talk". The Playlist. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  7. ^ "World War Z (2013) - DP: Ben Seresin". Sheldon J. Walker | Cinematographer. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Satellite Awards Nominate 'Inception' (and Everything Else)". TheWrap. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
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