David Tattersall

Biography

David Tattersall (born 1960) is a British cinematographer known mainly for big-budget films in which computer-generated imagery plays a major role. His career belongs to the commercial cinema of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the look of such films was shaped as much in post-production as on set.

After studying at Goldsmiths College in London, where he earned a first-class degree in Fine Arts, he trained at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield. His filmography spans very different titles: the action film Con Air (1997), the prison drama The Green Mile (1999), the espionage thriller Die Another Day (2002) and the adventure Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003). He also worked on the prequel trilogy of Star Wars, contributing to the cinematography of episodes I, II and III.

His legacy lies in his work on contemporary blockbusters, a field where balancing real light with digitally built environments is central. Details of his recent activity are not covered in the available information.

Key films

• Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999): cinematography for the first film of the prequel trilogy.
• The Green Mile (1999): cinematography for a prison drama set on death row.
• Con Air (1997): cinematography for an action film set aboard a prisoner transport plane.
• Die Another Day (2002): cinematography for a James Bond adventure.
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005): cinematography for the closing chapter of the prequel trilogy.