Jack N. Green

• Name — Jack N. Green • Birth Name — John Niel Green • Born — 10 August 1946 • Birthplace — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Years Active — 1974–2020

Green was born in 1946, in San Francisco, California, to Trudy and John Green, Sr. His parents were photography enthusiasts. Their home-made darkroom had a strong artistic impact on Green. At age 17, Green graduated from both high school and barber college, expecting to become a career barber.

A regular barbershop customer, cameraman Joseph Dieves—who had been a combat cameraman in World War II—excited Green with tales of the trade. Green eventually joined Dieves to work on small television productions for various production companies, including San Francisco’s W.A. Palmer. In 1965 Dieves sponsored Green's union membership. In the summer of 1966, Green was assistant cameraman for a documentary, in Oregon, about the movie The Way West. His work was chiefly on aerial shots. In 1968, Green moved to Hollywood where he began his career as an assistant to Emmy-winning cinematographer Donald M. Morgan. He worked primarily on aerial unit photography, shooting helicopter exteriors for the film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. After being laid off, he fell in with Michael W. Watkins, who got him a job as a camera operator on the Jonathan Demme film Fighting Mad. He spent much of the 1970s and early 1980s freelancing as an operator under DPs like William A. Fraker, Ric Waite, Harry Stradling Jr., and Bruce Surtees, shooting films like Bronco Billy, 48 Hrs., Pale Rider, and Beverly Hills Cop.

Since 2000, Green has worked on over fifteen films in genres ranging from science fiction (Serenity) to action (A Man Apart) and comedy (50 First Dates, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Hot Tub Time Machine). He made his directorial debut with Traveller, a 1997 crime drama starring Bill Paxton and Mark Wahlberg. Green has been a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 1992.

Film • Year — Title — Director • 1986 — Heartbreak Ridge — Clint Eastwood • 1987 — Like Father Like Son — Rod Daniel • 1988 — Bird — Clint Eastwood • The Dead Pool — Buddy Van Horn • 1989 — Pink Cadillac • Race for Glory — Rocky Lang • 1990 — White Hunter Black Heart — Clint Eastwood • The Rookie • 1991 — Deceived — Damian Harris • 1992 — Love Crimes — Lizzie Borden • Unforgiven — Clint Eastwood • 1993 — Rookie of the Year — Daniel Stern • A Perfect World — Clint Eastwood • 1994 — Trapped in Paradise — George Gallo • 1995 — Bad Company — Damian Harris • The Bridges of Madison County — Clint Eastwood • The Net — Irwin Winkler • The Amazing Panda Adventure — Christopher Cain • 1996 — Twister — Jan de Bont • 1997 — Absolute Power — Clint Eastwood • Speed 2: Cruise Control — Jan de Bont • Traveller — Himself • Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — Clint Eastwood • 1999 — True Crime • Girl, Interrupted — James Mangold • 2000 — Space Cowboys — Clint Eastwood • 2001 — Pretty When You Cry — Himself • 2003 — A Man Apart — F. Gary Gray • Secondhand Lions — Tim McCanlies • 2004 — 50 First Dates — Peter Segal • Against the Ropes — Charles S. Dutton • 2005 — The 40-Year-Old Virgin — Judd Apatow • Serenity — Joss Whedon • 2007 — Are We Done Yet? — Steve Carr • 2008 — My Best Friend's Girl — Howard Deutch • 2010 — Hot Tub Time Machine — Steve Pink • Diary of a Wimpy Kid — Thor Freudenthal • 2011 — Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules — David Bowers • 2014 — The Letters — William Riead • Left Behind — Vic Armstrong • 2020 — The Pendant — Jeffrey N. Albert Television • Year — Title — Director — Notes • 1993 — The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. — Bryan Spicer — Episode "Pilot" • 1997 — Eastwood on Eastwood — Richard Schickel — Documentary film Short film • Year — Title — Director • 2001 — Golden Dreams — Agnieszka Holland • 2012 — Reign — Kimberly Jentzen