Mikael Salomon
Mikael Salomon (born 24 February 1945) is a Danish cinematographer, director and producer of film and television. After a long cinematography career in Danish cinema, he transitioned to the Hollywood film industry in the late 1980s, earning two nominations from the Academy Awards. Salomon then transitioned to a television director career, with credits that include Band of Brothers, Salem's Lot, Rome, and The Andromeda Strain.
Mikael Salomon
- Name
- Mikael Salomon
- Born
- 24 February 1945
- Birthplace
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Denmark
- Occupation
- camera operator · cinematographer · film producer · production designer · director
- Fields
- film
- Honours
- Primetime Emmy Award · Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie and or Dramatic Special
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Mikael Salomon (born 24 February 1945) is a Danish cinematographer, director and producer of film and television. After a long cinematography career in Danish cinema, he transitioned to the Hollywood film industry in the late 1980s, earning two nominations from the Academy Awards. Salomon then transitioned to a television director career, with credits that include Band of Brothers, Salem's Lot, Rome, and The Andromeda Strain.
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Mikael Salomon (born 1945) is a camera operator, cinematographer and director, among other activities, of Danish nationality. The camera operator was born in Copenhagen and died in Denmark. Activity centred on film.
Languages used include English. Honours include Primetime Emmy Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Mikael Salomon • Born — 24 February 1945 • Birthplace — Copenhagen, Denmark • Years Active — 1963–1992 (cinematographer) 1993–2021 (director) • Organization — Directors Guild of America American Society of Cinematographers
Life and career
Life and career
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Salomon is of Jewish descent on one parent's side. Salomon photographed dozens of films in his native country, earning awards including the Robert Award and Bodil Awards. In the late 1980s, he relocated to Hollywood and shot his first mainstream American film with Torch Song Trilogy, a 1988 comedy-drama starring Harvey Fierstein, Anne Bancroft, and Matthew Broderick. The following year, he shot the James Cameron-helmed science fiction film The Abyss, a film that helped to pioneer the field of computer-generated visual effects. Salomon used three cameras in watertight housings that were specially designed. Another special housing was designed for scenes that went from above-water dialogue to below-water dialogue. The filmmakers had to figure out how to keep the water clear enough to shoot and dark enough to look realistic at 2,000 feet (700 m), which was achieved by floating a thick layer of plastic beads in the water and covering the top of the tank with an enormous tarpaulin. His work on the film earned Salomon a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. In the following years, Salomon shot some blockbuster films like Always, Backdraft, and Far and Away. In 1993, Salomon directed A Far Off Place, an adventure drama film filmed on location in Namibia and Zimbabwe, replacing original director René Manzor after being recommended to producer Kathleen Kennedy by Steven Spielberg. That same year, he directed an episode of the short-lived science fiction series Space Rangers, beginning a career as a television director. In 1998, he directed the Emmy-nominated Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, the first in many television miniseries which Salomon would helm. The most notable of these was Band of Brothers, a 10-part series executive produced by Spielberg for which Salomon won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special and a Christopher Award. Since then, Salomon has over thirty-five programs, including the miniseries adaptations of The Andromeda Strain and Coma broadcast on the A&E Network.
Director
Director
Film • A Far Off Place (1993) • Hard Rain (1998) • Freezer (2014) (Direct-to-video) • Instrument of Hope (2020) (Documentary short)
TV series
TV series
• Year — Title — Episode(s) — Notes • 1993 — Space Rangers — "Fort Hope" • 1998 — Nash Bridges — "The Tourist" • 2000 — The Fugitive — "Pilot" • "The Hand of a Stranger" • 2001 — Alias — "Parity" • The Agency — "Pilot" • "Deadline" • 2005 — Over There — "I Want My Toilets" • Rome — "The Stolen Eagle" — Uncredited • "An Owl in a Thornbush" • "The Spoils" • 2006 — Nightmares & Dreamscapes — "The End of the Whole Mess" • "Autopsy Room Four" • Runaway — "Pilot" — Also co-executive producer • 2009 — Hawthorne — "Pilot" — Also executive producer • 2010 — Unnatural History — "Pilot" • "Thor's Slammer" • 2011 — Camelot — "The Long Night" • "The Battle of Bardon Pass" • "Reckoning" — Co-directed with Stefan Schwartz • 2014 — Falling Skies — "Exodus" • 2015 — Blood & Oil — "The Birthday Party" • 2015–16 — Powers — "The Raconteur of the Funeral Circuit" • "F@#K the Big Chiller" • "Caracas, 1967" • "Hell Night" • "Legacy" • 2016 — Damien — "Seven Curses" • 2017 — Six — "Man Down" • "Blood Brothers" • The Expanse — "The Weeping Somnambulist" • "Cascade" • Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders — "The Ripper of Riga" • 2018 — The Brave — "Grounded"
Miniseries
Miniseries
• Year — Title — Director — Executive Producer — Notes • 1999 — Aftershock: Earthquake in New York • 2001 — Band of Brothers — Episodes "Carentan" and "Points" • 2004 — Salem's Lot • The Grid • 2006 — Fallen • 2007 — The Company • 2008 — The Andromeda Strain — Co-executive • 2012 — Coma • 2015 — To Appomattox • 2017 — The Long Road Home — Episodes "Into the Unknown", "In the Valley of Death" and "Abandon Hope"
TV movies
TV movies
• Year — Title — Director — Co-Executive Producer • 2000 — Sole Survivor • 2001 — A Glimpse of Hell • 2002 — Young Arthur • 2003 — Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor • 2007 — Fallen: The Journey • 2008 — Flirting with Forty • Natalee Holloway • 2010 — Who Is Clark Rockefeller? • The Lost Future • 2012 — Drew Peterson: Untouchable • Blue Lagoon: The Awakening • 2014 — Big Driver
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Mikael Salomon was born at Copenhagen.
Birthplace
Mikael Salomon died at Denmark.
Deathplace
Copenhagen.
Birth place
Denmark.
Death place
Film
• Year — Title — Director — Notes • 1966 — Søskende — Johan Jacobsen — With Rolf Rønne • 1967 — Fantasterne — Kirsten Stenbæk • Brødrene på Uglegaarden — Ib Mossin Alice O'Fredericks • Me and My Kid Brother — Lau Lauritzen Jr. • 1968 — Det er så synd for farmand — Ebbe Langberg • Magic in Town — Annelise Reenberg • 1969 — Sonja - 16 år — Hans Abramson Brandon Chase • De 5 og spionerne — Katrine Hedman • 1970 — Five Get into Trouble • Daddy, Darling — Joseph W. Sarno • Threesome — Brandon Chase • Tintomara — Hans Abramson • 1971 — Welcome to the Club — Walter Shenson • Kid Gang on the Go — Annelise Reenberg • 1972 — Rektor på sengekanten — John Hilbard • Motorvej på sengekanten — With Aage Wiltrup • 1974 — Jorden runt med Fanny Hill — Mac Ahlberg • 1975 — Violets Are Blue — Peter Refn • Kun sandheden — Henning Ørnbak • 1976 — Hjerter er trumf — Lars Brydesen • Strømer — Anders Refn • Elvis! Elvis! — Kay Pollak • 1977 — Mind Your Back, Professor — Jens Okking • Skytten — Franz Ernst Tom Hedegaard • Bedside Freeway — Boerge Hilbarth • 1978 — The Heritage — Anders Refn • 1981 — Tell It Like It Is, Boys — Peter Curran • 1985 — De flyvende djævle — Anders Refn • 1986 — The Wolf at the Door — Henning Carlsen • Early Spring — Astrid Henning-Jensen • 1987 — Peter von Scholten — Palle Kjærulff-Schmidt • 1988 — Zelly and Me — Tina Rathborne • Stealing Heaven — Clive Donner • Torch Song Trilogy — Paul Bogart • 1989 — The Abyss — James Cameron • Always — Steven Spielberg • 1990 — Arachnophobia — Frank Marshall • 1991 — Backdraft — Ron Howard • 1992 — Far and Away
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Mikael Salomon”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q487069: Mikael Salomon
General reference · Wikidata
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards • Year — Category — Title — Result • 1989 — Best Cinematography — The Abyss • 1991 — Best Visual Effects — Backdraft American Society of Cinematographers • Year — Category — Title — Result • 1989 — Outstanding Cinematography — The Abyss BAFTA Awards • Year — Category — Title — Result • 1991 — Best Special Visual Effects — Backdraft Directors Guild of America • Year — Category — Title — Result • 2007 — Outstanding Directing in a Movie for a Miniseries — The Company • 2008 — The Andromeda Stain • 2010 — Outstanding Directing for a Children's Program — Unnatural History Primetime Emmy Awards • Year — Category — Title — Result • 2001 — Outstanding Directing — Band of Brothers • 2007 — The Company • 2008 — Outstanding Limited Series — The Andromeda Strain Other awards • Year — Award — Category — Title — Result • 1985 — Danish Film Academy — Robert Award for Best Cinematography — De flyvende djævle • 1987 — CableACE Award — Direction of Photography in a Miniseries — The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains • 2001 — Christopher Television & Cable Award — Band of Brothers
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.En travl dag i Los Angeles. Portræt: Mikael Salomon, fotograf. Politiken | 11 January 1994 | 2. sektion | Side 3 |
- 2.Den danske kong Salomon. Portræt/interview: Mikael Salomon. Politiken | 25 August 1993 | 2. sektion | Side 1
- 3.Savner hygge og rugbrød. Portræt: Mikael Salomon. Ekstra Bladet | 22 August 1993 | 2. sektion | Side 4
- 4.Dansker til tops i Hollywood. Portræt af filmfotografen Mikael Salomon. Politiken | 1 January 1990 | 2. sektion | Side 2
- 5.Succes på strømer. Portræt/interview: Mikael Salomon. Ekstra Bladet | 1 April 1999 | Skærtorsdag | Side 24
- 6.'No sugarcoating’ as first movie on ’67 battle for Jerusalem takes shape.' Hoffman, Jordan. The Times of Israel. The Times of Israel. Published 9 June 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- 7.The Making of 'The Abyss'. aspaceblogyssey.com.
- 8.SEMLYEN, PHIL DE. A History Of CGI in the Movies. Empire.
- 9.The Abyss: The Ultimate James Cameron Movie?. Den of Geek.
- 10.Blair September 1989, p. 58.
- 11.Piil, Morten. Gyldendals danske filmguide. Gyldendal. 172–. 2008. 978-87-02-06669-2.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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