Michael Bauman is an American cinematographer, best known for collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson. For his work on Anderson's One Battle After Another (2025), he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Career After graduating from the American Film Institute's cinematography program in 1992, Bauman began his career in the film industry working as a lighting technician on music videos and feature films. He took over as gaffer near the end of filming for Stuart Little (1999).
In addition, Bauman also co-founded LiteGear, a manufacturer of lighting products.
Bauman began working with Paul Thomas Anderson as the gaffer on The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014).
On Phantom Thread (2017), Anderson declined to hire his longtime cinematographer Robert Elswit. According to Anderson, Phantom Thread did not have a traditional cinematographer during production, and the duty was shared among him and several crew members including Bauman (credited as the "lighting cameraman"), and no cinematography credit is given in the final film.
Bauman worked with Anderson on his next two films, as co-cinematographer on Licorice Pizza (2021) and sole cinematographer on One Battle After Another (2025), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Filmography Feature film Year Title Director Notes 2017 Phantom ThreadPaul Thomas Anderson Credited as "lighting cameraman" 2021 Licorice Pizza Shared credit with Anderson 2025 One Battle After Another 2026 Tony Matt Johnson
Short film Year Title Director 2009 The Kirkie James Krieg 2022 Disaster Man Giovani Lampassi
Television Year Title Director Notes 2023–2024 American Horror Stories Max WinklerAlexis Martin WoodallDavid Gelb Episodes: "Bestie", "Tapeworm" and "Backrooms" 2024 Feud Max WinklerJennifer Lynch Episodes: "The Secret Inner Lives of Swans" and "Beautiful Babe" 2025 Monster: The Ed Gein Story Max Winkler 6 episodes 2026 Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Max Winkler 6 episodes
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