Ernest Dickerson


Ernest Roscoe Dickerson is an American director, cinematographer, and screenwriter of film, television, and music videos.
As a cinematographer, Dickerson is known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee ever since they were classmates at the Tisch School of the Arts and worked together on Lee's 1983 master's degree thesis student film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, which ultimately won a Student Academy Award. Dickerson went on to shoot the Lee-directed films She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, and Malcolm X.
As a director, Dickerson is known for crime thriller and horror films such as Juice, Demon Knight, Bulletproof, Bones and Never Die Alone. He has also directed several episodes of acclaimed television series, including Once Upon a Time, The Wire, Dexter, The Walking Dead, and Godfather of Harlem.

Early life

Dickerson, who is of African American heritage, was born in Newark, New Jersey. He graduated Essex Catholic High School in 1969. Ernest studied architecture at Howard University, but also took a film class with Haile Gerima as he already was interested in movies. He later relocated to New York City to attend New York University's film program at the Tisch School of the Arts, where he met fellow student Spike Lee. His first feature film as director of photography was also Lee's first film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, filmed while both of them were still students. Lee kept Dickerson in mind and he returned to work on a few more films as Spike Lee's cinematographer.

Career

After graduating, Dickerson began his career as cinematographer on music videos for Bruce Springsteen, Anita Baker, and Miles Davis, and went on to film John Sayles' Brother from Another Planet, his first professional film as a director of photography.
While working on the first two seasons of George A. Romero's television series Tales from the Darkside, Dickerson was a cameraman on John Jopson's concert film One Night with Blue Note and was later contacted by Spike Lee, who had found the budget to shoot his movie She's Gotta Have It. Dickerson continued his collaboration with Lee on five more films, including Do the Right Thing. Their last collaboration was on Malcolm X in 1992, the same year Dickerson made his directing debut with the crime drama Juice. He also served as second unit director, cinematographer, and camera operator on Lee's 2008 war film Miracle at St Anna.
For television, Dickerson has directed several episodes of acclaimed shows such as Once Upon a Time, Dexter, The Walking Dead and Treme. A long time horror movie fan, he has also worked with Mick Garris on both Masters of Horror and Fear Itself and directed Demon Knight and Bones.
Dickerson has always wanted to make films, and being a director himself has always been a dream of his. In an interview with The New York Times, he says: "I love to shoot, but directing is all about telling stories," he says. "And there are so many stories out there I want to tell."

''The Wire''

Dickerson joined the crew of the HBO drama The Wire as a director for the series' second season in 2003. He directed the episode "Bad Dreams". Reviewers drew comparisons between Spike Lee's films and The Wire even before Dickerson joined the crew. "Bad Dreams" was submitted to the American Film Institute for consideration in their TV programs of the year award and the show subsequently won the award. Following this success Dickerson returned as a director for the third season in 2004. He directed the episode "Hamsterdam" and the season finale "Mission Accomplished". In 2006 he contributed a further two episodes to the show's fourth season: "Misgivings" and the season finale "Final Grades". The fourth season received a second AFI Award and Dickerson attended the ceremony to collect the award. Showrunner David Simon has said that Dickerson is the show's directorial work horse and that he knows the show as well as the producers; Simon has praised Dickerson's directing saying that he "delivers each time".
Dickerson returned for the series' fifth and final season in 2008 and directed the episode "Unconfirmed Reports".

Later work

He would later work with David Simon again, directing several episodes of the New Orleans–based drama Treme, including the season 2 finale "Do Watcha Wanna", which won Dickerson an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series.
Dickerson also worked with Executive Producer and writer Eric Overmyer on both The Wire and Treme. Dickerson directed the episode "Fugazi" for Overmyer's series Bosch in 2014.

Filmography

Cinematographer

Film
YearTitleDirectorNotes
1991StrangleholdJim GrecoShort film
1983Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut HeadsSpike Lee
1984The Brother from Another PlanetJohn Sayles
1984DesireeFelix de RooyShot on 16 mm film
1985One Night with Blue NoteJohn Jopson
1985Krush GrooveMichael Schultz
1986She's Gotta Have ItSpike LeeAlso acted as Dog #8
1986Almacita di desolatoFelix de Rooy
1987Enemy TerritoryPeter Manoogian
1987Eddie Murphy RawRobert Townsend
1988The Laser ManPeter Wang
1988NegativesTony Smith
1988School DazeSpike Lee
1989Do the Right ThingSpike Lee
1990Def by Temptation James Bond III
1990Mo' Better BluesSpike Lee
1990Ava & Gabriel: Un historia di amorFelix de Rooy
1991Jungle FeverSpike Lee
1991Sex, Drugs, Rock & RollJohn McNaughton
1992Cousin BobbyJonathan DemmeDocumentary
1992Malcolm XSpike Lee

TV movie
YearTitleDirectorNotes
2002Our AmericaHimselfDaytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Single Camera Photography ".

TV series
YearTitleDirectorEpisode
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideArmand Mastroianni"Pain Killer"
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideJames Steven Sadwith"The Odds"
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideMichael Gornick"Slippage"
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideMichael Gornick"The Word Processor of the Gods"
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideArmand Mastroianni"If the Shoes Fit..."
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideWarner Shook"Grandma's Last Wish"
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideRichard Friedman"Parlour Floor Front "
1984–1986Tales from the DarksideGerald Cotts"A Choice of Dreams"
1990–1991Law & OrderJohn Whitesell"Prescription for Death"
1990–1991Law & OrderE. W. Swackhamer"Subterranean Homeboy Blues"
1990–1991Law & OrderCharles Correll"Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die"
1990–1991Law & OrderMartin Davidson"By Hooker, By Crook"
1990–1991Law & OrderMichael Fresco"Prisoner of Love"
1990–1991Law & OrderGwen Arner"A Death in the Family"

Director

FilmJuice Surviving the Game Demon Knight Bulletproof Bones Never Die Alone Double Play
TV moviesAmbushed Blind Faith Futuresport Strange Justice Our America Monday Night Mayhem Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie Good Fences For One Night Last Man Standing
TV series
YearTitleEpisodeRef.
1990Great Performances"Spike & Co.: Do It Acapella"
2001Night Visions"My So-Called Life and Death"
2001Night Visions"Still Life"
2003–2008The Wire"Bad Dreams"
2003–2008The Wire"Hamsterdam"
2003–2008The Wire"Mission Accomplished"
2003–2008The Wire"Misgivings"
2003–2008The Wire"Final Grades"
2003–2008The Wire"Unconfirmed Reports"
2004Third Watch"Greatest Detectives in the World"
2005Miracle's Boys"In the Game of Life"
2005The L Word"Luminous"
2005Crossing Jordan"Total Recall"
2005Criminal Minds"L.D.S.K."
2005Invasion"The Cradle"
2005–2006ER"Middleman"
2005–2006ER"You Are Here"
2005–2006ER"Reason to Believe"
2006CSI: Miami"Silencer"
2006The Evidence"And the Envelope Please"
2006Heroes"Collision"
2006Masters Of Horror"The V Word"
2007The 4400"The Wrath of Graham"
2007Tell Me You Love Me"Episode 1.6"
2007Weeds"Release the Hounds"
2007Weeds"The Dark Time"
2007–2009Lincoln Heights"No Way Back"
2007–2009Lincoln Heights"The Day Before Tomorrow"
2007–2009Lincoln Heights"Trash"
2007–2009Lincoln Heights"Relative Unknown"
2008–2012Dexter"Sì Se Puede"
2008–2012Dexter"Road Kill"
2008–2012Dexter"Sin of Omission"
2008–2012Dexter"Talk to the Hand"
2008–2012Dexter"Swim Deep"
2008Eureka"Show Me the Mummy"
2009Fear Itself"Something with Bite"
2009Medium"Truth Be Told"
2009Law & Order"Exchange"
2009In Plain Sight"A Frond in Need"
2009Burn Notice"Truth and Reconciliation"
2009Burn Notice"Shot in the Dark"
2009The Vampire Diaries"Haunted"
2009Stargate Universe"Earth"
2010–2012Treme"Right Place, Wrong Time"
2010–2012Treme"Can I Change My Mind?"
2010–2012Treme"Do Watcha Wanna"
2010–2012Treme"The Greatest Love"
2010–2012Treme"Don't you Leave me Here"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Wildfire"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"What Lies Ahead"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Bloodletting"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"18 Miles Out"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Beside the Dying Fire"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Seed"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Welcome to the Tombs"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Too Far Gone"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Alone"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Self Help"
2010–2014The Walking Dead"Coda"
2014Once Upon a Time"The Jolly Roger"
2014Under the Dome"Infestation"
2015–2020Bosch"Chapter Four: Fugazi"
2015–2020Bosch"Chapter Five: Mama's Boy"
2015–2020Bosch"Gone"
2015–2020Bosch"Birdland"
2015–2020Bosch"Aya Papi"
2015–2020Bosch"The Sea King"
2015–2020Bosch"Dark Sky"
2015–2020Bosch"Book of the Unclaimed Dead"
2015–2020Bosch"Salvation Mountain"
2015–2020Bosch"Creep Signed His Kill"
2015–2020Bosch"Copy Cat"
2015–2020Bosch"Some Measure of Justice"
2018Seven Seconds"Until It Do"
2018Unsolved"The Mack"
2018I'm Dying Up Here"Bete Noire"
2018Strange Angel"Sacrament of the Ancestors"
2018The Man in the High Castle"Sensō Kōi"
2018The Purge"A Nation Reborn"
2018The Purge"I Will Participate"
2018House of Cards"Chapter 69"
2019Godfather of Harlem"Rent Strike Blues"
2019Godfather of Harlem"How I Got Over"
2020Interrogation"Det Dave Russell vs. Eric Fisher 1983"
2020Interrogation"L.A. County Psychologist Majorie Thompson vs. Eric Fisher 1984"
2020Interrogation"Henry Fisher vs Eric Fisher 1992"
2020Interrogation"Det Carol Young & Det Brian Chen vs. Melanie Pruitt 2005"
2020Interrogation"P.I. Charlie Shannon vs. Eric Fisher 1996"
2020Interrogation"I.A. Sgt. Ian Lynch & Det. Brian Chen vs. Trey Cerano 2003"
2022Raised By Wolves"Seven"
2022Raised By Wolves"The Collective"
2022DMZ"Advent"
2022DMZ"The Good Name"
2022DMZ"Home"
2022–2023Bosch: Legacy"Bloodline"
2023–2025The Irrational"Point and Shoot"
2023–2025The Irrational"Recripocity"
2023–2025The Irrational"A Kick in the Teeth"
2023–2025The Irrational"Suddenly Alec"
2024Parish"Kumba"