Spencer Susser

Spencer Susser (born 1977) is an American filmmaker and film editor.{{cite news | url = http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/05/11/interview_spencer_susser_talks_hesher_starwars_sundance_more_lucas/ | title = Interview: Spencer Susser Talks The Birth of 'Hesher,' Accidentally Getting Into Sundance | date = May 11, 2011 | work = indieWire | access-date = May 11, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110511133329/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/05/11/interview_spencer_susser_talks_hesher_starwars_sundance_more_lucas/ | archive-date = May 11, 2011 }}

Originally from California, Susser is the only American member of the Australian filmmaking collective Blue-Tongue Films.{{cite news | url = http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/oscars/bluetongue-aussies-reach-the-oscars-20110222-1b2vv.html | title = Blue-Tongue Aussies reach the Oscars |date = February 22, 2011 | agency = Associated Press | publisher = theage.com.au | access-date = February 28, 2011}}{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Matthew |date=2010-01-20 |title=Director to Watch: Spencer Susser |url=https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/director-to-watch-spencer-susser-1118014056/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} His short film I Love Sarah Jane, featuring Mia Wasikowska, won Best Narrative Short at the 2008 Nashville Film Festival,[http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/lifestyles/top-awards-announced-nashville-film-festival Top awards announced for the Nashville Film Festival] the Reel Frontier Merit Award at the Arizona International Film Festival, and the Canal+ Award at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Susser co-wrote the project with David Michôd. In February 2011, it was reported that Susser is developing a feature-length film based on the short.

His feature film debut Hesher stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman. It appeared at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on May 13, 2011.

Susser co-directed the music video for Lana Del Rey's song "Summertime Sadness" with Kyle Newman.Official music video for Summertime Sadness on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVjsGKrE6E8

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Producer ! Editor ! Notes
2010 \| Hesher \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Also title designer
2017 \| The Greatest Showman \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| Also second unit director
2024 \|Better Man \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|Also second unit director and actor Role: "Martin"

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! Producer

! Editor

! Notes

2010

| Hesher

| {{yes}}

| Also title designer

2017

| The Greatest Showman

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| Also second unit director

2024

|Better Man

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

|Also second unit director and actor
Role: "Martin"

=Short films=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Producer ! Editor ! Notes
1999 \| Ah Weak & Wide Astry \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2001 \| R2-D2: Beneath the Dome \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| Also additional cinematographer
2003 \| Roughing Up with Witness \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2005 \| A Love Story \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2008 \| I Love Sarah Jane \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{partial\|Executive}} \| {{yes}} \|
rowspan="3"\| 2012 \| Eugene \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|
Latch Key \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{partial\|Executive}} \| {{no}} \|
Today's the Day \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{partial\|Executive}} \| {{no}} \|
rowspan="2"\| 2013 \| Happy Accidents \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}}
The Captain \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2016 \| Shiny \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Also cinematographer, visual effects, animator and various voices
2021 \| Save Ralph \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! Producer

! Editor

! Notes

1999

| Ah Weak & Wide Astry

| {{yes}}

2001

| R2-D2: Beneath the Dome

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Also additional cinematographer

2003

| Roughing Up with Witness

| {{yes}}

2005

| A Love Story

| {{yes}}

2008

| I Love Sarah Jane

| {{yes}}

| {{partial|Executive}}

| {{yes}}

rowspan="3"| 2012

| Eugene

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

Latch Key

| {{no}}

| {{partial|Executive}}

| {{no}}

Today's the Day

| {{no}}

| {{partial|Executive}}

| {{no}}

rowspan="2"| 2013

| Happy Accidents

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

The Captain

| {{yes}}

2016

| Shiny

| {{yes}}

| Also cinematographer, visual effects, animator and various voices

2021

| Save Ralph

| {{yes}}

==Camera Department==

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Position ! Notes
2002 \| From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II' \|Camera operator \| Documentary short film
2005 \| Lucky \| Camera operator \| Short film; Also sound recorder
2007 \| Spider \| Second camera \| Short film
2009 \| Inside the Square \| Camera operator \| Documentary short film
2011 \| Bear \| Additional camera operator \| Short film; Also pre-visualization
2016 \| Treespass \| Additional photography \| Short film

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Position

! Notes

2002

| From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'

|Camera operator

| Documentary short film

2005

| Lucky

| Camera operator