Sandra S Sissel

Sandi Sissel began her career as a cinematographer at NBC and ABC where she won two Emmy awards for her work on Her Majesty’s Britannia and covering the war in Vietnam. During the 70’s and 80’s she shot countless segments for ABC’s 20/20, Saturday Night Live and 60 minutes.

Among her numerous Academy Award and Emmy winning documentary credits are Seeing Red, The Wobblies, Americas In Transition, El Salvador: Another Vietnam, Mother Teresa, Jane Goodall: Chimps So Like Us, Blood In The Face, Chicken Ranch, Broken Treaty At Battle Mountain, Krik Krak Tales Of A Nightmare, Calling The Shots, Speaking Our Peace, Heavy Petting, Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed, Free Angela, Witness To War, Going Upriver: The Long War Of John Kerry, Lord God Bird, One Heartbeat and Before Stonewall.  She received a Bafta Award nomination for her work on The Endurance.. She photographed the Imax film Roving Mars.

In addition she has been Director Of Photography on the network television series Class Of 96, The Flash, Young Americans, Matt Waters, Philly Heat, Night Stalker, Night Sins and the Emmy Award winning Wonder Years. She also shot the Emmy Award winning mini-series Drug Wars.  Among the cable and television movie credits are In The Echo, Toothless, Suddenly, Radiant City, Great Mom Swap, Dad, The Angel and Me, In The Company Of Darkness, Keeping Segrets, It’s Nothing Personal and For Richer, For Poorer.

Sandi served as Director Of Photography on the Academy Award nominated motion picture Salaam Bombay received the Camera D’or at Cannes. In addition she photographed Yellow Card, Barney’s Great Adventure, Drug Wars: The Camerana Story, Soul Of The Game, The Reef, Camp Nowhere, Full Eclipse, Double Switch, Drop Dead Fred, Drag Strip Girl, The People Under The Stairs, Passion’s Way, New York Minute, and Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns.

She has been 2nd Unit Director Of Photography on major films including Uncle, Black Knight, Exit Wounds, Rock Star, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Roommates, Daredevil, Stealing Harvard, The Believers, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Allan Quartermain and the City Of Lost Gold, The Ballad Of Jack and Rose, Blow, Cellular and the Academy Award For Cinematography winning Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World. She also received a Satellite Award nomination for Master and Commander.

Sandi has directed Chicken Ranch, Highwire, Cowgirls, Looking Good America and HBO’s Nerve: Natacha Merritt.

In 1994 Sandi received the Kodak Crystal Award for Lifetime Achievement from Women In Film.  She has appeared in the films Visions Of Light, Shooting Women and Women Behind The Lens.

Sandi is a member of the International Photographers Local 600 and Women In Film.  She was inducted into the American Society Of Cinematographers in 1994 and the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Courses

Advanced Cinematography Techniques
Advanced Cinematography Practicum