Ernest Dickerson facts for kids

Ernest Roscoe Dickerson (born June 25, 1951) is a talented American filmmaker. He works as a director, a cinematographer (who plans and shoots the camera work), and a screenwriter (who writes movie scripts). He has worked on movies, TV shows, and music videos.

Ernest Dickerson is well-known for his work as a cinematographer with director Spike Lee. They met in film school at the Tisch School of the Arts. They even worked together on Spike Lee's student film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, which won an award. Dickerson was the cinematographer for many of Lee's famous films. These include She's Gotta Have It (1986), Do the Right Thing (1989), and Malcolm X (1992).

As a director, Dickerson has made exciting crime thrillers and horror movies. Some of his notable films are Juice (1992), Demon Knight (1995), and Bones (2001). He has also directed episodes for many popular TV series. These include Once Upon a Time, The Wire, Dexter, and The Walking Dead.

Early Life and Education

Ernest Dickerson was born in Newark, New Jersey. He first studied architecture at Howard University. However, he was always interested in movies. He took a film class there with a teacher named Haile Gerima.

Later, he moved to New York City to join the film program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. This is where he met fellow student Spike Lee. Dickerson's first feature film as a cinematographer was Lee's first film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983). They filmed it while they were still students. Spike Lee remembered Dickerson and asked him to work on more films as his cinematographer.

A Career in Film and TV

After finishing school, Dickerson started his career as a cinematographer. He worked on music videos for famous artists like Bruce Springsteen and Miles Davis. His first professional film as a cinematographer was John Sayles' Brother from Another Planet (1984).

While working on the TV series Tales from the Darkside, Spike Lee contacted him again. Lee had found the money to make his movie She's Gotta Have It (1986). Dickerson continued to work with Lee on five more films. Their last big project together was Malcolm X in 1992. In the same year, Dickerson directed his first movie, the crime drama Juice.

For television, Dickerson has directed many episodes of highly praised shows. These include Once Upon a Time, Dexter, and The Walking Dead. He is a big fan of horror movies. He has directed horror films like Demon Knight and Bones. He also worked on horror TV shows like Masters of Horror.

Dickerson always dreamed of directing films. He once said in an interview, "I love to shoot, but directing is all about telling stories. And there are so many stories out there I want to tell."

Directing The Wire

In 2003, Dickerson joined the team of the HBO drama The Wire. He directed an episode called "Bad Dreams" in the show's second season. Critics often compared The Wire to Spike Lee's films, even before Dickerson joined. "Bad Dreams" was nominated for an award, and the show won.

Because of this success, Dickerson returned to direct for the third season in 2004. He directed the episode "Hamsterdam" and the season finale "Mission Accomplished". In 2006, he directed two more episodes for the fourth season. The show's creator, David Simon, has praised Dickerson's directing. Simon said that Dickerson knows the show very well and "delivers each time." Dickerson also directed an episode for the show's fifth and final season in 2008.

Recent Directing Work

Ernest Dickerson continued to work with David Simon after The Wire. He directed several episodes of the drama Treme, which was set in New Orleans. One episode he directed, "Do Watcha Wanna", won him an award for Outstanding Directing.

Dickerson also worked with writer Eric Overmyer on both The Wire and Treme. He directed an episode called "Fugazi" for Overmyer's series Bosch in 2014. He continues to direct for television, including episodes for Bosch: Legacy and The Irrational in recent years.

Filmography Highlights

Ernest Dickerson has worked on many projects. Here are some of his most well-known works as a cinematographer and director.

Cinematographer Work

Movies

• Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
• The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
• She's Gotta Have It (1986)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Mo' Better Blues (1990)
• Jungle Fever (1991)
• Malcolm X (1992)

TV Shows

• Tales from the Darkside (1984–1986)
• Law & Order (1990–1991)

Director Work

Movies

• Juice (1992)
• Demon Knight (1995)
• Bulletproof (1996)
• Bones (2001)
• Never Die Alone (2004)

TV Movies

• Our America (2002)
• Good Fences (2004)

TV Series

• The Wire (2003–2008)
• Dexter (2008–2012)
• The Walking Dead (2010–2014)
• Treme (2010–2012)
• Once Upon a Time (2014)
• Bosch (2015–2020)
• Godfather of Harlem (2019)
• Raised By Wolves (2022)
• Bosch: Legacy (2022–2023)
• The Irrational (2023–2025)

See also

In Spanish: Ernest Dickerson para niños