Spencer Susser (born 1977) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.[1]
Originally from California, Susser is the only American member of the Australian filmmaking collective Blue-Tongue Films.[2][3] His short film I Love Sarah Jane, featuring Mia Wasikowska, won Best Narrative Short at the 2008 Nashville Film Festival,[4] 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.[2]
His feature film debut Hesher stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman.[1] 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.[5]
Filmography
Film
| 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 |
Short films
| 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 | Executive | Yes | |
| 2012 | Eugene | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Latch Key | No | No | Executive | No | ||
| Today's the Day | No | No | Executive | No | ||
| 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 |
Camera Department
| 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 |