# Jonathan Sela

Jonathan Sela, ASC (born April 29, 1978) is a French-born Israeli cinematographer. He has shot numerous commercials, music videos and feature films, including John Wick, The Midnight Meat Train, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Deadpool 2, as well as numerous collaborations with directors John Moore and David Leitch.

## Life and career

Sela was born in Paris, France. At the age of 10, his Polish grandfather took him to the set of Schindler's List in Kraków, which inspired him to pursue a career in filmmaking. Four years later, he began working in Israel as a cameraman and lighting technician on numerous television films and shows, first as lighting technician, then as gaffer. He emigrated to the United States at age 19, enrolling in the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He served as assistant to cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond for two films before making his debut as director of photography with the music video for Cypress Hill's Lowrider. After shooting several shorts, he made his feature film debut with the 2004 comedy film Soul Plane. In 2006, he shot the remake of The Omen, the first of several collaborations with director John Moore. In 2008 he shot both the Clive Barker adaptation The Midnight Meat Train and Max Payne; a neo-noir action film based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name. Some of Sela's more recent projects include the F. Gary Gray-directed crime drama Law Abiding Citizen, the fifth entry of the Die Hard film series A Good Day to Die Hard, and the action thriller John Wick. Sela was director of photography on 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, the fifth entry in the science fiction action franchise. Sela has also worked on commercials for companies like Verizon Wireless, KFC, Gillette, and Mary Kay, and has shot music videos for artists like Rihanna and Green Day.
Sela was invited into the American Society of Cinematographers in December 2022.

### Personal life

Sela lives in Venice, California with his wife, photographer Megan Schoenbachler, and their two sons.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Director |
| 2004 | Soul Plane | Jessy Terrero |
| 2005 | Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School | Randall Miller |
| 2006 | Dreamland | Jason Matzner |
| 2006 | Grimm Love | Martin Weisz |
| 2006 | The Omen | John Moore |
| 2007 | Randy and the Mob | Ray McKinnon |
| 2008 | The Midnight Meat Train | Ryuhei Kitamura |
| 2008 | Powder Blue | Timothy Linh Bui |
| 2008 | Max Payne | John Moore |
| 2009 | Law Abiding Citizen | F. Gary Gray |
| 2013 | A Good Day to Die Hard | John Moore |
| 2014 | John Wick | Chad Stahelski David Leitch |
| 2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Michael Bay |
| 2017 | Atomic Blonde | David Leitch |
| 2018 | Deadpool 2 | David Leitch |
| 2019 | Hobbs & Shaw | David Leitch |
| 2022 | The Lost City | Aaron and Adam Nee |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | David Leitch |
| 2024 | The Fall Guy | David Leitch |

### Television

| Year | Title | Director | Episode |
| 2015 | Limitless | Marc Webb | "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Marc Webb | "Josh Just Happens to Live Here!" |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist | Director |
| 2001 | "The Motivation Proclamation" | Good Charlotte | Marc Webb |
| 2001 | "Waiting" | Green Day | Marc Webb |
| 2001 | "Simple Creed" | Live | Marc Webb |
| 2001 | "Sunny Hours" | Long Beach Dub Allstars featuring will.i.am | Francis Lawrence |
| 2001 | "Lowrider" | Cypress Hill | Smith n' Borin |
| 2002 | "Anything" | Jaheim featuring Next | Darren Grant |
| 2002 | "I'm Just a Kid" | Simple Plan | Smith n' Borin |
| 2002 | "Walking Away" | Craig David | Lenny Bass |
| 2002 | "American Girls" | Counting Crows | Marc Webb |
| 2002 | "I Don't Wanna" | Keke Wyatt | Erik White |
| 2002 | "Dilemma" | Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland | Benny Boom |
| 2002 | "Luv U Better" | LL Cool J | Benny Boom |
| 2002 | "Hot Wheels" | Jim Crow | Fat Cats |
| 2002 | "Bigger Business" | Swizz Beatz featuring P. Diddy, Baby, Jadakiss, Cassidy and Snoop Dogg | Benny Boom |
| 2002 | "Crush Tonight" | Fat Joe featuring Ginuwine | Benny Boom |
| 2002 | "Paradise" | LL Cool J | Benny Boom |
| 2003 | "Pussycat" | Wyclef Jean | Director X |
| 2003 | "Rock Your Body" | Justin Timberlake | Francis Lawrence |
| 2003 | "Many Men (Wish Death)" | 50 Cent | Jessy Terrero |
| 2003 | "Fallen" | Mýa | Darren Grant |
| 2003 | "The First Cut Is the Deepest" | Sheryl Crow | Wayne Isham |
| 2003 | "Milkshake" | Kelis | Jake Nava |
| 2003 | "Clap Back" | Ja Rule | Benny Boom |
| 2003 | "You Don't Know My Name" | Alicia Keys | Chris Robinson |
| 2003 | "Sick and Tired" | Nappy Roots | The Saline Project |
| 2004 | "The Unnamed Feeling" | Metallica | The Malloys |
| 2004 | "100 Years" | Five for Fighting | Trey Fanjoy |
| 2004 | "U Should've Known Better" | Monica | Benny Boom |
| 2004 | "Lola Stars and Stripes" | The Stills | Olivier Gondry |
| 2004 | "Love Will Come Through" | Travis | Arni & Kinski |
| 2004 | "A Million Days" | Prince | Sanaa Hamri |
| 2004 | "Slither" | Velvet Revolver | Kevin Kerslake |
| 2004 | "Who Is She 2 U" | Brandy | Jake Nava |
| 2004 | "My Boo" | Usher featuring Alicia Keys | Chris Robinson |
| 2004 | "Rumors" | Lindsay Lohan | Jake Nava |
| 2004 | "Sand in My Shoes" | Dido | Alex De Rakoff |
| 2005 | "Get Right" | Jennifer Lopez | Francis Lawrence |
| 2005 | "Over" | Lindsay Lohan | Jake Nava |
| 2005 | "Shiver" | Natalie Imbruglia | Jake Nava |
| 2005 | "The Clincher" | Chevelle | Nathan Cox |
| 2005 | "Cater 2 U" | Destiny's Child | Jake Nava |
| 2005 | "First" | Lindsay Lohan | Jake Nava |
| 2005 | "Make a Move" | Incubus | Marc Webb |
| 2005 | "No Daddy" | Teairra Marí | Jessy Terrero |
| 2005 | "Everlasting Love" | Jamie Cullum | Toby Tremlett |
| 2005 | "Let It Slide" | Joanna | Honey |
| 2005 | "Get Your Number" | Mariah Carey featuring Jermaine Dupri | Jake Nava |
| 2006 | "Pump It" | The Black Eyed Peas | Francis Lawrence |
| 2006 | "Coming Undone" | Korn | Director X |
| 2006 | "Rough Landing, Holly" | Yellowcard | Marc Webb |
| 2006 | "Ain't No Other Man" | Christina Aguilera | Bryan Barber |
| 2006 | "Morris Brown" | Outkast | Bryan Barber |
| 2006 | "Dark Blue" | Jack's Mannequin | Brett Simon |
| 2006 | "Save Room" | John Legend | Bryan Barber |
| 2006 | "We Ride" | Rihanna | Anthony Mandler |
| 2006 | "Love Like Winter" | AFI | Marc Webb |
| 2006 | "Irreplaceable" | Beyoncé | Anthony Mandler |
| 2006 | "Hurt" | Christina Aguilera | Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera |
| 2007 | "Just Fine" | Mary J. Blige | Chris Applebaum |
| 2008 | "Love Lockdown" | Kanye West | Simon Henwood |
| 2008 | "Sex on Fire" | Kings of Leon | Sophie Muller |
| 2009 | "Russian Roulette" | Rihanna | Anthony Mandler |
| 2009 | "A Dustland Fairytale" | The Killers | Anthony Mandler |
| 2009 | "Kings and Queens" | Thirty Seconds to Mars | Bartholomew Cubbins |
| 2009 | "New Divide" | Linkin Park | Joe Hahn |
| 2009 | "21 Guns" | Green Day | Marc Webb |
| 2009 | "Run This Town" | Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West | Anthony Mandler |
| 2009 | "Stronger" | Mary J. Blige | Anthony Mandler |
| 2009 | "It Kills Me" | Melanie Fiona | Armen Djerrahian |
| 2009 | "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" | Weezer | Marc Webb |
| 2010 | "Last of the American Girls" | Green Day | Marc Webb |
| 2010 | "Pop Goes the World" | Gossip | Philip Andelman |
| 2010 | "Fistful of Tears" | Maxwell | Philip Andelman |
| 2010 | "Over" | Drake | Anthony Mandler |
| 2010 | "The Time (Dirty Bit)" | The Black Eyed Peas | Rich Lee |
| 2011 | "What the Hell" | Avril Lavigne | Marcus Raboy |
| 2011 | "E.T." | Katy Perry featuring Kanye West | Floria Sigismondi |
| 2011 | "Till the World Ends" | Britney Spears | Ray Kay |
| 2011 | "Right There" | Nicole Scherzinger | Paul Hunter |
| 2011 | "Dance for You" | Beyoncé | Alan Ferguson & Beyoncé |
| 2012 | "This Kiss" | Carly Rae Jepsen | Justin Francis |
| 2013 | "Give It 2 U" | Robin Thicke featuring Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz | Diane Martel |
| 2013 | "Wrecking Ball" | Miley Cyrus | Terry Richardson |
| 2013 | "Danse" | Mia Martina | Michael Maxxis |
| 2014 | "Love Never Felt So Good" | Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson | Rich Lee & Justin Timberlake |
| 2015 | "Can't Feel My Face" | The Weeknd | Grant Singer |
| 2015 | "Finna Get Loose" | Puff Daddy featuring Pharrell Williams | Hype Williams |
| 2018 | "Ashes" | Céline Dion | David Leitch |
| 2018 | "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken" | Pink | Sasha Samsonova |
| 2018 | "In My Blood" | Shawn Mendes | Jay Martin |
| 2023 | "I Can See You" | Taylor Swift | Taylor Swift |