Chris Manley

Biography

Chris Manley is an American cinematographer and television director best known for his work on the critically acclaimed series Mad Men. Over the course of his career, he has gained recognition for both directing and cinematography, earning multiple industry award nominations for his visual storytelling.

Early Life and Education

Chris Manley studied filmmaking at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. After graduating, he continued his film education at the American Film Institute in California.

During his early career, Manley received recognition from filmmaker Barbara Schock, who thanked him in her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards in 2000. Her film My Mother Dreams of Satan's Disciples in New York won the Best Short Film (Live Action) award.

Early Career

Chris Manley began his career working as a director of photography (DP) for the legendary independent filmmaker Roger Corman. This experience helped him develop his skills in cinematography and filmmaking.

He gained wider attention for his work on the film:

Dahmer

The film received three nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards and helped introduce actor Jeremy Renner to a wider audience.

Work on Mad Men

Chris Manley is best known for his contribution to the television drama Mad Men.

His work on the show includes:

Directing four episodes

Serving as cinematographer for 71 episodes

His visual work on the series earned him four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards, recognizing his outstanding cinematography.

Television Career

Following his success with Mad Men, Manley continued directing and working on major television productions. He has also shot several television pilots, including:

Homeland

In addition to Emmy nominations, his cinematography has earned five nominations from the American Society of Cinematographers.

Recent Work

More recently, Chris Manley served as the Producing Director for the superhero television series:

Doom Patrol

The show streams on HBO Max, and Manley directed 11 episodes across three seasons, helping shape the show’s distinctive visual style.