1970s Semler's first work in the production industry was as a camera operator at a
local television station. Later, he began making documentary and educational films for
Film Australia. He was the cinematographer for
A Steam Train Passes (1974),
Moving On (1974),
Let the Balloon Go (1976), and
A Good Thing Going (1978). In 1971, he worked with
ethnographic filmmaker
Ian Dunlop at Film Australia to film a special
Yolngu ceremony organised by
Wandjuk Marika to honour his father,
Mawalan Marika, who had been a co-creator and signatory of the
Yirrkala bark petitions in 1963, and died in 1967. The ceremony took place after the disappointing result of the
Gove Land Rights Case. The resulting film, called
In Memory of Mawalan, was released in 1983. In 1976, he again worked with Dunlop to film the
Yolngu Djungguwan ceremony in
Arnhem Land. This is an initiation ceremony of the
Rirratjingu and Marrakula clans taking several weeks, designed to teach young boys about discipline as well as respect for Yolngu law and traditions. The resulting film, entitled
Djungguwan at Gurka’wuy, has been preserved at the
National Film and Sound Archive.
1980s Semler was cinematographer on
Stepping Out, in 1980. The film was a documentary feature directed and produced by
Chris Noonan, about a group of intellectually disabled people who give a performance at the
Sydney Opera House. Semler was the cinematographer on the film
Hoodwink (1981) with a screenplay by
Ken Quinnell, and in the same year, for
Mad Max 2 (1981), which led to international attention for his work. He followed up on
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries
Bodyline (1984). In the late 1980s, Semler was the cinematographer for several popular films, such as
Cocktail (1988), and
Young Guns (1988).
1990s In 1989, Semler was hired as cinematographer for
Kevin Costner's
Dances with Wolves (1990), for which he won an
Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Semler lensed the comedy
City Slickers (1991) and the action film
Last Action Hero (1993) in the early 1990s. In 1995, Semler again worked with Costner on his film
Waterworld. In 1992 Semler was the cinematographer for
The Power of One.
2000s In the 2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for a range of movies that included comedies (
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps from 2000, and
Bruce Almighty from 2003) and action films (
XXX from 2002 and
The Alamo from 2004). In the mid-2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for the football comedy
The Longest Yard (2005) and
Just My Luck (2006). In 2006, Semler worked with
Mel Gibson again for the film
Apocalypto. ==Recognition and honours==