Patrick Creadon (born May 1, 1967) is an American film director and writer, primarily known for his work in documentary film. His film Wordplay, a profile of New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and became the second-highest grossing documentary of that year. His second film, I.O.U.S.A., an examination of America's debt problem which forecast the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was later named one of film critic Roger Ebert's Top 5 documentaries of the year.Since 2006, Creadon is one of only a handful of filmmakers to release multiple films that were ranked within the Top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time. The other filmmakers are Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) and Academy Award winners Michael Moore (Sicko, Capitalism: A Love Story), Charles H. Ferguson (No End in Sight, Inside Job), and Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud, and Waiting for 'Superman' ).
There's such a huge disparity between the wealthy and the poor in this country, and I think that's one of the reasons why consumerism is so rampant. A lot of us have become addicted to a lifestyle we can't afford. We're immersed in the culture of excess, so it's going to get really ugly when it has to stop. No one saved for the rainy day and now it's raining.
2
[Comparing his film 'Wordplay' with 'I.O.U.S.A.'] A movie about crossword puzzles is an easier sell than a movie about the national debt.
Cinematographer
Title
Year
Status
Character
All Work All Play
2015
Documentary
Running Blind
2013/I
Documentary short
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
2009
TV Movie documentary co-cinematographer
Independent Lens
2007
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Wordplay
2006
Documentary director of photography
Video Classroom Lesson 1: Space and Sea
2006
Video short
Maxim the Real Swimsuit DVD Vol. 2
2005
Video documentary short
Maxim Hot 100
2005
TV Movie
The Girls of Surf
2005
Video short
Baby Bridges: Space and Sea
2005
Video short director of photography
Inside Dish with Rachael Ray
2004
TV Series documentary
Maxim Hot 100
2004
TV Movie documentary
Maxim's Girl Next Door
2004
TV Movie
Drop Spot
1998
TV Movie
Tendrils
1996
Short
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
30 for 30
2016
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Ocean Stories: Wyland
2016
Documentary short
All Work All Play
2015
Documentary
If You Build It
2013
Documentary
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
2011
TV Series 1 episode
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
2009
TV Movie documentary
I.O.U.S.A.
2008
Documentary
Independent Lens
2007
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Wordplay
2006
Documentary
Camera Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
30 for 30
2016
TV Series documentary additional camera operator - 1 episode
Maxim the Real Swimsuit DVD Vol. 2
2005
Video documentary short videographer
Maxim Hot 100
2005
TV Movie videographer
Maxim Hot 100
2004
TV Movie documentary videographer
South Park (Chef: Behind the Menu)
1998
TV Short camera operator
The Protector
1998/II
best boy electric
Hijacking Hollywood
1997
gaffer
Casualties
1997
best boy electric
Back in Business
1997
electrician
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Ocean Stories: Wyland
2016
Documentary short executive producer / producer
Superheroes
2011
Documentary executive producer
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
2009
TV Movie documentary executive producer
Video Classroom Lesson 1: Space and Sea
2006
Video short producer
Baby Bridges: Space and Sea
2005
Video short producer
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Ocean Stories: Wyland
2016
Documentary short
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
2009
TV Movie documentary
I.O.U.S.A.
2008
Documentary writer
Independent Lens
2007
TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
Wordplay
2006
Documentary
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn
1982
TV Movie
Tom Sawyer
Soft Is the Heart of a Child
1978
Short
Brian
Editor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Baby Bridges: Space and Sea
2005
Video short
Editorial Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Independent Lens
2007
TV Series documentary additional editor - 1 episode
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Hijacking Hollywood
1997
stand-in: Henry Thomas
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alive and Kicking
2016
Documentary special thanks
Jim: The James Foley Story
2016
Documentary thanks
Who Stole the Ruby Slippers?
2015
Documentary short special thanks
Poverty, Inc.
2014
Documentary thanks
The 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards
2014
TV Special clips courtesy of
These Amazing Shadows
2011
Documentary special thanks
Convention
2009
Documentary thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
TakePart Live
2014
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Festival Updates
2008
TV Series
Himself (2008)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2016
Jury Award
Tribeca Film Festival
Best Documentary Short
Ocean Stories: Wyland (2016)
2008
Grand Jury Prize
Sundance Film Festival
Documentary
I.O.U.S.A. (2008)
2006
Grand Jury Prize
Sundance Film Festival
Documentary
Wordplay (2006)
Known for movies
Wordplay (2006) as Cinematographer
I.O.U.S.A. (2008) as Director
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants (2009) as Cinematographer
$1.3 Million
