David Fincher was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in Marin County, California. When he was 18 years old, he went to work for John Korty at Korty Films in Mill Valley. He subsequently worked at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) from 1981 - 1983. Fincher left ILM to direct TV commercials and music videos after signing with N. Lee Lacy in Hollywood. He went on to found Propaganda in 1987 with fellow directors Dominic Sena, Greg Gold and Nigel Dick. Fincher has directed TV commercials for clients that include: Nike, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Heinekin, Pepsi, Levi's, Converse, AT & T, and Chanel. He has directed music videos for: Madonna, Sting, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, George Michael, Iggy Pop, The Wallflowers, Billy Idol, Stevie Winwood, The Motels and, most recently, A Perfect Circle.

As a film director, he has achieved huge success with Se7en, Fight Club and, most recently, Panic Room, which achieved one of the biggest ever opening grosses in the USA.
Lived for several years in Ashland, Oregon and graduated from Ashland High School. His video for Madonna's "Express Yourself" voted #1 in Slant Magazines Top 100 Videos. 2 of his other Madonna videos also made the list. "Vogue" at #4 & "Oh, Father" at #11. (19th January 2003) Has been close friends with Brad Pitt ever since working together on Se7en. Was originally set to direct The Black Dahlia, but dropped out. Was originally set to direct Madonna: Truth or Dare, but dropped out. Was originally set to direct Mission: Impossible III, but dropped out. Was originally considered to direct Spider-Man. Was originally considered to direct Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Turned down the offer to direct Catch Me If You Can, opting to do Panic Room instead. Turned down the offer to direct Batman Begins. Was originally set to direct _Black Dahlia, The (2005)_ , but dropped out. Turned down the offer to direct 8MM, opting to do Fight Club instead. A founder member of Propaganda Films in 1986. Daughter, Phenix (b. 1994), with Donya Fiorentino. While growing up in Marin County, one of his neighbors was George Lucas. He works frequently with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. It was the 1969 feature film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that inspired him to pursue a career in cinema. In 2005, he directed the video for Nine Inch Nails' "Only". Ten years earlier, he used Coil's version of the Nine Inch Nails' song "Closer" during the opening credits montage of his film Se7en. Met his partner, Ceán Chaffin, in the early '90s when she produced a Japanese Coca-Cola ad he was directing.