John C. Flinn III, ASC was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is a third generation filmmaker. His grandfather, John C. Flinn Sr., was a vice president of Cecile B. DeMille Productions and his father, John C. Flinn Jr., was West Coast director of advertising and publicity for Columbia Pictures.

Flinn began his career at the age of 19, filling in as a second assistant cameraman. During the early days of his career, Flinn had a SAG card and performed bit roles as an actor. Flinn was an assistant cameraman for seven years and a camera operator for eight years, working with and being mentored by such legendary cinematographers as Bob Surtees, ASC, Harry Stradling, ASC, Bill Fraker, ASC, BSC, Richard Rawlings Sr., ASC, Monroe Askins, ASC, Chuck Wheeler, ASC, and Richard Kline, ASC.

Flinn earned his first cinematography credit in 1979 for a television film called The Flame is Love. He filmed such milestone TV series as the last season of Hawaii Five-O, three years of Hill Street Blues, long runs on Magnum, P.I., Jake and the Fatman and the recent hit, Babylon 5, in addition to various other episodic series and movies made for television. Flinn has earned seven Emmy and three American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Award nominations. He claimed top honors in the 1993 ASC episodic series competition for Jake and the Fatman, an episode he also directed. His current projects include the television series Gilmore Girls.