British Cinematographer - British Cinematographer

Special Recognition Awards Announced by IMAGO

Ahead of the second IMAGO International Awards for Cinematography ceremony, IMAGO have announced the recipients of their 'Special Recognition' awards, including Rachel Morrison ASC and Ed Lachman ASC.

Inside The New Issue: 92

In our latest cover feature, Ben Davis BSC speaks to us about teaming up with director Tim Burton for the first time to bring the live-action version of Dumbo to life. There's also features on Robert Richardson ASC, BSC President Mike Eley and Irish DP John Conroy ISC in another great new edition. Get a sneak preview of the content that subscribers can enjoy in the upcoming issue of British Cinematographer magazine - released from 18th March.

DP Stephen Murphy On Death and Nightingales

DP Stephen Murphy wrote in with details about his work on Death And Nightingales, the three-part BBC mini-series based on the novel of the same name, starring Jamie Dornan, Matthew Rhys and Ann Skelly.

Camerimage heading back to its roots

EnergaCamerimage are very excited to announce that the 27th edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE will be held between 9-16 November 2019 in the city of Toruń, Poland.

The making of They Shall Not Grow Old

The restoration work on Sir Peter Jackson’s First World War documentary film, They Shall Not Grow Old, was handled by Park Road Post Production in Wellington, New Zealand, and represents the post house’s largest-ever restoration project.

DP Stuart White on The Conversation

Up and coming DP, Stuart White, wrote in with details about his work on The Conversation, which was screened as a finalist at the BSC Emerging Cinematographers Night.

Early years of Queen lensed with vintage Cooke Speed Panchros

Newton Thomas Sigel ASC chose a full range of original Cooke Speed Panchros, with a slightly new housing and updated mechanics from ARRI Rental UK, to shoot the early years documented in the 20th Century Fox/Regency production of Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody.

Buy the limited edition BSC 70th Anniversary Collection

The British Society of Cinematographers have released an exclusive collection of specially branded merchandise as part of their 70th Anniversary celebrations.

Cuarón’s Roma wins the Academy Award for CInematography

Alfonso Cuarón's Roma was a three-time Oscar winner at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday 24th February, including the trophy for 'Best Cinematography'. Image: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

BSC holds 70th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Evening

On Friday 15th February 2019, the BSC held its special Awards Night at the Grovesnor House Hotel in Mayfair, London and there was further success for DPs James Friend BSC and Alfonso Cuarón, plus triumphs for operators James Layton and Des Whelan Assoc. BSC. All images by Richard Blanshard.

Sights of the BSC Expo 2019

DoP and photographer Richard Blanshard was on-hand once more to capture the action, the collaboration and the excitement of the latest BSC Expo at Battersea Evolution earlier this month, and you can take in the sights and faces from this year's show here at British Cinematographer.

ASC Protests Academy’s Decision on Cinematography Oscar Presentation

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and their president Kees Van Oostrum have protested Monday's decision by AMPAS to present four Oscar categories, including Cinematography, during commercial breaks in the 91st Academy Awards' telecast on 24th February. Image: Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Nominees Announced for IMAGO International Awards for Cinematography

The nominees have been announced for the second IMAGO Awards ceremony on 16th March 2019, with Roger Deakins aiming for yet another trophy for his work on Blade Runner 2049.

Success for Shepperton Studios as Council support plans

Spelthorne Borough Council's Planning Committee has resolved to grant outline planning permission for the improvement and expansion of the world-renowned Shepperton Studios site in Surrey, England.

Special Recognition Awards Announced by IMAGO

Inside The New Issue: 92

DP Stephen Murphy On Death and Nightingales

Camerimage heading back to its roots

The making of They Shall Not Grow Old

DP Stuart White on The Conversation

Up and coming DP, Stuart White, wrote in with details about his work on The Conversation, which was screened as a finalist at the BSC Emerging Cinematographers Night.

Across the Pond

February 2019: Singing the Praises

Mark London Williams was in the thick of it as awards season hit, taking in the accolades at the ASC, Independent Spirit, Art Directors Guild and of course the main and Sci-Tech Academy awards ceremonies. Read on for more about what the likes of DP James Laxton, ASC President Kees van Oostrum and Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón had to say.

Clapperboard

Cinders Forshaw BSC

Cinders Forshaw BSC has shot five features and has a distinguished and varied career in the world of television, including Tipping The Velvet, Vera and Poldark. She recounts her experiences studying at the NFTS, why it is TV's golden age for lighting projects and her views on being labelled a TV DP.

Talking Heads

Mike Eley BSC “The giving of gifts”

In the January 2019 edition of British Cinematographer, Mike Eley BSC's President's column celebrates the creation of the BSC 70 years ago and asks what gave rise to such optimism and camaraderie in its formation.

Close-Up

Laurie Rose BSC / Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie follows the world's most famous comedy duo, Laurel & Hardy, as they attempt to reignite their dwindling film careers in 1953. DP Laurie Rose BSC reveals how the cinematography assumed the role as a witness, why his lense choices paid homage to Cooke's legacy and which six-minute shot was his most enjoyable.

Spotlight

ScreenSkills

With production in the UK booming, the newly-formed ScreenSkills, formerly Creative Skillset, is dedicated to keeping the talent pool well-stocked as the industry-led skills charity for the screen industries. Read on to discover more about their work from their Head of Film, Gareth Ellis-Unwin.

On the Job

Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC / Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald

Frenchman Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC picks up his magic wand (or should that be light meter?) again to capture the second in the Fantastic Beasts series – The Crimes of Grindelwald. He reveals why being terrified at the start of a production is a good thing, why the Leica Thalia were the lenses of choice, and his delight at working once more with colouring ‘wizard’ Peter Doyle.

Close-Up

Mike Eley BSC / The White Crow

Mike Eley BSC reunited with Director Ralph Fiennes to lens the tale of the defection of internationally famous Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev in The White Crow. The BSC President speaks in-depth to Trevor Hogg about shooting across multiple European countries, why Raging Bull became an inspiration and building Paris–Le Bourget Airport from scratch.

Gaffers R Us

Martin Smith

It took a while to get there, but Martin Smith is now a gaffer with a firm reputation for taking on big challenges in different countries, including the recent Rob Hardy BSC collaboration on Mission Impossible: Fallout. Find out what Martin thinks is part of the fun of being a gaffer, why he gives as good as he gets and why he recommends getting onto a rigging crew.

Camera Creative

Dion Beebe ACS ASC / Mary Poppins Returns

Dion Beebe ACS ASC joins forces for a fifth time with director Rob Marshall to bring Mary Poppins back to life more than 50 years after the original. Beebe tells us about paying homage to a classic whilst wrapping a new generation into the story, the value gained from constructing LUTs in pre-production, and the fun to be had with a mixed-bag of lighting tricks.

Close-Up

Robbie Ryan BSC ISC / The Favourite

Having taken the awards season nominations by storm, with nods for the ASC, BSC, BAFTA awards and the Oscars, Robbie Ryan BSC ISC’s The Favourite is a popular choice right now. Ryan tells British Cinematographer why using film is incredibly flexible and durable, his joy at working with the Helix system – plus an ultra-wide 6mm spherical lense, and the challenge of getting inside director Yorgos Lanthimos’ vision.

Across the Pond

January 2019: A Common Language Among Filmmakers

Mark London Williams picks up where he left off in his column last time with a chat with Robert Richardson ASC, and also picks up soundbites from Jeffrey Jur, winner of the ASC's 'Career Achievement in TV' award. There's nods to Oscar and ASC nominees Robbie Ryan and Łukasz Żal, and he takes a look at DP Zak Mulligan's work on We The Animals.

Close-Up

Eric Steelberg ASC / The Front Runner

The circumstances surrounding the political scandal of Senator Gary Hart are the subject of The Front Runner, directed by Jason Reitman and starring Hugh Jackman. DP Eric Steelberg ASC speaks exclusively to Trevor Hogg and British Cinematographer about his seventh collaboration with Reitman. Image c/o Columbia Pictures.

Close-Up

Łukasz Żal – Cold War

A Silver Frog champion at the 2018 EnergaCamerimage festival, DP Łukasz Żal' PSCs collaboration with filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War is certainly hotting up during awards season. Żal speaks exclusively to Trevor Hogg and British Cinematographer in this extended interview about the sheer volume of prep-work needed, the use of black and white and high contrast imagery, and which scene perfectly encapsulates how the film was shot. Image c/o Amazon Studios.

Close-Up

Alfonso Cuarón / Roma

Streaming now on Netflix, Roma is a semi-biographical take on legendary Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's upbringing in the nation's capital, and has won the 2019 Oscar, along with BAFTA and BSC awards, Venice's Golden Lion and a Bronze Frog at Camerimage.
He speaks exclusively to Trevor Hogg and British Cinematographer about painting his memories on-screen in a contemporary black-and-white look, rotoscoping almost every shot, and restaging the infamous Corpus Christi Massacre.
Image by Carlos Somonte.

Across the Pond

December 2018: Open Houses and Holiday Gatherings

Mark London Williams' cup has positively "runneth over" during the past month, and he reflects on hectic events on the cinematography scene in L.A. this past month. Read on about Band Pro Film & Digital honoring of Dean Cundey ASC's The Thing, Tiffen Company's open house, Women in Media’s Holiday Celebration and upcoming ASC honoree Robert Richardson ASC.

Talking Heads

Mike Eley BSC “Credit Worthy”

In the November 2018 edition of British Cinematographer, Mike Eley BSC's President's column got us thinking about the ways in which cinematographers, and other below-the-line departments, are currently getting squeezed out of public acknowledgement.

Innovator

Gerhard Baier – Leitz Cine Wetzlar

Ernst Leitz Wetzlar is the new name of the CW Sonderoptic lens manufacturing company - a homage to Ernst Leitz, who created Leica over a century ago in the German city of Wetzlar. MD Gerhard Baier talks to us about the blossoming of the company.

Close-Up

Nanu Segal / An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn

Stylish, absurdist comedy, An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn, was shot in the remote Californian town of Eureka. Here, British DP and NFTS graduate, Nanu Segal talks us through the unique creative challenges she faced bringing the low-budget indie to life.

Clapperboard

Nina Kellgren BSC

Recently named the BFI’s most prolific female cinematographer, Nina Kellgren BSC, now an IMAGO board member, has garnered a 30-year career which has brought her BAFTAs along with respect and admiration. Read about how she began her odyssey with Kurosawa, how Channel 4's launch shaped her future in the '80s, and why she is pursuing more inclusivity for female DPs.

Close-Up

John Pardue BSC / Luther

Multi-award winning BBC crime drama Luther returns to TV screens tonight (January 1st) for a new four-part series. DP John Pardue shot the episodes and wrote in to British Cinematographer to tell us all about creating their stunning visuals. Image: BBC - Photographer: Des Willie

Meet the New Wave

Will Baldy

Will Baldy found a means of escapism through filmmaking and learnt as he went along - shooting whatever he could and following the advice of his peers to get out there and "start lighting". Learn more about his journey so far.

Close-Up

Barry Ackroyd BSC / The Outlaw King

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd BSC's latest work, on Netflix's Robert The Bruce biopic, The Outlaw King, saw him use Panavision Millenium DXL cameras paired with Panavision Primo 70 large format lenses and Angénieux Optimo zooms. Read on to discover how the film's epic Scottish landscapes and visceral battle sequences translated to screen.

Across the Pond