Ernie Clark ACS released the following statement:
It is with great sorrow we acknowledge the passing of Ronald Geoffrey Johanson OAM ACS. Ron was our much-loved, highly respected and long serving National ACS president for fourteen years from 2008 to 2022, National vice president for five years and a past Queensland president for over ten years. Extraordinary and dedicated service indeed!
Ron was a driving force in the establishment of our first ACS National headquarters in North Sydney in 2010. He was enormously proud to be one of the dedicated members who made the clubhouse come to fruition. He did this not for personal recognition but for the society, its members and the future of Australian cinematography.
Ron helped expand recognition of the ACS on the world stage becoming only the second ACS president to be the Australian representative on Imago – the International Federation of Cinematographers – eventually becoming a co-president in 2021. In fact, he fostered alliances with many international cinematography guilds as well.
Ron was instrumental in making the ACS more inclusive, by working with the other Australian guilds to bring our industry togetherto make it the best it could possibly be. He strove to make the ACS more welcoming to all and to innovate changes to improve the ACS. He made thesociety truly national by implementing a branch in every state and territory.
He also drove the process to upgrade our website – www.cinematographer.org.au, to guide the publication of our own 288-page book on the history of cinematography in Australia – The Shadowcatchers, which was published in 2012.
Ron was larger than life, a deeply caring, generous soul, and a mentor to many over the years who he helped and supported whenever and however possible. Many of his mentees have gone on to promising careers and have achieved recognition from their peers as well as winning many awards on their journeys.
Ron was born and raised in Melbourne and though he could be self-deprecating about his academic achievements, in 1965 at age 16, he managed to get a job at Crawford Productions as a naïve message boy. In ‘67 he was employed as camera assistant at Senior Films in St Kilda, then promoted to camera operator and by 1970 he became their lighting cameraman before going freelance around 1972. It wasn’t long after in ’76 he was asked to move up to Brisbane to join Martin Williams Films as inhouse Director/DoP where he worked on many large TVC’s and docos.
Later, in 1980, he started his own successful production company Roly Poly Picture Company in Brisbane where he was Director/DoP on many quality TVC’s around Australia and across the world, as well as television series, documentaries and feature films including director Scott Hicks first feature, Freedom. Working with Ron has been described as absolute joy, so much fun, who knew working could be so enjoyable whilst making great images and stories. It was impossible to be with Ron and not have a good time!
His excellent work during these years saw him recognised with many significant awards including: 3 National ACS Gold Tripods, numerous State Gold ACS Awards, 4 New York Festival International Advertising Awards, 3 Mobius Awards, 2 Cannes Awards and much more.
Ron received ACS accreditation #212 in 1992, Hall of Fame in 2005, Life membership in 2007 and in 2014 was honoured with an OAM for his mentoring and services to the film industry.
Under Ron’s leadership the ACS was acknowledged with the Byron Kennedy Award in 2014, this being the first time a guild rather than an individual had been recognised, with this prestigious recognition highlighting the status of the ACS within the Australian film industry.
In 1999 he was presented a special Kodak Award for services to the film industry. In 2004 the Queensland New Filmmakers “Kinetone Award” was bestowed on him for his contributions to the Queensland film industry and in 2009 he was inducted into the Queensland Advertising Hall of Fame.
In 2015 he received the Ron Windon ACS Contribution Award recognising his enormous service to the society and industry in general. Still, with all these accolades, Ron remained a humble human being.
All this recognition was for the love of the craft of cinematography that gave him an amazing career and life, which he repaid in spades by giving back to the industry that he so loved. He had a “can do” attitude, a positiveness which inspired others to “do”, to achieve and to be on the journey with him. Ron was aware he was not perfect but boy he certainly did his best!
Ron had an infectious personality which drew people from all walks and stratas of life to him. He easily made people feel comfortable with his wicked and extremely quick sense of humour, not always politically correct and often quite cheeky. I’ve had professional comedians comment enviously on his quick wit.
To Ron, family was everything. He was a loving partner, a proud father and a funny and caring Grandpa. “Family” also included so many strong friendships, where he often demonstrated his loyalty, kindness, generosity and consideration. His loyalty new no bounds, including to continue supporting his beloved football team Essendon, the Mighty Bombers as he’d like to call them even when they were not so mighty! He said he could never understand rugby league.
Ron is survived by his wife Linda, his amazing mother Edna, his younger brother Alan his wife Julie and family, Ron’s children Shannon and Kelly, their partners and four grandchildren. I know his family will miss him greatly, as will the many, many friends, colleagues and collaborators he has made over the years in the industry. I’m not sure I know of another person who has so many enthusiastic friends. He is loved, respected and admired by so many.
We will miss you dear Ron, it is time to hang up the light meter and to rest in peace.
Adieu my very good friend.
In memory of Ron Johanson OAM ACS – tributes
Ron Johanson’s many wonderful accomplishments, and his work in general, have been the focus of previously published obituary notices. But here, a handful of his many friends would like to highlight Ron’s personality, warm humour and his extensive, selfless efforts to further solidarity among cinematographers across the globe…
“As cinematographers, we often compete with each other for the same job opportunities. In many other professions this would mean fierce rivalry, enmity and the very opposite of friendship.
So how is it then that in the community of cinematographers the dominating feeling is one of camaraderie, of a shared love for the craft, and for the films we all create and love to watch? This feeling of camaraderie was never stronger than when you were in the same room as Ron.
I myself only knew Ron a little less than 10 years, but I envy those who knew him through many decades.
I was asked to write a short presentation on Ron for the IMAGO website, when he had just been appointed President, and offered the following. ”Ron Johanson OAM ACS succeeded Kees Van Oostrum as IMAGO President/Interim Chair in November 2020 and his calm and constructive leadership has proven invaluable in steering the organization through the very challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. National President of the ACS since 2005 and a living legend in the Australian film industry, Johanson in addition to having shot and directed hundreds of television commercials, music videos and documentaries, has also lensed several feature films and TV series and has received numerous awards for his work, including a Cannes Lion and 2 Mobius awards”.
To me, Ron was the sort of person that when you met him for the first time, you felt as if you’d known him a long time already.
In January 2019, the IMAGO Masterclass Committee presented an event held in Vienna Austria called simply ”Inspiration”. It was to be a three-day smorgasbord of lectures on cinematography held at the Metro Kinokulturhaus starring Barry Ackroyd BSC, Dan Laustsen ASC DFF, Maryse Alberti and Greig Fraser ASC ACS.
Opening the event, the three members of the IMAGO Masterclass Committee entered the stage to wish everyone welcome. Next to Astrid Heubrandtner AAC and Jan Weincke DFF on stage was this big bear of a man, with charisma in spades, a friendly smile and a twinkle in his eye. The trio greeted everyone and explained the overall schedule for the event, and then Ron – because, of course it was Ron – gave a few pointers on practical matters, like the audience hanging their overcoats in the cloak room, ending with a friendly caution. ”Be sure to empty your pockets yourselves, because I will be going through them. We Australians are all descendants of convicts!” Needless to say, it brought out cheerful laughter in the audience, everyone relaxed and got ready for what turned out to be a three-day out-of-body experience of cinematic inspiration -and dangerously brilliant Viennese food!
Another very ambitious IMAGO event was held in Belgrade sometime later. There was to be a big ceremony in the evening, where the IMAGO awards would be handed out to the lucky winners.
We were all on the roof of our hotel, getting ready for the awards show, and all the men wearing a tux and being somewhat uncomfortable, given how we all normally dressed a lot more casually.
”We look like a bunch of waiters!” Quipped Ron, and of course again laughter eased all tension among us, and we wandered off merrily to the awards show. Looking like a bunch of waiters, but we didn’t care.”
Lars Pettersson FSF
”Our Ronnie was a special person and a great guy for the international cooperation of cinematographers.
I’ll drink a beer to his memory as he used to do when he was visiting his great uncle’s grave in the WW 1 military cemetery in the Somme, France. Another terrible loss. Miss him.”
Richard Andry AFC remembers his dear friend
”Ron Johanson was a big man, a big smile, and a big heart, big enough to encompass all the cinematographers and societies around the world.
That big man’s joy has faded, but his memory never will.”
Ron’s good friend John Seale AM ASC ACS
”It is with deep sadness and profound respect that we, the Austrian Association of Cinematographers, mark the passing of Ron Johanson OAM ACS — a distinguished cinematographer, dedicated mentor, and esteemed member of the IMAGO Masterclass Committee.
Ron was more than a gifted visual storyteller; he was a passionate advocate for solidarity among cinematographers across the globe. As a long-standing and active member of the IMAGO Masterclass Committee, Ron brought extraordinary vision, wisdom, and warmth to everything he did — not to mention his bright spirit and unmistakable sense of humour.
Through his tireless commitment, Ron helped nurture a global culture of camaraderie and creative exchange within the cinematographic community. He firmly believed in the strength of international collaboration and was always ready to support new ideas and initiatives with generosity and enthusiasm.
Ron’s legacy lives on — in the images he created, the colleagues he inspired, and the international community he helped build and strengthen.
On behalf of the AAC, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.”
Astrid Heubrandtner AAC
