LECTURE HANDOUT
David
Watkin is a Director of Photography for films. In the past, he says,
his designation was the Lighting Cameraman. Rarely he is to be seen
sitting on a dolly or operating a camera. The camera operator does
that. As a Director of Photography he decides on lighting, lenses,
and the look of a film. He is much in demand and I managed to book
him before he flies to make a film in Toronto with Norman Jewison
(Bogus).
The list of his film credits is long and includes some extraordinary
productions.
He
first worked on documentaries, with Edgar Anstey at the British Transport
Corp. Film Unit and starting feature films in the mid 1960's with....
KEY
FILMS
1965 Help (dir. Richard Lester; written Marc Behm and
Charles Wood; Ray Sim art/d; the Beatles second film) "the colour
lensing is a delight.. "
1965 The Knack ( dir.Richard Lester , written Charles
Woods after the play by Anne Jellicoe with Michael Crawford and Ray
Brooks and Rita Tushingham, produced by Oscar Lewenstein).
1966 The Marat Sade (dir Peter Brook, written by Adrian
Mitchell after the play by Peter Weiss, , with Glenda jackson, Patrick
Magee and Ian Richardson. "I loathed and detested doing the play.
I couldn't wait for it to end." Glenda Jackson.
1967 Mademoiselle (dir Tony Richardson , prod.Oscar
Lewenstein, written by Jean Genet, art/d Jacques Soulnier, with Jeanne
Moreau)
1967 How I Won the War (dir.Richard Lester , written
by Charles Wood after the novel by Patrick Ryan, , with Michael Crawford,
John Lennon, Roy Kinnear and Jack McGowran)
1968 The Charge of the Light Brigade (dir. Tony Richardson
, written by Charles Wood, art/ds Edward Marshall and Julian Oman with
Trevor Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, David Hemmings)
1969 The Devils (dir.Ken Russell, written Ken Russellart/d
Derek Jarman Robert Cartwright. with Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed and
Dudley Sutton)
1970 The Bed Sitting Room (dir. Richard Lester, written
by Charles Wood aproduced by Oscar Lwith Rita Tushingham, Ralph Richardson,
Spike Milligan)
1970 Catch-22 (dir Mike Nichols, written Buck Henry
art/d Richard Sylbert with Alan Arkin, Orson Welles, Martin Balsam and
Buck Henry) Watkin left with director Mike Nichols; Alan Arkin foreground
left
1973 The Three Musketeers (dir Richard Lester, written
George Fraser, with Oliver Reed and Charlton Heston
1976 Robin and Marion (dir Richard Lester , wr.James
Goldman art/d Michael Stringer, with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn)
1977 Joseph Andrews (dir. Tony Richardson, written
Allan Scott and Chris Bryant after the novel by Henry Fielding, art/d
by Michael Annals, with Ann-Margret, Michael Hordern, Beryl Reid etc)
1979 Cuba (dir. Richard Lester, written by Charles
Woods, art/d Shirley Russell with Sean Connery and Brooke Adams
1981 Chariots of Fire (dir.Hugh Hudson, prod.David
Puttnam, written by Cpolin Welland, music Vangelis, art/d Roger Hall,
with Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, , Nigel Havers, John Gielgud, and Lindsay
Anderson)
1983 Yentl (dir. Barbra Streisand, written Jack Rosental
and BS, art/d Roy Walker ) "In league with ace cinematographer
David Watkin, Streisand has created a fine looking period piece... "
1984 Hotel New Hampshire (dir. Tony Richardson, written
TR, art/d Jocelyn Herbert with Jodie Foster and Beau Bridges)
1985 Out of Africa (Sidney Pollack , written by Kurt
Luedtke, art/d Stephen Grimes) DW got an Oscar for his cinematography)
1990 Hamlet (dir. Franco Zefferelli , adapted Christopher
De Vore, FZ, aer/d Dante Ferretti with Mel Gibson, Glen Close and Paul
Scholfield)
1990 Memphis Belle (dir Michael Caton-Jones, wr.Monte
Merrick) see beneath
1992 Used People (dir Beeban Kidron, written Todd Graff,
art/d Stuart Wurtzl with Shirley Maclaine, Kathy Bates, Marcello Mastroianni)
1994 Jane Eyre (dir.F.Zefferelli. with William Hurt
1995 Bogus (dir Norman Jewison with Whoopi Goldberg
and Gerard Depardieu)
1995 Night Falls on Manhattan (dir.Sidney Lumet)
He has photographed quite a bit of music in performance (Barenboim and
the Mozart piano concertos) and music of the Arts lies closest to his
heart. He has also worked extensively for commercials ; ie the ad withdrawn
at the instigation of Norman Lamont showing Dennis Healey meaningfully
standing by a brnach of Threshers offlicence , the old Italian woman
weeping over peeled onions for Kleenex etc etc. and has recently filmed
a Central Office of Information ad aimed at stopping young unlicensed
drivers. He will talk for a short time and then answer your questions.
They could be about the film trade, the design of lighting, prospects
for the UKL film industry, the crew., who does what on a film, documentary
work, working with designers etc etc. During the day, work out what
you want to find out
.
On
Memphis Belle
BOOKLIST
Leonard Maltin, The Art of the Cinematographer, A Survey and
Interviews with Five Masters ( Arthur Miller, Hal Mohr, Hal Rosson,
Lucien Ballard and Conrad Hall), Dover NY 1978
Kris Malkiewicz, Cinematography , Columbus London
1989
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