Born: 1934, Quandialla, New South Wales, Australia, as Donald M. McAlpine.

Career: 'After graduating from high school, McAlpine earned the money to take a four-week boat tour to Europe by working as a sharecropper on a wheat farm. He spent a year exploring the continent while supporting himself by working at odd jobs. After returning home, he enrolled in college as a physical education and science major. Several of his teachers were coaches for Australian teams competing in the 1956 Olympics. He began doing movie camera work for analysis of the Olympic team. He bought an 8mm camera, then upgraded to a 16mm, to film the athletes. He would take footage of all sports including swimming and kayaking using underwater photography and above or under water slow motion. After graduation, he taught at a rural school in Parkes, Australia, where he produced 8mm training films that were used by gym teachers. On a school cultural excursion to Channel Two [Australian Broadcasting Commission Television (ABC)] in the late fifties he discovered the News Office. "There was a door, 'News Supervise Office', and I knocked on that door and said, look, I've got a 16mm camera. If I get the end of the world on film would you guys buy it?" They said, "Are you any good?" to which Don replied, "Who knows?" The News Supervisor gave Don a sheet of paper outlining how to shoot a news story and four one hundred foot loads of Eastman Kodak Plus-X. So, armed with his list and b&w film stock, Don went away. There was a big railroad center in Parkes that was converting from steam to diesel engines. He shot a news story documenting how that transition affected the lives of people who worked for the railroad. In 1962 McAlpine left his position as a schoolteacher and joined ABC-tv as a c.asst. In 1965 he became cameraman. In 1968 he was offered a position at the Federal Government's Commonwealth Film Unit/Film Australia, the lure of working with color called to him. It was at Film Australia that Don started to learn that "there was far more to camera then just reporting. That there was some art in cinematography and some art in filmmaking." In a short time he took the job of Chief Cameraman. A few of his short drama films caught Bruce Beresford's eyes. While still working at Film Australia he ph his first feature film, 'The Adventures of Barry McKenzie' [1971-72], in London. In 1974 he left Film Australia and became freelance doph. His career took another giant step forward in 1981, beginning with a 3 a.m. phone call from Paul Mazursky. During their first conversation, he asked McAlpine to meet him in Greece to scout locations for 'Tempest'. His career shifted into high gear after he collaborated with Mazursky on the making of 'Tempest'.' [From the ACS & ASC websites.]

Was interviewee in an ep of the doc series 'ACS Video Series'. Appeared in the doc's 'Studio Lighting: A Comparative Workshop with Donald McAlpine and Denis Lenoir' [1993, Steve Newman & Jason Wheatley; ph: S. Newman; 63m], 'Art My Arse' [1998; registration of a forum; 90m], "If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'" [2001, ?; 29m] & 'At the Movies: Behind the Camera' [2006, Stewart Burchmore; 25m]. Directed the doc/20m 'The Crew' [1976; ph: Mick Clark] on the making of 'Storm Boy'.

Awards: AFI [Aus] Award [1980] for 'Breaker Morant'; ACS 'Milli' Award 'Australian Cinematographer of the Year' [1981] & AFI [Aus] Award [1981] for 'My Brilliant Career'; ACS 'Award of Distinction' [1997], Golden Satellite Award nom [1997] & BAFTA Film Award nom [1998] for 'Romeo + Juliet'; ACS 'Hall of Fame' Award [1997]; Empire AFI [Aus] Award [2001], 'Oscar' AA nom [2002], Golden Satellite Award nom [2002], BAFTA Film Award nom [2002] & CFCA Award nom [2002] for 'Moulin Rouge'; ASC 'International Achievement Award' [2008].

1971        The Adventures of Barry McKenzie [Bruce Beresford] c

1972        Gentle Strangers [Cecil Holmes] 16mm/c; short/57m; cph: David Sanderson, Bruce Hillyard, Mick von Bornemann &

                    Kerry Brown

1974        Barry McKenzie Holds His Own [Bruce Beresford] p/c

1975        Let the Balloon Go [Oliver Howes] c; 2uc; ph: Dean Semler

1975        Surrender In Paradise [Peter Cox] 16mm/c; + small part

1976        Don's Party [Bruce Beresford] p/c

1977        The Getting of Wisdom [Bruce Beresford] c

1978        Money Movers [Bruce Beresford] c

1978        Patrick [Richard Franklin] c

1978        The Odd Angry Shot [Tom Jeffrey] c

1978        My Brilliant Career [Gillian Armstrong] c

1979        The Journalist [Michael Thornhill] c

1979        Breaker Morant [Bruce Beresford] c

1979        The Earthling [Peter Collinson] p/c; 2uc: Dean Semler

1980        Jim [Donald Crombie] ?

1980        The Club/Players [Bruce Beresford] p/c

1981        Puberty Blues [Bruce Beresford] p/c

1981        Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder/Vietnam: Hell or Glory [Peter Werner] c

1981        Tempest [Paul Mazursky] c; stand-by ph: Zoli Vidor

1983        Harry & Son [Paul Newman] c; 2uc: James Pergola

1983        Moscow on the Hudson [Paul Mazursky] c

1983        Blue Skies Again [Richard Michaels] c

1984        King David [Bruce Beresford] p/c; 2uc: Robin Vidgeon

1985        My Man Adam [Roger L. Simon] c

1986        Down and Out in Beverly Hills [Paul Mazursky] c

1986        Predator [John McTiernan] c; Mexico ph: Leon Sanchez; 2uc: Frank E. Johnson; thermal ph: David Eggby

1986        The Fringe Dwellers [Bruce Beresford] c

1987        Orphans [Alan J. Pakula] c

1987        Moon Over Parador [Paul Mazursky] c; 2uc: Lucio Kodato

1988        See You in the Morning [Alan J. Pakula] c

1988        Stanley & Iris [Martin Ritt] c

1988        Moving [Alan Metter] c

1989        Parenthood [Ron Howard] c

1990        The Hard Way [John Badham] p/c; cph: Robert Primes; 2uc: Ron Fortunato; addph 2u: Roy H. Wagner; ph cons: Alicia

                    Webber

1991        Medicine Man/The Last Days of Eden [John McTiernan] p/c

1991        Career Opportunities/One Wild Night [Bryan Gordon] p/c; Los Angeles ph: John McPherson

1991        Patriot Games [Phillip Noyce] p/c; cph UK: Stephen Smith & James Devis; 2uc: Michael A. Benson

1992        The Man Without a Face [Mel Gibson] c; uncred addph: Daryn Okada

1993        Mrs. Doubtfire [Chris Columbus] p/c

1993        Clear and Present Danger [Phillip Noyce] p/c; 2uc: Michael A. Benson; matte ph: Craig Barron

1994        Nine Months [Chris Columbus] p/c

1996        [William Shakespeare's] Romeo + Juliet [Baz Luhrmann] p/c; addph: Kim Marks

1996        The Edge [Lee Tamahori] p/c; 2uc: Roger Vernon

1997        Stepmom [Chris Columbus] p/c

1999        Moulin Rouge! [Baz Luhrmann] p/c; addph: Steven Fierberg & Stephen Dobson

2001        The Time Machine [Simon Wells & (uncred) Gore Verbinski] p/c; 2uc: Hiro Narita; miniature ph: Tony Anderson

2002        Anger Management [Peter Segal] p/c; 2uc (+ 2ud): Hiro Narita

2002        Peter Pan [P.J. Hogan] p/c; 2uc: Martin McGrath; addph: Ian Thorburn; miniature ph: David Hardberger, Carl Miller,

                    Martin Rosenberg & Patrick Sweeney

2004        The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe [Andrew Adamson] s35/c; 2uc: Brad Shield & Dick

                    Pope; addph: Ian Thorburn; aph: Adam Dale

2008        X-Men Origins: Wolverine [Gavin Hood] s35/c; 2uc: Brad Shield; aph: Hans Bjerno

2009        Main Street [John Doyle] c

1968        In One Lifetime [Lionel Hudson, Arch Nicholson, a.o.] ?; ?m; cph: ?

1968        Papua and New Guinea Development [Douglas White] c; 13m

1968        Ron Shelley, Civil Engineer [Richard Tucker] c; 11m

1969        How to Drive [John Edwards] c; 12-part series; cph (ep #8): Reginald Pearse

1969        Leonard French's Stained Glass Screens, National Library, Canberra [Michael Thornhill] c; 9m; cph: Reginald

                    Pearse; ep series 'Outlook'

1969        Horizon [Bob Kingsbury] 70mm/c; multi-screen presentation Australia, EXPO '70; cph: ?

1969        South East Australia & Tipperary [Greg Reading & Harry Reynolds] c; 11m; ep #30 of series 'Australian Colour Diary'

1970        No Roses for Michael [Christopher McGill] b&w; dram doc/33m

1970        The Big Island [prod: Frank Bagnall] 16mm-35bu/c; 10m; cph: Keith Gow

1970        The Country Couldn't Do Without You [Don Murray] c; 7m

1970        Faces of the City [Malcolm Smith] c; 21m; ep series 'Australian Geography'

1970        I'm Going to School Today [Henry Lewes] c; 26m

1970        I'm Ready to Learn [Henry Lewes] c; 28m

1970        Or Forever Hold Your Peace [Kit Guyatt, Ian Dunlop, Arch Nicholson, a.o.] b&w; 58m; cph: Michael Edols, David

                    Sanderson, Mick Bornemann, a.o.

1970        A Selection Interview [Cecil Holmes] 16mm/c; training film/17m

1970        Sheltered Workshops [Kit Guyatt] c; 25m

1970        The Athletes [Don Murray] 16mm/c; 28m; cph: Leo Elia & Richard Tucker; ep series 'A Man and His Sport'

1970        Country Jazz [Robert Kingsbury] c; mus doc/12m; ep #37 of series 'Australian Colour Diary'

1971        In the Bush [Keith Gow] c; 7m

1972        Drugs and the Law [Keith Gow] 16mm/c; ?m

1972        The Gathering Flame [Don Murray] c; 22m; cph: Dean Semler, Jack Bellamy, a.o.

1972        Teaching a Language Structure by the Australian Situational Method [Ian Hart] b&w; 2-part doc/2x 15m

1972        Introducing Australian Football [Malcolm Smith] 16mm/c; 23m

1973        The Man Who Can't Stop [Michael Rubbo] c; 58m; cph: Michael Edols

1973        Whatever Happened to Green Valley? [Peter Weir] c; 55m; cph: Nick Ardizzone

1973        Australian Report [Keith Gow, Ian Hart & David Eastman] 16mm/c; 20m; cph: Mick Bornemann & Kerry Brown

1973        Dairying: Space and Systems [Meg Stewart & James Coffey] c; 19m; ep series 'Australian Geography'

1973        Irrigation [: The Ord River Scheme and the M.I.A.] [Meg Stewart & Oliver Howes] c; 17m; ep series

                    'Australian Geography'

1973        The Fifth Facade [Donald Crombie] c; 28m; cph: Dean Semler, Michael Edols, Bruce Hillyard, a.o.

1973        Close Your Eyes and Hold Your Stomach [Curtis Levy] c; 38m; cph: Geoff Burton

1973        Muster [Don McAlpine] c; 9m; cph: Geoff Williams; ep #42 of series 'Australian Colour Diary'

1973        A Voice to Be Heard [Greg Reading] c; 51m

1974        Your Voice [Greg Reading] ?; ?m

1974        Community Health: The Australian Concept [John Sexton] c; 26m; cph: Peter Levy

1975        Health Centres: The Canberra Concept [John Sexton] c; 13m

1974        The Royal Visit: Surf Carnival 1974 [prod: Peter Johnson] 16mm/c; 13m; cph: Frank Hruby

1974        Sacred Heart College for Boys [Chris Noonan] c; 13m; ep series 'A Place Where Books Are Kept'

1975        Penshurst Girls' High School [Chris Noonan] c; 15m; ep series 'A Place Where Books Are Kept'

1975        Sunshine North Technical School [Chris Noonan] c; 21m; ep series 'A Place Where Books Are Kept'

1975        A Balinese Gong Orchestra [Keith Gow] 16mm/c; 17m; ep 10-part series 'Our Asian Neighbours - Indonesia'

1975        Marvel - A Jakarta Boy [Keith Gow] c; 17m; ep 10-part series 'Our Asian Neighbours - Indonesia'

1975        Mastri - A Balinese Woman [Keith Gow] c; 18m; cph: Gajah Soepardi; ep 10-part series 'Our Asian Neighbours -

                    Indonesia'

1975        Pak Menggung - A Javanese Aristocrat [Keith Gow] c; 21m; cph: Gajah Soepardi; ep 10-part series 'Our Asian

                    Neighbours - Indonesia'

1975        Sinaga's Family - A Batak Village [Keith Gow] c; 18m; ep 10-part series 'Our Asian Neighbours - Indonesia'

1975        Penang - Malaysia [John Morris] ?; ?m

1975        Alpha [Theo Van Leeuwen] ?; ?m; prod AFTRS

1977        Models and Methods [Donald Ham] 16mm/c; ?m

1977        The Near Edge - Three Families of the Global Village [Donald Ham] 16mm/c; 26m

1980        The Children of An Lac [John L. Moxey] tvm

1982        Now and Forever [Adrian Carr (replaced Richard Cassidy)] tvm

1986        Bob Dylan in Concert/Hard to Handle: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers [Gillian Armstrong] mus

                    special/56m; filmed in Sydney, Australia; for HBO-tv