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[from interview - 2009] |
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PHIL MÉHEUX BSC |
Born: 17 September 1941, Sidcup, Kent, UK, as Philip Méheux.
Career: 'Leaving school just before his 16th birthday, Méheux answered a classified ad for a clerk in the sales department of M-G-M Film Distributors and whilst there, formed a lifelong friendship with two other film fanatics. They pooled their resources and acquired a second hand 16mm Bolex camera and began scripting and shooting their own films with Méheux as cameraman. After working as a projectionist in a preview theatre and then a West End cinema, Méheux applied to join a BBC Television Film Training course. By the time the interview came round, the training course was full but, based on his experience, the BBC offered Méheux a job as a studio projectionist [with the BBC Film Unit at Ealing Studios]. During this time, together with his friends, Méheux ph and edited a 30 minute short film with part sponsorship from the British Film Institute and after-hours technical help from the BBC. The film became a minor hit at obscure film festivals and this gained him a place on the next Film Training course in 1964. Six months later, while still a trainee, he was pulling focus for Dick Bush after his assistant went down with flu. He was soon made-up to full assistant and during the following years, worked with many different cameramen with many different styles on both drama and documentary subjects. In 1968, Méheux got his first chance to shoot film when the cameraman he was assisting, bowed out of a documentary about 'pop' music and the director had Méheux take over. He was subsequently sent to the 'Man Alive' unit as a 'holiday relief' cameraman and stayed for two years shooting some eighteen 50-minute documentary films. At the end of the first year, he was promoted to full cameraman. By the mid-70's, Méheux had graduated to all-filmed television plays which had become very successful at the BBC. At the end of 1976, having seen Méheux's television work, Tony Simmons, a freelance director, approached him to be a cameraman/operator on a low budget feature requiring extensive use of a handheld camera and available light, both techniques with which he was experienced. After 13 years at the BBC he left to become freelance and shoot 'Black Joy', his first 35mm feature film and the official British entry at the Cannes Film Festival in 1977. The producer of the film was Martin Campbell who was to have a definitive influence on his later career.' [From the BSC website.]
Ph commercials [dir by Colin Gregg, a.o.] and promotional films.
Also active as stills ph.
Member of the BSC since 1979. Was president of the BSC [2002-06].
Appeared in the BBC-tv series 'Film Education' [October 1995], 'Film 95' [November] & 'Film 96' [January].
Awards: BAFTA TV Award nom [1977] for 'Spend, Spend, Spend'; BSC Award [2006] & BAFTA Film Award nom [2006] for 'Casino Royale'.
FILMS |
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1969 |
One Is One [Malcolm Johnson] 16mm/b&w; short/29m; + ed |
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1975 |
Exposé/House on Straw Hill/Trauma [James Kenelm Clarke] c; uncred cph; ph: Dennis Lewiston |
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1977 |
Black Joy [Anthony Simmons] c |
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1977 |
Let's Get Laid!/Love Trap [James Kenelm Clarke] c |
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1977 |
Apaches [John Mackenzie] c; comm doc/29m |
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1978 |
The Music Machine [Ian Sharp] c; + spec pfx |
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1979 |
Scum [Alan Clarke] c; film version of tv drama (1977 - banned until 1991) for BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' |
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1979 |
The Long Good Friday [John Mackenzie] c |
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1980 |
The Final Conflict/Omen III: The Final Conflict [Graham Baker] p/c; cph: Robert Paynter |
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1981 |
The First Day [Marek Kanievska] 16mm/c; comm short/30m; for Barclays |
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1981 |
Carling Black Label [John Bird] c; comm doc/14m; for Bass-Charrington |
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1982 |
Who Dares Wins/The Final Option [Ian Sharp] c |
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1982 |
The Honorary Consul/Beyond the Limit [John Mackenzie] c |
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1983 |
The Killing Fields [Roland Joffé] c; addph; ph: Chris Menges |
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1984 |
Yellow Pages/Going Undercover [James Kenelm Clarke] c; addph; ph: John Coquillon; released 1988 |
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1984 |
Morons from Outer Space [Mike Hodges] c; vfx superv: David Speed |
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1986 |
The Fourth Protocol [John Mackenzie] J-D-C Scope/c |
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1987 |
Criminal Law [Martin Campbell] c; c.op 2u: Glen MacPherson, Larry Lynn & Serge Ladouceur |
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1988 |
Renegades [Jack Sholder] c; 2uc Philadelphia: Bob Gorelick |
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1989 |
Defenseless [Martin Campbell] c |
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1990 |
Highlander II - The Quickening [Russell Mulcahy] J-D-C Scope/c; addph: Jamie Thompson; 2uc: Arthur Wooster; vfx ph: Sam Nicholson |
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1991 |
Ruby [John Mackenzie] c; 2uc: Brian Tufano |
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1992 |
The Trial [David Jones] c; originally made as a tvm for BBC-tv series 'Screen Two' |
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1992 |
Ghost in the Machine/Deadly Terror [Rachel Talalay] c; 2u addph: Jeffrey Jur |
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1993 |
No Escape/Escape from Absolom [Martin Campbell] J-D-C Scope/c; 2uc: David Wakeley; vfx ph: Dennis Skotak; hph: Greg Hunter |
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1995 |
GoldenEye [Martin Campbell] p/c; 2uc: Harvey Harrison; addph: Arthur Wooster; Alpine ph: Herbert Raditschnig |
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1996 |
The Saint [Phillip Noyce] p/c; addph: Alex Thomson; 2uc: Michael Benson & Tony Spratling |
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1997 |
The Mask of Zorro [Martin Campbell] J-D-C Scope/c; 2uc: Kim Marks; vfx ph: Michael Hofstein |
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1998 |
Entrapment [Jon Amiel] J-D-C Scope/c; Scotland ph: Martin Singleton; 2uc: Tony Spratling & Jonathan Taylor; uwph: Mike Valentine |
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1999 |
Bicentennial Man [Chris Columbus] c; 2uc: Brian Sullivan |
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1999 |
Lara Croft - Tomb Raider [Stephen Herek] scheduled as ph, but after dir Herek left to make 'Rock Star' (2000), Méheux apparently left too; film was dir by Simon West and ph by Peter Menzies Jr. in 2000 |
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2000 |
Bedazzled [Harold Ramis] p/c; London ph; ph: Bill Pope; 2uc: Lowell Peterson |
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2001 |
The Core [Jon Amiel (replaced Peter Hyams)] p/c; ph Rome unit; ph: John Lindley |
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2002 |
Beyond Borders [Martin Campbell (replaced Oliver Stone)] J-D-C Scope/c; 2uc: David Burr |
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2003 |
Around the World in 80 Days [Frank Coraci] s35/c; 2uc: Harvey Harrison (Thailand); aph: Adam Dale |
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2004 |
The Legend of Zorro [Martin Campbell] s35/c; 2uc: John Mahaffie; miniature ph: Richard Bluck; + small part |
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2006 |
Casino Royale [Martin Campbell] s35/b&w-c; 2uc: Alexander Witt; aph: John Marzano; vfx ph: Peter Field; miniature ph: Peter Talbot; + small part |
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2007 |
Lions for Lambs [Robert Redford] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; co-addph; ph: Philippe Rousselot |
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[Left] with dir Raja Gosnell - "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" |
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2007 |
Beverly Hills Chihuahua/South of the Border [Raja Gosnell] s35/c ; 2uc: Jim Van Dijk; aph: John Trapman |
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2008 |
Edge of Darkness [Martin Campbell] s35/c; 2uc: John Mahaffie |
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2009 |
A Kingdom Without a King [Richard Perry] c; short/5m |
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2010 |
The Smurfs [Raja Gosnell] HD (Genesis)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; vfx ph: David M. Dunlap |
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2011 |
Here Comes the Boom [Frank Coraci] HD (ARRI ALEXA + Phantom HD + Sony F35)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema)/c |
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2012 |
The Smurfs 2 [Raja Gosnell] HD (Sony F65)/c; 2uc (Paris): Roger Simonsz |
TELEVISION |
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1968 |
Man on the Move [Paul Bonner] doc/47m; cph: Geoffrey Mulligan; ep #2 of 13-part BBC2-tv doc series 'Bird's-Eye View' (1969-71; 1st season, 1969) |
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1968 |
All My Loving [Tony Palmer] mus doc/55m (shot in color; first shown in b&w); ep BBC-tv arts series 'Omnibus' |
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197? |
Man Alive [18 ep dir by various] doc series for BBC-tv, 1965-81 |
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197? |
The Discoverers: Christopher Columbus [?] doc/?m |
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1970 |
Art and Technology [prod: Tony Cash] 4-part doc arts series |
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1970 |
Dixon of Dock Green [ep #? 'Waste Land' dir by Joe Waters] 432-part series, 1955-76; 17th season, 1970-71; ph film seq |
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1971 |
The Liver Birds [ep #14 'The Dog' dir by Sydney Lotterby] pilot (ep BBC-tv 'Comedy Playhouse') + 85-part series, 1969-79 & 1996; 2nd season, 1971; ph film seq |
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1971 |
Three Looms Waiting [prod: Ronald Smedley] doc/50m/16mm; ep BBC-tv series 'Omnibus' |
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1971 |
Sounding Out: Yes [Tony Cash] mus short/20m; cph: Nick Squires; for BBC-tv |
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1971 |
The Goodies [ep #15 'Wicked Waltzing' & #16 'Farm Fresh Food' dir by Jim Franklin (film seg) & John Howard Davies] 64-part (+ 5 specials) series, 1970-80, for BBC-tv; 2nd season, 1971-72; ph film seg; other ph: Stewart Farnell (+ cph #16) |
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1971 |
The Sugar Slaves [prod: Dominic Flessati] doc/55m; ep #2 of 13-part BBC-tv series 'The British Empire: Echoes of Britannia's Rule' (1972) |
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1971 |
Dixon of Dock Green [ep #? 'Jig-Saw' dir by Joe Waters] 18th season, 1971-72; ph film seq; see 1970 |
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1972 |
Love and Mr Lewisham [Christopher Barry] 4-part series |
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1972 |
The Incredible Robert Baldick - Never Come Night [Cyril Cole] pilot/50m |
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1972 |
America - A Personal History of the United States by Alistair Cooke [ep #11 'The Promise Fulfilled and the Promise Broken' dir by David Heycock (DH) & #12 'The Arsenal' dir by DH] 13-part doc series/b&w-c, 1972-73; cph: John Wyatt; other ph: Kenneth MacMillan & A.A. Englander |
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1972 |
Access to the Children [Philip Saville] tvm/65m; ph film seg; ep #60 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' (1973) |
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1973 |
China [part #1 'Times of Jade and Bronze' & #2 'Times of Silk and Gold' dir by Michael Gill] doc/b&w-c/2x 50m/16mm |
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1973 |
Two Women [Gareth Davies] 4-part miniseries |
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1973 |
The Pallisers [Hugh David & Ronald Wilson] 26-part series, 1974; ph film seq |
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1973 |
One Child Gone to the North [Clem Vallance] mus doc/?m; ep BBC-tv series 'The Camera and the Song' |
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1973 |
Colditz [ep #20 'Frogs in the Well' dir by Viktors Ritelis] 28-part series, 1972-74; 2nd season, 1974; ph film seq; other ph: A.A. Englander, Fred Hamilton & Ray Henman |
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1974 |
Just Another Saturday [John Mackenzie] tvm; ep #108 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' (1975) |
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1975 |
Bedazzled [?] ? |
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1975 |
Brassneck [Mike Newell] tvm; ep #113 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' |
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1975 |
The Whip Hand [Leslie Blair] dram doc/75m |
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1975 |
Double Dare [John Mackenzie] tvm/63m; ep #139 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' (1976) |
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1976 |
The Age of Uncertainty - a personal view by John Kenneth Galbraith [David Kennard, Dick Gilling & Mick Jackson; exec prod: Adrian Malone] 13-part doc series/16mm; cph (+ ph ep #4): Henry Farrar (ep #3, #5-#9) |
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1976 |
The Elephants' Graveyard [John Mackenzie] tvm/48m; ep #144 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' |
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1976 |
Shirley Bassey [prod: Stewart Morris] mus perf/?m |
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1976 |
Spend, Spend, Spend [John Goldschmidt] tvm/16mm; ep #152 of BBC-tv series 'Play for Today' (1977) |
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1977 |
The Emperor of Atlantis [John Goldschmidt] opera/73m (1979) |
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1978 |
Out [Jim Goddard] 6-part crime series |
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1978 |
The Professionals [ep #14 'Hunter/Hunted' dir by Anthony Simmons, #15 'The Rack' dir by Peter Medak, #16 'First Night' dir by David Wickes & #17 'Man Without a Past' dir by Martin Campbell] 57-part series, 1977-83; 2nd series |
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1981 |
The Disappearance of Harry [Joseph Despins] tvm |
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1982 |
Experience Preferred… But Not Essential [Peter Duffell] tvm; ep Channel 4 series 'First Love'; also released theatrically |
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1983 |
Lace [Billy Hale] 2-part tvm |
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1983 |
Those Glory Glory Days [Philip Saville] tvm; ep Channel 4 series 'First Love'; also released theatrically |
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1984 |
Max Headroom [: 20 Minutes Into the Future] [Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel] pilot Channel Four (GB) series; the film was re-edited and renamed 'Blipverts' and served as pilot for a 14-part series, 1987-88, in the USA |
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1985 |
Act of Vengeance [... A True Story] [John Mackenzie] tvm |
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1986 |
Apology/Apology for Murder [Robert Bierman] tvm |
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MISCELLANEOUS |
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1965 |
King of the River [various; tv-series] c.asst; ph: Dick Bush |
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1966 |
Alice in Wonderland [Jonathan Miller; tvm] c.asst; ph: Dick Bush |
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1974 |
Got It Made/Sweet Virgin [James Kenelm Clarke] co-prod; ph: Ernest Vincze |
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1980 |
The Professionals [dir ep #39 'Blood Sports'] ph: Dusty Miller; 4th series; see Television (1978) |
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1981 |
The Professionals [dir ep #53 'Cry Wolf'] ph: Frank Watts; 5th series, 1982; see Television (1978) |