2007 Photo by Grzegorz Piekarski

"The Water Horse" [2006]

Born: 12 April 1948, London, UK.

Education: University of Cape Town [1967-70; Psychology]; National Film and Television School [NFTS], UK [graduated in 1980].

Career: Lived in South Africa [1966-1974]. Before his study at the NFTS, he worked for 6 years as a still ph in South Africa and England. 'My studenthood at the age of 27, after 6 years struggle as a stills photographer, marked an all time low financially, but a real period of learning to light and photograph films. But the best bit was the 18 months I spent making 'Shadowplay', writing, directing and editing what turned out to be a flawed but quite curious 70 minute drama about ex-South Africans struggling with paranoia in London low life. All that time in front of the Steenbeck [= editing machine] with my own material laced across the mattress and coffee machine taught me more about shooting than I could ever learn on the floor staring at a tin of Heinz or a packet of Omo.'

Directed, wrote and edited the student film 'Shadowplay' [1980; ph: Richard Greatrex; 16mm/b&w; 68m]. Ph music videos and commercials [dir by Stephen Frears, a.o.]. Appeared in the doc 'The Oliver Stapleton Cinematography Masterclass' [d: Trevor Forrest; ph: Jason Ellis; prod BSC].

Awards: MTV Award [1986] for 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' [a: a-Ha; d: Steven Barron]; ACE Award nom [1989] for 'Danny, the Champion of the World'; Independent Spirit Award nom [1990] for 'Earth Girls Are Easy'; Camerimage 'Golden Frog' nom [2001] for 'Buffalo Soldiers'; AFI [Aus] Award nom [2003] for 'Ned Kelly'.

Websites: Oliver Stapleton [technical] & Oliver Stapleton [holiday diary by his wife]

1977        Red Square at Noon [John Tchalenko] 16mm/b&w; short/30m; prod NFTS

1977        Working with Hot Glass [John Tchalenko] c; doc/45m; cph: Steve Alcorn

1979        Halfway Round the Circle Now [Lloyd Phillips] c; short/24m; cph: Scott Thomas; prod NFTS

1979        The Scent of the Lilies [John Tchalenko] 16mm/c; short/34m; cph: Belinda Parsons; prod NFTS

1979        The Wardrobe [Martin Ketterer] ?; short/?m; cph: Lloyd Phillips; prod NFTS

1980        Pictures of Mother [Paul Rapley] 16mm/c; short/46m; cph: Jack Lach & Chris Cox; prod NFTS

1980        Biceps of Steel [Julien Temple] c; short/12m; 2nd camera; ph: Richard Greatrex

1980        The Boldon Lad [John Tchalenko] 16mm/c; mus doc/35m

1980        Sam Sherry [John Tchalenko] 16mm/c; doc/16m

1981        Poets Against the Bomb [Francis Fuchs] 16mm/c; doc/27m; cph: Diane Tammes & Pasco MacFarlane

1981        Out of Order [Arthur Ellis] b&w-c; short/33m; cph: Robert Ede

1981        The Secret Policeman's Other Ball [Julien Temple] c; theatrical perf/99m; with 'The Secret Policeman's Ball' (1979)

                    recut into combined version for tv in USA

1982        Eastbourne... Britain's Quality Resort [David Gowing] c; comm doc/20m

1982        Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt [Nick May] 16mm/c; doc/60m; addph: Richard Greatrex, Steve Alcorn &

                    David Scott

1983        Mantrap/ABC Mantrap [Julien Temple] c/V; mus docudrama/55m

1983        Undercover [Julien Temple] c/V; pop promo 'The Rolling Stones'/5m

1984        Jazzin' for Blue Jean [Julien Temple] c; short/20m

1984        Restless Natives [Michael Hoffman] c; addph: Fiona Cunningham-Reid

1985        [Mick Jagger:] Running Out of Luck/She's the Boss [Julien Temple] c/V; mus promotional film/86m

1985        Absolute Beginners [Julien Temple] sts/c

1986        Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll! [Taylor Hackford] c; mus doc/121m; concert 2uc: Ed Lachman; doc ph: Ed

                    Lachman & Rick Robertson

1987        Aria [seg #4 'Rigoletto: La donna è mobile' dir by Julien Temple] c; 10 seg

1987        Prick Up Your Ears [Stephen Frears] c

1987        Sammy and Rosie Get Laid [Stephen Frears] c

1988        Cookie [Susan Seidelman] c

1988        Earth Girls Are Easy [Julien Temple] p/c

1988        Danny, the Champion of the World [Gavin Millar] c; 2uc: Wally Byatt & David Worley; wildlife ph: Michael Richards

1989        She-Devil [Susan Seidelman] c

1989        The Grifters [Stephen Frears] c; 2uc: Marc Reshovsky

1990        Let Him Have It [Peter Medak] c; aph: Peter Allwork

1991        [Accidental] Hero [Stephen Frears] c

1993        Look Who's Talking Now [Tom Ropelewski] c; 2uc: Philip Linzey; spec vfx: Bill Neil

1994        Restoration [Michael Hoffman] c; 2uc: Ian McMillan

1995        Kansas City [Robert Altman] c

1995        The Van [Stephen Frears] c

1996        One Fine Day [Michael Hoffman] c; 2uc: John Thomas

1996        [Robert Altman's] Jazz '34 - Remembrances of Kansas City Swing [Robert Altman] c; mus doc/57 & 72m; ed from

                    footage shot for 'Kansas City' (1995)

1996        The Designated Mourner [David Hare] c

1997        The Object of My Affection [Nicholas Hytner] c; addph: David Dunlap & (uncred) Fred Elmes

1997        The Hi-Lo Country [Stephen Frears] 2.35 Research/c

1998        [William Shakespeare's] A Midsummer Night's Dream [Michael Hoffman] 2.35 Research/c; 2uc: Ian McMillan

1999        The Cider House Rules [Lasse Hallström] s35/c

1999        Birthday Girl [Jez Butterworth] c; 2uc: Peter Robertson

1999        State and Main [David Mamet] c

2000        Pay It Forward [Mimi Leder] c

2000        Buffalo Soldiers [Gregor Jordan] c; 2uc: Nic Sadler

2001        The Shipping News [Lasse Hallström] s35/c; 2uc: Andrew Mondshein, Mike Thomas & Gordon Miller; uwph: Mike Thomas

2002        Ned Kelly [Gregor Jordan] s35/c; 2uc (+ 2ud): Brad Shield

2002        Cheeky [David Thewlis] c; 2uc: Sam Garwood

2003        An Unfinished Life [Lasse Hallström] p/c; 2uc: Doug Schwartz & Roger Vernon; aph: Ron Goodman

2004        Casanova [Lasse Hallström] s35/c; 2uc: John Clothier

2005        The Hoax [Lasse Hallström] c; ph Washington, D.C.: Richard Rutkowski; Indio ph: Chris Lombardi; aph Puerto Rico:

                    Milton Graña

2006        The Water Horse [: Legend of the Deep] [Jay Russell] s35/c; addph: Rob Marsh; scenic unit ph: Martin Layton; aph:

                    Jeremy Braben

2006        Rain in Spain [Lasse Hallström] announced

2007        How to Lose Friends & Alienate People [Robert Weide] c; 2uc: Howard Atherton

2008        The Proposal [Anne Fletcher] Hawk Scope/c; 2uc: Barry M. Wilson; aph: Hans Bjerno

2008        Unthinkable [Gregor Jordan] scope/c

2009        Don't Be Afraid of the Dark [Troy Nixey] c

1982        The Comic Strip Presents... [ep #4 (35m) 'Bad News Tour' dir by Sandy Johnson] 35-part series, 1982-93 (+

                    specials/features); 1st season, 1982-83; + small part

1983        The Comic Strip Presents... [ep #12 (90m) 'Eddie Monsoon - A Life?' dir by Sandy Johnson (SJ) & #13 (30m) 'Slags' dir

                    by SJ] 2nd season, 1983-84; 2uc ('Slags'): John de Borman & Iain Mackenzie; see 1982

1985        My Beautiful Laundrette [Stephen Frears] tvm/16mm; also released theatrically

1985        The Comic Strip Presents... [ep #14 (60m) 'Consuela/The New Mrs. Saunders' dir by Stephen Frears & #17 (40m)

                    'Private Enterprise' dir by Adrian Edmondson] 3rd season, 1986; see 1982

1986        The Comic Strip Presents... [ep #18 (52m) 'Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door' dir by Stephen Frears] 4th season, 1988; see

                    1982

1990        Heading Home [David Hare] tvm; ep BBC-tv series 'Screen Two'

1992        The Snapper [Stephen Frears] tvm/16mm; ep BBC-tv series 'Screen Two'

1992        The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles [ep #24 'Peking, March 1910' dir by Gavin Millar] 44-part (8 unaired in USA)

                    series, 1992-96/16mm; 2nd season, 1992-93; other ph: David Tattersall, Jörgen Persson & Giles Nuttgens; also part

                    of the video (Chapter 5) 'The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance' (+ ep #25 'Benares, January

                    1910' dir by Deepa Mehta & ph by Giles Nuttgens)