Alex Thomson (cinematographer)
Alex ( Alexander) Thomson ( born January 12, 1929 in London, † June 14, 2007 in Chertsey ) was a British cinematographer. Born in London, England, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Excalibur (1981).
Life and career
Thomson in 1946 as an assistant cameraman to film. In 1962, he became easier cameraman (so-called Camera Operator ) and in this function under the cinematographer Nicolas Roeg involved in 1961-1966 in twelve movies. Best known from this period are the thriller " Dr. Crippen, " the masterful Edgar Allan Poe adaptation" Satanas - The Castle of bloody beast, " the Harold Pinter adaptation of " The Caretaker " and the acclaimed sci-fi stuff" Fahrenheit 451 " by the Frenchman François Truffaut.
1966 debuted at Ephraim Kishon Thomson directed the Israeli production Ervinka as chief cameraman. For a long time he was mainly responsible for smaller productions of more complex projects such as the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, he was often replaced prematurely - in this case by the famous colleague Douglas Slocombe. During this time, Thomson earned his money the way as a commercial photographer. Mid-70s, was to a second-unit cameraman ( as in The man who wanted to be king, No coke for Sherlock Holmes, Superman ) limited Alex Thomson's work. In 1977 he took after five years absence to act as director of photography again, which led him to the early 80s after Hollywood.
There complex large-scale productions were soon entrusted him: fantasy substances such as Excalibur, Legend, High Spirits - Spirits are willing! and Labyrinth, sci-fi adventure with horror elements such as Leviathan and Alien 3, Action thriller with Sylvester Stallone ( Cliffhanger - Only the strong survive and Demolition Man ) but large-scale Michael Cimino - picture sheets ( Year of the Dragon and The Sicilian ) even the most ambitious literary adaptations ( The scarlet Letter and Hamlet).
From 1980 to 1982 he was president of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC ). From the BSC he took in 2002, the year in which he retired into private life, the Lifetime Achievement Award in reception.