PETER JAMES   ACS/ASC

 

Born: 31 [or 7] March 1947, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Education: Marcellin College Randwick, Randwick, NSW, Australia.

Career: 'My cousin John Cleary, the author, got me a summer job at Supreme Sound Studios. When the time came to go back to school, the studio asked me to stay on, so I remained there for five years. I worked with terrific cameramen such as George Lowe, Graham Lind, John Leake and Andrew Fraser. After I left the studios, I was a focus puller on the series 'Riptide', which was my first real theatrical production. Carl Kayser was the doph. Carl was very good to me, from him I learnt a lot about color and lenses. After 'Riptide' I got a job on the 2nd unit, shooting the 'Barrier Reef' series.'

Ph a tv-doc for Seven Network on the filming of 'Don Quixote' [1973]. Ph doc's and numerous commercials.

Was inducted into the ACS 'Hall of Fame' in 1999 and became a life member of the society in 2008.

Also active as still ph with a number of exhibitions. His photo book 'Lifesaver/Down Under - To Glorify the Australian Lifesaver' was published in 1983.

Awards: ACS 'Milli' Award 'Australian Cinematographer of the Year' [1972] for 'Willi Willi'; ACS 'Milli' Award 'Australian Cinematographer of the Year' [1977] for 'Caddie'; AFI [Aus] Award [1985] for 'Rebel'; AFI [Aus] Award [1986] for 'The Right Hand Man'; 'Genie' Award [1991], AFI [Aus] Award [1992] and ACS 'Milli' Award 'Australian Cinematographer of the Year' [1992] for 'Black Robe'; ACS 'Milli' Award 'Australian Cinematographer of the Year' [1993] for 'Alive'; ACS 'Award of Distinction' [1997] for 'Diabolique'; ACS 'Golden Tripod' Award [1998] for 'Paradise Road'; 'Emmy' Award nom [2004] for 'And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself'.


 FILMS

1969

The Games [Michael Winner] p/c; ?; ph: Robert Paynter

1970

A Calendar of Dreamings - Aboriginal Artists of Central Australia [Geoff Bardon] 16mm/c; doc/35m; cph: Jack Doyle

1970

Christmas Island [Shan Benson] 16mm/c; doc/26m

1971

Willy Willy [Anthony Buckley] ?; short/45m

1972

Avengers of the Reef [Chris McCullough] c

1973

Transition [Graham Shirley] b&w; short/17m

1974

Who Killed Jenny Langby? [Donald Crombie] 16mm/b&w-c; docudrama/49m

1974

The Climate's Right [Eric Fullilove] 16mm/c; doc/21m

1975

Prof. A.D. Hope [Keith Salvat] c; interview/38m

1975

Sister, If You Only Knew [Janet Isaac] 16mm/c; doc/49m

1975

Caddie [Donald Crombie] c

1976

White Rock [Tony Maylam] p/c; doc/76m; co-cameraman; ph: Arthur Wooster

1976

Rate of Exchange [Edward Ogden] 16mm/c; short/30m

1977

The Irishman [Donald Crombie] c; 2uc: George Lowe

1977

Mick and the Moon [Geoff Bardon] 16mm/c; doc/19m; cph: Jon Falkenmire

1980

Blackhearted Barney Blackfoot [Yvonne Mackay] c; short/13m

1981

Koha. Poet Hone Tuwhare [Brent Leslie] c; doc/25m; cph: Chas Biggin & Graham Orbell

1981

The Killing of Angel Street [Donald Crombie] c

1981

The Battle of Broken Hill [Robin Levinson] c; doc/60m; or ph Raymond K. Bartram

1983

The Wild Duck [Henri Safran] c

1984

Palace of Dreams [Peter James] c; doc/25m

1984

Rebel [Michael Jenkins] p/c

1986

The Right Hand Man [Di Drew] c

1986

Total Recall [Bruce Beresford] unrealized (dir in 1989 by Paul Verhoeven and ph by Jost Vacano)

1987

Echoes of Paradise/Shadows of the Peacock [Phillip Noyce] c

1987

Celebrating Us [John Weiley] Showscan-70mm/c; doc/?m; cph: André Fleuren; for Australia's Bicentennial Exhibition

1989

Driving Miss Daisy [Bruce Beresford] c

1990

Mister Johnson [Bruce Beresford] c

1990

Black Robe [Bruce Beresford] c; co-2uc: Jean Lépine

1991

Rich in Love [Bruce Beresford] p/c

1992

Alive [: The Miracle of the Andes] [Frank Marshall] c; 2uc: André Fleuren

1992

The Thing Called Love [Peter Bogdanovich] c

1993

My Life [Bruce Joel Rubin] c

1993

Silent Fall [Bruce Beresford] c

1994

Richie Rich [Donald Petrie] c; addph; ph: Don Burgess

1995

Last Dance [Bruce Beresford] c; 2uc: Erich Roland & Jerry Callaway

1995

Diabolique [Jeremiah Chechik] c; 2uc: Erich Roland; uwph: Jordan Klein

1996

Paradise Road [Bruce Beresford] p/c; 2uc: André Fleuren

1997

The Newton Boys [Richard Linklater] p/c

1998

Double Jeopardy [Bruce Beresford] p/c; 2uc: André Fleuren & Erich Roland; addph 2u: Dean Lyras; aph 2u: Ron Goodman

1999

Meet the Parents [Jay Roach] c; 2uc: Tom Houghton

2000

Bride of the Wind [Bruce Beresford] c

2001

The Man Who Sued God [Mark Joffe] p/c

2001

Boswell for the Defence [Bruce Beresford] prod was halted a week before start of principal ph

2004

The Pacifier [Adam Shankman] p/c; 2uc: Josh Bleibtreu; addph: Jorge Sánchez; aph: Hans Bjerno; uwph: Pete Romano; vfx ph: Martin Rosenberg

2004

The Big White [Mark Mylod] c; ph New Zealand; ph: James Glennon

2005

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 [Adam Shankman] p/c; aph: Mark Hryma

2007

27 Dresses [Anne Fletcher] p/c; 2uc: Thomas Lappin

2008

Mao's Last Dancer [Bruce Beresford] s35-to-35mm/c; 2uc: André Fleuren

2009

Yogi Bear [Eric Brevig (replaced Ash Brannon)] HD (Sony F23, HDC-1500 & PMW-EX3)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; live-action & CGI; 2uc: André Fleuren; filmed 2009-10

 

 TELEVISION

1970

The British Empire: Echoes of Britannia's Rule [ep #9 'Beyond the Black Stump' & #11 'The Gift of Endless Dreams' dir by Tom Haydon] 13-part doc series (1972); cph: Ron Lowe (#9 & #11) & Geoff Burton (#9); for BBC-tv

1974

Wake-Ups [Christoffer French] tvm/30m/16mm

1976

McManus MPB [Max Varnel] pilot/90m; for Network 10

1981

The Monster's Christmas [Yvonne Mackay] tvm/47m

1985

Promises to Keep [Noel Black & Phillip Noyce] tvm; ?; ph: Dennis Dalzell

2002

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself [Bruce Beresford] tvm; cph: André Fleuren; 2uc: André Feruben

2006

Orpheus [Bruce Beresford] pilot; for CBS-tv

 

 MISCELLANEOUS

1967

Riptide [various; 26-part tv-series] focus puller; ph: Carl Kayser

1969

Barrier Reef/Minus Five [Peter Maxwell, a.o.; 39-part tv-series] 2u (?); ph: John J. Williams

1973

The Cars That Ate Paris [Peter Weir] co-c.op; ph: John McLean

1973

Inn of the Damned/Death Hunter [Terry Bourke] co-c.op; ph: Brian Probyn

1974

Sidecar Racers [Earl Bellamy] c.op; ph: Paul Onorato

1975

The Removalists [Tom Jeffrey] c.op; ph: Graham Lind