SEAMUS McGARVEY

#1: 2005

SEAMUS McGARVEY BSC/ASC/ISC

Born: 29 June 1967, Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK, as Seamus Paul McGarvey.

Education: Polytechnic of Central London [now University of Westminster] [1985-88].

Career: Started as still ph before attending film school in London.

Ph music videos with a: Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Robbie Williams, Elton John, U2, UB40, Natalie Imbruglia, a.o. Ph commercials dir by Stephen Daldry [for De Beers], Mike Figgis [for Volkswagen], Lucy Blakstad, Richard Heslop, Kieron Walsh, a.o.

Directed music videos.

Member of the BSC since 1998. Member of the ASC since 2008. One of the founding members of the Irish Society of Cinematographers [ISC] [2010].

Was member of the jury of the Irish Film & Television Awards 2004. Was guest in the BBC radio programme 'Back Row' [November 2003]. Received an Honorary Fellowship of the Edinburgh College of Art [2009].

Awards: Royal Television Society Award nom [199?] for 'Skin'; The Royal Photographic Society 'Lumière Award' [2004] for contributions to the art of cinematography; Evening Standard British Film Award [2004] for 'The Hours'; IFTA Award [2005] for 'Sahara'; 'Oscar' AA nom [2007] & BAFTA Film Award nom [2007] for 'Atonement'; ASC Film Award nom [2012] & 'Oscar' AA nom [2012] for 'Anna Karenina'.

'It all started in photography as a 13 year old,' says Seamus McGarvey, 'I had a dark room at home in Armagh where I became au fait with the technical aspects and principles of stills. They're the same as cinematography.' In his final year in school, he got into film, thanks to Declan Forde, his art teacher at the Christian Brothers School. 'He lent me a Super 8 camera and I experimented enough to know that's what I wanted to study. The political upheaval cauterized the artistic richness that's historically associated with Armagh. Much as I love the place, it was essential for me to get away. Influences were too limiting and at 17, I was hungry for the wider world. I took a three year film course at the Polytechnic of Central London. Through it I pursued my passion for stills as well as learned about motion.' Luckily for Seamus, Jacek Petrycki, the Polish cinematographer, known for his work with Krzysztof Kieslowski, was over on a teaching sabbatical. 'When Jacek saw my photographs, he became my mentor and encouraged me to concentrate on cinematography.' While at college, McGarvey worked as an usher in the cinemas at the ICA [Institute of Contemporary Art]. 'I was no cinéaste on my arrival in London but I soon made up for it. I got to see all the high art movies and became entranced, especially with Russian and Italian cinema.' After film school, Seamus worked on five Derek Jarman movies and cites his influence as seminal. 'The early years were tough and jobs were scarce. I relied on painting and decorating work to survive. I began to get such pleasure from doing up old houses and getting cash in hand that I seriously considered sticking with that, rather than trying to achieve the film career.' [From interview with Maud Hand on the Ideasfactory Northern Ireland website.]

FILMS
1990	Memoranda [Mortimer O'Sullivan] 16mm/c; short/10m
1990	I Love You [Sarah Miles] 16mm/b&w; exp short/1m
1991	Mad Bad Mortal Beings [Ludmilla Andrews] 16mm/c; short/10m
1992	The Winding Sheet - A Documentary About Guilt [Karen A. Kelly] 16mm/c; doc/12m; prod Royal College of Art
1992	Damsel Jam [Sarah Miles] c; doc/13m
1993	Taking Liberties with Mr. Simpson [David Stewart] b&w-c; short/27m
1993	Marooned [Jonas Grimås] c; short/20m
1994	The Take Out [Jamie Thraves] 16mm/c; short/13m
1994	Coloured [Barrie White] c; short/10m
1994	Skin Tight [John Forte] c; short/15m; cph: Donal Gilligan
1994	A Sort of Homecoming [Dudi Appleton] c; short/21m
1994	Butterfly Kiss/Killer on the Road [Michael Winterbottom] b&w-c; originally made as a tvm
1994	This Charming Man [Meloni Poole] 16mm/c; doc/26m
1995	Lounge [Miranda Pennell] c; dance film/6m
1995	Skin [Vincent O'Connell] c; short/11m
1995	Jude [Michael Winterbottom] p/b&w-c; co-2uc; ph: Eduardo Serra
1996	Jump the Gun/Babel [Les Blair] c; 2uc: Giulio Biccari
1996	Hello, Hello, Hello [David Thewlis] c; short/11m
1996	Harald [- Der Chaot aus dem Weltall] [Jürgen Egger] c; 2uc: Peter von Haller
1996	The Slab Boys [John Byrne] c

[Left] with dir Alan Rickman

"The Winter Guest" - photo by Clive Coote

1996	The Winter Guest [Alan Rickman] c; addph: Steve Rundell; aph: Simon Werry
1997	Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll [Enda Hughes] cs/b&w; short/12m
1997	Magic Moments [Saul Metzstein] c; short/8m
1997	Atlantic [Sam Taylor-Wood] 16mm/c; installation (3-screen projection)/4m
1997	The End [Joe Wright] c; short/11m
1998	The War Zone [Tim Roth] J-D-C Scope/c
1998	The Big Tease/Je m'appelle Crawford [Kevin Allen] c; 2uc: Hilton A. Goring
1998	A Map of the World [Scott Elliott] c; 2uc: Michael Kohnhorst
1998	I Could Read the Sky [Nichola Bruce] c; cph: Owen McPolin

[Left] with Stephen Frears [behind camera] - "High Fidelity"

1999	High Fidelity [Stephen Frears] c
2000	The Work of Angels? - The Book of Kells [Murray Grigor] c; doc/58m
2000	The Name of This Film Is Dogme95 [Saul Metzstein] c; doc/50m; cph: S. Metzstein, Immo Horn & Jack Lothian
2000	Enigma [Michael Apted] p/c; 2uc Netherlands: Stef Tijdink
2001	The Hours [Stephen Daldry] c
2002	The Actors [Conor McPherson] c; addph: Ciarán Barry
2002	Rolling Stones - Tip of the Tongue [prod by Rolling Stones] DVD/c; behind-the-scenes doc/51m; 2uc: Don Lenzer (New York), André (as Andree) Pienaar (Toronto) & Terry Hopkins (Boston)
2002	Along Came Polly [John Hamburg] c; 2uc: Larry Blanford
*2003*	Beyond the Sea [Kevin Spacey] scheduled as doph, but film was ph by Eduardo Serra
2003	Sahara [Breck Eisner] s35/c; 2uc: Harvey Harrison; aph: John Marzano; model unit ph: Nigel Stone
2004	Death Valley [Sam Taylor-Wood] c; short/8m; also seg of 'Destricted' (2006; 7 seg)
*2004*	Tishomingo Blues [Don Cheadle] pre-production; scheduled to start Sep 2003, then Oct 2004; prod scrapped
2004	Irish Jam [John Eyres] c
*2004*	Jerusalem [Sam Taylor-Wood] announced; status unknown
*2004*	The Man Who Walks [Irvine Welsh] announced; status unknown
2005	Charlotte's Web [Gary Winick] c; 2uc Melbourne: John Mahaffie; Los Angeles crow shoot ph: Peter Lyons Collister; aph: Mark Hryma & Phil Pastuhov
*2005*	Connolly [Adrian Dunbar] announced; status unknown

[Left] with dir Oliver Stone - "World Trade Center"

2005	World Trade Center [Oliver Stone] s35-to-35mm/c; 2uc: Kyle Rudolph; aph: David Norris; filmed 2005-06
2006	Atonement [Joe Wright] s35-to-35mm/c; uwph: Mike Valentine; efx unit ph: Christopher Ross
2007	Love You More [Sam Taylor-Wood] scope/c; short/15m
2007	With Gilbert & George [Julian Cole] dv/c; doc/104m; co-addph; ph: J. Cole; filmed 1990-2007
2007	Squeezebox Lament [Seamus McGarvey] mobile phone/c; short/31s; with his daughter Stella
2008	The Soloist [Joe Wright] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Paul Babin (+ c.op 'b' cam) & Chris Moseley; aph 2u: Doug Holgate
2009	Nowhere Boy [Sam Taylor-Wood] p (+ D-Cinema)/c
2009	Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home/The Chorus [Thomas Q. Napper] c; doc/77m; cph: Christopher Gosch & Fortunato Procopio
2010	We Need to Talk About Kevin [Lynne Ramsay] p+16mm+HD (Canon EOS 5D)-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema)/c; ph Spain: Thomas Townend
2011	Here Comes the Sun [Jason Armstrong Beck] c; comm mus short/4m; for Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
2011	James Bond Supports International Women's Day [Sam Taylor-Wood] c; comm short/2m; for WeAreEQUALS.org
2011	Thor/The Mighty Thor [Kenneth Branagh] p+RED Epic-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; uncred ph post-credits scene (filmed in 2011 with RED Epic [3-D] and dir by Joss Whedon); ph: Haris Zambarloukos (2009-10); S. McGarvey: 'We shot a little trailer (teaser) for 'The Avengers' that went out at the end of 'Thor' and we shot it in 3-D. It was like pulling teeth. I just thought "it has been lovely to shoot these two days but I'm going to get fired" because it took so long setting up each shot and the director was just going crazy. Not only that but Samuel L. Jackson and Stellan Skarsgård, who were in the piece, said "if this is how the movie is going to be then we're not in." It was that serious. I think I got the job really because Joss didn't want some old DP who's done a million of these movies in the past coming around saying "look this is how we do it." So he wanted somebody who was probably as hungry for it as he was and I think that's why he got me involved. I was very very keen to be involved, and I'm keen to learn.' [The Irish Film & Television Network]

"The Avengers"

2011	The Avengers/Marvel's The Avengers [Joss Whedon] s35+HD (ARRI ALEXA + Canon EOS 5D & 7D)-to-35mm (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; 2uc: Michael Totten & Brad Shield; addph: Michael Burgess; addph Los Angeles: Gabriel Beristáin; aph: David B. Nowell
2011	Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction [Sophie Huber] dv/b&w-c; doc/77m (2012); + co-exec prod
2011	Anna Karenina [Joe Wright] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; Napper unit ph (= 2uc): Alan Stewart; replaced Philippe Rousselot during pre-production; filmed 2011-12
2012	Je t'écoute [Martina Amati] HD/b&w; comm mus short/5m; for Kids Company (www.kidsco.org.uk)
2012	A Fuller Life [Samantha Fuller] b&w-c; doc/80m; cph: Hilton Goring & Rachel Wyn Dunn; filmed November 2011-December 2012
2013	Godzilla [Gareth Edwards] HD (ARRI ALEXA Plus 4:3)-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; addph: Lawrence Sher; 2uc: Kim Marks & Roger Vernon; aph: Phil Pastuhov & Michael Kelem; uwph: Ian Seabrook; vfx ph: Steve Brooke Smith & Ian Degner (San Francisco)
2013	Fifty Shades of Grey [Sam Taylor-Johnson (= Sam Taylor-Wood)] HD (ARRI ALEXA XT/p)-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema)/c; aph: Hans Bjerno; filmed 2013-14; reshoots October 2014
2014	Pan [Joe Wright] RED Epic/p+HD (ARRI ALEXA XT/p + Phantom Flex)-to-35mm scope (+ D-Cinema [also 3-D version])/c; cph: John Mathieson; 2uc: Alan Stewart; aph: Adam Dale; uwph: Tim Wooster
2015	The Accountant [Gavin O'Connor] p (+ D-Cinema)/c; 2uc: Peter Hawkins & Josh Bleibtreu
2015	Nocturnal Animals [Tom Ford] s35 (+ D-Cinema)/c; + 2uc; aph: Hans Bjerno
2016	Kitty [Chloë Sevigny] c; short/15m; 2uc: Joshua Bonnetta
2016	Life [Daniel Espinosa] HD (ARRI ALEXA 65 & Mini)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c; 2uc: Carlos De Carvalho
2016	The Greatest Showman/The Greatest Showman on Earth [Michael Gracey] HD (ARRI ALEXA 65 & Mini)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c; 2uc: Duane Manwiller; aph: Dexter Kennedy; announced in 2009; filmed 2016-17
2017	Greta/The Widow [Neil Jordan] HD (ARRI ALEXA SXT/scope & Mini/scope)-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c
2018	Bad Times at the El Royale [Drew Goddard] p-to-D-Cinema (scope)/c

TELEVISION
1993	Shooting to Stardom [Kieron J. Walsh] tvm/11m
1993	Look Me in the Eye [Nick Ward] c; ep BBC-tv series 'Screen Two'
1994	Murder Most Horrid [various] 24-part series, 1991-94, 1996 & 1999; other ph: Julian Court, Rex Maidment, a.o.
1995	Out of the Deep Pan [Kieron J. Walsh] tvm/26m
1995	Blow Your Mind: See a Show [ep 'The Maids' dir by Coky Giedroyc (CG), 'Macbeth' dir by CG & 'One Man Show Dramatic: The Art of Steven Berkoff' (BetaSP/22m) dir by Nichola Bruce] series
1995	Skin [Vincent O'Connell] tvm/11m
1997	Stand and Deliver [Les Blair] tvm
2000	Wit [Mike Nichols] tvm
2007	The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency [Anthony Minghella] tvm (2008); 2uc: Giulio Biccari; served as pilot for 6-part series, 2009
2016	Black Mirror [ep #7 'Nosedive' dir by Joe Wright] series/RED Epic Dragon, 2011-present; 3rd season, 2016 (6 ep); for Channel 4 & Netflix

MISCELLANEOUS
1987	The Last of England [Derek Jarman] uncred ?; ph: Christopher Hughes (+ lighting des), D. Jarman, Richard Heslop & Cerith Wyn Evans
1989	December Bride [Thaddeus O'Sullivan] co-camera trainee; ph: Bruno de Keyzer
1989	Projections [: The Pet Shop Boys] [Derek Jarman] c.asst; ph: Chris Hughes; a collection of short films that were projected on screens during the Pet Shop Boys' first tour
1990	Dakota Road [Nick Ward] clapper-loader; ph: Ian Wilson
1990	The Garden [Derek Jarman] ?; ph: Christopher Hughes
1991	Map of the Human Heart [Vincent Ward] loader; ph: Eduardo Serra
1991	Floating [Richard Heslop; short] focus puller; ph: R. Heslop
1991	Who Needs a Heart [John Akomfrah] co-1st c.asst; ph: Nancy Schiesari
1992	Man to Man: Another Night of Rubbish on the Telly [John Maybury; tvm] c.asst 2u (Berlin); 2uc (Berlin): Christopher Hughes; ph: Dominique Le Rigoleur
2001	Ali G Indahouse [Mark Mylod] add c.op; ph: Ashley Rowe
2007	Squeezebox Lament [dir; + ph] see Films