DICK POPE, BSC
DICK POPE
1947, UK
POPE has an extensive career both in film and television for over 30 years now. His work has been recognized with several important awards and nominations being an IMAGO's contemporary Great Cinematographer.
THE BEGINNING
His first collaboration was as second camera assistant doing shortly after photography direction for several TV documentaries. From mid 70's to mid 80's POPE's experience is mainly acquired during these documentaries shoots (over thirty). In 1988 he gets a BAFTA nomination for Best Film Cameraman for Porterhouse Blue (1987).
On film, POPE filmed also documentaries and music documentaries, two of
them in 16mm.
Always investing in his career as cameraman and then, inevitably, as cinematographer, he has always maintained a close relation with the camera, working frequently both as cameraman and DoP.
TAKING OFF WITH MIKE LEIGH - LATE 80's
The late 80's is the start of a slow transition in POPE's career from TV to film. Between 1988 and 1990 he does 5 long features and his television works decrease. In 1990 two important things happen: POPE wins his first film career award for The Reflecting Skin (1990) Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival (Spain, 1990) directed by Philip Ridley and a second one, he has his first collaboration with director Mike Leigh.
POPE's first collaboration with British director Mike Leigh is Life is Sweet . By then, the director was in his fifties and he had a 20 years experience. Leigh's career was starting to take off just then and for this film title he won a Bodil Award (Denmark, 1992) and an Independent Spirit Award (USA, 1992) nomination.
From then on, POPE's and Leigh's careers grow together. POPE's presence in every Leigh's film titles since then (until 2004) is a living proof of that. Their style was a perfect combination: POPE's experience as a cameraman and in documentary gave Leigh exactly what he needed for his visual approach. POPE was both cameraman and DoP giving a secure and dynamic image. For both of them their collaboration paid off and both careers took off.
Since 1990, the following collaborations took place: A Sense of History (1992, TV),
Naked (1993), Secrets & Lies (1996),
Career
Girls (1997),
Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002) and Vera Drake (2004). Camerimage (Poland, 1999) has recognized POPE and Leigh's visual harmony awarding them the Best Duo: Director - Cinematographer award.
For Secrets & Lies (1996) POPE won the Golden Frog at Camerimage (1995) and a second Golden Frog for Vera Drake (2004).
FROM TV TO FILM - 1995
The year of 1995 is also a stepping-stone in POPE's career: 1) it's the year of his last work for television; 2) it's the year in which he wins his first Camerimage nomination (Golden Frog) for Nothing Personal (1995)
; 3) and career wise is the beginning of many film collaborations with different directors like Caroline Thompson ( Black Beauty , 1994), Thaddeus O'Sullivan ( Nothing Personal , 1995), Beeban Kidron ( Amy Foster/Swept from the Sea , 1996), Joe Chappelle ( Phantoms , 1996), Mike Hodges ( Croupier , 1997), Rob Bowman ( The X Files , 1997), Anthony Nielson ( The Debt Collector , 1998), Christopher McQuarrie ( The Way of the Gun , 1999), Jill Sprecher ( 13 Conversations About One Thing , 2000) and Douglas McGrath ( Nicholas Nickleb, 2002).
THE ILLUSIONIST (2006) AND ONWARDS
Recently his collaboration with Neil Burger for The Illusionist (2005) has won him nominations for San Diego Film Critics Society Awards (USA, 2006), American Society of Cinematographers (USA, 2007) and the Oscar Academy (USA, 2007). Camerimage (2006) has granted him the Silver Frog Award.
After that, he has done Man of the Year (2005) directed by Barry Levingson and Honeydripper (2007) directed by John Sayles, soon premiering.
You can read an interview to DICK POPE recently published by British Cinematographer here.
For DICK POPE's complete filmography check
http://www.cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/popedick.htm
Diana Soeiro