Robin Vidgeon (born 12 August 1939) BSC, is a retired cinematographer best known for his work on

Hellraiser ''Hellraiser'' is a 1987 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, and produced by Christopher Figg, based on Barker's 1986 novella ''The Hellbound Heart''. The film marked Barker's directorial debut. Its plot invol ...

, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and

Nightbreed ''Nightbreed'' is a 1990 American dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his 1988 novella ''Cabal''. It stars Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, and Doug Bradley. The f ...

. For many years he was a focus puller, working with the late cinematographer Douglas Slocombe and camera operator Bernard (Chic) Waterson.

Early life

As a child, Robin took an early interest in film, creating his own dark room and using a 9.5mm projector to screen movies for his neighbors. In 1956, he would go to work at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to ...

cleaning equipment boxes. In 1959, he left Pinewood and applied for various jobs in the industry before he was eventually hired by Douglas Slocombe to work as a focus puller on Circus of Horrors.

Work with Slocombe

For the next twenty five years, Robin would work with Slocombe on numerous films such as Rollerball,

The Great Gatsby (1974 film) ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1974 American romantic drama film based on the 1925 novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Jack Clayton, produced by David Merrick, and written by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Robert ...

, &

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

to name just a few. After completing production on the

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action film, action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones, ''Indiana ...

, Robin would part with Slocombe and go on to work as a Director of Photography.

Director of Photography

Following his work with Slocombe, Robin began working as a

Cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the c ...

on movies such as

The Mission (1986 film) ''The Mission'' is a 1986 British period drama film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America. Directed by Roland Joffé and written by Robert Bolt, the film stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, ...

, The Penitent (film) before going to work with

Clive Barker Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English novelist, playwright, author, film director, and visual artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories, the ''Books of Blood'', which established him as a leading h ...

on his directorial debut,

. Robin would also go on to film Hellbound: Hellraiser II and

with Barker. Throughout the 1980s and 90's, Robin would continue to work as a cinematographer, citing his work on

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

directorial debut of the film,

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in t ...

, as one of his most memorable experiences. During 1994–1995, Robin was the acting president of British Society of Cinematographers and has been an honorary member since that time.

Retirement

Since his retirement in 2013, Robin has worked as a cinematography tutor at the London Film Academy. He has also taught Film & Digital Cinematography at the Met Film School, Ealing Studios, London, and given masterclasses at the University of Greenwich. In March 2022, Robin was a guest on

The Ghost Of Hollywood ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

, where he would discuss his career in depth, including his work with Slocombe, Waterson, Hopkins, and Barker.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidgeon, Robin 1939 births Living people