- Panavision
- Apr 15
- 0 min read
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Articles
- Sarah Hayward
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Denis was born in Casablanca to a French mother and oil industry father, who was posted there. His was an international childhood, as his father’s work took the family from Morocco to Istanbul then Puerto Rico and finally Singapore, before they settled in the UK. An early training in resilience and adaptability – essential qualities for a freelancer in the film industry. He was only nine when his passion for photography and film was sparked by “Le Monde du Silence”, the Palme d’Or and Oscar winning documentary, co-directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle. It was one of the first to use underwater cinematography showing the ocean depths in colour. This cut no ice with his parents who wanted their son to have a steady job and secure financial future, so insisted that he study architecture. He duly attended the requisite Polytechnic college, but met a fellow student who encouraged him to help on the films he was making and apply for his course. The Polytechnic asked him to submit a year’s worth of photographs, so he applied to the London film School instead. Having completed his studies there, he was granted a place at the newly founded National Film School (now the NFTS) run by the late, great Colin Young CBE. Denis was in the first intake of five Cinematography students. He was in illustrious company, which included Dina Hecht, Michael Radford and Bill Forsyth. Roger Deakins was among the applicants, but had to defer for a year.
Denis’ graduation film was the first 35mm film to be shot at the NFTS. Cinemobile Systems based at Pinewood generously supplied an Arriflex 2C, plus lenses and a dolly. They shot at the very grand and allegedly haunted Harlaxton Manor in Lincolnshire. The film was called Matushka and was a period piece feature drama. Shooting was completed within the last ten minutes of the scheduled single week of principal photography, despite several of the crew having sleepless nights and strange experiences. Denis noted that the light level for the interiors was inexplicably boosted from a mysterious source. Regardless of supernatural influences, the film was deemed worthy of showing at the London film Festival.
Despite having graduated as a Cinematographer, Denis decided to learn his trade starting as a Camera Assistant and working his way up through the grades to Director of Photography. Whilst he was a student, he worked as a projectionist at the Ritz Cinema off Leicester Square, thinking that this would gain him the requisite Union ticket. Sadly, it qualified him to join Nattke (The National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees) and it was only after loading on many commercials and corporate films that he was finally granted ACT (now Bectu) membership. On the plus side, he met Madeleine, his wife of 51 happy years, during his projectionist days. She accompanied him when he was invited to set up a Documentary Film Unit in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. As well as running the unit, he was resident DoP on a two year contract. Denis and Madeleine enjoyed living the ex-pat life and seeing every film shown in the only cinema in town. He has an abiding love of Africa and has filmed in many of its countries.
On his return to the UK, Denis found that the ACT still considered him to be a Clapper Loader. His luck changed when he was asked to do a day on Superman. Jonathan Taylor, the focus puller asked if he was available for the next two years. The answer was of course yes and he joined the Model Unit, run by Derek Meddings. He got the occasional focus pulling days and stayed with the same camera crew – Paul Wilson DoP, John Morgan camera operator, Jonathan Taylor focus puller – when they moved on to the model units of Moonraker and then Superman 2. It was during this film that a conversation in a portacabin on Pinewood’s backlot led to all the model unit camera crew and the majority of those on the other 6 units joining the newly founded GBCT!
Still a loader, Denis worked in Malta on the model Unit for Raise the Titanic and then with Jeff Paynter focus puller on The Wall in Poland. He returned to the UK and little work, due to the steep economic downturn of Thatcher’s early years. This led to him returning to his first vocation and he moved up to DoP on documentaries. He met fellow documentary makers at the BBC, which brought a rich and varied assortment of jobs ranging from Yorkshire TV’s Runaway Bay- a children’s series set in the Caribbean, to cookery shows to Crimewatch to Time Team to Desmond Wilcox’s series “The Visit” and not forgetting Zenith North’s “Blues & Twos” series for ITV, which reached an audience of 14 million. Apart from his many productions, he specialised in royal occasions and filmed most of the senior Royals, particularly the late Queen Elizabeth.
“My industry is forever changing, not always for the better. Schedules are often tough and budgets ever decreasing. Demand for quality is a constant but maintaining it is, in my opinion, an ever- growing struggle. For those of us who, like myself, pride ourselves on producing the high standard of work required of us, often with fewresources, the workplace is often tough. However, our huge experience over decades of practising our trade does count for everything. At the end of a beautiful African day though, I loved what I did and can honestly say, I wouldn’t change it for the world!”
Denis is now retired and spends his time between Sherborne in Dorset and his eldest son’s house in France. Still travelling, still curious – the GBCT wishes you a very happy birthday, Denis.
- the GBCT
- Oct 27, 2025
- 0 min read
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