Sue Gibson (cinematographer)

{{Short description|British cinematographer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Sue Gibson

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|11|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = Derbyshire, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|7|27|1952|11|8|df=y}}

| nationality = British

| alma_mater = National Film and Television School

| occupation = Cinematographer

}}

Sue Gibson (8 November 1952 – 27 July 2016) was a British cinematographer known for the film Mrs. Dalloway (1997). She was the first female member of the British Society of Cinematographers, and later became the first female president of the society in 2008.{{cite web | url=http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews/78765/sue_gibson_becomes_first_lady_president_of_british_society_of_cinematographers | title=Sue Gibson Becomes First Lady President of British Society of Cinematographers | work=4rfv.co.uk | publisher=Flagship Media Group | date=7 July 2008 | accessdate=21 September 2015}}

Early life and biography

Sue Gibson was born in Derbyshire, England.{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=David, A.|title=In Conversation With Cinematographers|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=1}} She left Derbyshire at the age of 18, in 1970 after school and followed her passion, taking up photography at the Newport College of Art.

Gibson’s experience with photography started after she was given her first camera at the age of fourteen. Her studies at Newport College of Art influenced her interest in film, thus leading her to attend the National Film and Television School, graduating in 1981.

Career

After graduating in 1981 from the National Film and Television School, Gibson started her career in the film industry as a clapper loader. She worked as a clapper loader for only two years until she started her position as Director of Photography for commercials, television shows, and films.

Gibson progressed from working on television commercials to television productions after 10 years: her first being Hear My Song (1991),{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=David, A.|title=In Conversation With Cinematographers|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=2}} which then started her work with major films and television series. As Gibson was one of the rare females working in photography and behind the camera in her day, she built her experience based on the help and teachings of those on set around her. When her first production came around, her feelings on working on Hear My Song (1991) were stated as: “It was fantastic and a great film to work on. Being your first feature you put your heart and soul into it” Sue Gibson, quoted from In Conversation with Cinematographers, by David A. Ellis.

Gibson went on to work on various television productions and series, and major film productions, including Mrs. Dalloway (1997), Resident Evil (2002), Alien vs. Predator (film) (2004), and more. She also worked on the British television series Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death (2014).{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=David, A.|title=In Conversation With Cinematographers|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=7}} The last thing she worked on before her death was 4 episodes of 'Death In Paradise' and was posthumously awarded The Philips Vari-Lite Award for Drama at The Knight of Illumination Awards 2016 for 2 of the episodes.

Legacy

Sue Gibson has the legacy of holding the first female member of the British Society of Cinematographers, invited to the group in 1992. Her awards and work landed her an offer to be elected as a member on the board of governors for the society in 2004, and later to become the first female president of the British Society of Cinematographers between the years of 2008-2010.

Her legacy as the first female member of the British Society of Cinematographers allowed co-worker, director Marleen Gorris, to speak highly of Gibson in an interview on the film Mrs. Dalloway, claiming she was: "the most important and only woman".{{cite web|last1=Palmer|first1=Augusta|title=Seven Questions with Marleen Gorris, director of "Mrs. Dalloway"|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/seven_question_with_marleen_gorris_director_of_mrs._dalloway|website=Indiewire|accessdate=September 21, 2015}}

Filmography

Taken from Sue Gibson on the Internet Movie Database:

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Credit Listing

1983

|The Ploughman’s Lunch

|Clapper Loader

1983

|Birth of a Nation, T.V. movie

|Assistant Camera

1983

|John Love, short

|

1991

|A Room of One’s Own, T.V. movie

|

1991

|The New Look

|

1991

|Secret Friends

|

1991

|Hear My Song

|

1997

|Mrs Dalloway

|Director of Photography

1997

|Bright Hair, T.V. movie

|

1998

|Amongst Women, T.V. mini series

|

1998

|Lights, short

|

1999

|Pure Wickedness, T.V. series

|

1999

|Tube Tales

|

2000

|Saving Grace

|Director of Photography; 2nd Unit

2001

|Moving on Up

|

2001

|Fourplay

|

2001

|The Search for John Gissing

|

2002

|Resident Evil

|Director of photography; 2nd Unit

2002

|Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War

|Director of photography

2002

|The Forsyte Saga, mini T.V. series

|Director of photography

2002-2003

|Spooks, T.V. series

|Director of photography

2004

|AVP: Alien vs. Preditor

|Director of photography

2005

|Lights 2, short

|

2005

|55 Degrees North, T.V. series

|Director of photography

2005

|Jericho, T.V. series

|Director of photography

2005

|Riot at the Right, T.V. movie

|

2006

|Agatha Christie: Poirot, T.V. series (episode 1)

|Director of photography

2006

|A Sense of Carol Reed, video documentary short

|Camera operator

2006

|The Holiday

|Director of photography; 2nd Unit

2005/2007

|Agatha Christie’s Marple, T.V. series, 2 episodes

|Director of photography

2007

|Confessions of a Diary Secretary, T.V. movie

|Director of photography

2007

|Women Behind the Camera

|Self

2008

|Shooting Women

|Self

2009

|Diamonds, T.V. movie

|Lighting cameraman

2009

|31 North 62 East

|

2010

|Looking for the Lone Star

|Assistant camera

2011

|The Mapmaker, short

|

2012

|Inspector Lewis, T.V. series, 1 episode

|Director of photography

2014

|Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death, T.V. movie

|Director of photography

Awards and nominations

  • In 1988, Sue Gibson won the award Lion D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for a "K shoes" commercial
  • In 1993, Sue Gibson won the Evening Standard Award for Best Technical/Artistic Achievement on Hear My Song (1991) and Secret Friends(1991).{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=David, A.|title=In Conversation With Cinematographers|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=8}}
  • In 1995, she was awarded for her contribution to the medium{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=David, A.|title=In Conversation With Cinematographers|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=4}}
  • In 1999, The Irish Film and Television Award for best craft contributing in television for Amongst Women (1998).
  • In 2010, Gibson was given an award for her cinematography by the International Women’s Foundation.

References

{{Reflist}}