Dick Pope BSC - 1947-2024

It is with great sadness we hear the loss of Dick Pope BSC

Dick’s love of stills photography came from his father who gave him a Box Brownie and let him use his Zeiss twin lens reflex camera. The camera was particularly suited to portraiture and Dick began to recruit potential subjects from his neighbourhood, turning his lounge in Kent into a makeshift studio. He had also become a regular at his local cinema, where he developed a strong passion for film and decided to combine his love of photography and cinema into a career as a cinematographer.

At age 16, he began a three-year apprenticeship at the Pathé Film Laboratory in Wardour Street, Soho. In 1968, having tried unsuccessfully to join the BBC, he went freelance and became a clapper loader on low-end British films, which felt very far away from his ambitions. Through a twist of fate, he fell in with an up-and-coming documentary cinematographer and became his assistant. By 1974, he was a cinematographer himself, travelling the world to remote and inaccessible areas including war zones and shooting films about endangered indigenous tribes such as Disappearing World (1974), highly political programmes like World in Action (1976-8), and also arts programmes like The South Bank Show.

During the 1970s and into the early 1980s he operated on hundreds of rock concerts, many for BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test and shot music videos for artists including Queen, Tina Turner, The Clash, The Specials and The Police. In 1984, he was approached to shoot Coming Up Roses (1986 d. Stephen Bayly) and that finally led to feature films. In 1990, Mike Leigh asked him to photograph Life is Sweet, signalling the beginning of a long term collaboration comprising eleven feature films including Naked (1993), Secrets and Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Vera Drake (2004), Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), Another Year (2010), Mr. Turner (2014), Peterloo (2018) and most recently Hard Truths (2024).

Remembering when Naked was presented at the very first Camerimage Festival in November 1993, Dick says: ‘My work on the film was wonderfully received especially by the students, and at the closing awards ceremony, a delegation of those students (including Hoyte Van Hoytema) invaded the stage and insisted on awarding me their own prize, which was a beautiful inscribed piece of stained glass which I still have proudly on display to this day.’ This was a pivotal moment for him. Of his mentors, he names three cameramen: Mike Whittaker, Jack Hazan and Roger Deakins CBE ASC BCS who were (or became) his partners in the documentary filmmaking cooperative, Solus Productions, in the 1970s.

(Credit: Phil Méheux BSC, GBCT Trustee)

Some messages from GBCT.

“Very, very sad about this news- he gave me a lot of tuition and a some amazing jobs, including my first Feature Film with Graham Martyr⁩ and I am forever grateful 🙏🏼 💔“

“He was so encouraging to me as a young Grip Trainee. I watched him lighting, and he’d sit with his eye on the eyepiece, for what felt like hours and hours, but was only really 10 minutes or so. Not lifting his head whilst the chaos ensued around. And I asked him one day, what are you looking for when you’re lighting and staring down the eyepiece for so long, and he said “to be honest, I do that so nobody bothers me with silly questions. Nobody talks to me when I’m looking down the eyepiece.” It was so true and it was his little escape from the chaos. That one job I did with him is still my favourite job to date.”

“Crystal Palace have lost a great supporter! Dick you were a true gent sir with a wicked sense of humour. You will be sorely missed. There is a lot of love for you out there.”

“Its a sad day we have lost a great character a wonderful unique & humorous man . Will miss you Dick your laugh was infectious . RIP”

Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and all who knew him and worked with him.

Pinewood To Open Dedicated Production Hub For Indie Films

Pinewood Studios has set plans to launch what it has described as a dedicated production hub to support filmmakers in the UK who are taking advantage of the UK’s newly introduced Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC).

The UK government gave the much-talked-about IFTC the greenlight this morning and confirmed that the relief will be available for qualifying films starting October 30. 

Pinewood has said the new film hub will include sound stages, production offices, and workshop space tailored to support lower-budget and independent films. Productions will also have access to the wider Pinewood Studios facilities. The studio has said the facility will be serviced by 100% renewable energy sources. The hub will open next year.

Under the new credit, first-time productions with a budget of up to £15 million will be eligible for a relief of 53% on their qualifying expenditure. Films with a budget of up to £23.5 million are also eligible for the IFTC. Productions qualifying for the relief must have started principal photography on or after 1 April 2024, and only expenditure incurred on or after 1 April 2024 can be claimed. Films will also be required to pass a BFI cultural test. 

Discussing this morning’s announcement, David Conway, CEO of Pinewood Group, said: “UK film production is at the heart of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios’ DNA, and our aim with the new Pinewood Indie Film Hub is to further catalyze the independent film sector in the UK, boosting creativity and attracting further investment into the UK. In this highly competitive global market, we welcome the new IFTC and feel it is going to further consolidate the UK’s leading position in the screen industries.”

Major Boost to the UK Film Industry announced by the DCMS

tIndependent film productions costing up to £15 million to benefit from an increased tax relief of 53%

• Move will empower UK filmmakers to create more independent films and co-produce with other countries

The next generation of indie films have been handed a major boost by the government with the introduction of a tax relief uplift, which will create jobs and drive growth by making more British hits like Aftersun and Billy Elliot possible.

The Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC), confirmed today by the Chancellor and Culture Secretary as the London Film Festival gets underway, will mean that for the first time productions with a budget up to £15 million will be eligible for a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure. Films with a budget up to £23.5 million are also eligible for the IFTC and the relief will be tapered.

The creative industries are a key part of the economy, generating £125 billion a year, and form a central part of the Government’s mission to grow the economy. The UK film sector is already worth £1.36 billion and employs more than 195,000 people, with the potential to grow further thanks to these reliefs.

British indie films like Rye Lane, Rocks, Bait and Pride tell award-winning stories about our country, celebrating parts of our culture that often get less exposure. This relief will allow more stories like these to be told, enabling more people to see their lives and experiences reflected on screen.

To support the Government’s commitment on more distinctly home-grown content and talent, for films to meet the criteria for this new relief, they must have a UK writer or director, or be certified as an official UK co-production.

The announcement comes ahead of the government’s International Investment Summit next Monday which will gather UK leaders, high-profile investors and businesses from across the world to discuss how we can deepen our partnership to drive investment and growth, including in the creative industries.

The new measures are the latest in a series of interventions from the government to drive growth, which is creating the conditions for confident investment and trusted partnership with business. From major investment in carbon capture to securing billions in investment from Blackstone and Amazon Web Services, this government is committed to working hand in hand with business to drive growth and investment across many sectors.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

The UK’s first-class independent filmmakers have a track record of creating cult classics and surprise hits that are enjoyed by millions. Their films showcase British culture and creativity to the world while also supporting thousands of jobs and driving economic growth in all parts of the UK.These reliefs will pay dividends both culturally and economically, inspire the next generation of talent across the country, deliver more great British content, and sustain a world-leading industry here in the UK.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

The creative industries are a crucial part of our economy, and this change will help strengthen them further.By supporting growth in this vibrant sector, we can create jobs and continue to show Britain at its best around the world.

Faye Ward, producer, Rocks, Suffragette, Stan & Ollie, Wild Rose, said:

We have a tremendous history of filmmaking and talent in Britain. The indie sector is the main pathway for new and original voices and talent to enter into the industry. It’s imperative that we continue telling and making UK stories for which this enhanced tax relief is vital for our industry.

Amy Jackson, producer of Oscar-nominated Aftersun, The Outfit and The End We Start From, said:

This is a vital intervention for the UK industry, which I wholeheartedly welcome. Making British indie films is tough, but this enhanced tax relief means that as a producer I now have crucial support to explicitly focus on bringing incredible stories by British talent to the big screen while building out exciting co-production opportunities. The IFTC will make UK indie film a more attractive investment prospect for international partners and co-producers facilitating more creative collaboration and bringing much needed backing to the independent sector across the board.

BFI Chair Jay Hunt said:

The speed with which the Government has turned this around shows how vital this intervention is for independent film. It will have a game changing impact across the whole UK screen sector - creatively and economically.

Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive, said: 

This is great news for UK film and is already having a positive impact across our industry. More films can now be made in the UK that audiences at home and internationally will get to enjoy. Independent filmmaking is vital to our cultural expression and creativity, it builds careers for talent in front of and behind the camera, and also showcases UK creative excellence on a world stage. We’re grateful to Government, the DCMS and the industry for working together to establish this transformative tax relief uplift where it is most needed.

Andrew M Smith, Corporate Affairs Director, Pinewood Group, said:

Pinewood is synonymous with great filmmakers of the past and present and independent film has been at our heart since the Studios opened in 1936. This tax relief is fantastic news for the industry as a whole and will bring an injection of support to further nurture the groundbreaking talent of the future and bring a greater diversity and range of stories to our screens.

Elizabeth Karlsen, producer, Living, Carol, Colette and The Crying Game, said:

Based on three decades working in independent film in the UK I can say with absolute confidence that this new support for British independent film will be felt far and wide; it will help us nurture new talent, support established talent, and ensure our global reputation for producing outstanding cinema. The creative and economic benefits will be felt through the industry and beyond.” 

Hakan Kousetta, executive producer, Slow Horses, Hijack and The Essex Serpent, said:  

Delighted to welcome this vital support for the British independent sector. A thriving independent film sector is a key part of the industry’s ecology. It’s where myself and many others started our careers and is essential if we are to continue to produce some of the world’s best screen talent both behind and in front of the camera.”  

While the last few years have been challenging, in part because of the end of the pandemic streaming boom and US writers’ strikes halting productions, in recent decades the UK’s film industry has enjoyed strong growth. Tax incentives for film, first introduced in 2007, helped to bring the production of blockbusters to Britain, but the government is ambitious that it can grow further.

While major film production has flourished, smaller independent films have not received sufficient support. The tax credits uplift announced today will help the independent film sector reach its full potential, creating jobs and contributing to driving economic growth across the country.

Productions qualifying for the relief must have started principal photography on or after 1 April 2024, and only expenditure incurred on or after 1 April 2024 can be claimed.

The statutory instruments will be laid on 9 October and will take effect from 30 October, which is the date from which the BFI certification unit can begin accepting applications.

Source: UK’s world-class film sector handed major jobs and growth boost by tax reliefs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)