Denys Neil Coop (20 July 1920 – 16 August 1981) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
camera operator and cinematographer. He was a president of the
British Society of Cinematographers
The British Society of Cinematographers (abbreviated B.S.C. or BSC) was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey (23 August 1901 – 28 February 1973), the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers ...
from 1973 to 1975.
Coop was best known for his works on the film ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' (1978), for which he and his team won the
Special Achievement Academy Award and the
Michael Balcon Award.
Early life and career
He began his career in the
cinema
Cinema may refer to:
Film
* Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography
* Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image
** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking
...
as apprentice to
Freddie Young
Frederick A. Young (9 October 1902 – 1 December 1998) was a British cinematographer. He is probably best known for his work on David Lean's films ''Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962), ''Doctor Zhivago'' (1965) and ''Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), all th ...
. In the 1960s he was Director of Photography on films such as ''
A Kind of Loving'' (1962), ''
This Sporting Life
''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award, it recounts the story of a rugby league footb ...
'' (1963), ''
Billy Liar'' (1963) and ''
Bunny Lake Is Missing
''Bunny Lake Is Missing'' is a 1965 British-American psychological drama film, directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Filmed in black-and-white widescreen format in London, it was based on the 1957 novel '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' by Merriam ...
'' (1965).
Awards and nominations
In 1979, he was one of a team of artists to win a special
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
for visual effects in ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
''.
In addition to the Oscar, Coop was also awarded a BAFTA (the Michael Balcon award) for his work on ''Superman'' (as Creative Director of Process Photography). He was also awarded the Bert Easey award by the British Society of Cinematographers.
He was nominated for the Best Cinematography (B&W) BAFTA in 1964 for ''Billy Liar'', in 1965 for ''
King and Country
''King and Country'' (stylised as ''King & Country'') is a 1964 British war film directed by Joseph Losey, shot in black and white, and starring Dirk Bogarde and Tom Courtenay. The film was adapted for the screen by British screenwriter Evan J ...
'', and in 1967 for ''Bunny Lake is Missing''. His black and white cinematography on films such as these, and ''This Sporting Life'' amongst others earned him the reputation as one of the finest B&W cinematographers of his generation.
Personal
He has been followed into the film industry by his son, Trevor Coop (Camera Operator), and his three grandchildren, Jason Coop (focus puller), Gareth Coop (Clapper Loader), and Amy Coop (Assistant Director)
References
External links
Denys Coop at the Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers*
1920 births
1981 deaths
Special Achievement Academy Award winners
British cinematographers
BAFTA winners (people)
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