John Coquillon (1930–1987) was a Dutch

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 ch ...

Biography

Born in The Hague, Netherlands, Coquillon started in the

British film industry The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors ...

as a

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 te ...

clapper loader A clapper loader or second assistant camera (2nd AC) is part of a film crew whose main functions are that of loading the raw film stock into camera magazines, operating the clapperboard (slate) at the beginning of each take, marking the actors a ...

in the 1950s before becoming a documentary cameraman later in the decade shooting numerous wildlife movies throughout Africa. Coquillon relocated from Africa back to the UK in the mid-1960s, working on a number of Children's Film Foundation productions. His ability to work speedily and utilize natural light brought him to the attention of writer Alfred Shaughnessy, who recommended Coquillon to director

Michael Reeves Michael Reeves (17 October 1943 – 11 February 1969) was an English film director and screenwriter. He is best remembered for the 1968 film ''Witchfinder General'' (known in the US as ''Conqueror Worm''). A few months after the film's rel ...

for '' Witchfinder General'' (1968), the first of several

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s that he worked on as Director of Photography for American International Pictures. In 1971, Coquillon began a fruitful working relationship with Sam Peckinpah, first serving as cinematographer for the controversial director's critically acclaimed '' Straw Dogs''. He later shot Peckinpah's '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' (1973), ''

Cross of Iron ''Cross of Iron'' (German: ''Steiner – Das Eiserne Kreuz'', lit. "Steiner – The Iron Cross") is a 1977 war film directed by Sam Peckinpah, featuring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason and David Warner. Set on the Eastern Front ...

'' (1977), and ''

The Osterman Weekend ''The Osterman Weekend'' is a thriller novel by Robert Ludlum. First published in 1972, it was the author's second book. The novel was the basis for the film of the same title. Plot John Tanner, Director of News of a US TV network, is convinc ...

'' (1983). After ''Osterman'', the majority of Coquillon's remaining credits were in television, including the television movie ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'' (1982) and numerous

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

. Coquillon's other films include ''

The Wilby Conspiracy ''The Wilby Conspiracy'' is a 1975 British adventure thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier, and Nicol Williamson. Filmed in Kenya, it was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel by Peter Dr ...

'' (1975) and '' Clockwise'' (1986). He won the Best Cinematographer

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

in 1980 for '' The Changeling''.

Filmography

Feature films * ''Zanzabuku'' (1956) * ''

The Impersonator ''The Impersonator'' is a 1961 low-budget black and white British thriller film directed and co-written by Alfred Shaughnessy. An American angle and U.S. character actor John Crawford were incorporated to give this second feature some transa ...

'' (1961) * '' Call Me Bwana'' (second unit cinematography only) (1963) * ''

The Last Safari ''The Last Safari'' is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway. It stars Kaz Garas and Stewart Granger. It was based on the 1962 novel, '' Gilligan's Last Elephant'' by Gerald Hanley. Plot Miles Gilchrist (Stewart Granger) is a ...

'' (second unit cinematography only) (1967) * '' Curse of the Crimson Altar'' (1968) * '' Witchfinder General'' (1968) * ''

The Body Stealers ''The Body Stealers'', also known as ''Thin Air'', is a 1969 British science fiction film directed by Gerry Levy, about the disappearance of British armed forces paratroopers in mid-air whilst on a routine jump. Two investigators try to figure ou ...

'' (1969) * '' The Oblong Box'' (1969) * '' Wuthering Heights'' (1970) * '' Straw Dogs'' (1971) * ''

The Triple Echo ''The Triple Echo'' (also known as ''Soldier in Skirts'' in its U.S. release) is a 1972 British drama film directed by Michael Apted starring Glenda Jackson, Brian Deacon and Oliver Reed, and based on the 1970 novella by H.E. Bates. It was sho ...

'' (1972) * '' The National Health'' (1973) * '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' (1973) * ''

Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...

'' (1975) * ''

Echoes of a Summer ''Echoes of a Summer'' is a 1976 Canadian-American family drama film directed by Don Taylor, based on the play ''Isle of Children'' by Robert L. Joseph, who also adapted the screenplay. It stars Jodie Foster, Richard Harris, Lois Nettleton, Br ...

'' (1976) * ''

'' (1977) * '' Absolution'' (1978) * '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) * '' A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'' (1979) * '' The Changeling'' (1980) * '' Crossover'' (1980) * ''

Final Assignment ''Final Assignment'' is a 1980 Canadian thriller drama film, written by Marc Rosen and directed by Paul Almond.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 77. Plot In this complex spy caper, Nicole (Geneviève Bujold ...

'' (1980) * '' The Amateur'' (1981) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

The Wars ''The Wars'' is a 1977 novel by Timothy Findley that follows Robert Ross, a nineteen-year-old Canadian who enlists in World War I after the death of his beloved older sister in an attempt to escape both his grief and the social norms of oppressiv ...

'' (1983) * '' Clockwise'' (1986) * '' Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star'' (1986) Television films * '' The Story of David'' (1976) * '' The Four Feathers'' (1978) * ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma du ...

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1982) * '' Mandela'' (1987)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coquillon, John 1930 births 1987 deaths Dutch cinematographers Mass media people from The Hague Best Cinematography Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners 20th-century Dutch people