John Seal appeared in American films and TV shows as a cameraman, as well as a director. He made his debut as an assistant operator in 1976. He gained international fame after his shooting of Peter Weir's film "The Witness" (1985), and subsequently directed several more films with this director.
John Clement Seal was born on October 5, 1942 in a small town in the southeastern part of the Australian state of Queensland - Warwick (Australia). In addition to Australia, he worked mainly in the United States of America.
Career
The famous career of John Seal began his professional career in 1963 on ABC-TV as an assistant to the main operator. (The American Broadcasting Company, ABC is an American commercial television network that was created in 1943. The television channel is one of the Big Three in the United States, and its programs have become an integral part of the country's pop culture). John Seal took part in the filming of documentaries, television series, commercials. In 1970 he moved to the Production of Fauna company, where he worked as an assistant operator on the set of the Barrier Reef series and the movie Queen Nickel.
In 1976, he made his debut as a cameraman on the set of the movie Deceiving Death. The first films and TV shows with the participation of the operator: “Fat Finn” (one thousand nine hundred and eightieth year) and “Survivor” (one thousand nine hundred and eighty-first year).
In 1984, at the invitation of director Peter Weir, he moved to the United States to film the Witness. This marked the beginning of John Seal's international career.
Among the films, TV shows and operator’s programs that are worth watching, one can distinguish: “The Rain Man” (one thousand nine hundred eighty-eight), “Society of Dead Poets” (one thousand nine hundred and eighty-ninth) and “Lorenzo Oil” (one nineteen ninety two).
The latest projects and films for today with the operator John Seal are Mad Max: The Road of Fury (two thousand and fifteen), Tourist (two thousand and ten) and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (two thousand and ten)
Operator filmography
John Seal preferred the following genres: drama, melodrama, thriller. The list of TV and movie projects in which cameraman John Seal took part contains about forty-seven works, in which he showed the work of the cameraman - forty works, the actor (playing himself) - ten works, the director — one work.
Participation in films
- 1992 HBO: First Look (US Documentary)
- 2016 "88th Academy Awards"
- 2009 "Australians conquer Hollywood"
- 2009 "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins"
- 2008 "Not exactly Hollywood: The Stunning, Untold Story of Australian Exploitation Cinema"
- 2006 "Poseidon: the ship on the sound stage" short
- 2006 "Cameraman's Style"
- 2004 "Climbing Cold Mountain"
- 2004 "76th Academy Awards"
- 1997 "69th Academy Awards"
Producer
1990 "Until You Was There" (USA)
Operator
- 2015 Crazy Max: The Road of Fury (Australia);
- 2010 "Tourist" (USA, France);
- 2009 "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (USA);
- 2006 "Poseidon" (USA);
- 2004 year "Spanish English" (USA);
- 2003 Cold Mountain (USA);
- 2003 "Dreamcatcher" (USA, Canada);
- 2001 "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (USA);
- 2000 "The Perfect Storm" (USA, Germany);
- 1999 "Talented Mr. Ripley" (USA);
- 1999 "At a Glance" (USA);
- 1998 "City of Angels" (Germany, USA);
- 1996 "The Ghosts of Mississippi" (USA);
- 1996 "English Patient" (USA);
- 1995 "Outside of the Rangoon" (Great Britain, USA);
- 1995 "American President" (USA);
- 1994 Newspaper (USA);
- 1993 "Firm" (USA);
- 1992 "Lorenzo Oil" (USA);
- 1991 "Doctor" (USA);
- 1989 "Society of the Dead Poets" (USA);
- 1988 "Rain Man" (USA);
- 1988 "Gorillas in the Fog" (USA);
- 1987 "Tracking" (USA);
- 1986 "Children of Silence" (USA);
- 1986 "Mosquito Coast" (USA);
- 1985 "Witness" (USA);
- 1985 "Travel Companion" (USA);
- 1984 Silver City (Australia);
- 1983 "Hush, he can hear" (Australia);
- 1983 Farewell to Paradise (Australia);
- 1983 "Bandits of the BMX" (Australia);
- 1982 "Ginger Meggs" (Australia);
- 1981 Survivor (Australia);
- 1980 "Fat Finn" (Australia);
- 1976 "Deceiving Death" (Australia).
Awards and prizes
In 1982 and in 1984, he was awarded the prestigious Australian Cinema Society award as the Cinematographer of the Year.
Oscar (1996): Best cameraman for the film The English Patient.
Oscar nomination: 1985 - Best cameraman for the film Witness. 1988 - The best cameraman for the film "Rain Man". 2003 - The best cameraman for the film "Cold Mountain". 2015 - The best cameraman for the movie "Mad Max: The Road of Fury."
BAFTA Award (1996): Best cameraman for the film "The English Patient".
Nomination for "BAFTA": 1985 - Best cameraman for the film "Witness". 1989 - Best cameraman for the movie "Gorillas in the Fog." 1999 - The best cameraman for the film "Talented Mr. Ripley." 2003 - The best cameraman for the film "Cold Mountain". 2015 - The best cameraman for the movie "Mad Max: The Road of Fury."
European Film Academy (1997): Best cameraman for the film "The English Patient".
Sputnik Award (1996): Best cameraman for the film The English Patient.
In 1998, received an honorary doctorate in Philosophy from Griffith University (Queensland, Australia).
