Steve Downer

Profile viewed 765 times since August 2010.

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About

Job title(s):

Location

United Kingdom›Birmingham

Specialist skills:

Extreme climates
/ 16mm Film
/ Green Screen
/ Hostile environments
/ Final Cut Pro
/ Arri D20 / D21
/ Macro photography
/ High Def
/ Red Camera
/ 35mm Film
/ Horse riding
/ Time lapse

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Biography

I'm a film and video Director/Cameraman and Director of Photography with credits on over 100 international television programmes,and the winner of numerous awards for cinematography including two News & Documentary Emmy’s for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft - Cinematographers for the National Geographic film The Last Frog, and for ABC’s Living Edens - Denali, Alaska’s Last Wilderness. My National Geographic film King Cobra, filmed in southern India over a period of five months, won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Program Achievement in 1998 and was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography. In November 2006, BROADCAST magazine listed me as one of the HOT 100 television talents of the year. I began freelancing in 1981, after spending three years as assistant cameraman to Ron Eastman on various BBC wildlife programmes and the classic children’s feature film Tarka the Otter, and a year as a staff cameraman at London Scientific films working mostly on the groundbreaking macro special effects series Bellamy’s Backyard Safari.

Since then I've worked as a freelance Director/Cameraman & DOP in locations across the world including North, South & Central America, Alaska, India, China, Japan, Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Burma, and the Canadian high Arctic. The prestigious series I have contributed to include the BBC's:

Planet Earth

Blue Planet

Coast

Spring Watch

Wildlife on One

The Natural World

Nature of Britain

The Trials of Life

The Life of Plants

Land of the Eagle

Nightmares of Nature
Dragons Alive
The Living Isles

Living Britain

Life Sense
and six programmes for National Geographic Explorer, filming a diverse range of animals - from big cats and venomous snakes, to the microscopic mites that live in the ear of a moth.

Since 2003 I've been diversifying my skills and have worked on numerous non natural history projects as Director of Photography / Lighting Cameraman including two independent feature films Nadine and A Moment of Guilt

five short films Gorgeous Labour of Love, Last Chance Romance, Hans & Stanley, The Chauffeur's Hat, and Greener Grass

music videos for Indian singer & actor Kamaal Khan and UK boyband Billiam,

and over 30 corporate videos.

I have experience of shooting on many film and video formats, including Super 35mm, Super 16, Digi Beta, HDCAM, DVC PROHD (tape & P2), BetaSX, MiniDV, DVCAM and HDV. I've had training (at TopTeks & ARRI UK) in the use of the SONY 750/790/900, PANASONIC VARICAM F27, and ARRI D20 / D21 High Definition cameras. I own a comprehensive JVC HD110E HDV720p video kit, and lenses ranging from macro to telephoto & deep focus. As of May 2010 I'm working periodically with Animals on Blue, developing macro filming techniques in 4.5K resolution for the RED ONE digital cinematography camera.

Profile viewed 765 times since August 2010.

Pro reference

Matt Thompson

Matt is one of those producers who will always surprise. A talented director who knows his animals and finds ingenious ways of translating their...

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Pro member

Mike Coles

I am an experienced film and video cameraman. I work in drama and documentary across a wide range of subjects including Science, Archaeology, History, Music and the Arts.