Roger Pratt obit

Remembering Roger Pratt BSC (1947-2024)

 He was not on the list.

It is with deepest sadness that we learn of the passing of Roger Pratt BSC (1947-2024).

Roger Pratt BSC was an extraordinary cinematographer, who was awarded this society’s highest honour, our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Roger was born in Leicester, the son of a parish vicar, and although the church didn’t capture his career aspirations, seeing 16mm “fact and faith” films did.

“I was mesmerised by the annual showing of religious films in the church, at times like Christmas and especially Lent. A box full of rolls of film, projectors, screens, loudspeakers. The lights go out, the whirring of mechanics…then real people talking, moving, laughing, and dying (I mention dying because they were about Christ and his crucifixion)”.

Pratt’s first job in film was working at Chippenham Films and it was here, as a clapper loader, he met Terry Gilliam for the first time. Gilliam recalls “We were filming the Bridge of Death sequence and needed a dramatic shot looking up at the bridge with the mountains in the distance. I stuck the camera on the edge of the cliff, but the lens wasn’t wide enough. We were a long way from the road, the light was going. It was terrible. This guy said, ‘Just give me a moment’ and in a few minutes, while we were still faffing around, he had run all the way down the mountain, forded the river, run up the other side, into the camera truck, grabbed the right lens and here it was. We stuck it on the camera and got the shot. That was the moment I fell in love with Roger.”

Roger would go on to shoot some of Gilliam’s cult classics, from Brazil (1985) to The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995). In addition to working with Gilliam he also shot four films for Richard Attenborough, including Shadowlands (1993) which won the BAFTA for Best British Film.

For superhero fans he held a special place working alongside director Tim Burton to create the look of Batman (1989) that would launch many of the superhero franchises we have today.

Our thoughts go out to his family at this time.

Pratt was born on February 27, 1947 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He is a cinematographer and actor, known for 12 Monkeys (1995), Frankenstein (1994) and Chocolat (2000).

Cinematographer

Maxine Peake in Keeping Rosy (2014)

Keeping Rosy

6.4

Cinematographer

2014

 

Jadoo (2013)

Jadoo

6.0

Cinematographer

2013

 

Jaden Smith in The Karate Kid (2010)

The Karate Kid

6.2

director of photography

2010

 

Ben Barnes in Dorian Gray (2009)

Dorian Gray

6.2

director of photography

2009

 

Brendan Fraser, Helen Mirren, Paul Bettany, Jamie Foreman, Matt King, Andy Serkis, Eliza Bennett, and Rafi Gavron in Inkheart (2008)

Inkheart

6.1

director of photography

2008

 

Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, and Mischa Barton in Closing the Ring (2007)

Closing the Ring

6.4

director of photography

2007

 

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Clémence Poésy, Robert Pattinson, and Stanislav Yanevski in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

7.7

director of photography

2005

 

Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, Saffron Burrows, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger, and Garrett Hedlund in Troy (2004)

Troy

7.3

director of photography

2004

 

Rupert Grint, Toby Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

7.4

director of photography

2002

 

Kate Winslet and Judi Dench in Iris (2001)

Iris

7.0

director of photography

2001

 

Julianne Moore in Not I (2000)

Not I

6.1

Short

director of photography

2000

 

Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche in Chocolat (2000)

Chocolat

7.2

director of photography

2000

 

Glenn Close in 102 Dalmatians (2000)

102 Dalmatians

4.8

Cinematographer

2000

 

Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair (1999)

The End of the Affair

7.0

director of photography

1999

 

Pierce Brosnan and Annie Galipeau in Grey Owl (1999)

Grey Owl

6.0

director of photography

1999

 

The Avengers (1998)

The Avengers

3.8

Cinematographer

1998

 

Performance (1991)

Performance

6.6

TV Series

Cinematographer

1998

1 episode

 

Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell in In Love and War (1996)

In Love and War

5.9

director of photography

1996

 

Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Madeleine Stowe in 12 Monkeys (1995)

12 Monkeys

8.0

director of photography

1995

 

Frankenstein (1994)

Frankenstein

6.3

director of photography

1994

 

Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in Shadowlands (1993)

Shadowlands

7.3

director of photography

1993

 

Miranda Richardson and Kate Bush in The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993)

The Line, the Cross & the Curve

7.6

Short

Cinematographer

1993

 

Penelope Ann Miller and Tim Daly in Year of the Comet (1992)

Year of the Comet

5.8

director of photography

1992

 

Bernard and the Genie (1991)

Bernard and the Genie

7.3

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1991

 

Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)

The Fisher King

7.5

director of photography

1991

 

The Storyteller: Greek Myths (1991)

The Storyteller: Greek Myths

8.1

TV Series

director of photography

1991

4 episodes

 

4 Play (1989)

4 Play

6.5

TV Series

Cinematographer

1989

1 episode

 

Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton in Batman (1989)

Batman

7.5

director of photography

1989

 

Charlotte Rampling in Paris by Night (1988)

Paris by Night

6.0

Cinematographer

1988

 

High Hopes (1988)

High Hopes

7.4

director of photography

1988

 

Consuming Passions (1988)

Consuming Passions

5.5

director of photography

1988

 

Sylvestra Le Touzel in The Short & Curlies (1987)

The Short & Curlies

6.6

TV Short

Cinematographer

1987

 

Donald Pleasence, Denholm Elliott, Michael Maloney, Nicola Pagett, and Renée Soutendijk in Scoop (1987)

Scoop

5.9

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1987

 

Bob Hoskins and Cathy Tyson in Mona Lisa (1986)

Mona Lisa

7.3

director of photography

1986

 

The Planets

7.3

TV Mini Series

Cinematographer

1985

3 episodes

 

Dutch Girls (1985)

Dutch Girls

5.4

TV Movie

director of photography

1985

 

Swan National Office (1985)

Swan National Office

Video

Cinematographer

1985

 

Brazil (1985)

Brazil

7.8

director of photography

1985

 

Meantime (1983)

Meantime

7.1

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1983

 

The Crimson Permanent Assurance (1983)

The Crimson Permanent Assurance

7.8

Short

Cinematographer

1983

 

John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Monty Python in Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (1983)

Monty Python's the Meaning of Life

7.5

Cinematographer (segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")

1983

 

The Tractor Factor

Short

Cinematographer

1982

 

The Sender (1982)

The Sender

6.0

Cinematographer

1982

 

The Dollar Bottom (1981)

The Dollar Bottom

6.7

Short

Cinematographer

1981

 

The Spirit of Cheshire

6.4

Short

Cinematographer

1980

 

Black Angel (1980)

Black Angel

6.5

Short

Cinematographer

1980

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, and Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Snow White and the Huntsman

6.1

director of photography: splinter unit (uncredited)

2012

 

George Harrison in Concert for George (2003)

Concert for George

8.6

camera operator

2003

 

Rowan Atkinson in Mr. Bean (1990)

Mr. Bean

8.6

TV Series

lighting camera

1991–1992

3 episodes

 

Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)

Bethune: The Making of a Hero

6.4

additional photography

1990

 

V. (1987)

V.

7.9

TV Movie

lighting camera

1987

 

Black Angel (1980)

Black Angel

6.5

Short

camera operator

1980

 

Jabberwocky (1977)

Jabberwocky

6.1

focus puller

1977

 

John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Monty Python in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

8.2

assistant camera

1975

 

Stephen Archibald in My Childhood (1972)

My Childhood

7.3

assistant camera

1972

 

Bleak Moments (1971)

Bleak Moments

6.9

assistant camera

1971

 

Actor

French Exchange (2017)

French Exchange

6.2

Short

Shepherd

2017

 

Joséphine, ange gardien (1997)

Joséphine, ange gardien

4.0

TV Series

Le gardien

2006

1 episode

 

Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Madeleine Stowe in 12 Monkeys (1995)

12 Monkeys

8.0

Man Tying Shoe in Hotel (uncredited)

1995

 

Jabberwocky (1977)

Jabberwocky

6.1

Man Living in Barrel (uncredited)

1977

 

The D.A. (1971)

The D.A.

6.7

TV Series

1971

1 episode