Who is Roger Deakins? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Roger Alexander Deakins

Age: 75 Years, 75 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Isabella James Purefoy Ellis

father: William Albert Deakins

mother: Josephine Messum

Cinematographers British Men

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Males

City: Torquay, England

More Facts

education: National Film and Television School, Bath School of Art and Design

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1

What are some key lighting techniques used by Roger Deakins?

Roger Deakins is known for his meticulous approach to lighting, often using a combination of natural light, practical lighting fixtures, and carefully placed artificial lights to create visually stunning scenes.
2

How does Roger Deakins approach color grading in his films?

Roger Deakins pays close attention to color grading in post-production, often working closely with colorists to achieve a specific look and mood for each scene. He prefers natural and realistic color palettes that enhance the storytelling.
3

What cameras does Roger Deakins prefer to use for his film projects?

Roger Deakins has worked with a variety of cameras throughout his career, but he is known to have a preference for Arri cameras, such as the Arri Alexa, for their reliability, image quality, and versatility.
4

How does Roger Deakins work with directors to achieve their vision?

Roger Deakins collaborates closely with directors to understand their creative vision for the film. He offers his expertise in cinematography to help bring the director's ideas to life on screen, while also adding his own artistic touch to the visuals.
5

What are some common themes or motifs found in Roger Deakins' cinematography?

Roger Deakins often explores themes of light and shadow, contrast, and texture in his cinematography. His visual style is characterized by careful composition, attention to detail, and a strong sense of atmosphere that enhances the storytelling in his films.

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Childhood & Early Life

Roger Deakins was born on 24 May 1949, in Torquay, Devon, England. He is the son of William Albert Deakins, a builder, and Josephine (née Messum), an actress.

He was a student of Torquay Boys' Grammar School and was very engrossed in painting right from his childhood.

True to his passion, he took up graphic designing at the Bath School of Art and Design in the city of Bath. It was while pursuing this course that he learnt about his interest in photography.

As he explored his new found love of photography, he discovered that he was quite gifted in the art. Eventually, he got hired to produce a photographic documentary of his home town, Torquay.

After about a year, he moved to the National Film and Television School in Buckinghamshire.

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Career

After graduating from the National Film and Television School, Roger Deakins was hired as a cameraman. For the next seven years, he filmed different documentaries in various foreign locations.

In one of his earliest projects, he was a contestant on a round-the-world yacht race called ‘Around the World with Ridgeway’. The project consisted of filming the daily tensions among the crewmen while undertaking a nine-month journey at sea. His work in the project was much appreciated.

After the success of ‘Around the World with Ridgeway’, he began filming different documentaries in Africa like ‘Zimbabwe’ and ‘Eritrea – Behind Enemy Lines’ which highlighted the conflict situation and social unrest prevalent at that time.

Till the early 1980s, he made several documentaries and also dabbled in music videos. He was the director and cinematographer of the concert film ‘Van Morrison in Ireland’ (1981), and music videos like Carl Perkins’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’.

Afterwards, he also worked on ‘Towers of Babel’, British biopic ‘Sid and Nancy’ (1986), and British drama films ‘The Kitchen Toto’ (1988) and ‘Pascali's Island’ (1988).

He began his career as a cinematographer in Hollywood with the feature film ‘Mountains of the Moon’ (1990). Soon afterwards in 1991, he teamed up with the Coen Brothers on the period film ‘Barton Fink’. This film marked the beginning of a very long partnership between Deakins and the Coen Brothers.

He gradually became well known for his cinematographic work and received his first major award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) for the international blockbuster, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994).

In the years that followed, he was again nominated by ASC for films like, ‘Fargo’ (1996), ‘Kundun’ (1997), and ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ (2000). He won his first BAFTA Award and second ASC Award for ‘The Man Who Wasn't There’ (2001).

The year 2008 was a particularly good year for him. For the first time ever, for any cinematographer in history, he received dual ASC nominations for ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007) and ‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007).

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‘No Country for Old Men’ got him his second BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography. He also received dual Academy Award nominations for the films.

In 2009, history was repeated as he received dual ASC nominations again for ‘Revolutionary Road’ (2008) and ‘The Reader’ (2008) - with Chris Menges.

In 2011, he received Academy Award nomination for ‘True Grit’ (2010) and also received the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2012, he won his third ASC Award for outstanding achievement in cinematography for ‘Skyfall’ (2012). This was the ninth time he had been nominated for the ASC Award.

He also worked as a Visual Consultant for Pixar's animated film ‘WALL-E’ (2008), DreamWorks’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010), Nickelodeon Movies' ‘Rango’ (2011), etc.

During the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2013, he was appointed ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)’ for his contribution to cinema.

Major Works

Deakins is accredited with outstanding cinematography in a number of films. Some of his most notable work can be seen in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’, ‘No Country for Old Men’ ‘The Reader’, ‘Revolutionary Road’, and more recently ‘Skyfall’.

Awards & Achievements

Roger Deakins has won several awards for his accomplishments in cinematography. Among other achievements, he has been nominated twelve times for Oscars, won the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography thrice, won the ASC Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography thrice, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award from ASC.

He has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) since 1986, and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 1994.

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He created a record when he received dual nominations from the American Society of Cinematographers, for two consecutive years.

During Queen's Birthday 2013, he was honoured with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for his contribution to cinema.

Personal Life & Legacy

Roger Deakins married script supervisor Isabella James Purefoy Ellis on 11 December 1991.

His chief hobbies are photography, fishing and travelling.

Facts About Roger Deakins

Roger Deakins is known for his meticulous attention to detail, often going to great lengths to capture the perfect shot, including waiting for the ideal lighting conditions.

He has worked with several acclaimed directors, such as the Coen Brothers, Denis Villeneuve, and Sam Mendes, showcasing his versatility and adaptability as a cinematographer.

Deakins is known for his collaborative approach, often working closely with directors and other crew members to bring their vision to life on screen.

Despite his numerous accolades and awards, Deakins remains humble and down-to-earth, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and the creative process in filmmaking.

In addition to his work in film, Deakins is also an avid photographer, capturing stunning images from his travels and experiences around the world.

2020	Best Achievement in Cinematography	1917 (2019)
2018	Best Achievement in Cinematography	Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

2020	Best Cinematography	1917 (2019)
2018	Best Cinematography	Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
2011	Best Cinematography	True Grit (2010)
2008	Best Cinematography	No Country for Old Men (2007)
2002	Best Cinematography	The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

Roger Deakins Biography

You wanted to know

What are some key lighting techniques used by Roger Deakins?

How does Roger Deakins approach color grading in his films?

What cameras does Roger Deakins prefer to use for his film projects?

How does Roger Deakins work with directors to achieve their vision?

What are some common themes or motifs found in Roger Deakins' cinematography?