John Mathieson | |
|---|---|
 Mathieson in 2019 | |
| Born | (1961-05-03)3 May 1961 (age 64) Isle of Purbeck,Dorset, England |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Organization | British Society of Cinematographers |
| Spouse | Maria Tamander |
John Mathieson (born 3 May 1961)[1] is an Englishcinematographer andcommercial director. He is one of a group of filmmakers who emerged from the music video industry of the late 1980s and 1990s.
He is a frequent collaborator with directorRidley Scott, winning aBAFTA Award and a nomination for theAcademy Award for his work onGladiator (2000).
Mathieson was born on Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England. Beginning his career in the British film industry as camera assistant toGabriel Beristain, Mathieson worked his way through the ranks. In 1988 he garnered recognition for the ground breaking video "Peek-a-Boo"[2] forSiouxsie and the Banshees, directed by Peter Scammell. He collaborated withJohn Maybury, director of theSinéad O'Connor video "Nothing Compares 2 U", going on to photograph Maybury's award-winning filmLove Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon. Mathieson honed his craft through the 1990s shooting numerous television commercials and music videos for artists includingMadonna,Prince andMassive Attack.
In the mid 1990s Mathieson photographed two feature films for directorKarim Dridi, for which he was later bestowed the honour ofChevalier by the French government. He came to the attention ofTony Scott whilst shooting television commercials for the London-based company RSA Films. After working as visual effects cinematographer onEnemy of the State forTony Scott, Mathieson photographed the filmPlunkett & Macleane forJake Scott. Having seen Mathiesons work on Plunkett,Ridley Scott invited him to work on his next project. Mathieson has photographed five films forRidley Scott, nominated for anAcademy Award forGladiator in 2000 and won theBAFTA award for best Cinematography in the same year. His secondOscar nomination came forThe Phantom of the Opera (2004) directed byJoel Schumacher.
Despite a career now cemented in big budget film production, Mathieson maintains links with independent British film, working on more modest budget projects includingTrauma directed byMarc Evans andStoned directed byStephen Woolley.
Mathieson acted as cinematographer on theDC Films productionBatgirl.[3] The film was cancelled in August 2022.[4]
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Hunger | Tony Scott Jake Scott | Episodes "The Swords" and "Ménage à Trois" |
| 2012 | Playhouse Presents | Iain Softley | Episode "The Man" |
| 2013 | The Vatican | Ridley Scott | TV movie |
| TBA | The Good Shepherd | Roland Joffé | Miniseries |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
