Derek Vanlint

Derek Vanlint, (7 November 1932 – 23 February 2010) was a British-born Canadian cinematographer and director of television commercials and motion pictures.

He was best known as the cinematographer for the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, which earned him a Best Cinematography Award nomination from the British Society of Cinematographers.

Career Vanlint was primarily a cinematographer and director of television commercials. Highly prolific, he produced advertisements and short films for clients like Guinness Brewery, PepsiCo, and British Airways. The film contained numerous visual effects shots utilizing scale models composited into rendered backgrounds. Vanlint's work on the film was critically acclaimed, and he earned nomination for a BSC Award for Best Cinematography.

Vanlint served as cinematographer on the 1981 fantasy-adventure film Dragonslayer. Like Alien, the film utilized numerous effects shots, this time achieved with stop motion. Vanlint was initially approached by Scott to shoot his follow-up film Blade Runner, but he turned the offer down and was replaced by Jordan Cronenweth. Director James Cameron asked Vanlint to film Alien 's 1986 sequel, but Vanlint instead recommended his protege Adrian Biddle, who had served as focus puller and camera operator on the original. Until his death in 2010, Vanlint worked almost exclusively on commercials in Canada, though he briefly returned to feature films in the year 2000, handling special effects photography for the X-Men and serving as DP and director on the horror thriller The Spreading Ground, starring Dennis Hopper. The film was entered into the 22nd Moscow International Film Festival.

Vanlint died in Toronto following a short illness on 23 February 2010. He was 77 years old. Throughout his career, he worked on advertisements for such companies as British Airways, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Guinness, Kellogg's, Levi's, Maxwell House, Pepsi, and Visa.

Filmography Short film Cinematographer Year Title Director Notes 1966 This Time Tomorrow Philip Bond Documentary short 1970 Simon, Simon Graham Stark With Harvey Harrison 1980 The Bed Himself

Director Morning, Noon and Night (1967) (Also producer) The Bed (1980)

Feature film Year Title Director 1979 Alien Ridley Scott 1981 Dragonslayer Matthew Robbins 2000 The Spreading Ground Himself