John Alcott

John Alcott, BSC (27 November 1930 – 28 July 1986) was an English cinematographer, best known for his collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, with his work on Barry Lyndon earning him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Early life Alcott was born in Isleworth, England, in 1930.

He was the son of Arthur Alcott, an executive at Gainsborough Pictures and later Pinewood Studios.

Career Alcott began his career at a young age as a clapper boy. During the production of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Kubrick promoted Alcott to lighting cameraman, completing the "Dawn of Man" sequence after Geoffrey Unsworth's schedule forced him to depart from production.

Alcott subsequently shot three more films for Kubrick: A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), and The Shining (1980).

His work on Barry Lyndon broke new grounds in terms of natural lighting. Kubrick completely discarded electric lighting in favor of candle lighting to recreate the mood of an 18th century setting. The film ultimately won Alcott an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography.

Alcott's work on The Shining also became innovative for inventive uses of a Steadicam to create more fluid camera movements.

In 1981, Alcott moved to the United States, where he directed and shot commercials for television at Paisley Productions.

Alcott was featured in the 1986 PBS documentary Six Kinds Of Light (Masters Of Cinematography).

Death Alcott died of a heart attack in Cannes, France in 1986, at the age of 55. 1971

A Clockwork Orange

1975 Barry Lyndon 1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes 1975

Barry Lyndon 1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes 1982

1985

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Cinematography

1983 Under Fire