Martin Kenzie (29 April 1956 – 16 July 2012) was a British second unit director and cinematographer whose works include feature films such as The Shining (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Aliens (1986), The King's Speech (2010) and TV series including Rome (2005) and Game of Thrones (2012). He was a member of the British Society of Cinematographers as a Camera Operator and was later elected a "Full Member of the Society" with BSC accreditation in 2012. Kenzie was diagnosed with cancer and was being operated on with the help of Macmillan Cancer Support. He died on 16 July 2012 at the age of 56. The Game of Thrones season three premiere episode, "Valar Dohaeris", aired on 31 March 2013, was dedicated to the memory of Kenzie in the credits.
Martin Kenzie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 April 1956 Cambridge, England |
| Died | 16 July 2012 (aged 56) Shepreth, England |
| Occupation(s) | Second unit director Cinematographer |
Personal life and career
Kenzie was born on 29 April 1956 in Cambridge, England and started his career as a production runner for a London-based TV Commercials Company named "Picture Palace Productions".[1] Later he worked for the camera department at "Samuelson Film Services" while preparing motion picture cameras for hire. His first feature film work was for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) where he worked as an assistant cameraman with film's cinematographer John Alcott. Till 1984, Kenzie continued to work as a Second assistant camera on various films including Return of the Jedi (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and A Passage to India (1984).[2]
Kenzie worked as First assistant camera on various other successful movies such as Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Ron Howard's Willow (1988), Clint Eastwood's White Hunter Black Heart (1990), Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III (1990) and David Fincher's Alien 3 (1992). Since the beginning of his career, Kenzie made significant contributions as a Second unit director. Alongside feature films, Kenzie also worked for Television. His first work as a main unit cinematography which credited him as a cinematographer came in 1998 with David L. Williams's short film Angels at My Bedside and for a feature film in 2007 with Chris Munro's comedy film Back in Business.[1]
For 2005's film Syriana, written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, Kenzie worked as an assistant director and contributed as cinematographer for various television series including Keen Eddie (2003–2004), Rome (2005), Game of Thrones (2012) and Playhouse Presents (2012). In 1998, Kenzie joined Associate Membership of the British Society of Cinematographers as a Camera Operator and with his progression as a Director of Photography, he was later elected a "Full Member of the Society" with BSC accreditation in 2012.[3]
Kenzie was diagnosed with cancer and was being operated on with the help of Macmillan Cancer Support. He died on 16 July 2012 at the age of 56.[4] British Society of Cinematographers announced a memorial service to celebrate Kenzie's life on 2 September 2012.[5] The television series Game of Thrones dedicated its season three premiere episode, "Valar Dohaeris", aired on 31 March 2013, to the memory of Kenzie in the credits.[6] Kenzie had worked as a cinematographer for the series for four of its episodes from second season; "Garden of Bones", "The Ghost of Harrenhal", "The Old Gods and the New", "A Man Without Honor"; and had done additional photography for two episodes; "Blackwater", "Valar Morghulis".[7][8] Kenzie's work for the series was appreciated for its varied use of "subtle color palettes" based on the specific times and places of the story-line.[8][9] After Kenzie's death, JustGiving started a fundraising campaign for him which would provide support for Cancer Research UK for the betterment of treatments for further patients.[10]
Awards
- 1997 GBCT Operators Award – Hamlet
- 2001 GBCT Operators Award – Band of Brothers (Shared with Martin Hume)
- 2012 Best Technical Accomplishment in a 2012 Science Fiction Film or Television Production – Game of Thrones – Nominated[11][12]
Creative work
Feature films
| Year | Name | Credited as | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Shining | Assistant cameraman | – |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Second assistant camera | Second unit director (Uncredited) |
| 1981 | Loophole | Second assistant camera | – |
| 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Second assistant camera | Second unit director (Uncredited) |
| 1982 | Five Days One Summer | Second assistant camera | Second unit director |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | Second assistant camera | – |
| 1983 | Fanny Hill | Second assistant camera | – |
| 1983 | Never Say Never Again | Second assistant camera | Second unit director (Uncredited) |
| 1983 | Slayground | Second assistant camera | Second unit director |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Second assistant camera: London | – |
| 1984 | A Passage to India | Clapper | – |
| 1984 | Santa Claus: The Movie | First assistant camera | Second camera (Uncredited) |
| 1985 | Spies Like Us | First assistant camera, Second camera | – |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Focus puller, Kenya | – |
| 1985 | Revolution | First assistant camera, Second camera | – |
| 1985 | Club Paradise | First assistant camera, Second camera | – |
| 1986 | Aliens | Camera focus | – |
| 1987 | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | First assistant camera | – |
| 1987 | Willow | First assistant camera | – |
| 1988 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Focus puller, UK | – |
| 1988 | The Dawning | First assistant camera | – |
| 1988 | Distant Voices, Still Lives | Focus puller for Stunts | – |
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | Assistant cameraman | – |
| 1989 | Great Balls of Fire! | Focus puller, UK | – |
| 1989 | A Dry White Season | First assistant camera: Second camera | – |
| 1990 | White Hunter Black Heart | Focus puller | – |
| 1990 | Three Men and a Little Lady | First assistant camera | – |
| 1990 | The Godfather Part III | First assistant camera: Italy | (Uncredited) |
| 1992 | The Power of One | Camera operator | – |
| 1992 | Alien 3 | First assistant camera | – |
| 1992 | 1492: Conquest of Paradise | Camera operator | – |
| 1993 | Shadowlands | Camera operator | Second unit director |
| 1995 | Othello | Camera operator | – |
| 1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Camera operator | Second unit director |
| 1996 | The Ogre | Camera operator | – |
| 1996 | Hamlet | Camera operator | – |
| 1997 | Seven Years in Tibet | Camera operator | – |
| 1997 | Incognito | Camera operator | – |
| 1997 | Tomorrow Never Dies | Camera operator | – |
| 1998 | The Avengers | Camera operator | Car chase unit (Uncredited) |
| 1999 | Everybody Loves Sunshine | Camera operator | – |
| 1999 | An Ideal Husband | Camera operator | – |
| 1999 | The World Is Not Enough | Additional photographer | – |
| 2000 | Vatel | Camera operator | – |
| 2001 | Girl from Rio | Camera operator | – |
| 2001 | Black Hawk Down | Camera operator | – |
| 2002 | The Four Feathers | Camera operator | – |
| 2004 | Wimbledon | Second unit director | – |
| 2004 | The Phantom of the Opera | Additional Cinematographer | Second unit director |
| 2005 | The River King | Director of photography | UK unit |
| 2005 | Syriana | Assistant Director: Second aerial unit | – |
| 2006 | Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker | Second unit director | – |
| 2006 | Amazing Grace | Second unit director | – |
| 2007 | Back in Business | Cinematographer | – |
| 2007 | St. Trinian's | Second unit director | – |
| 2008 | Easy Virtue | Cinematographer | – |
| 2008 | Mamma Mia! | Camera operator | – |
| 2008 | Wild Child | Second unit director | – |
| 2008 | Babylon A.D. | Second unit director | Brooklyn square |
| 2009 | The Boat That Rocked | Second unit director | – |
| 2009 | Dorian Gray | Second unit director | – |
| 2009 | Creation | Second unit director | – |
| 2010 | Clash of the Titans | Second unit director | – |
| 2010 | The King's Speech | Second unit director | – |
| 2011 | Hanna | Second unit director | – |
| 2011 | Johnny English Reborn | Second unit director | – |
| 2011 | The Iron Lady | Camera operator: Second unit Second unit director | – |
Television films/series
| Year | Name | Credited as | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Very Like a Whale | Second assistant camera | TV movie |
| 1983 | Philip Marlowe, Private Eye | Second assistant camera | TV series |
| 1984 | The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | Second assistant camera | TV movie |
| 1989 | Living with Dinosaurs | First assistant camera | TV movie |
| 1989 | Monster Maker | First assistant camera | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Big One | Camera operator | TV movie |
| 1998 | Angels at My Bedside | Cinematographer | – |
| 2001 | Band of Brothers | Camera operator | TV mini-series |
| 2002–03 | Dinotopia | Cinematographer | 12 episodes
|
| 2003–04 | Keen Eddie | Cinematographer | 12 episodes
|
| 2004 | Road to Damascus | Cinematographer | Short film |
| 2005 | Rome | Cinematographer | 4 episodes
|
| 2005 | Colditz | Second unit director | TV movie |
| 2006 | The Official Film of the 2006 FIFA World Cup | Cinematographer | Video documentary |
| 2010 | The Special Relationship | Additional photography, London | TV movie |
| 2011 | George Harrison: Living in the Material World | Cinematographer | Video documentary |
| 2012 | Game of Thrones | Cinematographer | 4 episodes
|
| 2012 | Game of Thrones | Additional photography | 2 episodes
|
| 2012 | Playhouse Presents | Cinematographer | 2 episodes
|
References
External links
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