After graduating from the National
Film School
in 1981, Sue became a Director of Photography and began her career in TV
commercials. During the 1980s she worked in LA, New York,
Paris, London,
South Africa and Russia,
receiving recognition for her work from the British Television Advertising
Awards, the Designers & Art Directors Association and the Cannes Festival.
Her first Feature Film was Hear My Song directed by Peter
Chelsom in 1989 followed by Secret Friends in 1990, the last film directed by
Dennis Potter, which won her an Evening Standard Film award in 1992. Since then
she has photographed several more features including Mrs Dalloway,
Londinium, The Search for John Gissing, and Mrs Caldicots Cabbage War,
and 2nd Unit on, Resident Evil and Alien versus Predator.
Her TV credits include Amongst Women which won the Irish
Film and TV Academy award for Best Craft contribution. The Forsyte Saga (not
the original series, shes not that old), and set the style for the successful
BBC series Spooks for Kudos Films. She has photographed Miss Marple Poirot and Jericho
for Granada and Riot at the Rite
for BBC 2.
In addition to her work as a DOP she has been mentoring and
tutoring students at the NFTS and LCC to help preserve the future of the
industry, and has recently been working, through the BSC, to ensure that DOPs
are abreast of the changes within our industry in regard to High Definition and
new technology.
Elected in 1992, Sue was the first woman to be invited to
join the British Society of Cinematographers since its formation in 1949. In 2004 she joined the Board of Governors
and was elected President of the Society in 2008.
