I left school aged 15 and started work as a runner for an advertising agency in Bond Street, London.  After two years, with my interest fired by stills photography, I applied and got a job within the Rank Organisation, working at their office on Finchley Road.  I was put in charge of layout and design of the weekly cinema programmes for the Odeon/Gaumont cinemas. 

My interest in cricket led to me playing for the Rank Organisation team where I met other members of the team who worked at Pinewood Studios.  As a result, in 1954, I joined a team of people who worked behind G Stage, making cinema commercials on rostrum cameras.  Learning the hard way, I became an operator on one of these rostrum cameras.

In 1961 I was head-hunted by Granada Television in Manchester.  Sidney Bernstein wanted an in-house Action Stills Department which I was to run.  On Granada's behalf I purchased a rostrum camera in London and supervised its installation, complete with a Dark Room and a layout area where the directors could work.  Employed in Granada's Graphics department at that time were the talented Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall.  I photographed their early work before they left to form their own production company, Stop Frame Productions, followed by Cosgrove Hall Productions.

In 1967 circumstances led to my promotion to Lighting Cameraman when Granada TV decided to enlarge their Drama Department.

Periodically, Producer Derek Grainger selected small groups of trainee directors.  Amongst others they included Michael Apted, Mike Newell and Charles Sturridge, all of whom I had the privilege of working with.

In 1976 I was promoted to Senior Film Cameraman  During my time at Granada TV I worked as a DOP on hundreds of drama plays and many TV series’ including ‘Brideshead Revisited’ and ‘Jewel in the Crown’, receiving Bafta nominations for Cinematogpaphy on both of the latter film productions.

In 1982, I was invited to join the British Society of Cinematographers.  I do not know the names of my proposers but  I have always regarded this invitation as an honour and a privilege.

I remained Granada’s Senior Film Cameraman until 1989 when I decided that the time was right to go freelance, forming my own production company.  During that time and before retirement beckoned, in addition to numerous commercials, I filmed ‘Chernobyl – The Final Warning’ for American company Turner Television with the majority of filming taking place in Russia and Los Angeles.

RAY GOODE BSC. FILM CREDITS.

MOSEDALE HORSESHOE * DIRECTOR MICHAEL APTED PRODUCER PETER ECKERSLEY

SUNDAY MORNING & SWEET FA * DIRECTOR MICHAEL APTED PRODUCER PETER ECKLERSLEY

THE FELL SERGEANT DIRECTOR DICK EVERITT PRODUCER DICK EVERITT

CHILDHOOD SERIES: SERIES PRODUCER JAMES BRABAZON

BA-BA BLACKSHEEP * DIRECTOR MIKE NEWELL

GREAT DAY FOR BONZO * DIRECTOR MICHAEL APTED

POSSESSIONS * DIRECTOR JOHN IRVIN

THERE IS A HAPPY LAND DIRECTOR DONALD McWHINNEY

COUNTRY MATTERS SERIES SERIES PRODUCER DEREK GRAINGER

THE MILL DIRECTOR DONALD McWHINNEY

THE HIGGLER DIRECTOR RICHARD MARTIN

THE WATERCRESS GIRL DIRECTOR BARRY DAVIS

BREEZE ANSTEY DIRECTOR PETER WOODS

BLACK DOG DIRECTOR JOHN McKENZIE

THE FOUR BEAUTIES DIRECTOR DONALD McWHINNEY

RING OF TRUTH DIRECTOR DONALD McWHINNEY

OTHER SELECTED PRODUCTIONS:

THE CHRISTIANS * PRODUCER NORMAN SWALLOW

DOCUMENTARY DIRECTORS BAZ TAYLOR/PETER PLUMMER

HARD TIMES * PRODUCER PETER ECKERSLEY DIRECTOR JOHN IRVIN

GOSSIP FROM THE FOREST * PRODUCER MICHAEL DUNLOP DIRECTOR BRIAN GIBSON

H G WELLS 1984 * PRODUCER STEVE MORRISON DIRECTOR DAVID WHEATLEY

DECEMBER FLOWER * PRODUCER ROY ROBERTS DIRECTOR STEPHEN FREARS

THE LAST SÉANCE PRODUCER JUNE WYNDHAM-DAVIES DIRECTOR JUNE WYNDHAM-DAVIES

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE PRODUCER ROY ROBERTS DIRECTOR PAUL SEED

DEATH OF THE HEART PRODUCER JUNE WYNDHAM-DAVIES DIRECTOR PETER HAMMOND

CONFESSIONAL * PRODUCER DICK EVERITT

MINI SERIES DIRECTOR GORDON FLEMYNG

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES * SERIES PRODUCER MICHAEL COX

THE DANCING MEN DIRECTOR JOHN BRUCE

THE CROOKED MAN DIRECTOR ALAN GRINT

BLUE CARBUNCLE DIRECTOR DAVID CARSON

COPPER BEECHES DIRECTOR PAUL ANNETT

MAN WITH A TWISTED LIP DIRECTOR ALAN GRINT

ABBEY GRANGE DIRECTOR PETER HAMMOND

SILVER BLAZE DIRECTOR BRIAN MILLS

SIGN OF FOUR DIRECTOR PETER HAMMOND

(35mm film for TV)

BRIDESHEAD REVISITED * PRODUCER DEREK GRAINGER DIRECTOR CHARLES STURRIDGE

(BAFTA NOMINATION)

JEWEL IN THE CROWN * PRODUCER DENIS FORMAN DIRECTORS CHRISTOPHER MORAHAN/JIM O’BRIAN

(BAFTA NOMINATION)

CHERNOBYL – THE FINAL WARNING CAROLCO/GIMBEL PRODUCTION

TED TURNER 35MM ‘MOVIE OF THE WEEK’ DIRECTOR ANTHONY PAGE