In 1981, aged 17, Angus Hudson BSC began working as a runner at Studio Lambert, one of London's busiest commercial production companies, under the watchful eye of director/cameraman Roger Lambert. Roger's enthusiasm and inclusive approach to filmmaking quickly convinced him that the camera department was where he saw his future.
He was sent to Samuelson Film Services, the renowned London camera rental company, where he spent six months learning the equipment before returning to Studio Lambert as an in-house clapper loader. In 1984, he went freelance, working as a clapper loader and 16mm camera assistant on commercials and in the then-new and rapidly developing world of music videos, working alongside many of the UK's leading cinematographers and crews.
By the early 1990s, he was working predominantly on feature films as a 1st AC, pulling focus on Steadicam and B Camera. His credits during this period included The Fifth Element (cinematographer Thierry Arbogast AFC), Rob Roy (Roger Deakins BSC/ASC and Walter Lindenlaub BVK/ASC), Incognito (Dennis Crossan BSC), The Jackal (Karl Walter Lindenlaub BVK/ASC), The Hunger television series (John Mathieson BSC), The Turn of the Screw (Witold Stok BSC), Air America (Roger Deakins CBE/BSC/ASC), Hidden Agenda (Clive Tickner BSC) and Restoration (Oliver Stapleton BSC), alongside numerous other productions and daily work.
During this period, he also began shooting low-budget music videos, short films and other independent projects. In 1997, he made the transition from focus puller to cinematographer, putting away the tape measure and picking up a light meter full time.
His early years as a cinematographer were spent largely in music videos and commercials, with much of his work taking him to India and across Asia. During this time, John Mathieson BSC gave him the opportunity to shoot second unit and operate B Camera on a number of his films, including Plunkett & Macleane, Trauma and Stoned. These experiences proved invaluable, allowing him to develop his own visual instincts while continuing to learn from some of the industry's most respected cinematographers.
In 2003, he shot his first feature, Hari Om, directed by Bharatbala Ganapathy. A charming and gentle love story set against the landscapes of Rajasthan, the film follows an unlikely romance unfolding during a road trip in an auto-rickshaw. Hari Om premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004 and subsequently received numerous awards at film festivals around the world.
Throughout his career, he has deliberately maintained a balance between large-scale productions, where he works as a second-unit Director of Photography, and smaller independent features and television projects where he can take a more complete creative role as cinematographer. The combination has allowed him to move comfortably between different scales of filmmaking, from major international productions to intimate, character-driven stories.
He was invited to become a member of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) in 2015 and subsequently served on the Society's Board of Governors. In 2024, he was honoured with the BSC John Alcott Memorial Award for his contribution to cinematography and for perpetuating the original aims of the Society.
He also regularly returns to the National Film and Television School (NFTS) as a visiting tutor, sharing his experience with the next generation of cinematographers — and, in his own words, occasionally doing his best to misguide them.
Alongside his film and television work, he continues to shoot commercials between productions. Away from set, he enjoys cooking and photography and spending time with his family. He divides his time between London and the more remote parts of the Kent coast and East Sussex.
His career has ultimately been shaped by a combination of practical experience, curiosity and a willingness to keep learning — from his early days handling cameras and pulling focus, through decades of working alongside leading cinematographers, to his continuing work behind the camera today.