Chris O’Dell BSC studied photography at the Berkshire College of Art, graphic design at Brighton College of Art, and then film at the London School of Film Technique (now LIFS). His first job was as a production office runner on Nic Roeg and Donald Cammell’s film Performance. He spent a great deal of time on the set, sometimes even sleeping there, as it was cheaper to give him a couple of quid and a cheese sandwich than to hire a security guard. He eventually obtained his ACTT card while working in the cutting rooms of Signal Films in Broadwick Street.
Several years of assistant camera work followed, mainly for Alan King Associates. He then had a lucky break: through Donald Cammell, he was hired to shoot Kenneth Anger’s film Lucifer Rising in Egypt, an experience he found particularly interesting. The film is now regarded as a cult underground classic and is screened in retrospectives of Anger’s work at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
Many years of documentary work followed, involving extensive travel, exciting times and great adventures. Among the films Chris shot were Cosmos with Carl Sagan, The Heart of the Dragon for Channel 4, Man and Music for Granada, Laurence Olivier, a Life for LWT, and many others. Producer Brian Eastman gave him a second lucky break when he employed Chris to shoot an episode of his Poirot series. Chris went on to shoot a further twelve Poirot films.
There followed many television drama series and single films, many of which he particularly enjoyed, including Sharpe and Hornblower, both chiefly shot on overseas locations with some set work at Pinewood Studios. Among the most popular productions on which Chris worked were the Inspector Morse series, for which he shot four episodes, including the final episode, The Remorseful Day. Working with John Thaw on Goodnight Mr. Tom, directed by Jack Gold, was a complete pleasure, despite some difficulties with the weather.
Chris’s career brought travel to exotic locations and a wealth of memorable experiences: adventure stories with actors in period costume, horses, stunts, car chases, explosions, massive sets, sailing boats at sea and models in tanks. There were, as he put it, “lots and lots of toys to play with” — and, mostly, a cheque at the end of the week. His camera teams became lifelong friends.
Throughout his career, Chris also continued his stills photography, particularly black-and-white portraiture. Six examples of his work are held by the National Portrait Gallery in London, with further photographs in private collections.
Chris now lives in West Cork, on the edge of the sea.