He was born in Bilston, Staffordshire, in 1957 and studied graphic art at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic, graduating in 1979. With support from his tutor, Peter Leake, he developed a strong interest in filmmaking during his studies and went on to attend the National Film School at Beaconsfield, graduating in 1982.
Stone entered the film industry through model-unit work, first assisting cinematographer Paul Wilson on The Dark Crystal (1982) and subsequently working as a clapper loader on Krull (1983). In 1988, he joined Derek Meddings’s Magic Camera Company at Shepperton Studios, where he gained experience in lighting, motion-control photography and practical visual effects. This work combined photography on set with post-production processes, allowing him to develop expertise in the techniques required to integrate miniature and full-scale imagery.
Stone’s early credits in the camera department include Supergirl (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Labyrinth (1986), The Princess Bride (1987) and Batman (1989). He progressed into director-of-photography roles for miniature and model units, beginning with The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996). His subsequent credits include The Avengers (1998), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), The Golden Compass (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), Sherlock Holmes (2009) and The Martian (2015).
His later work includes miniature and visual-effects photography on The Jungle Book (2016), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), The King’s Man (2021), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and Frankenstein (2025).