Robin Vidgeon BSC began his career at Pinewood Studios in February 1956, earning £5 10s a week. His first year was spent doing whatever was required of him — cleaning camera boxes and acting as a general dogsbody — and it was not until the end of that first year that he was allowed onto a set to put down his first camera board.
That first production was Reach for the Sky, where he worked in the special-effects department with cinematographer Bert Marshall.
In his second year, Vidgeon was allocated to one of Pinewood's five permanent camera crews. His crew was headed by cinematographer Ernie Steward, with the legendary Bob Thompson operating, Johnny Morgan pulling focus and Reg Hamilton Hall working as grip. It was an invaluable apprenticeship and gave him the opportunity to learn the practical disciplines of professional film-making from an experienced crew.
At the end of that year, Rank dissolved its permanent camera crews, leaving Vidgeon to enter the freelance world with few contacts and no established network.
His first freelance job as a loader was a two-week commercial in London, with Billy Williams, later to become one of Britain's most celebrated cinematographers, working as director of photography. Still living with his parents, Vidgeon recalls that they insisted he dress smartly when attending interviews. Their idea of appropriate professional attire for a 20-year-old consisted of a "flasher's mac", a trilby hat and a rolled umbrella — advice that perhaps belonged to another generation.
His next significant opportunity came at Beaconsfield Studios, where he interviewed for Circus of Horrors. He was interviewed by cinematographer Douglas Slocombe BSC and his operator Chic Waterson. Vidgeon got the job, beginning a professional relationship that would shape much of his career.
After several films with Slocombe and Waterson, Slocombe departed to work with John Huston on Freud (1962). Waterson, who had recently become a father with Jean, did not want to be away for five months. He subsequently took a production in Ireland with Monty Berman and promoted Vidgeon to focus puller.
When Slocombe returned, Vidgeon and Waterson reunited with him, and Vidgeon remained part of Slocombe's camera crew for approximately 25 years. During this extraordinary period he worked alongside one of Britain's most distinguished cinematographers on a succession of major productions, developing a reputation as an accomplished and highly trusted camera technician.
His long association with Slocombe included some of the most significant films of the period. Following Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Vidgeon began receiving opportunities to move into lighting and cinematography himself.
Two productions in particular helped him make that transition: music videos for Terence Donovan, shot on 35mm, including "Addicted to Love" and "Madame Butterfly". The experience gave Vidgeon an opportunity to develop his own approach to lighting and composition while working within the demanding environment of music production.
He subsequently established a substantial career as a director of photography, working across feature films, television drama, second-unit photography and specialist productions.
His feature-film credits include LD 50: Lethal Dose, Octane, Ice Princess, August, The NeverEnding Story III, Lady Chatterley, As You Like It, The Fool, The Fly II, Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Nightbreed, Parents, Mr. North, The Penitent, Mr. Corbett's Ghost, The Dress, Nine Lives, Breaking the Code and Highway to Hell.
His television work has been equally extensive. Credits include The Brides in the Bath, Solid Geometry, A Is for Acid, Rockface, The Cazalets, Where the Heart Is, The Thing About Vince, Big Bad World, Passion Killers, Tilly Trotter, The New Professionals, and a number of adaptations of the novels of Catherine Cookson, including Colour Blind, The Round Tower and The Moth.
Other television credits include Elgar's Tenth Muse, Tales from the Crypt, A Class Act 2, How High the Moon, My Good Friend, The Wexford Trilogy, Comics, Arnold Bax, The Mystery of Dr Martinu, The Big Fish and The Paradise Club.
Vidgeon's career has also included extensive second-unit and specialist work. He worked on Poor Little Rich Girl and If Tomorrow Comes, and was involved with Concert for the Earth, a large-format documentary production photographed for the Seville Expo. His large-format experience included work with 65mm Showscan.
As second-unit director of photography and operator, he worked on The Mission and King David. He also served as second-unit director on Octane and as director of photography and operator on Ice Princess.
Alongside his work on productions, Vidgeon has made a substantial contribution to the professional cinematography community. He served for more than 20 years on the Board of Governors of the British Society of Cinematographers, including two years as President.