Peter Sinclair BSC (1948-2026)

It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of our friend and colleague, Peter Sinclair BSC. Below is an overview of his life and work written by Phil Méheux BSC.

After a gap year working in a cutting room, Peter enrolled at the London School of Film Technique (now the London Film School) in 1966. Sometime later, he became a camera operator on some low budget films such as Man of Violence (1970 d. Pete Walker, ph. Norman Langley BSC), and The House of Whipcord (1974) photographed by Peter Jessop BSC, who became his friend and mentor, and with whom he operated on five more films (mainly horror) and mostly directed by Pete Walker. By 1976 he was a DP on three films for director Stanley Long, The Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976), The Adventures of a Private Eye (1977) and The Adventures of a Plumber’s Mate (1979) ‘Again low budget but great fun and I was learning a lot while still in my twenties.’

A break into mainstream came when one of Peter’s tutors at the LFS, Ian Wilson BSC, invited him to operate on the television series The Flame Trees of Thika (1981 d. Roy Ward Baker) starring Hayley Mills but his first feature film break was operating for Norman Langley BSC on Oliver Twist (1982 d. Clive Donner) starring George C. Scott. He then worked again with Peter Jessop on The Monster Club (1981 d. Roy Ward Baker), starring Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

With the arrival of MTV in the early 1980s, Peter filmed several music videos for Limelight Productions and Medialab and over the next decade, filmed over 200 acts including Madonna, Prince, Dire Straits, Queen, The Police, Elton John and Peter Gabriel. He received an AVA nomination in America for the video of Madonna’s Material Girl and an IMV award for Ultravox’s Love’s Great Adventure.

In 1995, he was awarded the CableACE Award for Peter Gabriel’s Secret World (1994 d. François Girard). A particular career highlight was photographing Sign ‘o’ the Times (1987 d. Prince, Albert Magnoli), Prince’s 85-minute concert film shot in Europe and USA.

In 1991, he was lighting designer on the television event Pavarotti in Hyde Park. The celebrity audience included Prince Charles and Princess Diana. ‘A security alert was triggered by sniffer dogs uncovering a rigger’s sandwiches under the stage. By now the glorious summer weather had turned into the greatest summer rainstorm, flooding the lighting racks under the stage and just as they were about to go live to 27 countries!’

Shortly after, he returned to drama filming and photographed over 20 television series as well as feature films. He worked with the director Colin Bucksey on Dealers (1989), Notorious (1991) and September (1995). Other directors include David Blair, with whom he made Donovan Quick (1999) for the BBC, and Paul Marcus on Murder Rooms (2001) and Heidi (2005). In recent times, Peter shot An Artist’s Eyes (2018 d. Jack Bond). His final listed creit is for the documentary Salvador Dali: A Tale of Two Cities (2022) with the same director.

He became a BSC member in 2012 having been nominated by John de Borman BSC and Peter Jessop BSC along with support from Joe Dunton MBE BSC.

OTHER CREDITS: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, All About George, Roman Mysteries, Britannia High, Sinbad