John Podpadec
Position: Senior Lecturer: Filmmaking
School: Arts, College of Arts, Technology and Environment (CATE)
About me
John has worked in broadcast television and independent film for some 30 years and has specialised in lighting and location single camerawork mainly on documentaries and drama-documentaries dealing with science, history, business and the arts. He has credits on many high profile broadcast strands with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 including Horizon, Equinox, Secret History, Trouble at the Top and Grand Designs.
John has worked with some of the country’s best directors in producing films and television programmes of the highest standard with many receiving awards from The RTS, BAFTA, The European Commission and others. He was awarded the Royal Television Society SW award for Best Broadcast Cinematography in 2004.
For over ten years John was a member of Forum Television Co-operative, a Bristol based TV production company which produced a number of series for broadcast television including many innovative programmes that dealt with issues such as restorative justice and reconciliation between communities in conflict.
John has built strong relations with many artists and those working within the arts. He was Director of Photography on three feature documentaries, ‘Bataville’, ‘Living with the Tudors’ and ‘Jaywick’ directed by the artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie. He has worked on numerous shorter films including Lisa Thomas’s ‘Tea-Time’, Daphne Wright’s ‘Prayer Project’, and Sarah Gray’s ‘Wicked Yeva’.
Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie won ‘The Northern Arts Prize’ for Bataville in 2009.
John contributed to the multi award winning educational websites of both the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company, filming many rehearsal sessions and stage productions.
Working with Illumina Digital and the BBC John was involved with much of the early documentation of the internet and it’s possibilities. He worked on a number of interactive drama and factual productions and helped in developing many pioneering technology platforms across the broadcast, cultural and education sectors.
Prior to working in Film and Television John’s photographic work was exhibited widely in this country and throughout Europe. Together with a number of photographers working in colour, novel at the time, John was concerned with new approaches to documentary. In 1982 he established the Bath Community Darkroom Project which went on to become the influential F Stop gallery.
Area of expertise
Natural and dramatic lighting techniques
The filming of Stylish and Engaging Interviews
Drama and Dramatised Reconstruction
Work with High Profile Presenters
Handheld and Observational Camerawork
Large format video and cinematic techniques
Work with Artists and Stage Productions
Medical and Surgical filming
Work in Schools
Aerial Camerawork and Steadicam