Former Sidmouth schoolboy is now top cinematographer

Simon Dennis is based in Los Angeles and travels the world making films and high-end TV dramas.

Before moving to the US he worked on Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders; then in 2017 he got a call ‘out of the blue’ to work with the writer/director/producer Ryan Murphy in LA.

Earlier this year he was awarded membership of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) which he said was a ‘creative summit’ for him – he was already a member of its British equivalent.

Simon is now keen to inspire other young people – particularly those in his home town of Sidmouth – who dream of a career in the movie business.

Looking back on his younger days, he said: “As a kid I was a bit of a daydreamer and I remember Gordon the projectionist at the Radway Cinema and Mary, his wife. He was a quiet man and his job up there in the booth always made me wonder about how light can create movies. I didn’t know it then yet that is what I do now. Express through light! 

“I vividly remember the first amateur short film I made whilst at Art School in Torquay (where I was studying graphic design) after I borrowed their video equipment for a weekend - without permission! It was a haunted house short film, my family were the crew and my brother was the lead actor. I didn’t know it then but now I realised my mum was the gaffer, helping put up film lights. It taught me years later that no matter what you do, your family are just as important as a career.”

He recalled how his parents encouraged him when he first realised he wanted to make films rather than pursue a career in graphic design. He said: “They supported my crazy theory and said: “If that’s what you wanna do, you go for it!’”

Simon went on to graduate with a first-class Honours degree in Film & TV studies at Napier Film School in Scotland. During this course he discovered the role of a cinematographer for the first time and was fascinated by it – so much so that he took a gamble, spent most of his educational grant on a 16mm Arriflex ST camera and began to experiment with film making.

After learning and honing his craft on music videos he won a Scottish Bafta for his photography on the short film Sex & Death. He then photographed his first feature film, The Last Great Wilderness, for director David Mackenzie, along with other feature-length projects including The Sweeney starring Ray Winstone. He then got invited to photograph TV projects including Doctor Who and Ripper Street, which then led to the acclaimed Peaky Blinders, for which he was nominated for a Bafta and a Royal Television Society award for his lighting and craft.

While Simon had worked hard to reach this stage, he is the first to admit that he also ‘got lucky’ twice, with the invitations to work with Ray Winstone and then on Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. At around this time he was invited to give a talk at Sidmouth Primary School and described it as ‘the most terrifying day of my life’, but also very satisfying. He said: "I remember thinking - I made a amateur short film here when I was 16 with my sisters helping, and how funny that life comes in these rewarding circles."

In 2017 he ‘got lucky’ again with the invitation to work in Los Angeles with Ryan Murphy, which came about through his networking with film crew members around the world.

He said: “It was surreal. So much so that for a while I thought it was a some kind of joke - until my 01 Visa and a plane ticket came through.

“The first day I went through the huge gates at Fox Studios in LA it felt like that scene in Jurassic Park and I remember thinking ‘I worked with Sam Neill from that movie. Is that fate? What is going on?’ So with my feet firmly on the ground I was grateful for being handed a shot at this, and every day I was expecting to get fired or someone to say ‘April Fool! Ha ha, you can go back to Devon now’. But that didn’t happen and six years later I’m settled here in Venice Beach, which is crazy.”

Simon said one of his proudest moments was when his parents visited LA and saw him in action at work. He said: “They looked lost for words. Many people don’t really know what a cinematographer does, and they saw this kid from Devon – me - working on this massive film set with camera cranes, lights, masses of my hard-working crew, famous actors …. and I remember it being like a lightbulb when they realised…when they saw it for themselves what I do…..and they were teary with pride. It was a giant moment for me.”

Another huge milestone was being welcomed as a member of the American Society of Cinematographers  in August this year. The ASC is a very highly esteemed honorary organisation, and membership is possible only for those with a high professional reputation who are recommended by three active or retired ASC members.

He said: “I still get ‘imposter syndrome’ a lot – like I’m a fraud and I was jammy landing this role as a cinematographer, travelling all over the world and getting away with it all these years. I won’t lie - it did start off a private joke or rather a bet with myself - and like I said, luck is a huge part. Luck is talent’s best friend when you deserve a shot at something.

“So, for any of those kids out there in a small town thinking ‘I’ll never get into the film world’ - I hope I’m proof that you can, and that’s a lovely feeling to pass on.”