Grant Wakefield
Camera / Editor / Timelapse
Bio & CV - April 2016
(01373) 764 133
(07967) 101 757
[email protected]
www.wakewood.co.uk
Grant Wakefield began his career in the late 1980's as a PA, spark, gaffer and sound
recordist on local productions in his former home town of Brighton, and for four months in
New York, before working his way into the camera department, shooting video and working
as a clapper/loader and focus puller on independent 16mm shorts and features.
He graduated as a cinematographer from Northern School of Film and Television in 1995,
and additionally trained under Billy Williams BSC and Vilmos Zsigmond ASC at the 3rd
European Masterclass for Cinematography Students in Budapest.
On his return to the UK he landed his first job as focus puller in 35mm for the feature BOB'S
WEEKEND. A long association with London based Muso Productions saw him focus pulling
and camera operating on 16mm + 35mm commercials, pick-ups for features, and pop promos
for bands including Way Out West, Death In Vegas and Orbital.
In 1998 he headed up 2nd Unit Cinematography for the UK’s first ever 8 perf. 70mm
production LOST KINGDOM and the year after completed his 53 min. DV documentary
CROPPIES, broadcast by WGBH Boston, Channel 4 and Carlton Digital.
Following a research trip to Baghdad, and in collaboration with writer Miriam Ryle, he co-
wrote, directed, produced, narrated and edited THE FIRE THIS TIME - a 77 minute audio CD
that chronicled the fate of Iraq. Featuring exclusive music by artists such as Aphex Twin,
Michael Stearns and Tom Middleton, it was released by Hidden Art Records in 2002 to
widespread critical acclaim.
He continued to work as a cinematographer, gaffer and camera operator on shorts, features,
corporates and promos. In 2007 he began shooting HD and motion controlled digital
timelapse, forming an association with Danish director Lasse Hoile, producing images
included in promos and tour films for bands such as Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Wakefield
went on to photograph and direct his own promos for the bands No-Man and Memories of
Machines, and edit Banco De Gaia's live DVD release TWO THOUSAND AND 4. That year
he first worked with director Mike Greenwood on SACRED SPACES - 3 x15 min. films for the
Open University, and also photographed the second half of Perception Management
Production's HD documentary MIRAGEMEN in the US.
In late 2008 he began shooting two projects for Munich based Planetarium company Sky-
Skan that would take nearly four years to complete, both of which he wrote, directed,
produced, edited and photographed: the 4k FullDome production ANCIENT SKIES - a 46 min.
immersive documentary about the relationship between the Neolithic civilisation and the night
sky - and REMNANTS - a 2k, 36 min. non-verbal widescreen presentation featuring a 5.1
music score by Tangerine Dream member Thorsten Quaeschning.
A life-long love of large format film has seen Wakefield attend 11 IMAX related conferences
(with REMNANTS shown at three), and 6 'Widescreen Weekend' events at the Bradford Film
Festival (with REMNANTS and other short films screened at five.) As well as a published
photographer, he also has an interest in radio, hosting four shows on Brighton's Festival
Radio and three on London's Resonance FM.
Over the past eight years his fruitful working relationship with Mike Greenwood has seen him
photograph and edit several sets of short films for such clients as The House of Lords
Curator's Office and The Woodland Trust.
- Grant Wakefield - Selected Reviews -
CROPPIES
"Consisting primarily of craftily edited interviews with the movers and rakers on all sides of the
crop circle equation, CROPPIES is sympathetic, engaging and often hilarious......unbeatable.”
- FORTEAN TIMES MAGAZINE
THE FIRE THIS TIME
"Terrifying and timely....assembled with such originality that it creates its own new genre of
protest record."
- THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY - 5/5
"A landmark CD....extraordinary."
- THE BIG ISSUE
"If such voices of dissent were allowed to be heard, the world might not be in such a state."
- THE WIRE MAGAZINE - Best 50 albums of the Year 2002
"Takes your breath away...."
- CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
"Astonishing.....a brilliant intervention in the propaganda war."
- THE SCOTSMAN
"Unbeatable for its sheer devotion to truth...."
- NEW INTERNATIONALIST MAGAZINE – Best Album of the Year 2002
"Presenting people with awful facts they'd like to ignore....uniquely effective."
- TIME OUT NEW YORK
REMNANTS
"A wonderful short....stunning resolution and extraordinary music."
- Bruce Campbell, CINEMA RETRO
“An incredible piece of work....the best movie screened at GSCA / IMAX 2014.”
- Mike George, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTRE
"Beautiful and hard-earned imagery....a moving inner journey that lets us
feel our connection to our ancient roots and the timeless turning of the earth. I loved it."
- Mark Magidson - Producer: BARAKA & SAMSARA
GRANT WAKEFIELD - CV - SELECTED CREDITS
(01373) 764 133 // (07967) 101 757 // [email protected]
www.wakewood.co.uk // www.grantwakefield.com // www.ancientskies.info
2014 - LISA GERRARD - SEVEN SEAS (HD, 5 mins.) - Director of Photography (co-credit) + Digital Timelapse
Client: LISA GERRARD - Production Company: CLIVE COLLIER.com
2013 - ANCIENT SKIES (4k, FullDome, 46 + 25 mins.) - Writer / Director / Producer / Editor / Cinematographer -
Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse. Client / Production Company: SKY-SKAN EUROPE GmbH
2013 - REMNANTS (2k DCP, 36 mins.) – Writer / Director / Producer / Editor / Cinematographer - Motion Controlled
Digital Timelapse. Client / Production Company: SKY-SKAN EUROPE GmbH
2011 - LONDON TECH (HD, 10 mins.) - Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client: EXCEL - Production Company: SMYLE CREATIVE
2011 - MAKE IT COUNT (HD, 5 mins.) - Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client: NIKE - Production Company: ARCHER’S MARK
2010 - EGYPT PIONEERS (4k, FullDome, 25 mins.) - Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client: NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE - Production Company: YOHO MEDIA
2010 - PATIENTS ABROAD / QATAR NATIONAL DAY (HD, 3 x 10 mins.) - 1st A/C + 2nd Unit Director of
Photography. Client: QATARI GOVERNMENT - Production Company: SERIOUS PICTURES
2010 - GET THE BEST VIEW (HD, 3 mins.) - Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client: VODAFONE - Production Company: MARKETIERS-4DC
2010 - THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE (2k DCP, 100 mins.) - Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client: YOUNG FILMS - Production Company: BWARK PRODUCTIONS
2010 - ARMADA PROJECT (HD + Digital Timelapse, 10 x 3 mins.) - Director of Photography
Client / Production Company: MIKE GREENWOOD / HOUSE OF LORDS CURATOR'S OFFICE
2009 - PORCUPINE TREE - TIME FLIES (HD, 5 + 12 min. promos) - Director of Photography + Motion Controlled
Digital Timelapse. Client: PORCUPINE TREE Ltd - Production Company: LASSE HOILE.com
2008 - GILLETTE PROMO (HD, 36 x 10 secs.) - Director of Photography (co-credit) + Motion Controlled Digital
Timelapse. Client: GILLETTE / SKY SPORTS - Production Company: LOBSTER PICTURES
2007 - MIRAGEMEN (HD, 90 mins.) - Director of Photography (co-credit) + Motion Controlled Digital Timelapse
Client / Production Company: PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT PRODUCTIONS
2007 - SACRED SPACES (HD, 3 x 17 mins.) - Director of Photography / Editor
Client: OPEN UNIVERSITY - Production Company: PIER PRODUCTIONS
2007 - PORCUPINE TREE - FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET (HD, 20 mins.) - Director of Photography - Motion
Controlled Digital Timelapse - Client: PORCUPINE TREE ltd - Production Company: LASSE HOILE.com
2007 - THE MIGHTY SHROOM (HD, 4 x 30 secs, commercials) - Digital TimeLapse Assistant / Gaffer
Client: LURPAK - Production Company: PARTIZAN
2007 - MU
LTIPLICITY (HD, 5 mins.) - Director of Photography / Digital Timelapse
Client: INTEL - Production Company: SMYLE CREATIVE
2006 - AGCO WORLDWIDE (HD, 25 mins.) - 2nd
Unit Director of Photography + Motion Controlled Digital
Timelapse. Client: AGCO / MASSEY FERGUSON - Production Company: FULLRANGE MEDIA
2005 - TWO THOUSAND AND 4 (DVD, 62 mins.) - Editor / Additional Cinematography / DVD Authoring
Client: BANCO DE GAIA - Production Company: DISCO GECKO
1999 - ORBITAL - STYLE (35mm, 4 mins.) – Stop-Motion Animation Camera Operator
Client: ORBITAL - Production Company: MUSO
1998 - LOST KINGDOM (8 Perf. 70mm, 40 mins.) - 2nd Unit Director of Photography
Client: RHEGHED CENTRE - Production Company: WESTMORLAND FILMS