Roger Pratt, Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer Known For ‘Batman’ and ‘Harry Potter’, Dies at 77

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The well-known British cinematographer, Roger Pratt, who gained fame for his work as a director of photography on Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, has passed away. He was 77 years old.

The British Society of Cinematographers announced on January 3, 2025 that the renowned creator, Pratt, had sadly passed away in December of 2024. They did not provide a specific date or location for his passing.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’d like to share that Edward Pratt, who received an Oscar nod for his work on “The End of the Affair” (1999), hails from the heart of the U.K. midlands and was born in 1927.

Or more casually:

I’m a big movie fan, and Edward Pratt, who got an Oscar nomination for his work on “The End of the Affair” (1999), is someone I admire. He grew up in the U.K. midlands and was born in 1927.

He attended the highly regarded London Film School and later worked alongside filmmaker Terry Gilliam throughout his career after they first crossed paths on the set of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), where Pratt served as a clapper loader. Gilliam reminisced about their initial encounter: “We were shooting the Bridge of Death scene, and we required an impactful shot looking up at the bridge with distant mountains in the backdrop. I placed the camera on the edge of the cliff, but the lens wasn’t expansive enough. The situation was precarious; we were far from the road, the light was fading fast, it was a disaster.

He went on to say, “This fellow mentioned, ‘Let me just have a brief pause,’ and within a short while, as we were still dilly-dallying, he had sprinted down the entire mountain, crossed the river, climbed up the opposite side, made his way into the camera vehicle, snatched the perfect lens, and voila! We swiftly attached it to our camera, capturing the shot. That was when I found myself smitten by Roger.

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Following collaborations with Richard Attenborough on two projects, Pratt took on the role as director of photography for more than 35 films. Some of these movies include “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002), “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), “Troy” (2004), “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (1994), “Chocolat” (2000) and “The Karate Kid” (2010). Many fans of superheroes might recognize Pratt’s work with Tim Burton, contributing to the visual design of the 1989 “Batman.

2023 saw me bestowed with the BSC’s most prestigious accolade, the Lifetime Achievement Award. As the child of a parish vicar, the church didn’t align with my professional goals; instead, it was the captivating 16mm ‘fact and faith’ films that sparked my interest. Over the years, I had the privilege to film some iconic projects under the direction of Terry Gilliam, from the groundbreaking “Brazil” (1985) to the enchanting “The Fisher King” (1991) and the intriguing “12 Monkeys” (1995).

“Our thoughts go out to his family at this time,” the statement ended.

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2025-01-06 19:54