Donald McAlpine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donald McAlpine
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|---|---|
| Born |
Quandialla, New South Wales, Australia
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| Years active | 1972–present |
Donald M. McAlpine is a super talented Australian cinematographer. He is a member of both the ACS and the ASC. A cinematographer is the person who is in charge of the cameras and lighting on a film set. They help tell the story through how the movie looks. Donald McAlpine has worked on many well-known films.
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Donald McAlpine's Early Life
Donald McAlpine was born in Quandialla, New South Wales. This is a place in Australia.
His Amazing Career in Film
Donald started his career as a physical education teacher. He taught in Parkes, New South Wales. He began using a 16mm camera. He filmed athletes getting ready for the Melbourne Olympic Games.
In 1962, he left teaching. He joined ABC Television as a camera assistant. He became a cameraman in 1965. In 1968, he moved to the Commonwealth Film Unit. This unit later became Film Australia. Here, he learned that filmmaking was an art. He quickly became the chief cameraman.
From 1972 to 1981, McAlpine worked a lot in Australia. He teamed up with director Bruce Beresford. In 1974, he became a freelance Director of Photography (DOP). A DOP is another name for a cinematographer. He filmed many of Beresford's early movies. These included The Adventures of Barry McKenzie and Breaker Morant. He also worked with director Gillian Armstrong on My Brilliant Career.
His career really took off in 1982. Director Paul Mazursky asked him to work on the film Tempest. After this, he became very busy in Hollywood.
Awards and Special Honors
Donald McAlpine is a member of two big film societies. These are the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). In 1997, the ASC put him in their Hall of Fame. In 2009, they gave him an International Achievement Award.
In 2001, he received the Australian Centenary Medal. This was for his great work in Australian film. In the same year, he was nominated for an Academy Award. This was for his amazing work on the movie Moulin Rouge!.
In 2011, he received the AACTA Lifetime Achievement Award. This is a very special honor in Australian film. It is also called the Longford Lyell Award.
In 2016, he got an honorary doctorate in arts. This was from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. In October 2024, he received the Adelaide Film Festival's Don Dunstan Award.
Donald McAlpine's Filmography
Donald McAlpine has worked on many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:
Short Films
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Leonard French's Stained Glass Screens | Michael Thornhill |
| 1970 | No Roses for Michael | Chris McGill |
| 1973 | Irrigation: The Ord River Scheme and the M.I.A. | Oliver Howes Meg Stewart |
Feature Films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Adventures of Barry McKenzie | Bruce Beresford | |
| Gentle Strangers | Cecil Holmes | With Kerry Brown, Bruce Hillyard, David Sanderson and Mick von Bornemann |
|
| 1974 | Barry McKenzie Holds His Own | Bruce Beresford | |
| 1976 | Surrender in Paradise | Peter Cox | |
| Don's Party | Bruce Beresford | ||
| 1978 | The Getting of Wisdom | ||
| Patrick | Richard Franklin | ||
| Money Movers | Bruce Beresford | ||
| 1979 | The Odd Angry Shot | Tom Jeffrey | |
| My Brilliant Career | Gillian Armstrong | ||
| The Journalist | Michael Thornhill | ||
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Bruce Beresford | |
| The Earthling | Peter Collinson | ||
| The Club | Bruce Beresford | ||
| 1981 | Puberty Blues | ||
| 1982 | Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder | Peter Werner | |
| Tempest | Paul Mazursky | ||
| 1983 | Now and Forever | Adriane Carr | |
| Blue Skies Again | Richard Michaels | ||
| 1984 | Harry & Son | Paul Newman | |
| Moscow on the Hudson | Paul Mazursky | ||
| 1985 | King David | Bruce Beresford | |
| My Man Adam | Roger L. Simon | ||
| 1986 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Paul Mazursky | |
| The Fringe Dwellers | Bruce Beresford | ||
| 1987 | Predator | John McTiernan | |
| Orphans | Alan J. Pakula | ||
| 1988 | Moving | Alan Metter | |
| Moon over Parador | Paul Mazursky | ||
| 1989 | See You in the Morning | Alan J. Pakula | |
| Parenthood | Ron Howard | ||
| 1990 | Stanley & Iris | Martin Ritt | |
| 1991 | The Hard Way | John Badham | With Robert Primes |
| Career Opportunities | Bryan Gordon | ||
| 1992 | Medicine Man | John McTiernan | |
| Patriot Games | Phillip Noyce | ||
| 1993 | The Man Without a Face | Mel Gibson | |
| Mrs. Doubtfire | Chris Columbus | ||
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Phillip Noyce | |
| 1995 | Nine Months | Chris Columbus | |
| 1996 | Romeo + Juliet | Baz Luhrmann | |
| 1997 | The Edge | Lee Tamahori | |
| 1998 | Stepmom | Chris Columbus | |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Baz Luhrmann | |
| 2002 | The Time Machine | Simon Wells | |
| 2003 | Anger Management | Peter Segal | |
| Peter Pan | P. J. Hogan | ||
| 2005 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe |
Andrew Adamson | |
| 2009 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Gavin Hood | |
| 2010 | Main Street | John Doyle | |
| 2012 | Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Shakun Batra | With David MacDonald |
| Mental | P. J. Hogan | ||
| 2013 | Ender's Game | Gavin Hood | |
| 2015 | The Dressmaker | Jocelyn Moorhouse | |
| 2016 | Kapoor & Sons | Shakun Batra | With Jeffery F. Bierman |
| 2017 | Ali's Wedding | Jeffrey Walker | |
| 2018 | Rajma Chawal | Leena Yadav | |
| 2022 | A Stitch in Time | Sasha Hadden | |
| Black Site | Sophia Banks | ||
| 2023 | The Portable Door | Jeffrey Walker |
Television Work
TV Movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Children of An Lac | John Llewellyn Moxey | |
| 2009 | Mega Piranha | Eric Forsberg Stuart Gillard |
With Bryan Olinger |
TV Series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lambs of God | Jeffrey Walker | Episode "The Devil into Paradise" |
| 2022 | Savage River | Jocelyn Moorhouse | Mini-series |
Documentary Work
Documentary Films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Or Forever Hold Your Peace | ||
| 1974 | Whatever Happened to Green Valley? | Peter Weir | With Nick Ardizzone |
Documentary Short Films
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Play Safe | Dennis Hill |
Documentary Television
- Our Asian Neighbours: Indonesia (1973)
Awards and Nominations
Donald McAlpine has been recognized with many awards for his work.
Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Best Cinematography | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Best Cinematography | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated |
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Best Cinematography | My Brilliant Career | Won |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Won | |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Won |
Satellite Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Best Cinematography | Romeo + Juliet | Nominated |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Nominated |
