click on the images below for a larger picture and for the name of the show.

for more images of tv work click here

 

 

Martin Kempton - CV

I joined the BBC as a cameraman, working mostly on dramas and comedies.  After a few years I decided to transfer to the lighting department.  Following a short spell as a vision operator (racks) and then some time as a lighting vision supervisor (console operator) I was promoted to lighting director in 1990.

From the early nineties I built my LD experience on a wide range of shows including EastEnders and Top of the Pops.  Since then I have tried to work on as many different kinds of production as possible - including dramas, comedies and entertainment shows whenever the opportunity arises.  I find the experience gained in one genre can be surprisingly useful when working in another.

Over the years I have spent many months on location for single-camera dramas and sitcom inserts. These have included big exterior night shoots and all kinds of interiors, large and small.

Comedy is a particular favourite of mine.  I have lit more than thirty different sitcoms and several sketch shows to date.  My aim is to give the impression to the viewer that the production has been shot on location rather than in a multi-camera studio.  The methods I employ are more closely related to film techniques than traditional television ones.  Hopefully this translates to a more cinematic look on screen.  I have been lucky enough to receive one RTS Award and three further nominations for my work lighting various sitcoms over the past few years - the award was in 2008 for Not Going Out.  The judges were kind enough to say the following...

“A beautifully executed piece of lighting which raised a genuine question about whether the show was shot in a studio or a real location. The fact that it was a studio was testimony to the realism achieved to the highest standard on a minimal budget.”

I was also very surprised (and of course delighted) to receive nominations in each of the first two years of  'Knight of Illumination' awards. These were for Al Murray's Happy Hour in 2008 and Not Going Out in 2009.

As a contrast to comedy and drama, I enjoy lighting music and entertainment shows.  I lit more than fifty Top of the Pops, and dozens of bands on Live and Kicking and more recently on Al Murray's Happy Hour.  By contrast, a year or two ago I worked on a more traditional music special starring Aled Jones for which I received a Bafta Cymru Award.  Early in 2009 I lit a series with opera and musical theatre star Shan Cothi, which was also a great pleasure.

Gameshows, panel games and chat shows form a significant part of my schedule too.  I regularly use automated lights such as Vari-lites and Macs on entertainment programmes of all kinds and enjoy using the ever increasing range of lighting fixtures currently available.  These include the many new LED lamps and digital media servers such as Catalyst and Hippotiser.

 

I left the BBC and became freelance in the summer of 2002.  Since then I have continued to work at Television Centre on occasions but have also lit many programmes at a number of other studios including Teddington, The London Studios, Fountain, Riverside, Maidstone, BBC Elstree, Elstree Studios, Capital, BBC Cardiff, Omni Studio Cardiff, BBC Pacific Quay Glasgow, 3sixtymedia Manchester, Ealing, Shepperton and Pinewood.  I have also gained some OB experience lighting televised shows in theatres and other locations.

Companies I have worked for include 12 Yard, Avalon, Baby Cow, BBC Entertainment, Big Bear Films, Brown Eyed Boy, Carlton, DLT Entertainment, Finestripe Productions, Fox TV Studios, Granada Entertainment, Hartswood Films, Hat Trick, ITV Studios, Objective, Olga, Pett Productions, Pozzitive, Phil McIntyre Television, Presentable, Shazam, Syco, talkbackTHAMES, Tiger Aspect, Unique and Zeppotron.


     further information...

  • My most recent award was in 2008 when I won the RTS Craft and Design Award for multicamera lighting with Lee Mack's sitcom Not Going Out.  Prior to that I was nominated three times for RTS awards -  in 2004 for lighting the final series of Coupling and in 2003 another nomination for I'm Alan PartridgeIn 1996 I was given an RTS nomination for my work on the Christmas edition of One Foot in the Grave - the only studio programme to receive a lighting nomination that year.  In 2006 I won a Bafta Cymru award.  The Bafta was for an Aled Jones Christmas special.  (I was especially pleased to win this award as English Bafta do not have a 'best lighting director' category.)  In 2008 and 2009 I received nominations for a relatively new lighting award - the 'Knight of Illumination'.  These awards are highly regarded within the world of entertainment lighting and cover theatre, opera, dance, rock concerts, events and television.  The 2008 nomination was for Al Murray's Happy Hour in the TV light entertainment category and 2009 was for Not Going Out in the TV drama category.  Since the nomination and judging was by lighting professionals I was particularly pleased to receive these accolades from my peers.

  • I particularly enjoy working in High Definition.  I have currently lit six comedy series, three entertainment series and several pilots and one-offs in multi-camera HD at Teddington, TV Centre, Pinewood, TLS and Pacific Quay Glasgow.  I am now very much aware of the perils and pitfalls!

  • I live west of London - a few miles outside the M25 - which may help if your company is trying to put together a crew that is not London based, for 'regional' quota purposes.  (Pinewood is only a short drive away.)

  • A few years ago I attended the BBC's 'safe working with cameras and lights on productions' course.  I am thus the proud owner of a 'BBC Production Skills Passport.'  This is compulsory for all freelancers working on BBC drama, entertainment and childrens programmes.  I have attended several other courses over the years including the BBC's interactive safety course, a 'rigging and trussing' course, a 'scaffolding appreciation course' (no, really) and courses on risk assessment.

  • My other great interest is the theatre.  Whilst in my teens I spent a season with the National Youth Theatre.  As a student I studied drama for four years at King Alfred's, Winchester.  Despite spending most of my time in the college theatre, I somehow managed to leave with a degree.  For the past few years I have had little time for much non-tv work but over a long period I must have lit well over 100 plays, musicals and other events.  I still manage to find time to light one or two plays a year - which I love.


examples of television work in recent years...

comedy:

programme and transmission date

directors / producers

year recorded

Miranda (BBC Entertainment for BBC2 at TVC) - sitcom series starring Miranda Hart - TX autumn 2009

Juliet May / Nerys Evans, Jo Sargent

2009

Above Their Stations (ITV Studios for BBC3 at TLS) - transmitted sitcom pilot by Rhys Thomas - TX Feb 2010

Tony Dow / Jon Rolph

2009

2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (BBC Entertainment for BBC3 at TVC) - Comic Relief Special plus series 8 - TX winter/spring 2009

Nick Wood / Michelle Farr

2009

Not Going Out (Avalon for BBC1 at Teddington) Golden Rose and RTS award-winning Lee Mack sitcom series 1, 2 and 3 and Christmas special all recorded in HD - TX Oct/Nov 2006, Sep/Oct 2007, Jan/Feb 2009.  Winner of RTS Craft and Design Award for multicamera lighting, 2008.  Nominated for Knight of Illumination Award - TV drama category, 2009.

Nick Wood, Alex Hardcastle / Alex Hardcastle, Charlie Hanson, Jamie Rix, Richard Allen-Turner

2006, 2007, 2008

The Peter Serafinowicz Christmas Show (Objective for BBC2 at Teddington) sketch show special - TX Christmas 2008

Becky Martin / James Serafinowicz, Ben Farrell, Phil Clarke

2008

Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder (Avalon for ITV1 at Fountain) sketch show series - TX spring 2009

Ben Kellett / Richard Grocock, Richard Allen-Turner

2008

Touch Me - I'm Karen Taylor (Avalon for BBC3 at Teddington) sketch show series 2 - TX summer 2008

Ben Kellett / Richard Grocock, Richard Allen-Turner

2008

The Green Green Grass (Shazam for BBC1 at Teddington and Pinewood) four series and Christmas specials recorded in HD - TX Sep/Oct/Dec 2005, Sep/Oct/Dec 2006, Oct/Nov/Dec 2007, Jan/Feb/March 2009

Dewi Humphries, Tony Dow / Julian Meers, Henry Klejdys, Gareth Gwenlan

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Grownups (BBC Entertainment for BBC3 at TVC) - series 2 TX summer 2007.  Sadly not available for series 3

Ben Kellett / Stephen McCrum

2007

Little Britain (BBC Entertainment for BBC1 at TVC) two Christmas specials - TX December 2006

Geoff Posner

2006

The Catherine Tate Christmas Show (Tiger Aspect for BBC1 at TVC) TX December 2005

Christine Gernon / Geoffrey Perkins

2005

Carrie and Barry (Hartswood Films for BBC1 at Teddington) series 1 & 2 - TX Sep/Oct 2004, autumn 2005

Martin Dennis / Sue Vertue

2004, 2005

As Time Goes By (DLT Entertainment/Theatre of Comedy for BBC1 at Teddington and on location) two 45 min specials - TX Christmas 2005

Sydney Lotterby / John Bartlett, Don Taffner Jnr

2005

The Vicar of Dibley (Tiger Aspect for BBC1 at Shepperton) two specials - TX Christmas Day 2004/new year's day 2005

Martin Dennis / Richard Curtis

2004

Coupling (Hartswood Films for BBC2 at Teddington) series 4 - TX summer 2004  RTS Craft and Design Award nomination for multicamera lighting, 2004

Martin Dennis / Sue Vertue

2004

French and Saunders Actually (BBC Entertainment for BBC1 at TVC) TX Christmas 2003

Nick Wood / Jo Sargent, Jon Plowman

2003

Hardware (Thames for ITV1 at Teddington) series 1 & 2 - TX March/April 2003, Spring 2004

Ben Kellett / Margot Gavan Duffy

2003

2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps musical special (BBC Entertainment for BBC3 at Ealing Studios) - TX Christmas 2003

Gareth Carrivick / Stephen McCrum

2003

I'm Alan Partridge (Talkback for BBC2 at TVC) series 2 - TX Nov/Dec 2002  RTS Craft and Design Award nomination for multicamera lighting, 2003.

Tristram Shapeero / Armando Iannucci

2002

Only Fools and Horses (BBC at TVC) the final three specials - TX Christmas day 2001, 2002 and 2003

Tony Dow / Gareth Gwenlan

2001, 2002

French and Saunders' Celebrity Christmas Puddings (BBC at TVC) TX Christmas Day 2002

Tristram Shapeero / Jon Rolph, Jon Plowman

2002

Victoria Wood's Sketch Show Story (BBC at TVC) TX Spring 2001

John Birkin / Danny Dignan

2001

Hippies (Talkback/BBC at TVC) sitcom series by Linehan and Mathews with Simon Pegg & Sally Phillips - TX Spring 2000

Martin Dennis / Geoffrey Perkins

1999

One Foot in the Grave (BBC at TVC) Christmas day specials, 1995 & 1996.  RTS Craft and Design Award nomination for lighting, 1996

Susan Belbin

1995, 1996

Other sitcoms and sketch shows include...

Nelson's Column - some eps ('95), The Brittas Empire ('95, '96) Get Well Soon ('97), A Prince Among Men ('97, '98) Spark ('97), Office Gossip ('99, '00), The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything ('99), Lee Evans - So What Now? ('00),  Mirrorball ('00),  Life As We Know It ('01), Two Pints of Lager... some eps ('01, '02, '03, '04), Odd Socks ('03), Eyes Down ('03, '04), High Hopes ('03), The Crouches - some eps ('04), Sister Frances - pilot ('04), Marigold ('05), Shane ('05), Home Again - some eps ('05), Little Miss Jocelyn - some eps ('06), Crawford Park - pilot ('06), Armstrong and Miller - pilot ('06), After You've Gone ('06, '08), Hibbert and Long - pilot ('07), To the Manor Born Christmas Special ('07), In My Country - pilot ('08), Mrs Brown's Boys - pilot ('09)

 

  

entertainment:

programme and transmission date

directors / producers

year recorded

The Door (ITV Studios for ITV1 at Maidstone) celebrity adventure gameshow - TX Easter 2010

Tim Van Someren / Jake Attwell, Beth Hart, Richard Cowles

2010

Russell Howard's Good News (Avalon for BBC3 at Riverside) sketch and standup series

Peter Orton / Mark Iddon, Robyn O'Brien, Jon Thoday

2009

Shooting Stars (BBC Entertainment/Pett Productions for BBC1 at TVC) series 4, 5 & 6 - TX Jan-March 2002, Oct-Dec 2002, Sep/Oct 2009 in HD

Richard Valentine, Ian Trill / Lisa Clark

2001, 2002, 2009

Harry Hill's TV Burp (Avalon for ITV1 at Teddington) multi award-winning series 1-9 - TX Nov/Dec 2002, Nov/Dec 2003, Feb/March 2004, Oct/Nov 2004, Jan-March 2006, Christmas special 2006, Jan-April 2007, Christmas special 2007, Jan-April 2008, Oct 2008-April 2009, Oct 2009-April 2010

Peter Orton / Spencer Millman, Nick Symons, Richard Allen-Turner

2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

The Omid Djalili Show (BBC Entertainment for BBC1 at TVC) sketch and standup series 1 & 2 - TX Nov-Dec 2007, spring 2009

Michael Cumming / Alex Walsh-Taylor, Kenton Allen

2007, 2008

Who Dares Wins (12 Yard for BBC1 at TVC and Pacific Quay) series 1, 2 and 3 of Saturday night gameshow - TX Nov-Dec 2007, Sep-Oct 2008, tba 2010

Geri Dowd / Andrew Musson, Michael Mannes, David Young

2007, 2008, 2009

Shan Cothi (Presentable for S4C at Omni Studio, Cardiff) music series with guests - TX April-May 2009

Sian G Lloyd / Chris Stuart

2009

In It To Win It (12 Yard for BBC1 at TVC and PQ Glasgow) gameshow series 1-11 - 2002-2010.  TX spring/summer 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, winter 2006, autumn 2007, Jan 2008, winter 2009, Jan/Feb 2010

Geri Dowd, Nigel Saunders / Kate Middleditch, Andrew Musson, Ed De Burgh, David Young

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Eggheads / Are You an Egghead? (12 Yard for BBC1/BBC2  at TVC, Elstree studios and PQ Glasgow) panel game series 1-11 - TX 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 (in HD from 2009).

Suzanne Pearse / Eileen Herlihy, Rob Dean, Andy Culpin, David Young

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

I Own Britain's Best Home - final (talkbackTHAMES for Five on location/OB) TX May 2008, May 2009

Bridget Caldwell, Stephen Taylor-Woodrow / Colette Hooper, John Comerford, Alex Menzies

2008, 2009

Al Murray's Happy Hour (Avalon for ITV1 at The London Studios) series 1, 2 & 3; TX Jan-March 2007, Jan-April 2008, Sep-Oct 2008 nominated for Knight of Illumination Award - TV light entertainment category, 2008.

Peter Orton / Robyn O'Brien, Nick Symons, Richard Allen-Turner

2007, 2008

Another Audience With Al Murray (ITV Productions for ITV1 at The London Studios) TX October 2007

Peter Orton / Robyn O'Brien, Rachel Ashdown

2007

TV Heaven, Telly Hell (Objective for C4 at The London Studios) Two series of comedy chatshow with Sean Lock - TX March/April 2006, July/August 2007

Lissa Evans / David Taylor, Richard Wilson, Jim Pullin

2005, 2006

Little Britain Night (BBC Entertainment for BBC3 at Studio 1, Cardiff) Chatshow with Rob Brydon and cast of Little Britain - TX Christmas 2005

Geoff Posner

2005

Aled Jones Christmas Special (Presentable for S4C at Studio 1, Cardiff) music special with Aled Jones and guests - TX Christmas 2005.  Bafta Cymru Award for 'best lighting director' 2005

Sian G Williams / Chris Stuart

2005

An Audience With Al Murray (Granada for ITV1 at The London Studios) TX March 2005

Peter Orton / Nick Symons, Mark Wells

2005

The Great British Spelling Test (Granada for ITV1 at The London Studios) live interactive quiz - TX October 2004

Sue McMahon / Sean Miller, Nicholas Steinberg

2004

An Audience With Harry Hill (Granada for ITV1 at The London Studios) TX Oct 2004

Peter Orton / Nick Symons, Mark Wells

2004

Distraction (Talkback for C4 at TVC) Jimmy Carr comedy gameshow series 1 & 2 - TX autumn 2003, spring 2004

Pati Marr, Barbara Wiltshire / Simon London, Ruth Wrigley

2003, 2004

The Great British Driving Test (Carlton for ITV1 at The London Studios) live interactive quiz - TX Jan 2004

Sue McMahon / Iestin Williams, Mark Wells

2004

Top of the Pops (BBC at Elstree and TVC) more than 50 editions

Chris Cowey, Ric Blaxill / several directors

1990 - 2002

Live and Kicking (BBC at TVC) 3 months each year of the best Saturday morning show ever!

various directors / Angela Sharp, Chris Bellinger

1995 - 2000

Other entertainment shows include...

Wogan ('90, '91), Going Live ('91, '92, '93), Rory Bremner ('91), Song For Europe ('92), Run The Risk ('92, '93, '94, '95, '96), National Lottery Live ('95, '97, '98, '99, '03), Ruby ('95, '96, '98, '99, '00), Britpop Now ('95), The Standup Show ('96, '97, '00), Spice Girls special ('97), Stephen Fry's Live at the Lighthouse ('98), Your Kids Are In Charge ('00), Battle of the Fantasy Bands ('00), Limp Bizkit special ('00), Stupid Punts ('01, '02), Pop Goes Christmas ('01), Class Of... ('02), Xchange ('02), Double Cross ('02), The Frank Skinner Show ('02), Without Prejudice? ('02, '03), Dead Ringers ('02), The All New Harry Hill Show ('02), The Strategic Humor Initiative ('03), The Lyrics Game ('03), Beg, Borrow or Steal ('04), Fact Hunt (with Al Murray)  ('05), Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard ('05), Catrin Finch ('06), It Started With Swap Shop ('06), I Blame the Spice Girls ('07), Shrink Rap ('09)

 

 

theatre for TV/DVD:

show (recorded as live in theatres)

director

year recorded

Simon Callow - 'Dr Marigold and Mr Chops' (adapting existing theatre lighting for Riverside Studios)

Glenn-Emlyn Richards

2010

Al Murray - Live at The Palladium (Avalon)

Peter Orton

2007

Russell Howard Live (for Avalon)

Peter Orton

2007

The Ornate Johnsons' Edwardian Spectacular (Sketch show from Wilton's Music Hall for BBC Comedy/BBC4)

Gareth Carrivick

2007

Edinburgh and Beyond (Stand-up series with Al Murray and various comedians for Avalon/Paramount Comedy)

Peter Orton

2005, 2006, 2007

Lee Mack - Live (for Avalon)

Paul Wheeler

2006

Harry Hill in 'Hooves' (for Avalon)

Peter Orton

2005

Jerry Springer - The Opera (adapting existing theatre lighting for Avalon/BBC2)

Peter Orton

2004

drama:

programme

directors / producers

year recorded

EastEnders (BBC at Elstree and on location) many blocks of several months each year during early and mid-nineties.   Then a few blocks each year up to 1999.  Several specials including two Christmases.

more than 20 directors / several producers including Diana Kyle, Leonard Lewis, Jane Fallon, Corinne Hollingworth

1991 - 1999

Grange Hill (BBC at Elstree and on location) DoP for single camera - studio and location - 2 blocks

Geoff Feld, Paul Annett / Diana Kyle

1998

Accused (BBC on location) DoP for 8 part location drama

Indra Bhose, Rob Evans, Jo Johnson, Gwennan Sage / Diana Kyle

1996

The Boot Street Band (BBC at TVC) 2 series of children's comedy drama written by Andrew Davies.  Yes, that Andrew Davies

John Smith / Angela Beeching

1993, 1994

 

for a full list of all work in the past six years click here

For a formal CV that will print on a single A4 sheet click here

This page is formatted to print on A4 paper.  Simply right-click anywhere and select 'print'

contact:

home/office - 01628 674980

mobile - 07721 550285

email - mkempton@btinternet.com

 

return to top of page

please note:

The images shown on this website are taken from television programmes for which I was lighting director. It has not been possible to obtain formal permission for the use of all of the images on this website. I apologise sincerely if this causes any problem. If you were involved with one of these productions and wish a picture to be removed, please contact me and I will be happy to oblige.