School days inspired a career in film
Simon is a successful camera technician in the UK film industry, having worked on many feature films and documentary projects.
He is also a published author and well-established maritime historian. In August 1996, Simon bought a shipwreck, the HMHS Britannic – the sister ship of the Titanic. She was operated as a hospital ship from 1915 and was the largest ship lost in the First World War, sinking in the Aegean Sea in 1916 after hitting a German mine. Simon has written numerous books and articles on maritime subjects, the most recent being, Exploring the Britannic (2019 and Olympic Titanic Britannic: the anatomy and evolution of the Olympic Class (2022).
What are your fondest memories from your time at Bloxham School?
In Sixth Form I was the official Bloxhamist photographer which meant I was the only student to have their own key to the School darkroom. Photography was my passion and I spent many a happy hour in the darkroom developing pictures. I also remember the old Film Society, when 16mm feature films were projected on a big screen in the Great Hall, which I think is a far preferable way to view films rather than on the modern small-screen tablets or iPhones. There was also the JCR, and there was nothing nicer than strolling over to the top floor of the cricket pavilion for a post-prep pint of Hooky, particularly in the summer term. So civilised…
The biggest influence Bloxham has had on you?
I suppose it can truly be said that Bloxham helped give me the self-confidence to deal with people and the world on my own terms, and not theirs.
What advice would you give students for success in life after Bloxham?
Whatever profession you choose in life, be willing to put in the time and effort, even if it means arriving first and going home last. A strong work ethic when starting out will always show your bosses just how much you want to succeed, and even doing unpaid work can pay dividends.
What has been your greatest professional achievement?
It’s undeniable that when working on a Bond film, or on projects with directors like Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick, you cannot help feeling an enormous sense of pride.
What has been your most memorable adventure?
Without a doubt it’s the Britannic project. When I bought the wreck, I honestly didn’t have a clue what I was thinking or what I was going to do with it. After twenty-five years it could now become a serious marine archaeological undertaking and we might even be on the verge of completing a long-held ambition of creating a permanent conservation project.
When are you happiest?
I’m pretty happy most of the time, which is nice, but I always get particularly excited whenever I’m headed to the Aegean, for the next Britannic dive ops.
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
I am a qualified scuba diver but I don’t have the ability to dive down to my wreck to physically touch it, which at 119 metres is too deep for me. I’ve seen it from inside the acrylic bubble of a submersible and I would love to get a technical diving qualification, but I’m probably a bit too long in the tooth now.
What is the worst job you have ever had?
One of my earliest TV jobs was Deceptions, for Columbia TV in 1985. When I was a young and inexperienced clapper loader, I worked for someone with no patience, and he made my life so miserable that I was thinking of never working on another film. Fortunately, straight afterwards I was asked to work in Morocco on Spies Like Us and this rebuilt my confidence. The whole miserable experience on Deceptions taught me never to treat any junior grade or trainee in such a shabby way.
What has been most inspirational to you in your life?
Samuelson Film Service in Cricklewood, where I started my camera department apprenticeship in July 1980 after leaving Bloxham. They made me into the technician that I ultimately became, but I never would have thought that forty years on I would be doing what I am today.
What’s the best piece of advice you have received?
You can’t win them all, so know when to retreat and have the courage to do so.
Which film had the greatest effect on you?
The first is Star Wars, which had such a colossal effect on an entire generation of cinema audiences as there had never been anything quite like it. The other is The Spy Who Loved Me. This is not just because it was a Bond film on which my father worked, but because I have never forgotten visiting the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios during the long hot summer of 1976 and walking onto the set of the interior of the villain’s super tanker. More than anything it probably resulted in me eventually following my dad into the camera department. I always wanted to work on a Bond film of my own. Ten years later I did just that on The Living Daylights.
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