Frank William Watts was a British cinematographer famous for being the main lighting cameraman and cinematographer for Space: 1999.
Biography[]
Watts was born and raised in the East End of London, England.
Watts started his career in 1950, working as a focus puller, a camera assistant. In 1967, while working for The Baron, he began working as a chief cameraman, or cinematographer.
He became involved with the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) in 1970, and served as the President of the BSC from 1984 to 1986.
Watts retired from cinematography in 1989, and died from a terminal illness 5 years later, in 1994, at the age of 65.
Gallery[]
On set of The Taybor. L-R: Bob Brooks (with his arm out), Frank Watts, John Downes (the bearded man wearing a striped tank top) Suzanne Heimer, and Gerry Toomey.
L-R: Barbara Bain, Frank Watts (behind camera), Mike Tomlin, Michael Beauchamp (bearded), Paul Turtle (next to camera), and Lee Katzin.
On set of Breakaway in December 1973, filming Valerie Van Ost. L-R: Reg Hill (in blazer), Lee H. Katzin (with pipe), Frank Watts, and Gerry Anderson.
L-R: Reg Hill (in blazer), Lee H. Katzin (with pipe), Frank Watts, and Gerry Anderson.
L-R: Frank Watts, Lee Katzin (sitting on camera dolly), unknown crew member, Ken Baker, Mike Tomlin in foreground, and Steve Lanning.
L-R: Gerry Anderson, Frank Watts, Ken Baker, Jack Lowin, and Mike Tomlin.
On set of Devil's Planet. L-R: Frank Watts, Tom Clegg, Neil Binney (behind the camera), and Hildegarde Neil.
On set of Missing Link. L-R: Ray Austin, Frank Watts (smoking), Alac Meacham (in front of boom stand), and Terry Schubert (sitting on the dry ice machine).
L-R: Suzanne Heimer, Frank Watts, crew member, and John Clifford.
On set of A Matter of Life And Death. L-R: Frank Watts (seated), Martin Landau (in costume, hiding Neil Binney), Charles Crichton (crouching), Keith Wilson (at the top of the steps in front of the door), Barry Morse (in costume) Johnny Byrne, John May, and Eddie Francis (all three of them seated at the top of the stairs), Richard Johnson (seated in foreground), Tony Allyn (in costume), and Alan Meacham (sitting in the corner).
L-R: Frank Watts, John Clifford, and cast.
David Toblin, Sylvia Anderson, and Frank Watts.
L-R: Val Guest, Doreen Soan and Frank Watts.
Watts (left) with cinematographer Les Ostinelli.
Young Frank