Keith Blackburn

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit:

I can use:

About me

I am a Royal Television Society award winning ex BBC camera operator with over 25 years experience in drama, news & current affairs, documentary and live sports OB's.

I won the Royal Television Society award for Photography for my lighting camerawork on “100 Faces”, using a Canon C200.

My work in Australia has included as a camera operator for ESPN's live coverage at the Australian Open Tennis in Melbourne January 2017, where I rotated between RF Camera's, court-side camera's (including the women's and the men's finals), & commentary box camera's.
I have also worked for FoxSports/Gearhouse on live transmissions at A league soccer games in Gosford and Sydney, where I have operated multiple camera's, pitch-side, behind the goals, commentary areas, flash zones and after match press conference’s.
I have also worked for Sky Racing/Gearhouse at Rosehill Racecourse providing live coverage of race meetings.
My freelance work with the Technical Direction Company has seen me working with clients like Westpac, Google and Amazon.
I also work as a casual shoot/edit cameraman at ABC News in Sydney.

I am a friendly, outgoing person who has enjoyed a variety of work in the UK, as camera operator on the BBC network drama “Byker Grove”, this was shot single camera using Sony DVW digibeta on location, and also on a pedestal in a studio, as a documentary lighting /camera operator on BBC 1’s “Inside Out” using Sony PMW 500, Sony PXW FS5 & FS7 and DJI Osmo camera’s, and a shoot/edit camera operator on the nightly news programme BBC “Look North”, FCP X and filing edited stories over 3G/4G or WIFI.
This role also entailed working on the live aspects of the programme - operating a studio pedestal camera or a live camera on location using a satellite vehicle.

I have also used my skills and experience using FCP X to edit a number of films for BBC One’s “Inside Out”, with subjects ranging from disability soccer to mystery illnesses.

I feel that this wealth of experience has enabled me to become a confident and creative cameraman. I am adaptable and able to utilise my skill-set at short notice to complete with flair and creativity any task given to me.
I am able to work as part of a team, large or small and am as equally enthused working alone.
Referees:
ESPN Senior Cameraman DARREN REICHARD
The ESPN crew at the Australian Open in Melbourne numbers over 200 and every member plays a crucial role. Keith proved to be an invaluable member of our team, he was punctual, friendly and also extremely competent in all of the roles he was given.
He operated a number of camera’s over the 2 weeks of the event, including RF roving cameras, fixed long-lens camera’s on the court-side and also camera’s in our commentary booths where he worked with match summarisers including Chris Evert and John McEnroe. His work was of a consistently high standard and he very quickly became a well-liked and reliable member of the ESPN team. I would not hesitate to recommend Keith to a potential employer, in fact he is already on our crew list for the Open in 2018.
Darren Reichard
ESPN Senior Cameraman
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BBC TV Chief Reporter CHRIS STEWART
I joined BBC TV News in 1988, and worked as a producer, editor and latterly Chief Reporter for BBC TV in the North of England.  In each of those roles, I worked with Keith Blackburn.
He is respected as a hugely talented and industrious cameraman and senior technical operator, and he is also a delight as a colleague.
Given the very close working professional relationship which should exist between reporter and cameraman, disputes and grumbles between the two could easily be excused. However, in all our time together on the road, we have never had a single disagreement. I take no personal credit for that. It is purely a result of Keith's irrepressible good humour and positive outlook.
His work varies : but only within a range that extends from excellent to astonishing, something which has been acknowledged by the Royal Television Society. 
He has been asked to undertake daunting assignments, and accepts unflinchingly. In 2010, we found ourselves in the middle of the Cumbria shootings, within a police cordon and unwittingly playing cat-and-mouse on locked-down streets with the gunman who had just begun his killing spree. My first thought upon realising the gravity of the situation was this : "I couldn't be with anybody I trust more."
I am happy to be contacted direct by any potential employer who needs any more information.
Chris Stewart – Former BBC TV Chief Reporter
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Composer/Director BENJAMIN TILL
“Metro the Musical” and “100 Faces”
https://au.linkedin.com/in/keith-blackburn

Keith is possibly my favourite cameraman within the BBC . . . in fact, anywhere in the world! Keith is relaxed and generous, and understands the needs of his directors! He has an extraordinary eye and can frame and light a shot with speed and excellence. Above anything else, he's a decent chap; fun to have around and he never complains. I feel genuinely lucky to have met and worked with him.
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Producer BBC 1 “Inside Out” DAN FARTHING
“The Murder Files”
https://au.linkedin.com/in/keith-blackburn

Keith’s has outstanding abilities as a cameraman. This was a challenging project filmed on location on a tight budget, a tight schedule, and with minimal staffing. Keith rose to the challenge and produced outstanding camerawork – and sound! From his use of tracking shots to quickly and wonderfully lit PTCs he delivered the lot. This is a cameraman with an artistic eye.
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License & Passport

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Camera Operator
Job Titles	Camera Supervisor, Technical Director / Vision Mixer, Live Programming / Broadcasting, Assistant Grip, Key Grip, Spark, Lighting Tech / Operator, Gaffer / Lighting Director, Sound Operator / Engineer, Aerial / Drone Operator, Video Editor, Retoucher, Photographer, Videographer, Director of Photography (DOP), Cinematographer, Camera Operator, Production Support, Director
Years in industry	6+ years