Profiles

His work may be based in the glitzy world of Hollywood, but there's still no place quite like home for Torquay-born film-maker Roger Deakins.

In 2008, Roger became the first director of photography since 1971 to receive two Oscar nominations.

He was nominated in the cinematography category for his work on two feature films - 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' and 'No Country for Old Men', which won the award for Best Picture.

He failed to walk away with one of the coveted statues, but he did win a 2008 Bafta award for 'No Country for Old Men'.

Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men

Speaking ahead of the awards Mr Deakins told BBC Devon: "It's great to be nominated and to have one's work noticed and recognised."

"And given the competition this year, I'm absolutely bowled over and flattered by it.

"Whatever you feel about the razzmatazz and the whole Hollywood thing, it is still the major world celebration of film-making and it's great to be part of it.

"I wish they would let me take my camera to the ceremony, because I would love to photograph what goes on. It's a lot of fun."

Deakins, 58, is an experienced film-maker, having received five previous Oscar nominations – the first in 1994 for 'The Shawshank Redemption' and most recently in 2001 for 'The Man Who Wasn't There'.

Cinematography is officially described as the art of image manipulation for film. This involves lighting, camera work and art direction.

Roger Deakins at home in Torquay

Deakins was born in Torquay in 1949. He still lives in Devon and spends time on his boat.

"Devon has always been important to me," he explained. "The film industry can be very obsessive and you get caught up in it.

"So it's great to come down here to Devon and just look at the film industry for what it is. It's not life, it's not everything that matters.

"I still go off and wander around a seaside town like Dawlish, just observing people and taking pictures. It's just an excuse to get out there and watch the world. 

"Somebody asked me a while ago what first sparked my interest in films and I remember climbing up into the attic of our house in Wellswood.

"My dad had a 9mm projector and you could rent movies on spools of film. We used to watch Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat up in this attic.

Roger filming Mountains of the Moon in Kenya

"I guess that did stimulate me early on into imagery and then I started going to a film society in Torquay's Fleet Street. Suddenly I saw possibilities I never knew existed, it was quite exciting for a young kid."

He learnt his craft at the National Film School in Beaconsfield during the 1970s. After graduation he focused on documentary film-making for some seven years. He spent a year in North Devon capturing life on farms and in villages.

He has since shot more than 60 feature films and has worked with some of Hollywood's greatest directors.

Deakins is probably best known as the longtime director of photography for the Coen brothers - who won the 2008 Oscar for best directors for 'No County for Old Men.' He has shot all nine of their movies since 1991's Barton Fink.

* Roger Deakins talks to BBC Radio Devon's Jo Loosemore about his career - click onto the audio links on this page to listen.