Alan Birkinshaw
Encyclopedia
Alan Birkinshaw, FRGS, born in Auckland
, New Zealand
on 15 June 1944, is a British
film director
, writer
, and producer in the arena of television
and feature films
.
The son of two doctors
, Birkinshaw was educated at St. Bees School in Cumberland and his first job was as a jackaroo
in the Australia
n outback
, before becoming a horse breaker and rodeo
rider. Travelling to England, he joined the camera department of Lew Grade’s Associated TeleVision
on his 20th birthday. He worked his way up to directing, firstly in television and then via the world of commercials, into television movies and feature films. He directed several episodes of Space Precinct
, at the time the most expensive TV series ever made. One of his early movies, co-written by his novel
ist sister Fay Weldon
, was Killer’s Moon
. Killer’s Moon was described in the acclaimed Shepperton Babylon as the most tasteless movie in the history of the British Cinema.
In spite of comments like this, Killer’s Moon won a prize for best Screenplay
at the Sitges Horror Film Festival, and has since become a cult film.
In 1986, Birkinshaw went to India where he directed an award winning semi dramatised documentary film on the Life of Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘But I Have Promises To Keep’. This was commissioned by Rajiv Gandhi and was made for the Government of India via Doordarshan, the national television network of India.
Birkinshaw is renowned in the industry for his ability to turn low budget action sequences into exciting mainstream pieces. This was specially noticeable in his boxing movie Punch which starred Donald Sutherland
. Birkinshaw has also worked with some of the best loved British actors including Donald Pleasence
and Herbert Lom
in Ten Little Indians
and Masque of the Red Death
, and Oliver Reed
in The House of Usher in 1988.
In the last few years, Birkinshaw's passion for telling stories has taken him to the world of sculpture, recreating some of the greatest works by the world's classical sculptors. The Creation of Adam based on Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel is but one of them and another of an Olympic Gold medallist is soon to be erected in a public place.
One of Birkinshaw's more recent creations is a relief in pure white marble over 30 metres in length, telling the story of Alexander the Great's Triumphal Journey into Babylon, based on the work of the same name by the great neo-classical sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Birkinshaw has also been involved in the filming of a huge carved wall in excess of 2 kilometres in length and is currently working on one of his own creations telling the life story of a famous UK footballer.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 15 June 1944, is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and producer in the arena of television
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and feature films
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
The son of two doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, Birkinshaw was educated at St. Bees School in Cumberland and his first job was as a jackaroo
Jackaroo (trainee)
A Jackaroo is a young man working on a sheep or cattle station, to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the Nineteenth Century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the twenty-first...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
, before becoming a horse breaker and rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
rider. Travelling to England, he joined the camera department of Lew Grade’s Associated TeleVision
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
on his 20th birthday. He worked his way up to directing, firstly in television and then via the world of commercials, into television movies and feature films. He directed several episodes of Space Precinct
Space Precinct
Space Precinct is a British television series that aired from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two in Britain, and in syndication in North America on the SyFy Channel....
, at the time the most expensive TV series ever made. One of his early movies, co-written by his novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist sister Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon
Fay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
, was Killer’s Moon
Killer’s Moon
Killer's Moon is a 1978 British horror film written and directed by Alan Birkinshaw, with uncredited dialogue written by his novelist sister, Fay Weldon. In spite of its low budget, and other drawbacks, the film has gained a cult following.- The plot :...
. Killer’s Moon was described in the acclaimed Shepperton Babylon as the most tasteless movie in the history of the British Cinema.
In spite of comments like this, Killer’s Moon won a prize for best Screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
at the Sitges Horror Film Festival, and has since become a cult film.
In 1986, Birkinshaw went to India where he directed an award winning semi dramatised documentary film on the Life of Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘But I Have Promises To Keep’. This was commissioned by Rajiv Gandhi and was made for the Government of India via Doordarshan, the national television network of India.
Birkinshaw is renowned in the industry for his ability to turn low budget action sequences into exciting mainstream pieces. This was specially noticeable in his boxing movie Punch which starred Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
. Birkinshaw has also worked with some of the best loved British actors including Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
and Herbert Lom
Herbert Lom
Herbert Lom is a Czech film actor, best known for his role as former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther movie series.-Life and career:...
in Ten Little Indians
Ten Little Indians (1989 film)
Ten Little Indians is a 1989 mystery film, and the fifth screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous novel. It was the third version to be produced by Harry Alan Towers, following his 1965 and 1974 adaptations...
and Masque of the Red Death
Masque of the Red Death
Masque of the Red Death is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, named after the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name. The setting was published after the release of the Ravenloft campaign setting and is regarded as an add-on for that line...
, and Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
in The House of Usher in 1988.
In the last few years, Birkinshaw's passion for telling stories has taken him to the world of sculpture, recreating some of the greatest works by the world's classical sculptors. The Creation of Adam based on Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel is but one of them and another of an Olympic Gold medallist is soon to be erected in a public place.
One of Birkinshaw's more recent creations is a relief in pure white marble over 30 metres in length, telling the story of Alexander the Great's Triumphal Journey into Babylon, based on the work of the same name by the great neo-classical sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen. Birkinshaw has also been involved in the filming of a huge carved wall in excess of 2 kilometres in length and is currently working on one of his own creations telling the life story of a famous UK footballer.