Perry Sandow hands over lights to Daniel Spriggs
If you’ve worked on a TV commercial shoot in the last 49 years in Perth chances are you’ve worked with Perry Sandow, certainly one of Australia’s most experienced and knowledgeable gaffers and lighting directors. Now, all that lighting experience and his lighting truck are being passed on to Daniel Spriggs and his company The Bureau of Shadows.
Spriggs (pictured left) started working as gaffer assistant with Sandow (pictured right) almost ten years ago and has been working independently as gaffer on feature films, commercials and digital productions in more recent years.
Together, they worked on Simon Baker’s feature of Tim Winton’s Breath, Ben Young’s Hounds of Love and Kriv Stender’s Red Dog.
“All that Perry knowledge and experience comes newly packaged with a revitalised set of ears and knees,” joked one long time colleague.
Spriggs will now be Perth’s premier lighting director and gaffer. He adds his many and varied creative talents to the role of gaffer after studying electronic arts and sculpture at art school, as a prolific photographer, collaborating on short films, music videos, mastering the Shakuhachi Japanese flute and currently playing in the Selfless Orchestra.
More recently, Spriggs has worked on Rob Connolly’s Blueback, Rene Webster’s How to Please a Woman and Jub Cleric’s Sweet As.
“Working on features exposes me to the cream of cinematographers from around the country”.
“As well as bringing the technical aspects of lighting to the table, my art school background has made me attuned to aesthetics and conceptual storytelling as well as the importance of backstory and context to what we are creating,” said Spriggs.
“And that experience benefits the advertising industry.”
Spriggs has worked for many of our local production companies including Open Spaces, Sandbox, King Street and Beautiful Pictures.
With The Bureau of Shadows, Spriggs is planning to introduce new equipment and gear up for the new studios in Perth.
The narrative of Sandow’s involvement in film and television goes back to working in the news room at Channel Nine. From there he worked on the stables of TV – quiz shows and current affairs – but, after working on a tele movie, he moved into drama production.
His introduction to commercial film was with Allan Richards at Viz-Ad and Kevin Wiggins at Total Productions, names that only the grey-haired will know.
“When I set up Perry Film & TV Lighting (PFTVL), the industry was far more fluid and informal, your name was the ticket to the next gig. Film required skill and experience with little opportunity for post production to save it.
“Very quickly, I was working seven days a week for several decades and that became the norm,” Sandow reminisces.
Like many local crew, Sandow spent several years in the 90’s in Asia where budgets were far more generous and where he was immersed in big budgets and big crews putting ads into China Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and which set him up for working on features.
“I loved the medium of working in Motion Picture. You had such control and for much of that time there was no video split, so directors directed, cameramen shot and gaffers lit. There was no direction by committee. Writers, art directors, clients and agencies trusted us. For me, that meant I needed to have a thorough understand of lens and know how to visualise.”
“The film industry has certainly introduced me to some extraordinarily talented, colourful and famous people, particularly as Lighting Director on shows including Bob Hope Show Downunder, Steptoe and Son Downunder, London Festival Ballet with Rudolf Nureyev Dame Margo, Miss Universe, AFI awards at the Perth Entertainment Centre. Shirley Bassey, Roberta Flack, Danny La Rue.
“I love the industry, it’s given me so much and, hopefully, people feel that I have made a worthy contribution to Perth production.”
Head to https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3735242/ to see Spriggs’s full pedigree.
14 Comments
Well done Pez, mate you brought so much to the WA industry, you where always the one to (pardon the pun) to bring the light of laughter to every set or location. The stories you shared like Italian sauce making etc. We always had fun even under the pressures of shoot days. All the best cheers Spinni
The Godfather of WA Commercial Production is Perry Sandow. So many great memories working with him here and overseas. So many great words of wisdom and generous sharing of his industry expertise. Plus many stories that can only be shared by those who were there! Great to know that knowledge is now being filtered through Spriggsy (as it has been for years). Now it’s Dan’s turn to shine and create a legacy. You two rock!!!!
Goonyer, Perry. You did everything you could to make me look gooder than I ever had the right to be. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t really cut it – but it’s all I have. Oh, and huge, unbridled respect. Be well. Be safe. Enjoy what’s next, cobber.
On ya Spriggsy! Always kicking goals !
Congratulations Pez always enjoyed working with you over many years. Hoping your next adventure is as exciting as the last 49 years.
Thank you, Pez, for bringing all your skill and all your heart to WA filmmaking. I’m sure Dan will find his own path, but no one will replace you. Farewell, bigfella.
Thank you Pez on behalf of myself and bunch of scaliwags for your insight ,your creativity, pushing us all to be better,also your forever abundant wit and charm.
Much Love Amigo
(From a boy from Balga)
It’s always been such a pleasure enjoying your banter and skills on set (and in airport departure lounges) for the last three decades, Perry. Have a happy retirement!
Very happy trails Perry. Your skills and your chat have made many a film shoot so much better for them both. Legend in the WA film industry.
Perry you brought me up from a young lightning cameraman to a DOP. You have been my rock….it will never be the same…Thanks for your support faith and kind words on set and off set… I will pass it forwards…
Perry has been a bit of a bloody guru and mentor to so many in our industry. Such an enthusiastic creative colaborator, font of knowledge and experience. It was always a joy to discuss and explore the methods of the cream of Australian and Asian talent that he had the good fortune to work with, or was it visa versa? When shooting on film you really did have to have an extensive knowledge and respect of cinematography and lighting. It would take nearly a week for the rushes to return from the labs and telecines over east, so the tension was high, to say the least. With Pez’s experience and sharp eye much of the anxiety was eased. It was pretty cool to have a big, bearded guru in town and even more fun to share endless stories of film lore and laughs over a frosty one on wrap. Yeah, pretty bloody good times alright! Good on you Pez, a stellar career for a Perth lad. Spriggsy has some shoes to fill but he’s had one of the best in the biz to show him the ropes. Enjoy the next chapter to you both. Cheers!
Pez thank you for your contribution to our industry. You are a fine man, Spriggsy, here’s to many more productions together.
Pez you were the only man who captured light with non stop audio. Like so many brilliant people you made it look easy, just like your nature. When I think of reminiscing about school days on your front verandah in Nerabup over a bottle of Hill of Grace after a vintage of Hartridge Wines was tucked into oak. And then the motorcycles and your nom de plume for a bike magazine and so it goes on and on. You were and are so much more than someone who captures and controls light, in many ways Pez you are the light, here is hoping to stare at you soon over a magnificent Shiraz 👌🙏🎆🍷
Hey Perry – unbelievable memories of the late 70s when my brother Greg helped you at Hartridge and then you convincing my mum Sofia to let you film her in the tomatoes for a commercial.
Moments that stay with me always.
Huge impacts on a simple life – you brought the world to Neerabup.
Cheers
Arthur Koroveshi