Swift rise to top for cameraman

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 15

Swift rise to top for cameraman

A Television One cameraman, John Toon, aged 27, has reached the top of his profession in New Zealand. He says the only step left here is a desk job. John made his first movie at primary school and the second at "high school, both of which were shown on national teievision. Joining the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in Dunedin as an assistant film editor, he became a cameraman almost immediately after getting his driver’s itcence. From Dunedin to London was quite a leap, and, as John quickly discovered, employment was much harder to find. With only £3O left in his pocket, John applied in desperation for a job as a salesman with Harrods. He was offered the job but the dav before joining the “exclusive staff of the exclusive

■. store”, he was also offered a , job in Birmingham with i Magpie Films. So with even less money, . but an impressive, flashy pinstripe suit, he arrived in Birmingham “dressed to : kill”. i Working mainly in news, i John then approached Yorkshire Television. I There were apparently no i jobs, but after two months iof stubborn perseverance, - ringing Yorkshire every ' second day from phone • booths throughout Britain, he was finally given a job i on James Mason’s “Hud- > dersfield” documentary unit. , And from there, he went i on to Europe, Switzerland, the Pyrenees, Canada, the > Arctic, Vancouver, Hawaii, • Taiwan, Australia, the Pacii fic Islands, South Africa, •, Bangladesh, Thailand, the j Philipines, and Singapore — - from ski-ing films to work- : ing with Alan Whicker.