Charles Copping
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Charles first started working in stop-motion animation in 1994. Working as a runner on Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave. Thirty years later Charles is privileged to still work in stop-motion animation bringing depth of experience to flagship feature films like Chicken Run Dawn of the Nugget.
Charles has worked as Director of Photography on diverse productions including feature films, shorts, series, and commercials. Although Charles has spent most of his career at Aardman Animations, he has also worked for the BBC, and other animation companies in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Charles has been a member of BAFTA film voting panel since 2012.
As Camera Assistant on Chicken Run (2000), his first feature film, Charles sought the opportunity to light sets. This was the springboard he needed and over the next ten years he built his skills and experience as Lighting Cameraman and DOP on productions including Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008), six Shaun the Sheep TV series and two Creature Comforts TV series.
In recent years his focus has returned to feature films. As Senior Lighting Cameraman on The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (2012) Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) saw him working as Co-Director of Photography with his long-time mentor and Dave Alex Riddett. He then took up the role of Senior Lighting Cameraman on Early Man (2018), again lighting key sequences. In 2017 Charles took the next step, as sole DOP on A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019). Charles relished the creative leadership role, finding it incredibly fulfilling.
As DOP on Chicken Run - Dawn of the Nugget Charles was delighted to be leading the extremely talented team to meet the creative challenge and complexity of this prestigious and ambitious Aardman project. A circle has been drawn - it is 22 years since his first foray into lighting on the original Chicken Run.
Charles has worked as Director of Photography on diverse productions including feature films, shorts, series, and commercials. Although Charles has spent most of his career at Aardman Animations, he has also worked for the BBC, and other animation companies in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Charles has been a member of BAFTA film voting panel since 2012.
As Camera Assistant on Chicken Run (2000), his first feature film, Charles sought the opportunity to light sets. This was the springboard he needed and over the next ten years he built his skills and experience as Lighting Cameraman and DOP on productions including Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008), six Shaun the Sheep TV series and two Creature Comforts TV series.
In recent years his focus has returned to feature films. As Senior Lighting Cameraman on The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (2012) Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) saw him working as Co-Director of Photography with his long-time mentor and Dave Alex Riddett. He then took up the role of Senior Lighting Cameraman on Early Man (2018), again lighting key sequences. In 2017 Charles took the next step, as sole DOP on A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019). Charles relished the creative leadership role, finding it incredibly fulfilling.
As DOP on Chicken Run - Dawn of the Nugget Charles was delighted to be leading the extremely talented team to meet the creative challenge and complexity of this prestigious and ambitious Aardman project. A circle has been drawn - it is 22 years since his first foray into lighting on the original Chicken Run.
