Inducted into ACS Hall of Fame – 1998
Late in 2007 a reunion of former and current ABC staff who worked in Melbourne’s cine-camera department brought together some of the country’s most skilled and talented film and television craftspeople. More than eighty guests including sound recordists, film editors, producers, grips, sparkies and gennie operators who reminisced about the days between 1956 and 1988-before videotape finally took over from film on most programs.
Forget Picasso and da Vinci, the ‘old masters’ of the cine-camera department were there. Seventy-four year old Harry Lehrer, Melbourne’s first cine-cameraman who joined ABC TV just prior to the 1956 Olympics.
Also at the reunion was Keith Taylor who is without doubt the pioneer cinematographer behind the ABC’s Natural History Unit. When Keith is asked to name his career highlight he quotes without hesitation how he attended the inaugural international wildlife symposium in London in 1976, after his peers viewed some of his work, he received a standing ovation.
In the ensuing years Keith became a mentor to numerous cine-camera assistants in the art of cinematography, especially lighting.
Some of his best known films.
1991 “The Driven Man”
1992 “The Lizards of Oz”
1994 Great Railway Journeys “Hong Kong to Ulaanbataar”
1995 “Real Lives —Real Sex”