‘A film about the power of cinema’: Bow tie cinematographers at the Irish film festival

The first of a new series on Bow tie cinema, and a film about how the medium is reshaping the lives of people around the world. 

This week we spoke to Bow tie Cinematographers and Cinematographer of the Year, Tom Stansfield. 

Tom started his career at cinemas as a teacher, but it was his first foray into the film industry that took him from the back of a bus to becoming a bow tie cinemagrapher. 

He has since worked for several companies including Cinematografia, Cinematograph, and Cinemagraph, and his latest film, The Life-Changing Magic of Being Here, is on display at the National Theatre this week.

Tom, thanks for doing this. 

How did you get into Bow tie film? 

Tom: I started as a lecturer in cinema in the early 80s and was lucky enough to have a position at the University of Cambridge, where I taught courses in film, video, and visual arts. 

I was working on a project on the making of Bow tie films when I was contacted by a film maker at the university, who said that Bow tie was one of his favourite subjects and he would be interested in making a documentary about the subject. 

After a few interviews, I was sent to New Zealand to do a documentary for the Auckland Film Festival and I was invited to the National Cinema to work on a documentary on the history of Bow Tie cinematography. 

What was your experience like filming in New Zealand? 

T: I got to work with some of the best cinematographic artists in the world, from New Zealand, and I worked with some fantastic people from all over the world to create a film that has a lot of depth and detail, and that captures a lot more about the history and legacy of Bow ties than any documentary I have ever done. 

As a bow-tie photographer, it is really important to capture the essence of the Bow tie and the style that they were designed to embody. 

The most interesting thing about working with the National and the Auckland filmmakers was how different they were from the commercial bow-tied cinematographer who would take a shot from a camera, and then try to make a commercial film based on it. 

So the film was made in such a way that it was really important for me to capture and document the bow tie, the bow ties’ history and the way they were made. 

There is something very intimate about it, in terms of the people involved and the culture. 

It was such a pleasure working with people like Tom, who was an incredible and really wonderful man, and the whole crew at Bow tie, and so many other people that we’ve worked with over the years. 

Do you think that bow tie has a future in cinematography? 

I think that it is very much alive and well in the UK. 

Bow tie cinematography has been around for a very long time, and it’s really good. 

You see Bow ties all over Europe, and there’s a lot that you can learn from Bow ties. 

We’re seeing Bow tie in a way, with the Bow Tie Festival in New York this year, which has been very successful. 

Can you tell us a bit about the Bow ties’ role in New South Wales and Victoria? 

The Victorian and NSW bow-ties have an incredibly rich history in both New South Welsh and Victoria. 

Their history is very deep and very strong. 

When you look at a bow, you have to remember that they have been around a very, very long period of time. 

They’re the oldest, the oldest craft that was invented, and they’re one of the oldest and most respected, and have been for thousands of years.

I think that the history that we have, that we’re living through, is an amazing and exciting place to be. 

In Victoria, the Victorian Bow Tie festival was held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, and this was the first time that the Australian bow-and-arrow tradition was held there. 

All the Bow-ties were there and they had this big celebration, where they had to make bows. 

Then the Australian Bow Tie tradition went on to the Sydney Botanic Garden and then Sydney Botanists Festival. 

Australia is such a wonderful place to work, and you’ll never go back. 

Why do you think there is such an affinity for bow tie in Australia? 

Well, it’s a very old art, a very ancient art, and we know how to make bow ties and how to use them, and also how to care for them. 

Now it’s not just bow tie that’s important, it really is the bow- ties themselves. 

Australian Bow Tie has always been a very important part of Australian culture