Benison, Peter 1950-

PERSONAL

Born April 28, 1950, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; son of Milton and Muriel (maiden name, Parker) Benison. Education: McGill University, B.S., psychology, 1971. Avocational Interests: Sailing, skiing, scuba diving.

Addresses:

Office—Dormont Studios Inc., 79 Orchard Park Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M4L 3E3, Canada.

Career:

Cinematographer, director of photography, photographer, and camera operator. Briston Productions, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, director of photography, 1972-77; affiliated with Dormont Studios, Canadian cities and Los Angeles, 1978—; associated with industrial films.

Member:

Canadian Society of Cinematographers, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Lambda Chi Alpha (treasurer of Montreal chapter, 1969-70).

Awards, Honors:

Silver Leaf Award, International Association of Business Communicators; second place award, United States Industrial Film Festival, 1984; first place award, Nebraska Interactive Video and Disc awards, 1986; Silver Birch Award, International Television Association, 1986; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award, best cinematography in a television drama, 1988, for Captain Power: The Beginning; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award, best cinematography in television drama, and Gemini Award nomination, best photography in a dramatic program or series, both 1988, for Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award, best cinematography in a theatrical feature, 1991, for Whispers; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award nomination, best cinematography in a theatrical feature, 1992, for The Dance Goes On; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award nomination, best cinematography in a television series, 1992, for Street Legal; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award nomination, best cinematography in television drama, 1994, for Rapture; Gemini Award, EFX, 1996, for Night of the Twisters; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award nomination, best cinematography, 1997, for Bullet to Beijing; Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award nomination, best cinematography in a television drama, 1998, for Thunder Point; Leo Award nomination, Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia, 1999, for Perfect Little Angels.

CREDITS

Film Cinematographer:

Ups & Downs (also known as Prep School), 1981.

Meatballs III: Summer Job (also known as Meatballs III and Meatballs III—Academie de vacances), TMS (The Movie Store; also known as Moviestore Entertainment), 1987.

Oklahoma Smugglers, Cambridge Entertainment/Sharp Features, 1987.

Stunt People (documentary), 1989.

Whispers (also known as Dean R. Koontz's "Whispers" and Whispers to Kill), 1989.

The Dance Goes On, Norstar Entertainment, 1991.

Last Resort (also known as National Lampoon's "Last Resort" and National Lampoon's "Scuba School"), Trimark Pictures, 1994.

Double Take, Cinepix Film Properties/CFP Distribution, 1997.

Watchtower (also known as Cruel and Unusual and Aux aguets), Alliance Atlantis, 2001.

The Last Hit, Caged Angel Films, 2004.

Looking for Angelina, The Galaxy Group, 2004.

Memory, Echo Bridge Entertainment, 2006.

A Broken Life, Seven Arts Pictures, 2007.

Omega Kids, 3210 Films, 2008.

Film Second Unit Director of Photography:

The Gate, New Century/Vista Film Company, 1987.

Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (also known as Battlefield Earth), Warner Bros., 2000.

Chicago (musical; also known as Chicago: The Musical), Miramax, 2002.

Silent Hill (also known as Centralia), TriStar, 2006.

Film Photographer:

Additional photographer, Terror Train (also known as Train of Terror and Le monstre du train), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1980.

Second unit photographer, Death Ship, Avco-Embassy Pictures, 1980.

Film Camera Operator:

Second unit camera operator, My Bloody Valentine (also known as The Secret), Paramount, c. 1981.

Second unit camera operator, Gas, Paramount, 1981.

Of Unknown Origin, Warner Bros., c. 1983.

Second unit camera operator, Cross Country, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1983.

Second camera operator, The Hotel New Hampshire, Orion, 1984.

Television Director of Photography; Series:

Night Heat, CBS, 1985-91.

Hot Shots, CBS, 1986-87.

Street Legal, CBC, 1986-94.

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (live action and animated), syndicated, 1987-88.

Diamonds, CBS, 1987-88, USA Network, 1988-90.

(And camera operator) My Secret Identity, syndicated, 1988-91.

Counterstrike (also known as Auf eigene Faust, Contraataque, Contragolpe, and Force de frappe), CTV (Canada) and USA Network, 1990-93.

Top Cops, CBS, 1990-93.

The Weight, The Movie Network (Canada), beginning 2008.

Television Director of Photography; Movies:

Shades of Love: Make Mine Chartreuse (also known as Make Mine Chartreuse), The Movie Network (Canada), 1987.

Shades of Love: Ballerina and the Blues (also known as Ballerina and the Blues), The Movie Network, 1988.

Captain Power: The Beginning (also known as Captain Power: Against the New Order; consists of episodes of Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future), c. 1988.

Rapture, 1993.

What Are Families For?, CBC, 1993.

Woman on the Ledge, NBC, 1993.

The Lifeforce Experiment (also known as The Breakthrough, Dead Men Talk, and Le silence de la liberte), USA Network, 1994.

Bullet to Beijing (also known as Beijing Express, Len Deighton's "Bullet to Beijing," and Peking Express), Showtime, 1995.

Closer and Closer, Lifetime, 1995.

Midnight in St. Petersburg (also known as Minuit a Saint-Petersbourg), Showtime, 1995.

The Wrong Woman, CBS, 1995.

The Conspiracy of Fear, HBO, 1996.

For Love Alone: The Ivana Trump Story (also known as Ivana Trump's "For Love Alone"), CBS, 1996.

Gone in a Heartbeat, CBS, 1996.

Night of the Twisters, Family Channel, 1996.

No Greater Love (also known as Danielle Steel's "No Greater Love"), NBC, 1996.

No One Could Protect Her (also known as ABC Sunday Night Movie), ABC, 1996.

Race against Time: The Search for Sarah, CBS, 1996.

Thunder Point (also known as Jack Higgins' "Thunder Point" and Thunderpoint), Showtime, 1996.

Windsor Protocol (also known as Jack Higgins' "Windsor Protocol"), Showtime, 1996.

The Accident (also known as The Accident: A Moment of Truth Movie), NBC, 1997.

Big and Hairy, Showtime, 1998.

A Champion's Fight (also known as A Champion's Fight: A Moment of Truth Movie, Don't Die My Love, and Shattered Hearts), NBC, 1998.

I Know What You Did (also known as Crimes of Passion: I Know What You Did and In Defense of Murder), ABC, 1998.

Loving Evangeline (also known as Harlequin's "Loving Evangeline" and En quete de verite), Showtime, 1998.

One Hot Summer Night (also known as Crimes of Passion: One Hot Summer Night, One Hot Summer Night: A Crimes of Passion Movie, and The Trophy Wife's Secret), ABC, 1998.

Perfect Little Angels, Fox Family Channel, 1998.

Playing to Win (also known as Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie), NBC, 1998.

Race against Fear (also known as Broken Silence, Race against Fear: A Moment of Truth Movie, and Sin of Silence), NBC, 1998.

Someone to Love Me (also known as Girl in the Backseat and Someone to Love Me: A Moment of Truth Movie), NBC, 1998.

Genius, Disney Channel, 1999.

Alley Cats Strike, Disney Channel, 2000.

Blind Obsession, World International Network, 2001.

Never Say Die (also known as Outside the Law), 2001.

"Home Alone: Taking Back the House" (also known as "Home Alone 4"), The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC, 2002.

Scent of Danger (also known as Scent of Murder and Sur la piste du danger), Animal Planet, 2002.

Perfect Romance (also known as Keyword: Love), Lifetime, 2004.

Confessions of an American Bride, Lifetime, 2005.

For the Love of a Child, Lifetime, 2006.

Four Extraordinary Women, Lifetime, 2006.

Maneater, Sci-Fi Channel, 2007.

To Be Fat Like Me, Lifetime, 2007.

Television Camera Operator; Movies:

The Wrong Woman, CBS, 1995.

Television Director of Photography; Specials:

Women of the World, syndicated, 1986.

Television Director of Photography; Episodic:

"Stranger in Possum Meadows," The Twilight Zone (also known as The New Twilight Zone), CBS, 1989.

Director of photography for other programs, including Beware of Dog, Animal Planet.

WRITINGS

Nonfiction:

Contributor to periodicals, including American Cinematographer, Cinema Canada, and Widescreen.