BobAllen
- Sound
Starting with the National Film Unit in 1943, Bob Allen’s career as a motion picture sound recordist covered six decades. Based in the UK from 1953, he worked with well-known directors including Fred Zinnemann (Allen's work on The Day of the Jackal was BAFTA-nominated). He returned to his homeland to share his knowledge and experience as New Zealand feature filmmaking blossomed; and later to retire.
Screenography
Biography
Robert Ewen Gordon (Bob) Allen was born in 1925. In that year the first public demonstrations of sound-on-film motion pictures were given in New Zealand. By the time Allen started school the ‘talkie’ revolution had swept aside silent pictures, and introduced a new career prospect: recording motion picture sound. At the age of 18 he joined the National Film Unit as a film production assistant, working alongside Geoffrey Scot recording soundtracks for Weekly Review and other films.
Awards
1988 New Zealand Film and TV Awards
Best Contribution to a Film Soundtrack (shared with Gethin Creagh and Mike Hopkins): for Illustrious Energy
1978 Australian Film Institute Awards
Nominated for Achievement in Sound (with William Anderson, Peter Burgess, Dean Gawen and Gerry Humphreys) for: The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
“I am fortunate enough to have had the privilege and pleasure of working for Mr Zinnemann and consider The Day of the Jackal the high spot of my career.”