Christopher James Lewis Nationality: Australian Address: 13 Hadjigeorgaki St 1015 Nicosia Cyprus Tel: (Cyprus) +357 99 035535 Date of Birth: 10 August 1966 Languages: English, German Email: chris@crewhouse.tv Skype: crewhousechris Web: www.crewhouse.tv, www.omnifilms.org Work Experience Partner/Director of Crewhouse Media Ltd. Founder of OmniFilms Management/project management Director Producer Director of photography Live cameraman Linear and non-linear editor Additional experience: Live: In 2012 I established Crewhouse Live Services, offering live stand-ups and play-outs for international media. I manage and coordinate the operations. In 1994 I began working for EBU as a live cameraman/editor. Some of the operations I have worked on include Zaire, Albania, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Cyprus and the Pope s visit to Cameroon. In Bethlehem I was commissioned as head of technical for EBU s four camera live operation for the Pope s visit. My responsibilities included ensuring all four camera positions pictures were up to EBU standard and to solve technical issues. I filmed the event live on position 1. The live coverage went out to all EBU clients. In 2008 I supplied a request to provide the four camera positions and editing for the joint EBU/SNG/AKE/Crewhouse Media operation in Kabul, Afghanistan. I established the camera positions and was present as chief cameraman/technical support during several major events. In 2008 the BBC commissioned me as a live cameraman for stand-up positions to cover the elections in Israel. During the assignment I also provided packages. In 1998 Reuters Germany commissioned me to be the live cameraman for the election speech and ceremony for Gerhard Schroeder s election victory. The signal was broadcast to all Reuters clients.
In 1998 RTL/TeutoTele Germany recruited me as their international cameraman. The 12-month position also included live outside broadcast/stand-up work. In 1989 I was the cameraman for many TV AM live outside broadcasts. Aside from news and feature filming, TV AM also commissioned me to work as a live studio cameraman for the morning program. This continued until 1990 when I moved to Cyprus. From 1985-1989 I gained my first experience in live broadcast and outside broadcasts. First as a live studio cameraman and later I worked on several outside broadcasts, including sports. Sport: DSF commissioned me as an extra tight cameraman for many live football/bundesliga matches. My job was to concentrate on the player of the day and stay on that player as tight as possible throughout the match to capture images the live cameras could not. Working under low light with the doubler I gained a lot of confidence working under extreme conditions with a very low depth of field. DSF commissioned me on several occasions to do the hand-held live camera during football matches as the players and trainers entered the ground. This was the main shot until the game began. I covered various winter sporting events for BR (Bayerische Rundfunk), Reuters. and other private TV stations. The events included skiing, sled racing, bobsled racing, dog sled racing, horse sled racing. I worked as a cameraman on many sports stories during this period, including track and field events. In 1986 I began filming sporting events for AMV4 where I began my career. This included cricket and Australian rules football primarily. 2009 today In 2011 I was commissioned as director of photography by HWLL, a New York based production company to film the 52-minute film Return To The USS Atlanta: Defender of Guadalcanal. I filmed the topside footage in the Solomon Islands on a Canon 5DMK11. The film has won several awards at film festivals including the SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENTS award at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. In 2009 Crewhouse Media was awarded the UNDP contract in Cyprus to produce their news, feature and documentary content. In addition we produce commercials, PSA s and all related media content and arrange for the distribution of the content be it for web, TV broadcast and all aspects of distribution platforms. The two year contract was extended by a further 18 months until June 2013. I established the Crewhouse Media/Red Robot/Reuters VNR (Video News Release) distribution service, a broadcast distribution platform that now has Crewhouse Media offices established in Cyprus and Germany. We provide clients around the world with distribution of
clients messages to all the major broadcasters and over 1,000 newspapers and publisher world-wide. In 2012 I produced a 30-second TV commercial and a series of 25-, 10-second TV commercials for Frederick University in Cyprus. I continue to supply GPI (Greenpeace International) with videographer s. In 2012 I covered the three month Indian Ocean Campaign for GPI. At the same time I provided a videographer for their four month Arctic Campaign. I/Crewhouse Media provide services for the international media in Cyprus, including crewing/editing and support for clients such as ZDF, BBC, DW, Arte and Reuters. 2008 2009 GPI having used Crewhouse Media and myself to provide video services for two major campaigns, requested Crewhouse Media provide video services for many of their international campaigns globally. Utilizing our multi-skilled personnel, Crewhouse provides GPI with videographers for up to 300 days a year. Our videographers direct, produce, film and edit their news and feature content for global distribution as well as web videos and presentation films above and underwater. 2005-2007 I moved to Cyprus to form Crewhouse Media Ltd. Aside being one of 3 directors, I work as a lighting cameraman/editor/producer and director of photography for a wide range of clients new and old. We provide crewing, editing and packaging throughout the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia for BBC, ABC America, EBU, APTN, ITV, REUTERS, UN, EU, ARD and several other leading world networks. Crewhouse Media Ltd. has in addition a successful and proven track record of producing inhouse productions. 2002-2005 I was first approached by Bayerische Rundfunk to film and work as director of photography for a series of eight 30-minute documentaries entitled Bayern Feiern. Until I left Germany in December 2005, I continued this role working on eight series per year. This was in addition to my outstanding workload. 1998-2002 I began an ongoing working relationship with Reuters Television providing them with fully produced and edited packages. In October 1998 I moved to Munich where I continued working for my existing clients, including covering Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland for Reuters, and expanded into providing crewing for a growing list of local and foreign clients. 1997-1998 I moved to Ratingen in Germany where I provided my services initially for RTL. This quickly expanded to working as a freelance cameraman/editor for ARD, ZDF, RTL, EBU, DW TV and Sat1 among others. 1996-1997
I covered the Bosnia conflict for RTL Germany and provided scripted packaged for APTN in Cyprus. 1995-1996 Exclusively Bosnian war for ABC America as Cameraman/Editor. 1994-1995 Zaire/Rwanda live camera and editing for the EBU. I filmed two 45-min election specials in Germany for Sky One and moved to Budapest to work as staff operations manager for News Network. 1993-1994 Bosnian war for BBC, ZDF and Sky news Kuwait elections for BBC Israel for BBC Iraq sanctions for ZDF 1991-1993 Turkey earthquake for BBC Iraq sanctions for ZDF Israel, three times for BBC Libya sanctions, twice sanctions for BBC Belgrade/Sarajevo elections and war for ZDF Croatia elections for ZDF Lebanon, twice for BBC Middle East traveling report for American Documentary series Middle East peace process in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Syria Interviews with all of the state leaders Somalia, before and after the U.S landing for ZDF. 1990-1991 I moved to Cyprus to work as a freelance lighting cameraman/editor: Jordan and Turkey for ZDF Serbia for BBC Syria hostage releases, three times for CNN and Sat 1 Croatian war for ZDF Iran/Kurdistan Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq for TV Denmark. 1989-1990 In March I moved to London to gather more experience. There I worked as a freelance cameraman for BBC, TV AM, CH's 7 & 9 Australia among others. 1987-1989 Cine Camera A camera classification and promoted to production cameraman for AMV 4, Prime Television. In addition to my work as lighting/cameraman for the production of commercials I was responsible for filming the majority of content for local programs and worked as assistant director on several commercial productions. 1985-1987 Staff position as a trainee for AMV 4 Television in Albury, Australia.
1983-1985 Studying photography with renowned Australian Photographer Fred Macauley.