Balazs Bolygo

Balazs is a cinematographer with over 25 years experience working in Features, High End TV and commercials. Balazs is a member of the Hungarian Cinematographers Association and the British Society of Cinematographers, where he also sits on the board of Governors.

Hungarian born, though raised in the home counties of England, Balazs was drawn towards cinematography through the love of photography, likely to have been hereditary being been born into a family of photographers. His foray into the film industry came the good fortune of being involved with graduation films at the NFTS and the London Film School while still a teenager, … which led him to assisting and subsequently focus pulling.

While attempting to build a career as part of a camera crew, Balazs also started shooting short films and music videos eventually ending up at the doors of the London College of Printing to gain some formal training escaped the academic lure of studying Physics at Cambridge. A Batchelor of Science degree seemed a good way to get some much-needed letters after one’s name … a favoured trend in cinematographers one noticed, though rather naively at the time.

Balazs completed his education at the National Film School and ventured into the world as a fledgling cinematographer landing his first feature film, “Fakers” in 2003. After shooting a few independent feature films, Balazs shot a few episodes of the BBC series “Hustle” in 2004 and as a result it set the seeds of a career trajectory shooting high-end television dramas.

Through “Life on Mars” (BBC), Balazs met SJ Clarkson and has successively teamed us with her on a number of television and feature projects; “Mistresses”, “Whitechapel”, “Hunted”, “Toast”, “Collateral”, “Game of Thrones Prequel” building a durable creative bond and partnership.

Balazs was proposed for BSC membership in 2013 by Phil Meheux BSC, who has been a mentor and a guiding influence to him, met during a night shoot in 1998 at Blenheim Palace in 1998 while still at film school.

Rekindling his connection to Hungary, and through a humbling moment, Balazs was invited to join the HSC in 2009 and received his membership from Vilmos Zsigmond and Lajos Koltai.

Balazs has been nominated twice for a BAFTA, as well as the ASC award, while winning an ASC Award in 2012 for his work on HBO’s “Hunted” series.