Hedley Trigge
WINNER: Hard News

Australian
"Oldham Riots"
Shot May 2001
BBC News

Judge's Comment "His camerawork is consistently outstanding. He is a consummate professional despite difficult circumstances."

Twice a finalist in the Rory Peck Awards, Hedley Trigge has been referred to as "the cameraman that every journalist would like to be send out with to cover a story."

Oldham was unfamiliar territory. Hedley Trigge and the crew spent most of the day driving around, getting a feel for the city. They were there because, while covering the UK elections for the BBC, word had reached them that the National Front and the British National Party were going to be in Oldham. This reconnaissance was to serve Hedley well later that day.

There was tension everywhere he filmed. Finding National Front supporters outside a suburban pub, Hedley filmed as police slowly surrounded the venue. Later he learnt that, concerned the film would be used by the police to identify them, the supporters were planning to attack the camera crew. After several hours the police dispersed the supporters into small groups and, as they made their way to the city centre, Hedley tried to film them but was chased off and under threat of being trapped between two or more groups of National Front supporters in the streets. Later that night, Hedley was able to make use of the knowledge he had gained earlier in the day. Trouble flared up in an Asian residential area following claims that National Front supporters had been damaging Asian property. Navigating through the back streets, stopping on the way to put on flack jackets, the team drove to the heart of the riot, where petrol bombs, missiles, rocks and broken bottles were being thrown.
When police tried to prevent Hedley from filming, he used his understanding of the street layout and, aware of the danger of rioters coming from behind and being trapped in the alleys, he found other angles from which to film. Hedley had made contact with the rioters, but being drawn too far into the action would have jeopardised his filming position, his colleagues' safety and their planned escape route. He had also gained the trust of a police chief of operations, and was aware of the delicate balance of filming inside police lines, not getting in their way, and being close enough to film the rioters as objects flew past him. This was a mix of strategy and cool that enabled Hedley to continue filming as the riot police surged forward to take control of the suburb.

BIOGRAPHY
Hedley Trigge was born in Ipswich, Australia in 1962 and has worked all over the world. From 1986-7 he was President of the Australian Cinematographers Society in South Australia. In 1987 he was contracted to Network 10's London Bureau, and after the bureau closed , Hedley decided to work as a freelancer in London then Cyprus. He covered the Gulf War with the BBC and events in the Middle East for ABC Australia based in Amman, Jordan until 1994. During this time he was awarded two of the Australian Cinematography Society's Golden Tripod Awards for films about Somalia's internal conflict. In 1997, still in Jordan, he and his wife Carolynn set up the successful company Crewcut Pictures and continued to freelance. In 1999 after being in the Middle East for 9 years, they relocated Crewcut Pictures to London, where Hedley continues to freelance for production companies and broadcasters all over the world.

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