Billy Dickson Biography

You are here: Home

Scifi Shows

IQ-145

Billy Dickson Biography

Billy Dickson ASC

Director / Director of Photography/ Writer

In the last several years Billy has photographed over 200 hours of Prime time Television as well as directing many of the episodes of shows like “One Tree Hill” (Warner Bros.), Hidden Hills” (NBC) and The Award Winning “Ally McBeal” (FOX) where he was NOMINATED FOUR times for the ASC award for outstanding Cinematography in a television series And in 2001 and 2002, nominated for an Emmy award for the episodes “Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade” and “Reality Bites” which he was Director and Cinematographer.

Billy, as most people in the business know him, has been in the Motion Picture Industry since 1976. While working the graveyard shift as a computer operator on the Viking mission to Mars at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, he attended school during the day studying Telecommunications at Pasadena City College. His first few assignments were documentaries as Cameraman/Director, but quickly moved on to narrative films as an Assistant Cameraman and Camera Operator on many made for television movies. As the advent of MTV came in the early 80’s his narrative career got side tracked as he worked as a Gaffer, Grip, and Cameraman on many Rock Videos. In 1985 he was asked to shoot his first low budget feature film as Director of Photography. This quickly opened the door to many Movies and Television films.

In his career he has worked on over 15 Feature Films, 40 Television Movies and Pilots including Shows like – HBO 12 miles Of Bad Road, One Tree Hill, Hidden Hills, Ally McBeal, Pop Rocks, Halloween 6, Babylon 5, Desperado, The Big Easy, Deadly Games, and Victim of Love. His career encompasses over 600 episodes of some 25 Television Series, Mini Series and Specials. Dozens of Rock videos and Concerts for artists such as Peter Cetera, Karen Carpenter, Styx, The Doobie Brothers, Linda Ronstadt and Billy Ray Cyrus. Interspersed with over 50 Television Commercials and many Campaign Films for the United Way.

Billy spent the last year finishing up his project IQ-145 along with doing pilots and a new HBO series: 12 Miles of Bad Road starring Lily Tomlin, Gary Cole, Mary Kay Place and Ron White. The show was cancelled before airing after the writers’ strike.