Kristian Barrass - Freelance Lighting TV Camera Operator & DOP
Broadcast quality camerawork for factual TV, corporate & brand content in Yorkshire and the whole UK
30 years experience in entertainment, lifestyle, documentaries, sports, news & brand content
Bio
I’m Kristian Barrass, an award-winning broadcast lighting camera operator and DOP with over 30 years experience working across UK and international television. I’m used to filming in demanding, fast-changing environments and pride myself on delivering calm, reliable, broadcast-standard results — both creatively and technically.
My work spans presenter-led lifestyle and entertainment programmes, fast-paced sports shows, sensitive documentaries, breaking news, and high-end corporate and branded content.
Whatever the format, I approach each production with the same focus: strong storytelling, well-crafted images, and a smooth working relationship with the production team.
Recent credits include Grand Designs (Channel 4) and Netflix productions such as My Lover, My Killer, Kill Thy Neighbour and Sunderland ’Til I Die. I continue to work regularly for BBC News (1 O’Clock, 10 O’Clock, Breakfast and News Channel), ITV News and Channel 4 News, as well as international broadcasters including ABC and Channel 10 in Australia, and ZDF and ARD in Germany.
I’m confident working independently when productions don’t have the time or budget to send a director or producer, and I regularly self-direct and conduct interviews. I also work as a directing self-shooter, including on BBC One’s Car Wars, as well as on a wide range of corporate and branded projects for leading production companies.
I’m an owner-operator shooting on Sony FX9 and Sony A7S III camera systems, with a full range of broadcast-ready lenses and stabilisation. I’m also a CAA-approved drone operator and experienced in live and remote broadcasting, having worked extensively with satellite trucks, LiveU, Mobile View, WMT IP streaming and fibre-based solutions.
Location editing and fast turnaround delivery are available when required, allowing productions to move quickly without compromising quality.
Being based near Hull and the Humber region has led to numerous assignments in the petrochemical and renewable energy sectors including filming projects at INEOS, Orsted,
I-Gas, BP and Dong Energy - both on and off shore.
I began my career in 1994 as a trainee multi-skilled operator at ITV Yorkshire. I quickly progressed to staff camera operator, working across news, sport, current affairs, and magazine shows. I was later selected as ITV Yorkshire’s first-ever dedicated sports camera operator, before moving to international sports broadcaster Sky Sports, where I spent several years as a contracted lighting camera operator covering the full spectrum of programming across the UK and Europe. During this time, I worked on numerous high-profile sporting events and broadcasts.
In 2003, I turned freelance. While Sky Sports remained a key client, I expanded into mainstream network production, working with all of the UK’s major broadcasters, Netflix, and leading independent production companies. My freelance work spans factual, entertainment, lifestyle, sports, news and brand storytelling for some of the world’s biggest businesses, combining creativity, technical expertise, and reliability to deliver high-quality results on every shoot.
