Bean was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, to Judy (née Suthers) and Colin, a carpenter.

[1] After graduating from Glenmore State High School, he initially studied graphic design at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane, before he majored in film and television and earned a Diploma in Arts in 1983.

[4] In 1993, while working as a cameraman for Landline, Bean became friends with reporter Pip Courtney.

[6] On 18 August 2011, Bean, television journalist Paul Lockyer and pilot Gary Ticehurst died in a helicopter crash while filming at Lake Eyre in South Australia.

[7] In September, Bean was posthumously accredited by the Australian Cinematographers Society to use the ACS designation after his name.