Camera Operator: Fall 2018 by Society of Camera Operators

SOC.ORG Â· FALL 2018

VOL. 27, NO.4

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS . FALL 2018

VENOM

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

CREATING MOMENTS THROUGH MOVEMENT SINCE 1945

2018 SCI TECH AWARD WINNING HYDRASCOPE

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CONTENTS 12

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 6 NEWS & NOTES

12 IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

NAB CCW New York Panel, Celebrate the Holidays, Sean Savage New President of ACO, and more

8 ESTABLISHING SHOT Selene Richholt, SOC

30 TECH TALK Technology Award Nominees for the January 26, 2019 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards

34 SMOOTH OPERATOR

"Revisiting History" Michael Fuchs, SOC

20 VENOM "Double Take with Venom" by Christopher T.J. McGuire, SOC

26 FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD "Who Will Change the Future?" with Vincent McGahon, ACO an interview by Kate McCallum ON THE COVER: On the set of VENOM: Eddie (Tom Hardy) sees his reflection as Venom for the first time and all of a sudden has super strength. Photo by Frank Masi

"We’ll Do it Live: The Art and Craft of the Live Operator" David Liebling, SOC

40 INSIGHT Meet the Members

26 CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

41 SOC ROSTER 43 AD INDEX 44 SOCIAL SOC

8 1

Society of Camera Operators Board of Governors OFFICERS President George Billinger 1st Vice President Mitch Dubin 2nd Vice President Dan Turrett Secretary Susan Campbell Treasurer Bill McClelland Sergeant-at-Arms Dan Gold

BOARD MEMBERS Bonnie Blake David Emmerichs Eric Fletcher Michael Frediani Chris Haarhoff Geoffrey Haley David Sammons Lisa Stacilauskas Dave Thompson

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards George Billinger, Mitch Dubin, Dan Gold, Bill McClelland, Dave Thompson, Dan Turrett, Geoffrey Haley,

Will Arnot, Rob Vuona Charities Alicia Robbins Events Mark August Historical Mike Frediani Membership Dan Gold, Dan Turrett Technical Standards Eric Fletcher Education David Sammons

STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Membership Services & Operations Coordinator John Bosson Bookkeeper Angela Delgado Calligrapher Carrie Imai Business Consultant Kristin Petrovich and Createasphere

CAMERA OPERATOR MAGAZINE Publishing Consultant Kristin Petrovich Managing Editor Kate McCallum Layout & Production Stephanie Cameron Advertising Derek Stettler

CONTRIBUTORS Joseph Arena, SOC George Billinger, SOC Michael Fuchs, SOC David Liebling, SOC Kate McCallum Vincent McGahon, ACO Christopher T.J. McGuire, SOC Selene Richholt, SOC Andy Sparaco, SOC Ian S. Takahashi, SOC Jamie "J.T" Trent, SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY Luke Askelson Jap Buitendijik Greg Endries Michael Frediani, SOC Frank Masi Tatum Mangus Robin Mueller Elisabeth Nevin-Woods Dave O'Brien Selene Richholt, SOC Andrew Rolands P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC

Daniel Smith Andrew White

TRIVIA Source imdb.com

TO SUBSCRIBE or for subscription information questions: SOC.org or 818-563-9110

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION (818) 563- 9110 or socoffice@soc.org For digital editions and back issues: SOC.org Camera Operator is a quarterly publication, published by the Society of Camera Operators.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CW Sonderoptic has become Leitz. Over a century ago in Wetzlar, Germany, Leica founder Ernst Leitz began a tradition of optical excellence that revolutionized photography and directly informed our design of the Leica cine lenses. CW Sonderoptic has taken on the name Leitz to recognize this legacy and continue the tradition of craftsmanship and innovation in service of the filmmaking community.

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CAMERA OPERATOR Âˇ FALL 2018

Letter from the President Dear SOC Members and Camera Operator Readers: Congratulations to the SOC! Due to your support and a successful membership drive, we’ve now reached over 1,000 members! In 2019, the SOC will be proudly marking its 40th Anniversary. As we reach this prestigious benchmark, the Board of Governors is dedicated to ensuring another 40 years of celebrating and strengthening the time-honored craft of the camera operator. Let’s celebrate these milestones and continue our efforts to keep growing the SOC into a strong, dynamic organization that supports and upholds the role of camera operator. Our mission statement reads, “The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) advances the art, craft, and creative contributions of the camera operator.”  We are confident that you share the same mission and as such, ask that you continue to participate in the SOC, and also encourage your fellow colleagues to join the SOC, thus helping to insure the future of our great craft. I hope that you each enjoyed a productive and fulfilling summer. As we usher in and embrace the fall, we’re looking forward to the 2019 awards season with renewed anticipation. The SOC is thrilled to once again be presenting our SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Loews Hotel Hollywood, on Saturday January 26, 2019. We are expecting to have a sell-out show so if you are interested in purchasing seats, please find information at socawards.com. The SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards are one of the cornerstones of the Society. The SOC Awards provide a platform to pay tribute to our industry’s best and brightest in their respective fields. We look to honor those who have achieved a lifetime of dedication and commitment to the artistry and craft that defines the Camera Department. We also honor those who have exhibited exceptional mastery of their operating and technical skills in film and television—and we acknowledge the ever-advancing technologies that enable us to create these indelible pieces of work. It is always with honor, gratitude and excitement that we are able to present these Awards. Wishing you all a beautiful fall and joyous holiday season. I hope to see many of you at our upcoming SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards in January!

George Billinger, SOC Society of Camera Operators, President

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

New Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K! Next generation digital film camera with dual gain ISO, 4/3 sensor and USB-C recording! The revolutionary new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K puts the latest digital film technology in the palm of your hand! Featuring a 4/3 size sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range and dual gain ISO up to 25,600, you get stunning HDR images and incredible low light performance! It’s also the first digital film camera with a USB-C Expansion Port so you can record directly to high capacity portable flash or SSD drives! The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K features controls for quickly accessing essential functions and a large 5" touchscreen for framing shots, easy focus and changing settings. You get ProRes and even native RAW recording to SD/UHS-II or CFast 2.0 cards, along with an MFT lens mount, built-in microphones, mini XLR mic input, HDMI monitoring with overlays, Bluetooth and more!

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SEAN SAVAGE, ASSOC BSC, ACO, SOC NEW PRESIDENT OF ACO Our partner organization, the Association of Camera Operators, based in the UK, have announced their new President is Sean Savage. Sean has gained international recognition for his work on Game of Thrones and many other memorable projects, he is a camera operator of the highest order and is eager to promote the art of camera operating on behalf of the ACO and its many friends. Sean was nominated in 2017 for Camera Operator of the Year for his work on Game of Thrones and is Active Member with the SOC. We look forward to Sean’s leadership in elevating the position of camera operator internationally and our continued relationship between the SOC and ACO.

NAB CCW NEW YORK PANEL On October 17 the SOC provided a panel for the NAB CCW New York event called The Collaboration of Sneaky Pete. Chris Haine moderated a conversation between A camera operator, Jeff Muhlstock, SOC and B camera operator, Todd Armitage from Amazon’s Sneaky Pete. They discussed the nature of their collaboration and partnership on set, the gear and technology they work with and how it effects the look of the show, and they reviewed how they achieve the most creativity and set efficiency on this American drama series. They also disscussed the roles of the crew on a fast-paced production, and how each department’s contribution makes for better storytelling.

News & Notes SOC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS SHOW SAVE THE DATE! JANUARY 26, 2019 Come join your peers and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the SOC The Awards show will take place at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. Doors open at 5pm. Visit the website at socawards.com to purchase your seat or table.

GENERAL BREAKFAST MEETING The SOC General Breakfast Meeting took place on October 21 atTiffen, Burbank California offices. Members had the chance to meet the Board of Governors, discuss current Society objectives, and network with peers over breakfast. The meeting was followed by a presentation by Snehal Patel of ZEISS - Supreme Prime lenses and learn about full frame cinematography.

Photo by Selene Richholt, SOC

Photo by Michael Frediani, SOC

Calendar DECEMBER •

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS The Society will host holiday parties in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Members will be notified of dates and locations in emails and on the website.

December 1 Tech Award Demo Days at SOC Offices, Burbank

JANUARY •

January 26, 2019 “Save the Date” SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards

MORE EVENTS Please log onto soc.org to see all upcoming happenings

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Nancy Schreiber, ASC

Establishing Shot by Selene Richholt, SOC

Richholt on the set of SURVIVOR in 2009. Photo courtesy of Selene Richholt

I took my first selfie in 1986, sitting in my aunt’s lap while I was home sick with the chicken pox. My aunt was in her early-20s at the time, and she had a medium format 4x5 film camera. This picture is still on my wall at home today—the bulb is in my 4-year-old hands and I’m giving it a squeeze. This same camera eventually became my mother’s, and I spent countless hours sitting next to her in the dirt in the high desert of New Mexico, silhouetted in the predawn light as she set up a shot we had driven two hours to get. So for me it was always camera. I learned from my mother the patience and pre-planning it can take to capture a moment, and from my aunt the opposite—sometimes you just have to click the shutter. I spent high school in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the darkroom and I went to film school at Boston University where my focus of study was cinematography. I was at BU when they transitioned from film to digital. My first two years were analog on a Steenbeck, my

last two years on an Avid. I graduated in 2004 with a B.S. in Film Production and moved to NYC, where I still live and work. In 2005, I met Paul Korver, founder of Fifty Foot Films, an event cinematography company that specialized in high-end weddings shot on motion picture film. It was one of those moments that rarely happens in life—the perfect job had landed right in front of me. We shot on Canon Scoopics, which is still my favorite camera in the world. It takes 100’ daylight spools and has a 12.5-75mm 2.2 lens with a macro. Each load was two minutes and 50 seconds. There was a time when I could consistently download and load a Scoopic in less than 20 seconds—they always rolled out at the most crucial times. I filmed weddings all over the country, and the world, for Fifty Foot Films. We did an epic seven million dollar wedding at the Hotel du Cap Eden Rock on super16mm with Arri 416s, and an elaborate wedding on the big island of Hawaii on

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Top, L-R: Selene with Albert Maysles in 2010. Selene at 4 years old. Photos courtesy of Selene Richholt. Bottom, L-R: Richholt operating during a food fight scene, photo courtesy of Selene Richholt. Selene operating on PROJECT RUNWAY Season 16, photo by Greg Endries, L600 set photographer.

35mm where Stevie Wonder was the surprise musical guest. Over the years, I’ve shot thousands of feet of film in a real-life, documentary-style environment. There was a wedding on a farm in Massachusetts where we were shooting the film and Albert Maysles was there filming the video with his team, doing testimonials for the newlyweds. He and I had dessert together after our crew meal, and he told me a story that I’m certain he’s told thousands of young acolytes over the years. He said to me that the most important quality to have as a documentarian is patience. You have to wait for the moment to happen—even when you’re burning film. He told me that’s why he loved video so much; he was happy to abandon film for video because it allowed him to be more patient. During this time, I spent two years day playing on Guiding Light during the death knell of the soap operas. In an effort to change the feel and structure of a 50-year-old television show, CBS brought

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

the show out of the studio to a location in New Jersey, hiring a separate young, non-union crew to film the show in a multi-cam style. We shot four cameras simultaneously, two crosses, a wide, and the forth camera just found a good shot. That was my favorite spot—finding something useful that the director didn’t already have. Ellen Wheeler directed that show when I was there and I learned so much from her about communicating with actors. Any time an actor said they were unhappy with their performance after we had shot their scene, Ellen would simply tell the crew to go back to one and we would reshoot it. It was literally faster for us to reshoot a scene than it was for her to have a conversation with the actor about what exactly it was that they were unhappy with. We averaged 50 pages a day on Guiding Light. I also did press work for CBS and in 2008, I was sent to Brazil to cover Survivor. This was the first trip—I’ve since been back for 12

seasons of EPKs. At the time, it was the first really big unscripted set I had ever been on, and I didn’t totally understand what a camera line was. I knew in theory, but when I actually had to figure out where I could be, this little B.T.S. shooter with my Panasonic HVX200, it was overwhelming. Seeing how Survivor was made sparked my interest in big multi-cam shows. And that’s what I do today. I work as an operator, primarily on unscripted competition shows. I met one of my greatest mentors, director Michael Pearlman, DGA, on a pilot for a cooking show in 2013. Michael directs Chopped for the Food Network and started hiring me to operate shortly after we first worked together. Chopped is, in essence, a game show. It’s the same show every day, and yet it’s always different. The crew there is like family and I’m pretty new—they’ve been together since 2006 with almost zero turnover. It’s my favorite job in the industry. We shoot on the best camera for unscripted, the Sony F800 with both the wide and the standard lens. I once spent an hour on a beach with Bertram vanMunster, the creator and director of the The Amazing Race, waiting for the cast to run by. He told me, and I agree completely, that on an F800 with the wide lens you can shoot any story anywhere in the world. That camera is what I imagine an instrument is like for someone who plays music—you think the shot and you have it. I joined Local 600 as an operator in 2014. Michael Pearlman was the catalyst; he also directs Project Runway Allstars and he offered me a spot on his team if I wanted to join. It was a no-brainer. I considered joining earlier in my career as an AC and I decided against it, mostly because I didn’t want a career as an assistant. I had the 100 days non-union as an operator so it was a simple process. At the time I was the 99th female operator in all of Local 600. (Today there are 129.) Since joining I’ve become involved in the women’s forum here in the eastern region, and this year I became the co-chair of the newly formed Unscripted Working Group. I’m passionate about women in camera and how to create more space for women in the camera department. I’m so grateful to the unscripted industry because it has provided me with so much opportunity to operate. I have worn a camera

Photo by Robin Mueller

SELENE RICHHOLT, SOC Selene Richholt, SOC, has been operating in unscripted television for 10 years. She has worked on Chopped, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, Star Talk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and The Mind of a Chef. Her dream is to operate on the first reality show in outer space.

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS . FALL 2017. FALL 2016 SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS

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I joined the SOC at the beginning of this year and I’m thrilled to be a part of such a talented group of colleagues. I feel so lucky to be a camera operator at a time when the opportunities to create are so vast and the technology is so advanced that if we can imagine it, we can achieve it.

CAMERA OPERATOR

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS . WINTER 2018 SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS WINTER 2015 VOL. 24, NO. 1

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

on my shoulder for more than 10,000 hours and counting. There’s a Zen theory of happiness that you’re happiest when you don’t have a moment to think about whether or not you’re happy. To me, that’s doc-style operating. You’re simultaneously there and not there. You’re looking at someone, but you’re looking through glass. You’re listening to them and thinking about what they’re feeling and what they may do next. You’re anticipating but there’s no certainty. You’re patiently ready.

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Filters are an essential part of Kees Van Oostrum’s toolkit. “Filters give you the ability to creatively influence the image as cinematographer,” he explains. “They say, Do it in post, and it’s partially true, but I don’t think it’s the same look. When you use a filter in a particular scene, it’s in the spur of the moment —an inspiration to what you are creating.” Take diopters. Van Oostrum is a fan of anamorphics but working indoors he’s had to make concessions due to their inability to maintain close focus—until Schneider Diopters solved the issue. “I was elated when Schneider came out with more diopter strengths that start at an eighth, then a quarter, then go to the half and a three quarter. Before, it went from half to one—a huge jump. These new diopters have a vital use with anamorphics and zooms too, because they never focus as close as primes. It has liberated me.” For more on the unique effect Kees came up with using split diopters, visit schneideroptics.com

Van Oostrum ASC Pairs Diopters with Anamorphics Kees Van Oostrum ASC lensed the Emmy®-winning documentary The Last Chance, and earned additional Emmy nominations for the telefilms Miss Rose White and Return to Lonesome Dove, for which he received the 1994 ASC Outstanding Achievement Award for

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cinematography in a television movie. His diverse work includes feature films Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, Dark Hearts and he is currently Director of Photography for the successful series The Fosters.

If Beale Street Could Talk Revisiting History by Michael Fuchs, SOC

If Beale Street Could Talk is adapted from the 1974 novel by the American writer James Baldwin. In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. On the set of IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK Photo Credit: Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

TRIVIA: The title of the novel, If Beale Street Could Talk, is a reference to the blues song "Beale Street Blues," a 1916 song by American composer and lyricist W.C. Handy. The title refers to Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, the main entertainment district for the city's African American population in the early part of the 20th century, and a place closely associated with the development of the blues.

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

When I heard the filmmakers, who had recently won a crazy Best Picture Oscar for Moonlight, were coming to town to make their next feature I was instantly thinking, “Hmmmm, how can I be a part of this project?” Someone was talking about it on the camera truck of a job I was on at the time, and the next thing I knew the DP of that job was recommending me to James Laxton, the cinematographer of If Beale Street Could Talk.

every weekend. Needless to say, I knew then, but greatly appreciate now, how special it is to continue to be part of a team still creating and collaborating together. I was fortunate to have been asked to join the Florida State crew having never worked with them before, and felt privileged to be entrusted with the A camera/Steadicam position.

FLORIDA STATE

Working with Barry Jenkins, James, and the extremely talented cast was a memorable experience. Shooting in the fall of 2017, predominantly in Harlem where the book and script are set, was a month of work I’ll always have vivid memories of. Our locations were transformed back to the 70’s due to the incredible work of production designer Mark Friedberg and costume designer Caroline Eselin. Barry enjoys the process of creating and never wants to rule out anything even if it means the magic he’s looking for may

I was honored to be invited to the project and was excited about the opportunity to join the team. I really enjoyed Moonlight and knew the crew involved was a very tight-knit collection of people that came together at Florida State. Some of the best filmmaking experiences of my life occurred while I was in college at Northwestern University, where I met my closest friends, making shorts and music videos together while learning by doing almost

THE 70’S LOOK AND FEEL

TECH ON SET:

ALEXA 65; Prim e DNA lenses; Hawk 150-450 zoom ; Pro II Steadicam ; Mixture of fluid heads, ge ared heads, remote heads; Technocranes , Hydrascope cr ane; Human Should ers

take a few different passes or approaches to find. For most scenes, Barry and James had designed very specific shots and/or coverage. At times, we would execute those plans and then embark on the less rehearsed versions where we would start to go back and forth between characters, looking to connect dialogue as opposed to relying on the edit or moving the camera in different ways to see if some unexpected accents to the scene could

Stephan James as Fonny and KiKi Layne as Tish star in Barry Jenkins' IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, an Annapurna Pictures release.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

be found. As an operator I’m still learning how to go with the flow and concern myself less with technical perfection when shots change or different approaches are being tried throughout a scene. Most of the time it is about not thinking and “Zenning” during a shot anyway. Right?

THE FREEDOM TO IMPROVISE I was given a few scenes with real freedom to improvise, which I assume all operators enjoy. Lugging around the Alexa 65 on an Easyrig shooting young Tish and Fonny in a blue bathroom tub, and walking in the street at magic hour doing a hand-held scene of the young adults in love were both fun to shoot. Although the 65 is on the heavier side, it is amazing how nicely it wants to sit on your shoulder, as long as it’s balanced, and slowly crush your spine. The same could be said of

the camera on the Steadicam. Since it’s wider than your average digital camera it brings back the sensation of having film on the rig again, even if there is no familiar sound accompanying it. On the more precise side, the birth sequence was an enjoyable challenge. It required using a Hydrascope crane that barely fit into a college fitness facility where we used a large pool to create the sensation of the camera traveling up from underwater as it approaches a floating baby. From there, the shot is stitched into the second half, handheld, where you see the baby delivered from grandmother to new mother in the tub. It is nice to have technology like QTAKE to be able to superimpose the head of the second half of the shot on the monitor while I line up and attempt to execute the first half of the shot on the crane.

HAVING YOUR BABY I will never forget the energy in the room when most of the cast was gathered in an actual Harlem brownstone living room to hear Tish announce that she was going to have Fonny’s baby. We barely had room to move the camera, but we didn't need to with the weight of what was at stake for these two families. Each actor/actress was so electric in their responses and positions taken on the matter, that we just needed to be sure no one blocked anyone during a take. The look Aunjanue Ellis gives Regina King before she leaves the apartment to digest the news further is one that will be with me for a long time.

COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY Hopefully this film stands up as a worthy extension of the original work by James

TRIVIA: 2016 Oscar-winning director, Barry Jenkins was quoted saying “When I adapted the book, I wrote it the same time I wrote Moonlight. I didn’t have the rights. It created a pressure-free environment so I thought nobody would ever see this…because of that I freed myself up.” Camera operator Michael Fuchs on the set of IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, an Annapurna Pictures release. Photo Credit: Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost) BTS on set. Photo by Ben Rothstein

CAMERA OPERATOR Â· FALL 2018

Baldwin. It was a pleasure to be involved in the process to make that happen, and I hope I get another chance to be challenged by great literature again soon. Special thanks to 1st AC Nick Hyun, and 2nd AC Jan Burgess who were so dependable and awesome throughout the shoot. Dolly grip, Rishad Clinton allowed us to execute elegant dolly and crane work as well. I was very fortunate to have them alongside.

TRIVIA: The first trailer for If Beale Street Could Talk was released on August 2, 2018, which would have been the 94th birthday of novelist James Baldwin.

MICHAEL FUCHS, SOC Michael has been working as a camera operator based in New York City for the past 10 years. Over the course of his career he has worked with great people who happen to be cinematographers such as; Rodrigo Prieto, Bradford Young, Darius Khondji, and Ellen Kuras. Coming from the indie world as an operator, Michael is thrilled to be working on the types of projects he is today in addition to having health insurance. Recent titles include; You Were Never Really Here, The Old Man & the Gun, Ben is Back, and an awesome untitled project in Cuba for Childish Gambino and Rihanna.  Photo by Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures

Top: (L to R) Actor Stephan James, director Barry Jenkins, and actor KiKi Layne on the set of IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Middle: Director Barry Jenkins and actor KiKi Layne on the set of IF BEALESTREET COULD TALK. Bottom: Cinematographer James Laxton and camera operator Michael Fuchs, SOC on the set of IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Photo Credits: Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR Â· FALL 2018

Venom Double Take with Venom by Christopher T.J. McGuire, SOC

Photo by Anne Marie Fox

VENOM, courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Journalist Eddie Brock is trying to take down Carlton Drake, the notorious and brilliant founder of the Life Foundation. While investigating one of Drake's experiments, Eddie's body merges with the alien Venom—leaving him with superhuman strength and power. Twisted, dark and fueled by rage, Venom tries to control the new and dangerous abilities that Eddie finds so intoxicating. 20

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Late 2007, in an old communist building in a freezing Bulgaria, I met a guy that was keen to know about my tattoos, and more about how I found myself to be in Bulgaria working on a movie starring Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. This was my first meeting with Tom Hardy. Since then I’ve been proud to have watched his rise through the ranks to become one of the most prolific actors of my generation. So, when I got the chance to work with him again it truly was a double take, not only that we’d be working together once again, but that he’d be doubling up on his acting duties by playing both Eddie Brock and the titular symbiote Venom.

and Stewart Smith came in to for additional camera days.

THE TEAM

HOW WE USED THE TECH

Another creative genius, DP Matty Libatique was to lead the camera department into battle with a great crew, predominantly from Atlanta, Georgia including; gaffer, Dan Cornwall and key grip, Kerry Rawlins.

I’ve fought the battle, as most Steadicam guys have been doing and are still doing, in accepting the Movi/Ronin2 Gimbal Stabilizers into our arena of camera stabilization and movement–I felt that I was going to be educated properly in applying in its viability with Matty and Chris. After observing their relationship with regards to how Matty wanted to use the Movi / Antigravity rig for certain situations, the language he wanted to use started to make sense.

My A camera key first AC was John Holmes, and our 2nd AC, Joey O’Donnell are both California exports, although Joey is an Emerald Isle export thru and through! The director, Ruben Fleischer was sure to maintain a strong human relevance to the story especially with Eddie and Anne’s (Michelle Williams) relationship, and also kindly shared many stories from his time producing and directing Rob Dyrdek's Rob & Big!

DIVING IN The first major sequence we shot was on stage at Black Hall south of Atlanta, was a San Francisco apartment belonging to Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) where he has the realization that something is wrong and that something has possession of him. We shot 3/4 cameras on the scene and Matty Libatique was able to fully utilize angles for most action coverage. So, there was a mixture of Steadicam, Movi, fluid head operated and locked off cameras. Our B camera operator was Michael Watson who brought game to the shoot and was always in tune with my thoughts for the narrative to embellish Matty’s own thinking

I also employed the Betz Twister for some quick hand-held shots which enabled me to quickly whip pan the camera with ease–the Twister sits on the docking pin of my GPI Pro Atlas Arm so it still has a degree of ‘Steadicam’ stabilization. I had used the Twister first on Godzilla: King of Monsters for close quarters inside an Osprey helicopter with the ARRI 65. I was excited to learn that Matty was going to bring Chris Herr, his Movi tech from Los Angeles, they had collaborated previously on Straight out of Compton and A Star is Born.

Chris Herr adds, the Freefly Movi gimbal was applied in a variety of unique ways on Venom, showing how versatile of a tool it can be. It served as a stabilized hand-held for doing quick movements as Venom threw people around the room. Weighing in at around 25 pounds we were able to do some really quick moves that followed Venom’s rapid and long distance fighting style. We combined the Movi with the AntigravityCam from Cinema Devices to give us a huge range of motion to cover anything from a small symbiote crawling on the ground to a nine-foot tall Venom in his final form. In the scene where Carlton Drake is conducting an experiment on a human subject, we used the AntigravityCam’s floor-to-ceiling boom range to follow our symbiote out of its tank, onto the floor, across the room, and up our actor’s leg. We were able to pick up this shot without extensive pre-planning, Lambda heads, or laying down a dance floor.

TECH O N S E T:

2 x ARRI ALE XA SXT’s 2 x ARRI ALE XA MINI COOKE ANA MORPHIC LE NS TODD-AO A NAMORPHIC LENS ANGENIEUX LENS COOKE LEN S ZEISS LENS

MOVIE MAGIC On various occasions we used the Movi with the Flowcine Black Arm mounted to a dolly to get long tracking shots without having to lay track. We weren't restricted to one axis of movement and maintained the precision of movement that a dolly offers.  The Movi also served as our remote head for jib work, and as a small hot head we could hide in corners or deeper in the set where we couldn't hide an operator. The Movi and antigravity vest came in handy shooting Eddie Brock walking through uneven terrain in the woods. I used the 1A Tools Alpha wheels to remote operate the head as I moved it through our set focusing on the camera path and obstacles on the ground.  Using the Movi with Chris and Matty in a true narrative form convinced me to add the DJI Ronin 2 to my own folio of equipment. I decided to get serious with the auxiliary equipment and have DJI MasterWheels, Force Pro, ReadyRig, and a GFM Mini Stabilizer arm as well as many plates and accessories provided by Pedro over at Cinemilled. We probably used Steadicam and Movi on a Par, it was interesting to see that my choice of tool was in tune with how Matty thought about setups.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT The reveal of the symbiotes as Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) opens the back of his secured armored vehicle was easily attained by an under slung slider and the Movi. Although the Movi was deployed faithfully, Steadicam was the application for exposition and transportation along with a technocrane and libra head.

While Eddie Brock struggles with Venom in the morality of being a host for a violent alien lifeform he walked the streets of San Francisco regularly throughout the movie. Using the MK-V Infinity base system came in useful for its lighter setup with the ARRI Mini and sometimes for maximum stability I’d use the Betz Wave and the Back Stage Shotsaver Dolly for long takes with quick turnarounds. Tom preferred to get into a rhythm and flow carrying two characters along the street so therefore we’d quickly reset and go again. Tom Hardy brought the symbiote character Venom to life by puppeteering Eddie Brock in all of the scenes, he’d pre-record the Venom's dialogue and then acted against the playback of Venom in his ear while in the Eddie Brock character. So, therefore it was important to always be wearing production sound so that you would hear both the characters and be able to anticipate what Tom (Eddie) might do with regards to his internal reactions to Venom’s ridiculous ideas. We also used various stabilized heads other than the Movi. Generally, we used the Libra for normal crane and traveling shots, but we also used the Occulus head for programmed moves with the Scorpio Arm. We applied this for the scene in which Venom wipes out the control room in Carlton Drake’s launch and experimental facility.

TRIVIA: Tom Hardy's son, Louis Thomas Hardy is a fan of Venom, and Hardy took the role to please him. "I wanted to do something my son could watch. So I did something where I bite people's heads off." Louis also guided his father on how to appropriately portray Brock/ Venom, since Hardy didn't know the character very well. We also used the Movi and Libra for sequences on the dolly and tracking vehicles– when using the remote head on a dolly it allows for smaller areas and easier maneuverability–enabling my dolly grip, Alan ‘Moose’ Howery to quickly move the dolly around the smaller spaces. We shot a mix of spherical and anamorphic lenses–depending on whether Venom would be a part of the scene, which would allow us to make room for his physicality in frame. John Holmes, 1st AC and Matty’s regular 2nd, Joey O’Donnell were paramount to quick camera set-ups and were more than capably backed up by B-camera 1st Jeff ‘Waco’ Civa, and 2nd Billy McConnell. It was a pleasure to work with a great crew across the board in Atlanta and San Francisco and excellent to catch up with alter ego of Venom.

28mm T1.5 FF 40mm T1.5 FF 105mm T1.5 FF Three new high-speed primes. Crafted to achieve a higher degree of cinematic expression.

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TRIVIA: The filmmakers cite the films of horror directors John Carpenter and  David Cronenberg as an influence on the film, as well as the horror comedy films An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984). Photo by Stephane Malenfant Shooting the fight between Eddie and Carlton as they morph into Venon and Riot. Photo by Frank Masi

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR Â· FALL 2018

Christopher T.J. McGuire, SOC, ACO Christopher T.J. McGuire, SOC started his career in the UK working mostly in documentary and light entertainment, assisting various cameramen nationally and internationally.  He traveled extensively covering locations such as Chernobyl in the Ukraine, and he traveled transatlantic on the QE2. McGuire made a commitment to focus on Steadicam, and following that route he worked for nothing on several short films.  Getting as much experience and flying time as he could in the rig enabled him to move slowly but surely into his big break working on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Since then, McGuire been lucky to have worked on various motion pictures here in the USA such as; Godzilla: King of Monsters, Jason Bourne, American Made, Pitch Perfect 1 - 3, and he is currently shooting The Terminator Reboot in Hungary.  McGuire is especially grateful to be a member of the SOC, and he was also the recipient of the SOC’s 2015 Camera Operator of the Year - Television. Photo by Frank Masi

TRIVIA: The second trailer of Venom garnered 64.3 million views within twenty-four hours of release. The views ballooned to 124.7 million views within the first week of the trailer's release.

Top: Working the wheels for the MoVi. Middle: Tom Hardy on the set of VENOM. Bottom: Working the Stedicam. Photos by Frank Masi

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR Â· FALL 2018

Fantastic Beasts:

The Crimes of Grindelwald  Who Will Change the Future? with Vincent McGahon, ACO an interview by Kate McCallum

Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

TRIVIA: Newt Scamander carries a wand, practices magic, and works for the Ministry of Magic even though he was expelled from Hogwarts, which puzzled several fans online especially since Hagrid wasn't afforded those liberties. J.K. Rowling explained that the reason for this will be revealed throughout the series.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a fantasy drama film produced by Heyday Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), it is the second film installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and the tenth overall in the wizarding world franchise, which began with the Harry Potter film series. The film is directed by David Yates, with a screenplay by J. K. Rowling, and features an ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law and Johnny Depp. The plot follows Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world. Camera Operator: How did you end up working on this film? Vincent McGahon: This was my sixth film with DP, Philippe Rousselot, ASC, AFC, including operating B camera on the first Fantastic Beasts. As the previous A camera operator was unavailable, Philippe kindly asked me to operate A camera this time around and of course I was happy to accept. Camera Operator: Who was on your camera team? McGahon: We had a great team. The A camera: 1st AC, was Max Glickman, and the 2nd AC, Ben Casciellio-Rogers. Our B Camera Operator was Iain Struthers, Assoc ACO with 1st AC’s, Nathan Mann and Tobias Eedy, and the 2nd AC was Lawrence Beckwith. Our central loader was Alex Teale and the camera trainees were, Izzy Boddy and Nicola ‘Pan’ Hao. Camera Operator: Where did you shoot? McGahon: We shot on numerous stages and the backlot at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios, Highgate Cemetery, Ashridge Estate, Laycock Abbey in Wiltshire, and the in the city of London.

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

Camera Operator: What special shots and or production challenges did you run into? McGahon: This was my first experience with the ALEXA 65, so the main challenge for me was dealing with the weight and power consumption when on the Steadicam. In conventional mode it is like using a regular ALEXA, but I think that since we have become accustomed to using ALEXA and Red camera bodies we are no longer used to the weight and handling of an ALEXA 65, which is more like that of a 35mm film camera. Luckily, I had worked on Ready Player One the previous year using a Millennium XL2 so it didn’t take too long for my muscle memory to kick back in, although I began to doubt this when on one particularly long scene, involving multiple characters, the takes were running eight to nine minutes! The greater challenge was for the 1st AC’s who had to cope with the reduced (and unforgiving) depth of field of the format. They all did a great job. Philippe rated the camera 1280 ASA as standard and most of the film

was shot at around a 5.6/8 stop with framing of 2.40:1 ratio. Both Philippe and the director, David Yates were very understanding and were happy to review, discuss, and do additional takes if there were any issues with specific moments. The most common lenses we used were 45mm and 100mm. Shooting was probably 65% single camera as Philippe generally prefers to light for one camera. When I started my prep the main camera style that Philippe and David impressed upon me was that we should keep the camera moving. David said we should treat the film as a Cold War thriller and that the camera should try to convey a feeling of restlessness and impending threat. To achieve this, we used a variety of dollies, Steadicam, jibs, and cranes with a small amount of hand-held. David Yates is a director very much attuned to his actors, so it was important for me to be part of the blocking and rehearsal of scenes as much as possible. When we began to talk about coverage I was aware of what David and the cast were trying to achieve in the scene, whether from a character or sto-

TRIVIA: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (who plays the role of Skender) was the Icelandic voice for Hagrid in The Sorcerers Stone and Chamber Secrets.

T E C H O N S E T:

ARRI ALEXA 65, ALEXA M ini, Leica Thalia and Summil u x lenses, O’Connor an d Cartoni Fl uid Heads, Chapman H ybrid and Pe ewee dollies, GF Jib, and Multi Jib, Ste adicam, Scorpio Sta bilized Head , th e Scorpio EZ Head, an d Technocra ne 30, 50 and 75

Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

ry point of view. To give the actors as much freedom as possible in performance David often tried to do longer takes whether on a dolly, crane, Steadicam or a short jib arm. Once we had covered the scene as planned, David quite often asked us to do a “freestyle“ version. Warning the actors to be prepared for something different from the previous coverage, we would run the scene, and then he basically gave me (and the grips if on a crane or jib arm) a free hand to do want we felt, however unconventional. David would also sit with me at the monitor and chip in with an instruction if he saw something new he liked. This involved some feverish whispering on the headsets between myself, grips and 1st AC’s as we improvised tracking, jibbing and swinging to try to capture a few “magical” moments that would be different from the more considered coverage. One scene with Dumbledore (Jude Law) looking into the large Mirror of Erised at Hogwarts was particularly manic as we tried, and often failed, to avoid our reflections. Luckily, for this scene much of the mirror’s surface was to be replaced by the Visual Effects Department with other images. We

would usually do two or three takes like this and then move on. What at first seemed like a wild idea actually turned out to be a fun and creative addition to David’s approach in shooting those scenes.

McGahon: Having worked on the first

There was also a full 2nd Unit led by director, Stephen Woolfenden with DP, Jean-Philippe Gossart; operator, Pete Batten ACO; 1st AC, Derrick Peters, and 2nd AC, Felix Pickles. On a film of this size with a shooting schedule of approximately five months it is easy to lose track of the larger film as we get involved in the details of each individual shooting day, so it’s good to remember that you are only one part of the overall process, and to look at dailies from both units to see how the film is progressing.

Sherlock Holmes films (also with Philippe

Camera Operator: What equipment did you use? McGahon: Three ARRI ALEXA 65’s. The A and B camera were used as conventional cameras mounted on dollies and cranes when required, while C camera was usually built ready on the Steadicam. Camera Operator: How was it working with the actors?

Beasts film, I was familiar with, and known to the core cast who all returned for this film. I had also worked previously with the two new main cast members, Jude Law on two and Johnny Depp on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd. This made the process of setting up shots much easier as I had a good idea of how each actor prefers to work when they are on camera or off camera for off lines or eye lines (real or imaginary). Every actor has their own individual approach, and it is important for an operator to try and tune into this so that we can both can do what is required for each scene. Camera Operator: What’s next for you in the future? McGahon: My next job was B camera/Steadicam on the Cape Town shoot of BBC/Amazon production of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett ‘s Good Omens with Gavin Finney, BSC and then Gurinda Chada’s Blinded by the Light with Ben Smithard, BSC.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

(L-R) Director David Yates, Callum Turner and Eddie Redmayne on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD.Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

Photo by Daniel Smith VINCENT MCGAHON, ACO On leaving college Vincent McGahon worked as trainee editor for a small company producing corporate promotional films. This developed into shooting and editing. Deciding to go freelance he chose to concentrate on camera, and was taught Steadicam by the late John Ward. Gradually, McGahon progressed to working on music videos and lots of TV dramas until his first full feature operating B camera and Steadicam on Michael Winterbottom’s, Welcome to Sarajevo with DP, Daf Hobson, BSC. McGahon has worked on such films as: The Damned United, The World’s End, Paddington, Legend, Ready Player One, and Stan & Ollie. He is a member of the ACO, SOA, and is an Associate BSC.

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

(L-R center) Camera operator Vince McGahon and director David Yates behind the scenes on FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

TRIVIA: Although Theseus is the older brother of Newt, Eddie Redmayne, who played Newt, is eight years older than  Callum Turner who portrayed his brother Theseus in the film.

Technology Award Nominees for the January 26, 2019 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards

Tech Talk

The SOC recognized outstanding technical achievement annually at our SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards. This year’s award show will take place on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at the Loew’s Hollywood Hotel. The Technical Achievement Award is an opportunity for the production technology community to be acknowledged for excellence, and for their contributions to creating technologies that increases the safety, efficiency and ease on set and in production for the camera operators and crew. We’ve received the following outstanding submissions listed below. Each of the technologies will be presented to the judging committee at the SOC’s Demo Day, on Saturday, December 1 at the SOC’s Burbank office. Following the formal demonstrations, SOC members attending will be invited to gain hands-on access to the gear being demonstrated. Of these submissions, the SOC Technology Committee will vote for the technologies that deserve to receive this prestigious award. Good luck to each of you and continued success with your efforts and products!

Here are this year’s Technical Achievement Award submissions:

AnitgravityCam The AntigravityCam is a body-mounted camera suspension system that supports and stabilizes hand-held cameras and motorized gimbals. It solves many problems with gimbals, protecting the operator’s health and reducing fatigue, plus stabilizing the vertical translation and side to side movement. It also provides an unprecedented 9-foot boom range from floor level, that is buoyant in every position. It is used in both single and dual operator modes, and navigates through doorways and tight spaces. Matthew Libatique used the AntigravityCam in A Star is Born and Venom. and John Connor used it extensively on Rogue Warrior. cinemadevices.com/antigravity-rig

Artemis Pro Director’s Viewfinder System The Emmy Award-winning Artemis Director's Viewfinder has been in professional use since 2007. Used by award-winning filmmakers and students alike, it transforms the process of framing shots, planning coverage and making storyboards with an array of powerful tools. Re-designed with input from camera operators, directors and cinematographers, Artemis Pro is the next generation. It introduces virtual stand-ins, color grading “looks,”user configurable frame-lines and a comprehensive list of all the latest cameras and shooing formats. It is both powerful and intuitive, but most of all, always in your pocket. We call it Pocket Alchemy. chemicalwedding.tv

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

OPTIMO ANAMORPHIC A2S Lenses The Optimo Anamorphic A2S range consists in a system of two lightweight zooms, the Optimo 30-72 and 56-152 A2S, and a tele lens, the Optimo 44-440 A2S. Since the creative virtues of anamorphic lenses have become even more important in the digital age, the Angénieux A2S series provide the cinematographers with a high optical quality and a distinctive look to enrich their projects. They add a dimensional character to the image with the 2x squeeze, controlled background and an aesthetically dimensional foreground, yet minimizing breathing and distortion. They also bring the “creamy and organic” Angénieux look. angenieux.com/collections/optimo-anamorphic

MATRIX 4 Axis Stabilized Gimbal The MATRIX from Cinemoves was designed to be mounted in the cantilever position (MATRIX mode) without compromising performance. There is virtually nowhere the MATRIX cannot look. It can achieve nodal on all axis. It can stabilize focal lengths in excess of 500mm. The most significant feature for operators is “Image Relative” mode. The MATRIX can update the polarity of the control wheels or joystick continuously. There are no more scenarios where your pan wheel becomes the tilt and vice versa. You simply operate in relation to the monitor and the head takes care of the rest. cinemoves.com/matrix

Miniscope 7 Telescopic Jib with Minibase The Miniscope Telescopic Jib is a telescoping arm that is available in a 5' or 7'. The maximum reach on the 5' is approximately 9' while the 7' has a reach of about 14'. It is capable of fitting through a 28" doorway and can accept any remote head up to 150lbs. It is often paired with the DJI Ronin 2, M7 Spacecam Remote Head, or Chapman CL Mini Remote Head. The Miniscope can be operated by a single person and is both electronic and manually telescopic. chapman-leonard.com/product/1275

Nucleus-M: Wireless Lens Control System The Nucleus-M is a revolutionary and highly customizable 3-channel wireless lens control system. It allows you to have full control of focus, iris, and zoom on either the FIZ hand unit or between the two wireless hand grips. You can even split control of the channels between the hand unit and wireless hand grips as you see fit with the push of a button. The wireless range of both the hand unit and hand grips is 1,000 feet and with the planned upcoming transmission upgrade, the range can reach up to 1¼ miles! tilta.com/shop/nucleus-m-wireless-follow-focus

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

ARRI SRH-3 Stabilized Remote Head The ARRI SRH-3 is a 3-axis stabilized remote control head that is positioned to democratize stabilized remote technology. The SRH-3 price is set to appeal to a much wider range of owner/operators and make stabilized remote control equipment accessible to operators working in all genres of media production. The SRH-3 can be operated with joystick controls, wheel kits and pan-bars, with any camera manufacturers equipment in a wired or wireless mode. arri.com/camera/camera_stabilizer_systems/products/ stabilized_remote_heads

VegaLux 300® & VegaLux 200® UHP Ultra High-Performance DMX Motorized Zoom 10" and 8" Dedicated CCT Tungsten and Daylight Fresnels FLUOTEC once again advances the Broadcast Television and Cinema LED Lighting Technology with their new motorized Ultra High-Performance Zoom LED Fresnels. The VegaLux 300® and VegaLux 200® UHP features a new LED one source light technology that emits an impressive 120% more light in the Ultra High-Performance versions. These sustainable, ecological and 2K-2.5 equivalent powerful LED Fresnels only draw 197 Watts, this represents thousands of dollars of energy savings. This FLUOTEC technology also increases the safety of operation for gaffers, DPS and cinematographers. fluotec.co

M7 Remote Stabilized Head The ultimate 4-axis gyro stabilized remote head is silent and compatible within studio and all terrain situations. Our software is now a standard on all M7 remote heads (and Oculus units). It has 360 degree rotation and unlimited movement, and there is complete freedom for it to be mounted in any position: top, bottom, cantilevered mode; transitions can occur while operating. When configured in straight mount, the M7, is compact enough to fit through smaller spaces, and it keeps a leveled horizon even under intense and continuous high G-forces. It has excellent static and dynamic stability allowing any focal length on all lenses to be used. Thus, the M7 has a wide payload inertia range. spacecam.com

ARRI Trinity Camera Stabilizer System The ARRI Trinity Stabilizer is a unique blend of mechanical and electronic stabilization systems. The blend of "Steadicam" and gimbal technology allows for a greater range of camera movement and creative possibilities. arri.com/news/news/arri-camera-stabilizer-system-trinity

DEMO DAY for the SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards The SOC will host a day of demonstrations on December 1, where members can get their hands on the tech, and socialize with their peers. Learn more at soc.org/events. 32

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Awards January 26, 2019, Loews Hollywood Hotel Congratulations to our Lifetime Award Honorees and Nominees: Governors Award: Jane Fonda President’s Award: Harrison Ford Camera Operator: Dave Emmerichs, SOC Camera Operator, Live & Nonscripted: Hector Ramirez Camera Technician: Jimmy Jensen Mobile Camera Platform Operator: John Mang Still Photographer: Peter Iovino Join your peers in celebrating of the camera operator and crew. Purchase your seat today – SOCAwards.com

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF THE SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS

Smooth Operator by David Liebling, SOC

WE’LL DO IT LIVE: THE ART AND CRAFT OF THE LIVE OPERATOR

Beyonce: On stage with Queen Bey. Photo by Andrew White

THE BEGINNING My road to becoming a broadcast camera operator was a long and stressful process. I started my career in the TV industry as a utility, pulling cable behind the camera operators during the broadcast. I was fortunate to have been surrounded by very experienced operators who taught me how to build hard cameras, handle panheads, box lenses, and a variety of camera sleds during the show set up. Over time, gaining these skills put me in a position where I could to step in as an operator in the event it was needed. Being surrounded by lots of other talented and experienced broadcast operators, I was certainly not their first choice! At the time, my experience focused mainly on studio setups where I was comfortable framing a talking head, or making a jib float for a wide shot. Luckily, one day my opportunity came to

run a camera on a live broadcast of an NHL game. None of my prior experience had prepared me for this, nothing had prepared me for the moment that first red tally light came on. Although it was only during the pre-game show, I will never forget how my heart pounded and my adrenaline pumped—my 3-5 second live shot felt like I was on for an hour! Even though it was terrifying, I couldn’t wait for it to happen again. I believe that in that aspect, camera operators are like adrenaline junkies. I may not have the skills or training to be on the ice or turf with some of the best athletes on earth, but being a part of that action had me hooked.

LEARNING THE ROPES During my time as a utility, I didn’t have much of an opportunity to see what the operator was seeing. There was no way to see into the

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

The Society offers different levels of membership for individuals and manufacturers in the production community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Active, Associate, Educator, Student and Corporate.

Left: With Chloe Kim, 2018 WINTER X-GAMES. Photo by Elisabeth Nevin-Woods. Right: ON THE CHUTES for PBR. Photo courtesy of David Liebling.

eyepiece of the camera I was working with, and the operators were too busy to ask many questions. Most of my learning was done in a pinch when a camera was put in my hands, and an audibly frustrated director tried to explain what a shot should look like, or how to focus while live on-air. When opportunities to operate the camera came with more frequency, I first focused on paying close attention to the assignments of each camera. During the camera meetings, I annoyed other operators by asking basic questions and following up afterwards to try to understand the lingo, location, or framing of what was required of my position. This was mostly an attempt to avoid embarrassing myself later on headset, despite my best efforts, screw up I did—over and over. Each new camera position brought a new set of unforeseen challenges. Generally, any camera’s coverage is determined by its location, so knowing what to shoot during a game while play is in progress is obvious. For example, if you’re positioned off a corner of the ice, or field (known as ‘slash cam’), the expectation is a wider shot, commonly used for replays. What do you do right after a goal? A miss? A foul? You should get tighter coverage of something, but how do you know what, when or who to shoot? Early on, mistakes were common. Even as I gained experience and became more comfortable with each camera assignment, different directors prefer different looks and feels, and I would have to adjust on the fly.

ADRENALINE RUSH Adjusting to those constantly changing conditions fed the adrenaline craving inside. As I started booking more jobs in sports, I found myself looking for different types of experiences. Although grateful for the opportunity to work in basketball, hockey, football or baseball, I was eager to grow and work on different types of broadcasts. Over the years, I’ve found myself on the side of a mountain for ski/snowboard

competitions, on the cage at MMA events, and on-stage at concerts. The first few times I stepped onstage with Beyonce, all I could hear was my heart pounding. I’ve also been across the globe for the Olympics in Russia and South Korea. Working on the crew of On the Chutes for professional bull riding is an experience I cherish. Keeping a shot framed while a giant bull jumps in the pen, shoulder to shoulder with three or more cowboys trying to help the one riding onto the bull is exhilarating and intense. One wrong move could be dangerous for the cowboys, the bull, and the operator. The bull exploding out of the chute as the gate opens is one of the most exciting moments in sports, and there’s not much that can prepare an operator for it. The best you can do is follow the advice of those that have been there; “Close your mouth when the chutes open. It’s only grass and water, but it still tastes like bullshit!” The adrenaline now comes not only from operating, but also from all the different events I am able to be a part of. The ever-changing workplace of a broadcast operator also comes with great opportunities to learn new and changing camera systems. I started with studio jibs, handheld or long-lens hard cameras. Experience on a studio set put me in position to assist, and occasionally operate, in much more difficult conditions. I grew as an operator and could handle shooting from the side of a mountain during a ski racing event where jibs are known to blown over. From there came Steadicam where I’ve found my real passion. When I was a utility, I had the incredible opportunity to work alongside Steadicam operators on big events like NFL games, live studio shows, and international soccer matches. I ran the sidelines at an infamous US Soccer match in Denver that became known as the “snow game.” A spring storm dropped 12” of snow as the US played a Costa Rican team where many of the team members had never before seen snow in person. I knew from this experience that Steadicam was something I needed to pursue. I booked a workshop, and set out to learn how to operate the coolest contraption

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

M4-AXIS ATGIMBAL RIX

CAMERA OPERATOR Â· FALL 2018

I’d ever seen. I’ve been fortunate since then to learn other specialty cameras such as robotic cameras, cable cams, Skycam, Polecam, and others. It seems like for each camera I learn and operate, I uncover a new dynamic that improves my operating as a whole.

SHOOTING LIVE CHALLENGES With all the hard work and diligence I’ve put into building my career as a live camera operator, I was surprised to learn how live operators are viewed within the rest of the industry – it sometimes seems like we’re often the overlooked outcasts of the industry. I’m unsure of how this came about and wasn’t even aware of it until years of experience brought me face to face with the rejection from the ‘film’ side of the industry. I’ve personally experienced many of the ways people box in live operators, even if it is unintentional or without malice. Sometimes it comes in the seemingly positive form of a favor from an operator passing live work along because it’s not “really what they do.” Other times it is bolder rejection from a DP who follow a similar line of “we don’t really do the same thing.” I’ve been rejected for a C-cam position on a three-camera television set because I “wouldn’t be able to handle the pace.” From my experience, these perspectives are driven by the stigma that live operators don’t bring craft into what they do—that we don’t understand framing, or how the camera can affect the story on the screen—but nothing could be farther from the truth. Every live production I’ve been a part of has been about storytelling, especially sports production. Our industy has been changing at a rapid rate, and I’m optimistic, that through baby-steps, and continued hard work, that this attitude will change. With the SOC announcing a new award category for Lifetime Achievement Award Camera Operator, Live or Non-Scripted, we get closer. Live operating and non-scripted are so different, they should have their own categories.

THE HOMERUN SHOT

are shown clearing the dugout, dejected. Gibson hugs teammates in a moment of absolute glory as Scully expertly sums up the moment “in a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” It is a glorious sequence that is etched into our memories, and the history of baseball. These operators helped to craft this moment not by locking off a wide shot and letting it be selected, but by creating shots that built the drama and told the story of these titans. This is true of every event at every level, whether it’s individual triumphs as you’d see in Olympics, or team victories. We tell these stories for the fans.

LIVE CAMERA OPERATORS I was recently advised by a DP friend of mine to stop billing myself as a live op, since it gives people the wrong notion of my capabilities. Although that may be good career advice, given the current feel within the industry, I’m proud to be a part of that group of camera operators. Those that show up every day with a loose idea of what may happen. Those that shape the stories that define times in our lives, and create unforgettable milestones. I am proud to be one of those names that doesn’t get credits, despite having viewership numbers high in the millions.

DAVID LIEBLING, SOC David Liebling, SOC, grew up in New Mexico before film incentives. He started his career in Denver, Colorado, operating mostly for live sports. After becoming interested in specialty cameras, David learned to operate jibs, Steadicam, Polecam, remote heads, and numerous cable-cam systems. Credits include; Winter Olympics, NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, UFC, Mayweather vs. McGregor, Beyonce & Jay-Z's OTRII Tour. David currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Luke Askelson

As a baseball fan, an example that comes to mind is the 1988 World Series home run by Kirk Gibson. Benched with a bad knee and a torn hamstring, he was called on to pinch hit in the late innings of the game. Gibson takes a quick warm-up swing, and lumbers to the plate. While Vin Scully expertly allows the roar of the crowd tell the story with sound, the camera operators show us Gibson, then his opponent Dennis Eckersley, a pan of a roaring crowd on their feet, and then back to Gibby. Gibson battles to a full count in obvious pain. The outfield camera shakes because of fans stomping their feet, the operator widens to compensate, cut to Gibson, cut to the crowd. It’s 3-2, with 2 outs, and the bottom of the 9th. Gibson steps out of the box, pitch thrown, hit high to right field into an erupting crowd. Scully calls, “She is gone!” and becomes silent, letting the moment be told by the crowd and the cameras. Gibson jogs around the bases, fist pumping, cut to Lasorda running out of the dugout, hands in the air. Cut back to Gibson rounding third towards his teammates waiting at home plate. As his teammates swarm him, we get to see the crowd, cut back to Gibson celebrating with his team. The Oakland Athletics

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019 Loews Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood

Celebrate the Art and Craft of the Operator and Crew Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees: • Camera Operator: DAVE EMMERICHS, SOC • Camera Operator, Live & Nonscripted: HECTOR RAMIREZ • Camera Technician: JIMMY JENSEN • Mobile Camera Platform Operator: JOHN MANG • Still Photographer: PETER IOVINO January 10 – 18, 2019 Camera Operator of the Year Voting Period open for Active Voting Members

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PURCHASE SEATS AT SOCAWARDS.COM CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF THE SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS

Insight JAMIE “J.T.” TRENT, SOC What was one of your most challenging day on set? Shooting in a foreign country using translators. What is your most memorable day in the industry? Completing my first feature film as a DP and knowing we did a great job. Who is the person who helped you most in your career? John Aronson by introducing me to my first Local 600 job as a camera operator. What is the job you have yet to do but most want to do? I have done every position I can think of. I enjoy operating the most. Photo courtesy of Jamie “J.T.” Trent

Credits:  I Die, Fallen Angel, L’Instant, The Revengers, Halloweed

ANDY SPARACO, SOC What was one of your most challenging shots in the industry? Currently shooting The Spoon River Anthology, 270 segments shot over four seasons using motion control and green screen to insert characters seamlessly into 210 historic locations. What is your most memorable day in the industry? Commercial shoot on the Great Wall of China. What is the job you have yet to do but most want to do? Shooting on the International Space Station. Credits:  Verrater, Crescent City, Dark Blue, Varla Jean and the Mushroom Heads, Trance

Photo courtesy of Andy Sparaco

JOSEPH ARENA, SOC What was one of your most challenging shot in the industry? I will never forget a 22-minute Steadicam oner with film camera and 1000’ mags, step on and off from rickshaw, stairs, and lots of ground to cover with Steadicam hand-off between two operators. What is your most memorable day in the industry? I could mark two days. My very first day as camera PA on Gangs Of New York, shot in Rome, where I met one of my favorite operators, Andrew Rowland, and the day a decade after when I worked with him on a movie as camera/Steadicam operator. Photo by Andrew Rowlands

Credits: Iron Man 2, Fantastic Four, Bessie, Cinema Verite, Unsolved

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

SOC ROSTER CHARTER MEMBERS Lou Barlia Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Stephanie Benson Rupert Benson Jr. Bob Bergdahl Howard Block Donald Burch Jerry Callaway David Calloway Philip Caplan Mike Chevalier Bill Clark Dick Colean Steve Conant Jim Connell Rick Cosko Jack Courtland Elliot Davis Sam Drummy Joe Epperson Michael Ferra Ron Francis William Gahret Jim Glennon Ray Gonzales Jerry Good Jack Green, ASC Gil Haimson Lutz Hapke Peter Hapke Bill Hines Jim Hoover Bill Howard John Huneck Wayne Kennan, ASC Bob Keys Gary Kibbe David Kurland Norm Langley Thomas Laughridge Steve Lydecker Brice Mack III Joe Marquette Jr. Owen Marsh Bob Marta Bob McBride Ed Morey Tom Munshower Fred Murphy Al Myers Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Rik Nervik King Nicholson Leigh Nicholson John Nogle Dan Norris Skip Norton David Nowell, ASC Wayne Orr Richard Price Ernie Reed Arnold Rich Randall Robinson Parker Roe Sam Rosen

Peter Salim Lou Schwartz Chris Schwiebert Michael Scott Bob Seaman Hal Shiffman Fred Smith Roger Smith Michael St. Hilaire Ray Stella Joe Steuben John Stevens Carol Sunflower Bill Swearingen Joseph Valentine Ron Vidor Sven Walnum

ACTIVE MEMBERS Peter Abraham Jonathan S. Abrams Grant Lindsay Adams Danny Alaniz Michael Alba Bret Allen Colin Anderson Philip Anderson Kevin W. Andrews Andrew Ansnick Mariana Antunano Francois Archambault Joseph Arena Robert Eugene Arnold Will Arnot Ted Ashton Jr. Kjetil Astrup Mark August * Andrei Austin Grayson Grant Austin Jacob Avignone Daniel Ayers Jesse Bactat Christopher Baffa Lonn Bailey James Baldanza David Baldwin Jr. Jerry Banales Christopher Banting Jeff Barklage Angel Barroeta John James Beattie Jonathan Beattie Tim Bellen Brian Bernstein Justin Besser Corey Besteder George M. Bianchini George Billinger * Howard H. Bingham Maceo Bishop Michel Bisson Bonnie S. Blake Jason Blount Jeff Bollman John Boyd Katie Boyum Kevin D. Braband Hilaire Brosio Garrett Brown

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

Kenny Brown Pete Brown Scott Browner Neal Bryant Stephen Buckingham Robin Buerki Gary Bush Rod Calarco Stephen S. Campanelli J. Christopher Campbell JR D. Campbell Susan A. Campbell Jeffrey Canfield Stewart Cantrell Jose A. Cardenas Robert Carlson Jeffrey Carolan Michael Carstensen Peter Cavaciuti Dave Chameides Lou Chanatry Joe Chess Jr. John Christopher Cuthbert Anthony Cobbs Steven Cohen Marcis Cole Keith Colodny Kris A. Conde Andrew Glenn Conder Brown Cooper Dan Coplan Gilles Daniel Corbeil Luke Cormack Ross Coscia Javier A. Costa Richard J. Cottrell Tom Cox Jeff Cree Rod Crombie Bradley Crosbie Richard Crow Jeff L. Crumbley Grant Culwell Francois Daignault Nicholas Davidoff Markus Davids Rick Davidson Collin Davis Richard W. Davis Roberto De Angelis Andrew A. Dean Michael S. Dean Anthony Deemer Kris Andrew Denton Kevin Descheemaeker Joel Deutsch Don Devine Kenny Dezendorf Twojay Dhillon David E. Diano * Troy Dick Jim van Dijk Alfeo Dixon Matthew I. Doll Rick Drapkin Scott C. Dropkin David Drzewiecki Mitch Dubin Simon Duggan, ACS

Mark Duncan Allen D. Easton William Eichler David Elkins Jason Ellson David Emmerichs Kevin J. Emmons Ramon Engle Ezra Epwell Alex Escarpanter Steve Essig Brant S. Fagan Diane L. Farrell Dianne Teresa Farrington Jesse Michael Feldman Ellie Ann Fenton Michael Ferris George Feucht James Anthony Firios Andrew Fisher Lance Fisher Dawn Fleischman Torquil Fleming-Boyd Michael-Ryan Fletchall Eric Fletcher Christopher Flores Michael Flueck Houman Forough Felix Forrest Ian Forsyth Justin Foster Steve G. Fracol Keith Francis Tom “Frisby” Fraser James Frater David J. Frederick * Michael Frediani * Brian Freesh Steven French Dan Frenkel Mick Froehlich Jeff Fry Michael Fuchs Paul M. Gardner David Gasperik Rusty Geller Eric Gerber Michael Germond William Gierhart George Gifford Laurie K. Gilbert William Spencer Gillis Christopher Glasgow Mark Goellnicht Daniel Gold James Goldman Allen Gonzales Robert Gorelick Afton M. Grant Chad Griepentrog Ric Griffith James Gucciardo Robert Guernsey Pedro Guimaraes John Gunselman Craig Haagensen Chris C. Haarhoff Jess Haas Kevin Haggerty Geoffrey K. Haley John Hankammer Simon C. Harding Tim Harland

Joshua Harrison Matt Harshbarger Daryl Hartwell Kent Harvey Chris Hayes David Haylock Nikk Hearn-Sutton Mike Heathcote David Heide Dawn J. Henry Alan Hereford Steven F. Heuer Kevin Hewitt Brandon Hickman David Hirschmann Jamie Hitchcock Petr Hlinomaz Abe Holtz Jerry Holway Paul Horn Casey Hotchkiss William Howell II Bradley Hruboska Colin Hudson Ashley Hughes Christian Hurley Philip Hurn Matthew Hutchens Spencer Hutchins Alexa Ihrt Dave Isern Christopher Ivins Eugene W. Jackson III Jerry Jacob Francis James Alec Jarnagin Gary Jay Simon Jayes Andrew “AJ” Johnson Christopher D. Jones Quenell Jones Steven Jones Jacques Jouffret John H. Joyce David Judy Mark Jungjohann David Kanehann Mark Karavite Lawrence Karman Dan Kavanaugh Jason Kay Derek Keener Adam T. Keith Brian Kelly David Kimelman Dan Kneece * Rory Robert Knepp David T. Knox Beth Kochendorfer Robert Kositchek Bryan Koss Bud Kremp Kris Krosskove Mark LaBonge Thomas Lappin Per Larsson Jeff Latonero Kristian Dane Lawing Sergio Leandro da Silva Richard Leible Alan Lennox Rachael Levine Ilan Levin

Mikael Levin Sarah Levy David Liebling Jimmy Lindsey, ASC Abigail Linne Hugh C. Litfin John Lizzio Christopher Lobreglio Patrick Longman George Loomis Jessica L. Lopez Benjamin Lowell Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Guido Lux Rob Macey Vincent C. Mack Paul S. Magee Giuseppe Malpasso Kim Marks Justin Marx Jared G. Marshall Cedric Martin Philip J. Martinez Daniele Massaccesi Nathan Maulorico J. Steven Matzinger Brennan Jakob Maxwell Parris Mayhew Peter McCaffrey Bill McClelland Jim McConkey David B. McGill Ian McGlocklin Michael P. McGowan Christopher T.J. McGuire Ossie McLean Aaron Medick Alan Mehlbrech Hilda Mercado Olivier Merckx Matias Mesa Jack Messitt Mark J. Meyers Mike Mickens Duane Mieliwocki Marc A. Miller Phillip Miller Thomas C. Miller Ethan Mills Andrew Mitchell William D. Mitchell William Molina Mitch Mommaerts Mark Emery Moore K. Neil Moore Matthew Moriarty Josiah Morgan Josh Morton Manolo Rojas Moscopulos John “Buzz” Moyer Jeff Muhlstock Michael James Mulvey Scott T. Mumford P.K. Munson, Jr. Keith Murphy Sean Murray Saade Mustafa Dale Myrand Leo J. Napolitano Marco Naylor Robert Newcomb Julye Newlin

George Niedson Terence Nightingall Kurt Nolen Randy Nolen Austin Nordell Casey Burke Norton William O’Drobinak Mark D. O’Kane Gery O’Malley Michael D. Off Andrew William Oliver John Orland Brian Osmond Kako Oyarzun Georgia Tornai Packard * Heather Page Nick Paige Curtis E. Pair Victor J. Pancerev Noah Pankow Andrew Parke Patrick J. Pask Micah Pastore Al “Tiko” Pavoni Matthew Pebler Paul C. Peddinghaus Douglas Pellegrino Karin Pelloni Andre Perron John Perry George Peters Matthew A. Petrosky Jonathan F. Phillips Alan Pierce John Pingry Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli David Plakos James Puli Louis Puli Kelly Pun Ryan Purcell Yavir Ramawtar Juan M. Ramos James B. Reid John Rhode Dax Rhorer Selene Richholt Alicia Robbins Ari Robbins Peter Robertson Brent Robinson Brooks Robinson Dale Rodkin Eric Roizman Sharra Romany John Romeo Peter Rosenfeld Dave Rutherford Rafael Sahade James Sainthill P. Scott Sakamoto Sanjay Sami David M. Sammons Joel San Juan Juanjo Sanchez Bry Thomas Sanders Milton A. Santiago Daniel Sauvé Gerard Sava Sean Savage Martin Schaer Ron Schlaeger Michael Scherlis Mark Schmidt Job Scholtze Vadim Schulz

David Jean Schweitzer Fabrizio Sciarra Brian Scott Dave Selle Benjamin Semanoff Barry Seybert Barnaby Shapiro David Shawl Chelsea Lee Shepherd Osvaldo Silvera Jr. Gregory Smith Needham B. Smith III Teddy Smith Vanessa Smith Dean Robert Smollar John Sosenko Andy Sparaco Mark Sparrough Benjamin Xavier Spek Francis Spieldenner Sandy Spooner Lisa L. Stacilauskas Robert Starling Thomas N Stork Michael R. Stumpf David L. Svenson David Taicher Ian S. Takahashi Yousheng Tang Jaron Tauch Gregor Tavenner Christopher Taylor Peter Taylor Paige Thomas David James Thompson Henry Tirl John Toll, ASC Eduardo Torres Remi Tournois Neil C. Toussaint Bryan Trieb Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty * Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Dale Vance, Jr. Paul D. Varrieur Leandro Vaz Da Silva Adi Visser Stefan von Bjorn Rob Vuona Bill Waldman Timothy N. Walker Gareth Ward Gretchen Warthen Mic Waugh Raney “Bo” Webb Aiken Weiss Drew Welker Dale A. West Clay Westervelt Des Whelan Robert Whitaker Mande Whitaker Parker Whittemore Peter Wilke Jeffrey Wilkins Ken Willinger Tom Wills Chad Wilson David A. Wolf Ian D. Woolston-Smith Peter C. Xiques Santiago Yniguez Brian Young

Lohengrin Zapiain Chad Zellmer Brenda Zuniga

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Christine Adams Brian Aichlmayr Colin Akoon Jamie Alac Ana M. Amortegui Greg Arch Fernando Arguelles Michael Artsis Joshua Ausley Richard Avalon John Bailie Blaine Baker Ryan Vogel Baker Scott Gene Baker Thomas Bango Tyson Banks Michael Barron Craig Bauer Adam Wayne Beck Justin Berrios Alicia Blair Peter Bonilla Jean-Paul Bonneau David Boyd Warren Brace Mary Brown Rochelle Brown Donald Brownlow Clyde E. Bryan Sasha D. Burdett Leslie McCarty Chip Byrd Eusebio Cabrera Yi Cai Anthony Q. Caldwell Calvin Callaway Ryan Campbell Jordan Cantu Jack Carpenter DJ Carroll Marc Casey Quaid Cde Baca Kirsten Celo Johanna Cerati Libor Cevelik Ian Chilcote Damian Church Kerry Clemens Mark Cohen Gregory Paul Collier Antoine Combelles Nathan J. Conant Gabriel Paul Copeland Gareth Paul Cox Richard P. Crudo, ASC Chad Daring Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi Eric Druker Enrique Xavier Del Rio Galindo James DeMello John Densmore Johnny Derango Caleb Des Cognets Ronald E. Deveaux Vincent DeVries Lance Dickinson Matthew Duclos Orlando Duguay Adam Duke Keith Dunkerley Colin Duran Brian James Dzyak Ted Endres

Andre Ennis David T. Eubank Allen Farst Nicholas A. Federoff Kristin Fieldhouse Stephanie Fiorante Jessica Fisher Tom Fletcher John Flinn III, ASC Isiah Flores Mark Forman Mike Fortin Tammy Fouts Chuck France Michael A. Freeman Fred M. Frintrup Hiroyuki Fukuda Dmitry Fursov Sandra Garcia Benjamin Gaskell Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez John M. Goodner John Greenwood Adam Gregory Phil Gries Thomasz Gryz Josef “Joe” Gunawan Shelly Gurzi Marco Gutierrez Jason Hafer Bob Hall Mufeng “Derek” Han Tobias Winde Harbo James Hart John Hart Jason Hawkins Adam Heim Andres Hernandez Daniel Hertzog Anthony P. Hettinger John M. Hill, Jr. Andrew Hoehn Scott Hoffman Chris Horvath Nichole Huenergardt Jake Iesu Toshiyuki Imai Andrew A. Irvine Gregory Irwin Michael Izquierdo Mark Jacobs Neeraj Jain Jennie Jeddry Keith Jefferies Lacey Joy Henry Bourne Joy IV Johnny Juarez Jessica S. Jurges Timothy Kane Brandon Kapelow Ray Karwel Frank Kay April Kelley Alan G. Kelly Mark H. Killian Douglas Kirkland Christian Kitscha Michael Klaric Michael Klimchak Nick Kolias Mark Knudson Robert Kraetsch Brian Kronenberg Robert La Bonge Laurence Langton Jose-Pablo Larrea Alan Levi Mark Levin Ilya Jo Lie-Nielsen

Jun Li Niels Lindelien Marius Lobont Eamon Long Gordon Lonsdale Jasmine Lord Carl Nenzen Loven Christopher Lymberis Dominik Mainl Aaron Marquette Jose del Carmen Martinez Nicole Jannai Martinez Jim R. Matlosz Joshua Mayes Brett Mayfield Ray McCort David William McDonald Mike McEveety Josh McKague Marcel Melanson Mengmeng “Allen” Men Alexandra Menapace Sophia Meneses Christopher Metcalf John Paul J. Meyer Jonathan Miller Andrew R. Mitchell K. Adriana Modlin-Liebrecht Kenneth R. Montgomery Autumn Moran Mark Morris Matthew C. Mosher Damon Mosier Jekaterina Most Nick Muller David Mun Nicholas Matthew Musco Hassan Nadji Sam Naiman Navid John Namazi Zach Nasits Jimmy Negron Michael Nelson Benjamin Kirk Nielsen Dennis Noack Chastin Noblett Jose Maria Noriega Louis Normandin Crescenzo G.P. Notarile, ASC Jorel O’Dell Adrien Oneiga Bodie Orman Pascal Orrego Jarrod Oswald Paul Overacker Justin Painter Larry Mole Parker Steven D. Parker Florencia Perez Cardenal Angelica Perez-Castro Mark W. Petersen Jon Philion Mark Phillips Tyler Phillips W. S. Pivetta Ted Polmanski Robert Primes, ASC Joe Prudente Delia Quinonez David Rakoczy Jem Rayner Marcia Reed Brice Reid Claudio Rietti Nathan Rigaud Ken Robings Andy Romero Tim Rook Peter J. Rooney Daria Rountree

Sam Rosenthal Jordi Ruiz Maso Jan Ruona Dylan Rush Kish Sadhvani Christian Salas-Martos William Tanner Sampson Chris Sattlberger Nick Savander Steve Saxon Christian Sebaldt, ASC Christopher Seehase Brian Sergott Alexander Seyum Sathish Shankutty Yael Shulman Stephen Siegel Peter Sikkens Karina Maria Silva Anil Singh Michael Skor Jan Sluchak Robert F. Smith Tyson Smith John Snedden Laurent Soriano David Speck Don Spiro Owen Stephens Derek Stettler Michael Stine Darren Stone Scott Stone Skyler Stone Joshua Stringer Aymae Sulick Jeremy Sultan Andy Sydney Tiffany Taira Brian Taylor Fabian Tehrani John Twesten Gary Ushino Daniel Urbain Sandra Valde Thomas Valko Aimee Vasquez Christopher Vasquez Michael Velitis Nick Vera Benjamin Verhulst Marshall Victory Jesse Vielleux Breanna Villani Miguel Angel Vinas Terry Wall W. Thomas Wall William Walsh Neil Watson Alex White Ryan Wood Tim Wu Tim Yoder Scot Zimmerman

CORPORATE Abel Cine Adorama Anton Bauer Arri, Inc. Atomos B&H Foto & Electronics Corp. Band Pro Film & Video Blackmagic Design Brother International Corporation Canon, USA Inc. Carl Zeiss Microimaging, Inc.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment CineDrones Cinema Devices Cinemoves, Inc. Codex Cooke Optics Limited Core SWX CW Sonderoptic Diving Unlimited International, Inc. Duclos Lenses Freefly Systems Fujifilm/Fujinon Filmtools, Inc. Geo Film Group, Inc. Helinet Aviation Services History For Hire Imagecraft Productions, Inc. JL Fisher, Inc. Keslow Camera Litepanels Manios Digital & Film Matthews Studio Equipment Monster Remotes Other World Computing Panasonic Cinema Panavision Preston Cinema Systems Pursuit Aviation RED Digital Cinema Sigma Sim International Sony Electronics That Cat Camera Support Tiffen Transvideo Ver Wooden Camera Zacuto USA

EDUCATORS John Grace Ron McPherson Mauricio Vega Ralph Watkins

HONORARY John Bailey, ASC Tilman Buettner James Burrows Alexander Calzatti Trevor Coop Roger Corman Dean Cundey, ASC Bruce Doering Clint Eastwood Tom Hatten Ron Howard Gale Anne Hurd Sarah Jones Michael Keaton Ron Kelley Kathleen Kennedy-Marshall Jerry Lewis Gary Lucchesi Larry McConkey A. Linn Murphree M.D. Diana Penilla Steven Spielberg Robert Torres George Toscas Roy Wagner, ASC Alfre Woodard

RETIRED MEMBERS

Aldo Antonelli Paul Babin Tom Barron Al Bettcher James Blanford Bruce Catlin Ivan Craig Richard Cullis George Dibie, ASC Robert Feller Dick Fisher Jerry Fuller Anthony Gaudioz Wynn Hammer Ken Hilmer Gary Holt Robert Horne Douglas Knapp Michael Little Heather MacKenzie James Mann Stan McClain Michael McClary Ron McManus Mike Meinardus Emmanuel Metaxas Robert Moore Sol Negrin, ASC David Parrish Aaron Pazanti Richard Rawlings Jr., ASC Andy Romanoff Frank Ruttencutter Carl Schumacher, Sr. Chuck Schuman Philip Schwartz Guy Skinner George Stephenson Gene Talvin Joseph Tawil Ron Veto Michael J. Walker Adam Ward Kit Whitmore

KC Kennicutt John P. Lansdale Eric Liberacki Guilherme Costa Ari Linn Vincent Lomascolo Jose Lora Jeff-Steven Arevalo Mojica Fabian Montes Joshua Montiel Rome Imari Mubarak Takuya Nagayabu James Nagel Lucien Night Rui Jiang Ong Ruben Palacios Vishal Parmar Weerapat “Art” Parnitudom Ryan Petrolo Connor Pollard Karina Prieto Macias Cheng Qian Ryan Richard Jackson Rife Marco Rivera Edgar Santamaria Esther Santamaria Emil Schonstrom Alexandria Shepherd Simon Sidell Jennifer St. Hilaire-Sanchez Grace Thomas Kendra Tidrick William Torres Romas Usakovas Anna Vialova Anthony Worley Peiqi “Eric” Wu Watcharawit “Koon” Ya-inta Linxuan “Stanley” Yu Lucia Zavarcikova Yiyao Zhu

THE A2S ANAMORPHIC RANGE #optimoanamorphic

STUDENTS Jamie Araki Jack Armstrong Reynaldo Aquino Sammy Avgi Nathan James Bachmann Melissa Baltierra Zakrey Barisione Daniela Bornstein Ziryab Ben Brahem Emmett Bright Caitlin Brown Jiayao Chen Petr Cikhart Autumn Collins Richard Colman Andrea Damuding John Darian William Dauel Dakota Diel Annor Doeman Michael A. Garcia Sam Gilbert Badra Alois Haidra Christian T. Hall Tyler Harmon-Townsend Marisa Harris Myles Anthony Holt LaKisha Renee Hughes Carolyn Scott Hunt Piankhi Iknaton Daniel James Crystal Kelley

CAMERA OPERATOR · FALL 2018

AD INDEX Angenieux 43 angenieux.com ARRI Back Cover Current as of October 24, 2018.

arri.com Blackmagic Design 5 blackmagicdesign.com Canon 7 canon.com Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment

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Leitz Cine Wetzlar 3 leitz-cine.com Mathews Studio Equipment 2 msegrip.com Paramount Pictures 17 red.com 15 RED schneideroptics.com 11 Schneider Optics schneideroptics.com 22 & 23 Sigma sigmaphoto.com That Cat 25 Camera Support cameraslider.com C3 Tiffen tiffen.com

Social SOC

Curated by Ian S. Takahashi, SOC society_of_camera_operators

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society_of_camera_operators George Billinger, SOC behind the camera on the Emmy nominated Netflix series "Godless." Photo credit: Dave O'Brien ———————————————————————— #bestJobEver #thesoc #cameraOperator #Photographer #Camera #Lens #DirectorOfPhotography #Cinematography #Cinematographer #Videography #Photography #Videography #PhotographyIsLife #CameraSupport #CameraAccessories #SOC #bts #movies #film #TheSOC ———————————————————————— scottofshields Wow. That is an incredible shot. Bravo. stellar_bee Absolutely amazing queentovon Amazing shot guys

society_of_camera_operators

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society_of_camera_operators P Scott Sakamoto, SOC - TBT "The Revenant!" ———————————————————————— #TheSoc #bestJobEver #thesoc #cameraOperator #Photographer #Camera #Lens #DirectorOfPhotography #Cinematography #Cinematographer #Videography #Photography #Videography #PhotographyIsLife #CameraSupport #CameraAccessories #SOC #bts #movies #film ————————————————————————laurieperez_author The Revenant is phenomenal! A truly unforgettable cinematic experience. pocolocofitness Wow

mylittledarkroom Love your content!

Photo by Jake Koenig

Follow the SOC membership on Instagram. See iconic photos from behind-the-scenes, on-set backstories, and images that inspire. Join in the conversation! @ Society_of_Camera_Operators 44

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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