Camera Operator: Winter 2019

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SOC.ORG · WINTER 2019

VOL. 28, NO.1

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS . WINTER 2019

A STAR IS BORN DARK PHOENIX MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS


CREATING MOMENTS THROUGH MOVEMENT SINCE 1945

2018 SCI TECH AWARD WINNING HYDRASCOPE

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 2 NEWS & NOTES SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards, SOC Speed Mentoring at Tiffen

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4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 26 40th Anniversary The SOC Celebrates 40 Years

33 TECH TALK 2019 SOC Technical Achievement Award: Cinemoves Matrix 4 Axis Stabilized Gimbal

34 SMOOTH OPERATOR "Evolution of a Live Television Operator" Rob Vuona, SOC

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FEATURES 12 A STAR IS BORN "Stellar Operating" with P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC an interview by Derek Stettler

20 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS "Shooting the Legendary" with Peter Cavaciuti, SOC, ACO, Assoc BSC an interview by Kate McCallum

26 DARK PHOENIX "Adapting to New Tools On Set" by Daniel Sauvé, SOC

28 2019 SOC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS by Derek Stettler ON THE COVER: On the set of A STAR IS BORN with director/writer/producer-, Bradley Cooper and camera operator, P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC. Photo by Clay Enos

40 INSIGHT Meet the Members

20 CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

41 SOC ROSTER 43 AD INDEX 44 SOCIAL SOC

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News & Notes SOC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS SHOW The SOC celebrated their 40th Anniversary at the 2019 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards show on January 26, 2019 to a sold-out crowd. The show was a great success, and took place at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. Visit the website at socawards.com to see photos of the event.

SOC SPEED MENTORING @ TIFFEN On November 17 the SOC presented a very successful SOC Speed Mentoring event! Registrants were given four minutes with SOC mentors to ask any questions they wished about operating techniques, the industry, or on-set relationships. A special thank you to our mentors who participated; Dave Emmerichs, SOC, Chris Taylor, SOC, Mitch Dubin, SOC, Jeffrey Carolan, SOC, Chuck France, Sarah Levy, SOC, Bonnie Blake, SOC, Lisa Stacilauskas, SOC, David Sammons, SOC, Dan Gold, SOC, Eric Fletcher, SOC, Gretchen Warthen, SOC, and Joe Gunawan.

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

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,

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Will Arnot, Rob Vuona Charities Alicia Robbins Membership Drive Lisa Stacilauskas 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

Speed Mentoring: (Top) Mitch Dubin, SOC with Daria Rountree, SOC Associate Member. and David Emmerichs with Crystal Kelley, SOC Student Member. Photos by Chuck France

CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Andrews, SOC George Bianchinini, SOC George Billinger, SOC Hilaire Brosio, SOC Peter Cavaciuti, SOC, ACO, Assoc BSC Peter Iovino Kate McCallum P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC Daniel Sauvé, SOC Derek Stettler Ian S. Takahashi, SOC Rob Vuona, SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY Liam Daniel Clay Enos Clay Enos Anson Fogel Claire Folger Szilvia Gogh Doane Gregory Gianna & Larissa Iovino Danny Lorenza Albert Ortega

Niko Tavernise Jacqueline Vuona

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.

Is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


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Letter from the President Dear SOC Members and Camera Operator Readers: Congratulations to the nominees and honorees of this year’s memorable Lifetime Achievement Awards that took place on Saturday, January 26 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. And congratulations to the SOC for reaching our 40th Anniversary this year! It was an honor to present Jane Fonda with this year’s Governors Award, and the President’s Award to Harrison Ford. These awards have the legacy of being presented to individuals who demonstrate dedication, consistent and enlightened service, and leadership in the film and media industries. It is with great pleasure that the SOC presented David Emmerichs, SOC with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Camera Operating. Emmerichs is known for his work on Avatar (2009), The Green Mile (1999), and Nocturnal Animals (2016) to name just a few. He was also a prior SOC Technical Award recipient as part of a four-person team that developed the GPI PRO camera stabilizer, and he was nominated for a SOC Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film for his work on Nocturnal Animals. The SOC also awarded Hector Ramirez, SOC the SOC Lifetime Achievement Award for Camera Operator, Live & Non-Scripted. Some of Hector’s credits include; Long Days Journey Into Night: Live, Dancing With the Stars, and several prominent awards show such as; the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards to name a few. The Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film went to P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC for his work on A Star is Born, and the Camera Operator of the Year – Television went to both Chris Hartoff, SOC and Steven Matzinger, SOC for their work on Westworld. Congratulations! I’d also like to offer a special thank you to Awards producer, Kristin Petrovich and everyone who once again helped make the awards such a success. Thank you! This coming year, The Board of Directors will continue to increase our membership and focus our efforts on elevating the position of the camera operator. The SOC believes that through education and working with our fellow industry professionals, we can strengthen and elevate the craft of the camera operator in the entertainment industry. We look forward to another 40 years and more to continue our growth and to new opportunities for the SOC to influence our community. Our continued success to advance the art and craft of the camera operator is the result of your dedication, effort and participation, and we thank you—our members and corporate sponsors—for your support! Here’s to a terrific 2019! Sincerely,

George Billinger, SOC Society of Camera Operators, President

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A Star is Born Stellar Operating with P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC an interview by Derek Stettler

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


TRIVIA: Bradley Cooper said that Lady Gaga was the one who convinced him they should sing live. Gaga said she hated watching movies where the actors were not lip-syncing correctly to the songs, and to avoid this and get it right they needed to sing live for the film. This was what caused Cooper to get more extensive vocal training. Bradley Cooper and P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC on the set of A STAR IS BORN © 2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTIANMENT INC. AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo by Clay Enos

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

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In A Star is Born, the fourth Hollywood incarnation of the classic story of fame, love, and loss, Bradley Cooper steps behind the camera for the first time as both director and star to capture a film of rare intimacy and power. Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a hard-drinking seasoned musician who discovers, and falls for Ally, the talented yet struggling singer played by Lady Gaga in her first film role. As her career shoots into stardom, Jackson’s alcoholism sends his own life spiraling out of control in this moving journey of life and love. Filled with memorable songs and standout performances, the film premiered at the 75h Venice International Film Festival last August and has since been met with critical acclaim as one of the best films of 2018. Behind the lens were two past SOC Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC, who won Camera Operator of the Year – Film at this year’s SOC Awards, and Stephen Campanelli, SOC, who stepped in for Sakamoto during the first week of filming. Camera Operator caught up with Sakamoto to learn more. Camera Operator: Can you tell me a bit about how your illustrious career started and how you got the job of A camera operator on A Star is Born. P. Scott Sakamoto: I was always fascinated with the camera and how to move it, and I knew being on the technical end of moviemaking was always my dream. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who knew Haskell Wexler, and upon graduating from film school he invited me to observe him on the set of a commercial. And that was the start for me, seeing a real professional set, and it evolved from there. I kept in contact with him and showed interest in the camera equipment. He was very open to teaching me and before I knew it, I was his assistant and then that evolved into becoming his operator. That’s the abbreviated story of how it all started. But as for A Star is Born, I was recommended for the job by the Warner Bros. producer,

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Ravi Mehta. I had worked with him many years prior and he suggested to Bradley and Matty [Matthew Libatique, ASC] that I’d be a good fit for the film. I had a great initial discussion with Matty, who I’d never worked with before, and it quickly became clear that we shared a similar sensibility and approach to filmmaking. CO: Very interesting. So please tell me a bit more about that. What did Matthew Libatique, Bradley Cooper and you discuss to achieve the film’s intimate yet grand feeling? Sakamoto: Bradley and Matty wanted the focus on A Star is Born to be about two people falling in love, and their musical performances were their common link to each other. We knew we wanted shots to play out longer and stay with the characters as much as we could. Beyond that, Bradley wanted all of the storytelling to be from their perspective. Following their lives from a personal perspective, and not see them from the eyes of an audience. Getting close enough to peer into their eyes and their souls. And so much of the power of a performance comes through in the eyes. I prefer a limited amount of close setups, but on this film the performances called for more close-ups than normal. We typically shot with wider lenses to feel the actors really present and the background farther away. This helped to make it feel more personal. We stayed with the characters as much as we could; a lot of oners, we didn't want to

handcuff the camera to one specific angle, but keep the camera fluid and alive. There was a lot of impromptu shooting. We didn’t really rehearse much. Bradley let the actors feel the scene out and we’d just roll and capture it. We often shot when actors didn’t even know we were rolling. And that’s part of the raw emotion in this film, we were just really trying to spy on them, and capture those moments of real life. Matty lit it so that we could move the camera around and adjust to the actors, and follow them around without worrying about the lighting. Matty worked with our gaffer, Jeff Ferrero, to rig lights to cues so that he could call them out as we moved around. This kept the light directional and flattering, while giving us the ability to move freely. CO: Speaking of your gaffer, who else on the crew did you work closely with? Sakamoto: Well, Bradley was very closely involved with the camera, but beyond him and Matty, who also shot an extra hand-held camera during the performance sequences, Chris Mosely, our B operator and additional operator Peter Berglund contributed immensely on multi camera days. And on dolly, we had John Mang [2019 Mobile Camera Platform Lifetime Achievement Award recipient], who has a great sense of camera movement, and we’ve worked together many times. Also want to mention the incomparable key grip, Tana Dubbe, who always had a solution to our daily challenges. We had Movi operator, Chris Herr, who was excellent at guiding the Movi around on the

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


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AntiGravity Cam and doing some specific choreographed shots. This combination of Movi and AntiGravity Cam, allowed us to do extreme height changes quickly and smoothly, including slow and subtle moves. Chris was incredible, and we worked together in a two-man operation, where I operated the wheels. Our 1st AC was Matt Stenerson. Matt is great, he was able to go with the flow of the film really well. We had a very fast pace, 42 days total, and he has great instincts with what the camera is doing and how to apply his focus. Finally, I want to mention and thank Steve Campanelli, SOC for his work at Coachella. He covered for me during the first week of shooting and did an excellent job. As you can tell, it’s very much a team effort that made this movie.

CO: Can you tell me a bit more about working with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga? This is his first film as a director, and her first film as an actress. What was that experience like for you? Sakamoto: Well, Bradley handled it flawlessly. He was able to multi-task very well, working with the actors to improvise and get them to come out of their shell, while being quite aware of what we were doing with the cameras. And it is quite mind-blowing, actually, when you consider that he also sang and played guitar—and he did it so well—I have no doubt that he is going to be a major director of our generation. This is just one of many movies that he’s going to be directing. And Lady Gaga is just an incredible performer. She is such a great, honest person, very positive and very appreciative. And she

can turn it on—and she can turn on her singing, she can turn on her acting—right in front of you. It's quite amazing to see that transformation, and yet to see her stop in the middle of it to consider the camera or ask if she’s where she should be. She was very conscious of us, but not conscious enough to affect her acting. I really couldn't ask for anything more from her or any other actress. She trusted us as much as we trusted her and her performance. For example, as a singer, she'd have to warm up her voice a lot before the scene starts, and she would come on the set and rehearse going through the song. And that's when we would just roll. We would just roll on that and it was so beautiful to do it when she was in her element; when she didn't really know we were rolling. And there were many times

TRIVIA: Some of the scenes were filmed at the Coachella Festival in 2017, where Lady Gaga was the first female headliner in ten years. Festival-goers paid ten dollars to see the scenes being filmed, although recording devices were locked away to prevent any footage being leaked. P. Scott Sakamoto on set with Bradley Cooper. Photo by Clay Enos

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


TRIVIA: The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018, where Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper received an eight-minute standing ovation after the screening. Top: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A STAR IS BORN. Bottom: P. Scott Sakamoto on set with Bradley Cooper. Photos by Clay Enos

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Bradley would say, “That’s it. We don’t need anything else. We got it.” It’s moments like that which remind me why I love what I do and still do it. To be aware and looking out for those moments to capture that aren't necessarily planned. It drives me to be able to say, “Hey, look at this, we have to roll on this. This is unbelievable!” CO: That is wonderful, and I imagine part of the magic of being a camera operator that motivates you to jump out of bed every morning. And on this film, you could wake up in your own bed, as this was an L.A. production, correct? Sakamoto: Yes, most of the film was shot in the Los Angeles area. Much of the concert footage was shot at the Greek Theatre, The Forum, and Shrine Auditorium, and then up in Stagecoach as well, where Stephen Campanelli, SOC shot during Coachella. We shot in bars around L.A. and Jackson Maine’s house was in the Malibu Canyon area. CO: And of those places, was there any moment during shooting that was particularly memorable? Sakamoto: There are a couple places I have great memories of. One is at the Greek, when Lady Gaga and her friend arrive via limo after being picked up and flying to see Jackson Maine perform. And they had this long walk-up approach to the stage as they’re getting escorted backstage. As they walk down the hallway and up some stairs and around the corner, I’m following them the whole time with the Steadicam and all while we're walking, you hear this back-

ground music with a drum beat building. When she comes out onto the wings of the backstage and sees Jackson performing Alexa Mini ca meras; Cooke in front of thousands of people, it just Anamorphic V intage T2.3 le kind of brings chills to my spine. The nses; Kowa Anamorp h ic T2 .3 le energy, the emotions, the tension, nses; Zeiss Su per Speed T1.3 len ses; Angenieu and how it built up and came tox 2 4 -2 90mm Optimo; Angen gether was a very memorable moieux 30-72mm O p timo; Chapman/Leo ment. nard H

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There was also a very touching scene where Sam Elliott [nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor] and Bradley [nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor] are in a truck, and I should mention that the way we shot it, Sam was really driving the truck. Their characters are two brothers who had a rough relationship, and at this point in the film they’re reconciling their feelings to each other. I was on one camera shooting Sam, and Matty was on the other shooting Bradley, and we were crammed in the back seat of this truck. After the scene ends, Bradley finally says to Sam, “You know, you're really my hero.” And it's so touching. I see Sam starting to tear up and acknowledge that, and Matty and I are in the back seat trying to be flies on the wall. And I remember tearing up myself, while we're both hunkered down, trying to be quiet and squished in that back seat with two cameras watching that moment unfold. It’s something I’ll never forget. CO: That must’ve been very special to witness. So what have you been up to since A Star is Born wrapped, and what’s next for you?

Sakamoto: After A Star is Born, I went to New York to work on a Martin Scorsese film called The Irishman with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. And I worked with Rodriego Prieto, ASC, AMC on that; it was our first film together, a really great experience in many ways. After The Irishman, I worked on the James Mangold film about the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966. It’s with Christian Bale and Matt Damon and Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC was the cinematographer. That just wrapped in November, and I think it should be a great movie. As for what’s next, I’m working on Birds of Prey, an offshoot of Suicide Squad with Margot Robbie, and that started shooting in the middle of January. I’m working with Mathew Libatique, ASC again on this one and can’t say much about it, but it should be a fun experience.

P. SCOTT SAKAMOTO, SOC

Photo by Niko Tavernise

P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC, has been operating A camera and Steadicam since 1992. He is a Los Angeles native and in 1983, began his career as a camera assistant with Haskell Wexler on Matewan and Newton Thomas Sigel on Latino. Scott had the privilege to work early in his career with Haskell, Conrad Hall and Caleb Deschanel, all of whom greatly influenced his aesthetic and filmmaking style. This led to more opportunities to work with distinguished cinematographers including Wally Pfister, Phedon Papamichael, Robert Elswit, Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, and Mathew Libatique. Scott’s credits include The Patriot, Road to Perdition, Michael Clayton, The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant, Kong: Skull Island, Alien: Covenant, and most recently, Black Panther, A Star is Born, and the upcoming Scorsese film, The Irishman.


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Mary Queen of Scots Shooting the Legendary with Peter Cavaciuti, SOC, ACO, Assoc BSC an interview by Kate McCallum

Photo by Anne Marie Fox

Margot Robbie stars as Queen Elizabeth I in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release. Photo by Liam Daniel / Focus Features

Mary Queen of Scots is a historical drama based on John Guy's biography Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. The film is directed by Josie Rourke and adapted by Beau Willimon. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as the eponymous character and Margot Robbie as her distant cousin, Queen Elizabeth I and explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart, Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18. 14

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Director, Josie Rourke and crew members on the set of MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. Photo by Liam Daniel / Focus Features

Camera Operator: How did you get hired for this film? Peter Cavaciuti, SOC, ACO, Assoc BSC: John Mathieson, BSC approached me to do the film when he was hired. I have known John since the mid 80s when he was an assistant cameraman, shortly before he worked with Gabriel Beristain on Caravaggio in 1986. CO: Can you share with us a bit about your background? Cavaciuti: I studied fine art at Hornsey College of Art in London with the aim of becoming a painter and sculptor, and while there I developed a love of filmmaking which led me away from painting. I worked as a trainee and assistant in the mid 80s, and picked up a Steadicam in 1983 while I was an assistant. London was busy with pop promos and commercials, so I worked my way into mainstream operating through Steadicam. CO: The film looked just gorgeous. Who made up the camera department?

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Cavaciuti: I was fortunate to be working with one of the U.K.’s primary 1st AC’s, Simon Hume who was assisted by his 2nd AC, Simon Dunn, our excellent B camera operator was Rodrigo Gutierrez, his 1st AC, Lewis Hume, 2nd AC, Archie Müller, central loader, Filippo Maso, and camera trainee, Nick Poole, and Nina Cavaciuti. CO: Josie Rourke was a first-time director, having come from theater. How was it working with her. Did she approach directing differently than what you have been used to? Cavaciuti: After we rehearsed the scenes before shooting myself, John and Rod would discuss coverage and present our plan to Josie, and Alex, our 1st assistant director. Josie was very pragmatic in her approach, and gave us the freedom and trust to work in this manner. She was keen to understand and get a grasp on the conventions of coverage, and the camera platforms we used to capture our images.

CO: Where did the shoot take place? Where were your primary locations? Cavaciuti: Our main studio was Pinewood, with many locations in Scotland, Poldullie Bridge, near Strathdon for the ambush sequence. Blackness Castle was used to for the home of the Earl of Moray played by James Mcardle, which was in fact, only four miles away from Mary Queen of Scots actual birth place at Linithgow Palace. Many of the exteriors were shot on the Glenfeshie Estate, Kingraig. CO: What challenges did shooting a historical period piece present? Cavaciuti: The main challenge we faced was the battle with time, specifically costume change times. We were inevitably, at the mercy of costume changes from time to time. The costume department certainly put many hours in assuring we had minimum waiting times before the first shot of the day. The weather was remarkably kind to us on location in Scotland; one location

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


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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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(L-R) Ian Hart, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan, and James McArdle as Earl of Moray in MARY QUEEN OF SCOT. Photo by Liam Daniel / Focus Features

on the Glenfeshie Estate was clouded over for an hour or two, and of course as soon as we moved the cloud cleared! CO: What technologies did you use on set? Cavaciuti: The DXL 1 was John’s camera of choice, which was great news for Steadicam due to its being relatively light. We shot spherical and used Sphero lenses. Primo 70 Zooms and the Elite Zoom 150-520, which B camera made great use of and their fine work appears extensively in the film. CO: Did you utilize any special tech setups or special technologies used to get shots? Cavaciuti: Our methods of shooting where mainly on various Hydroscope cranes, Chapman dollies, and Steadicam. CO: How was it working with the actors? Cavaciuti: Margo Robbie and Saorise Ronan are a joy on set as they are hard-working, well prepared, and approachable. I take my hat off

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to all the cast who had to work in modern versions of Elizabethan costumes which were often quite restrictive, although they had been made with modern lighter fabrics and supports, very often our female cast would complain about the tightness of the corsets!

Over the past decades I have become ac-

CO: Did you have any special anecdotes to share?

matter-of-fact way, but sensitively by all of

Cavaciuti: Margo and Saorise asked not to physically meet until their characters actually met in the drying barn when we shot it, in the fictitious stand off scene between Mary and Elizabeth. Initially they could only hear each other’s voices until the shot came where they finally met and confronted each other. Big hugs in real life when they finally met on the day!

mosphere. This may be aided by having less

CO: I loved that scene. It was very well done. There were other powerful scenes in the film that spoke to women’s feminity and bodies; Saorise having her period, the sex scenes—can speak to these at all?

onto Pokémon: Detective Pikachu with John

customed to shooting sensual scenes on set, and there is always respect shown for the actors—giving them the physical room and the sensitivity they require to pursue their craft. The period scene was approached in a us to create a sensitive, but professional atpeople on set at the time of shooting. We had shot an earlier scene with Margot who sat on the floor with legs either size of a flow of red Tudor roses, a clear reference to Elizabeth’s femininity, and a striking image. CO: What are you doing next? Cavaciuti: After MQOS we went as team Mathieson Lewis and Archie worked with myself as Simon Hume decided to have a long holiday, then onto Spiderman: Far From Photo by Stephane Malenfant

Home, and now on to Last Christmas.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


TRIVIA: The film is based on Dr John Guy's biography Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart, and centers around the theory that the two may have met, and looked each other in the eye as they contemplated their kingdoms' fates. History buffs have raised objection to Guy's theory that the two met up, but the author told Deadline Hollywood that six years ago, *an auction house possessed documents that indicated the two complicit, yet warring cousins, had a meeting that was in the cards.* TRIVIA: The crew on the film includes Academy Award winners costume designer Alexandra Byrne, hair and make-up designer Jenny Shircore and editor Chris Dickens; Emmy award-winning production designer James Merifield; and BAFTA award-winning director of photography John Mathieson. PETER CAVACIUTI, SOC, ACO, ASSOC BSC Peter Cavaciuti has been a camera operator for over 30 years, and has worked with directors such as; Stanley Kubrick, Mike Nichols, William Freidkin and Martin Scorsese. He got his start on commercials and pop promos, and picked up Steadicam. Cavaciuti has worked as an operator on Allied (2016), Now You See Me 2 (2016), Skyfall (2012), Kundun (1997), Blade Runner 2049, and Ask the Dust (2006). Above: Photo courtesy of Peter Cavaciuti. Below: Simon Hume, Simon Dunn, Archie MĂźller, Peter Cavaciuti, Nina Cavaciuti, Lewis Hume, Rodrigo Gutierrez, and crew on MARY QUEEN OF SCOT set at Black Ness. Photo courtesy of Peter Cavciuti.

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Dark Phoenix   Adapting to New Tools On Set by Daniel Sauvé, SOC

TECH ON S E T:

Alexa ST an d Mini came ras; Panavision A namorphic C , G and T series lense s; Technocr ane and Movieb ird 17, 30 a nd 50; Libra an d Maxima7 remote hea ds

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Raven/Mystique in Twentieth Century Fox’s DARK PHOENIX. Photo Credit: Doane Gregory

TRIVIA: Like other comic book movies Superman III (1983). Spider-Man 3 (2004) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): The film is about a superhero succumbing to his or her dark side and turning evil. This is the second X-Men movie which Jean Grey succumbs to her dark side and transforms into Dark Phoenix.

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


Dark Phoenix is an upcoming American superhero film based on Marvel Comics' X-Men characters, distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is intended to be the 12th installment in the X-Men film series and the sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). The film is written and directed by Simon Kinberg, and stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, and Jessica Chastain. The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe when one of their own, Jean Grey, starts to spiral out of control. During a rescue mission in outer space, Jean is nearly killed when she's hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. The X-Men must now band together to save her soul and battle aliens that want to use Grey's new abilities to rule the galaxy. We’re shooting in old Montreal the last scene between Magneto and Professor X. A casual encounter outside a café set in Paris. Should be simple but this is X-Men. Ninety extras are been wrangled by an army of AD’s, three lifts with 20 x 20 silks, and negative blacks are scrambling into position, blocking and shading a hard sun as hoses splash the sunburned stone walls in the deep background. We are figuring out a complex, long lens Technocrane shot with people milling in front of the lens, and the slate is called just as our last marks are set, no time for rehearsals or a practice run. It’s mayhem, and we are moving fast to complete a tight schedule. “We keep the chaos out of the frame, that’s what we do…,” the words of Mauro Fiore, ASC make us laugh as silence falls on the set and a profound moment is shared between the two beloved characters. On the very eve of starting principal photography on the Fox feature, Dark Phoenix, I received a new piece of Steadicam technology called the Trinity, from the German manufacturer ARRI. A few obstacles had brought the delivery to a limit that any operator with a sound mind, starting such a

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

massive project with all the responsibilities of the A camera position, would have simply refused to accept. But the promises of what this tool could bring to the table outweighed any sound reasoning, and I labored into the night to get the rig ready for an early call. The Trinity is a 2-axis gyro stabilized head that mounts onto one end of the post of a Steadicam pendulum, or sled. The bottom half of the sled is traditionally a battery base, although with the added element of a counterweight pendulum that helps sustain balance in all axes while the rig changes orientation, meaning the camera flips from high to low mode and reversely. The camera itself is mounted within a motorized ring that maintains horizon and tilt angle. There are five programmed profiles of operation that go from fully stabilized to all axis locked, and it is possible for the operator to set these profiles to suit particular technical goals, variable camera payloads, and so on. A key feature is that the profiles can be changed on the fly, allowing a different configuration to become active instantly. The Trinity allows the operator to vary the height of the camera while maintaining a level angle. Variations in tilt angles can be achieved with a joystick control at the gimbal. The travel of the camera is linear, along the tilt axis and as such, it remains on the side of the operator. There is, however, a learning curve. Operating a Steadicam implies hand-eye coordination and muscle memory that is specific and that develops in time. You always know the angle of the post as all three axes are in-

terlocked mechanically and controlled at the gimbal with one hand. The brain develops spatial references that are strong guidelines for camera positioning and the combination of movement and framing is highly intuitive. Camera height is a matter of either craning with the arm and/or squatting. Horizontal leveling is finger sensitive, the trademark of a gifted operator. With the Trinity, variations in height are achieved by rotating the post at the gimbal, no longer using only the arm as an elevation tool. The height is a matter of post angle primarily and the tilt angle is either fully automated, untouched or varied with the use of the joystick. It can be locked as a profile choice and done manually through the gimbal. As I began working with the rig, I found it difficult to know at what angle the post was in space. This knowledge had always been a solid reference but no longer having the tilt locked was a new challenge. I kept trying to tilt the post, even minutely, to correct headroom and my brain refused to connect tilt to a joystick maneuver. Mastering the remote control of the tilt is the key to working with the Trinity. Simon Kindberg, our director, loves the Steadicam. As much of the cinematography is accomplished with Technocranes, with the classic X-Men push in being a trademark, he found that the fluid compounded moves of the Steadicam allowed to complement the look of the film and had just enough float to suit the story. And of course, being only one person to find marks makes that process

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Daniel Sauvé, SOC with actress, Sophie Turner on the set of DARK PHOENIX. Photo by Doane Gregory

much quicker and intuitive. On X-Men, the quality of the performances is something we try to capture in the least amount of takes— so being quick, always ready, and having understood the particulars of timing is crucial. For me as an operator, being able to create with a much higher range of variables allows for much better camera placement and the added stability of the frame is a truly remarquable feature.

ing or moving, are amplified by the discrepancy between a completely motorized tilt/ horizon, and a mechanical pan that is subject to operator motion. The pan axis movement is made visible by the perfect stability of the tilt and roll axes. This effect is particularly amplified if for any reason the rig is not balanced, even slightly. If there is anything that ARRI needs to improve on this system, it’s how to resolve this issue.

Two options are available when wanting to follow headroom, either tilt with the joystick or choose the profile that locks the tilt. And the horizon line simply does not move. When you have been operating Steadicam for 25 years and the ability to hold horizon is a trademark, this is a shocker. It’s dead solid. When landing a shot, for example, you can achieve near perfect immobility. The one caveat, however, is that the pan axis remains mechanical and an attribute of the gimbal. The difference between how these two axes are achieved and how they either work with or against each other proved to be, at least for me, the most difficult thing to control. Even the slightest variations, due to breath-

The motors controlling PID’s within the ring react to variations in the equilibrium of the system. Any resonance due to a variation (basic displacement, sudden movement, hard pan) will be amplified if the camera is too far out of balance. In the case of the Trinity, the force of the motors is surprising, and there is a margin of error that exceeds some gimbals of similar size. If the rig is even slightly out of balance, a resonance may occur, and the operator will be counteracting on the pan axis the effect of the motors working. It’s a bit like what helicopter pilots call “stirring the pot”—overcorrecting in one direction then again the other and so on, causing a vibration in the system and a loss of control, or perfect balance.

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My first attempts suffered from this effect as the rig was not perfectly balanced, and the pan axis would be very difficult to control. I found the hard way that I could not allow any imbalance—ever. For example, not tuning the camera fore aft when a lens change or a filter change occurred, even though the manufacturer confirms that the motors can handle it. Loose parts and loose cables should be avoided. Each change requires a new and perfect balance to be achieved, you simply cannot muscle your way with this rig. While discussing stabilized head operation with Yuriy Fuks, the head technician for the Maxima 7 remote head, I was advised to lock the camera within the ring as tightly as possible and use counterweights to balance the camera perfectly in all possible directions. This results in the mass being centered within the ring. Wedging every moving part would minimize resonance and any tuning fork effect. Yuri’s advice proved to be most useful as almost all resonance within the head was cancelled. The camera, now “quiet,” responded to all

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

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the variations in post and tilt angles with grace and elegance, and the rig became much easier to control. With balance problems sorting themselves out, more creative work could be achieved. An interesting particularity is the ability to work horizontally. On Dark Phoenix, I performed numerous tracking shots of Professor X, played by James McAvoy, in this fashion. The rig would maintain a desired tilt angle and I could boom horizontally to maintain proper headroom, allowing the lens to remain at an eye level with James in the chair while following his movements. Any detail work, like starting on his hand operating the chair’s joystick, could be achieved as a boom up instead of a tilt down, and the shots had more of a jib feel than a Steadicam look. Another interesting shot had the rig horizontal again, but this time the tilt angle locked through a specific profile choice. It starts with Magneto, played by Michael Fassbender, pulling a box from under his bed in which he has kept the helmet that protects him from the intrusive Professor X. I was standing up on the bed—with the rig horizontal, and the lens pointing down at the box—facing Magneto. As the lid was opened, and he removed the helmet from the box, I tilted the entire post with the camera locked to follow Michael’s action of raising the helmet. I picked the appropriate moment to switch profiles to fully remote, and completed the travel at eye height as the helmet was put on his head, the camera now was now maintaining level with his headroom.

Top: TClose up with the stars of Dark Phoenix, Sophie Turner and James McAvoy. Bottom: Daniel Sauvé with director of photography, Mauro Fiore, ASC. Photos by Doane Gregory

DANIEL SAUVÉ, SOC Daniel Sauvé has been a feature film camera and Steadicam operator for 25 years. His credits include X-Men Apocalypse, Flarsky, Race, and 300. He is the designer and inventor of the back mounted Steadicam harness, and a recent member of the SOC.

Dark Phoenix was, for me, a career highlight as the positive energy coming from both Simon and Mauro, but also from our producers, Todd Hallowell and Hutch Parker, along with the outstanding cast and crew, made every day a wonderful and creative experience.

TRIVIA: The film will take place in 1992, the year the X-Men comics were relaunched with new costume designs and a new cartoon show, X-Men (1992).

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

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40th Anniversary 40 Years Honoring the Art and Craft of the Camera Operator

The Society of Camera Operators is celebrating its 40th year anniversary as an organization. It began in 1979 as the Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC)—an organization dedicated to the advancement of the art and creative contributions of the camera operator in the motion picture and television industries. Thirteen camera operators banded together with the goal of advancing the position of the working camera operator in the motion picture and television industries. They drew up a constitution and bylaws and the Society of Operating Cameramen was born.

interviews range from historical pieces to in-depth coverage of the most current technology.

Incorporated as a nonprofit charitable organization in

1981, the SOC dedicates its support to the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Having since changed its name to the Society of Camera Operators, the SOC continues to bring industry leaders and cinematic artists into close confederation. Society members are kept at the forefront of the industry’s ever-advancing technology through continuing workshops, and corporate sponsored equipment showcases

To further honor the talented men and women behind the

Our Camera Operator quarterly magazine is noted for its significant contribution to the industry. Informative articles and

ganization. Congratulations to all of you who make up and

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camera, the first SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards took place in 1981. Since its start, over 100 golden Cammy stat-

uettes have been awarded, along with over 30 Technical

Achievement Awards. In this year’s issues of the magazines we’ll cover a few significant historical milestones of the orsupport the SOC. Here’s to a great year ahead!

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


The Society offers different levels of membership for individuals and manufacturers in the production community – Active, Associate, Educator, Student and Corporate.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

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The 2019 SOC

Lifetime Achievement Awards by Derek Stettler · photos by Albert Ortega

Mitch Dubin, SOC with crew from LEGION. (L -R) Top: Matt Horochowski, Billy Allegar, Dave Edsall, Mitch Dubin, Dana Gonzales, Dan Stevens, Jason Alegre, Veronica Bouza, Chris Cavanaugh. Bottom: Manny Duran, Brian Bernstein, Amanda Darouie, Nat Vinyuwonge

The 2019 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards, held on Saturday, January 26, marked the official kick-off to the SOC’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, this year’s show was preceded by an invitation-only VIP Party the night before, while the fully-booked event on Saturday consisted of a pre-reception with red carpet, sit-down dinner in the hotel’s grand ballroom, and a completely packed after party. Those in attendance came together for the industry’s only awards show which honors the below-the-line crew, and stayed to connect with friends

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old and new, many even getting the chance to rub shoulders with this year’s President’s Award winner, Harrison Ford. As the SOC Awards are the only awards show focused on the crew’s skill and craft, it is important to the SOC to be able to share the event with all who work in the industry. So to those who were unable join the affair, the main event was live-streamed around the world on socawards.com. A replay of the event as well as additional photographs from the red carpet and the show are available to view there as well.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


THIS YEAR’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONOREES WERE: Jane Fonda, Governors Award Harrison Ford, President’s Award Dave Emmerichs, SOC, Camera Operator Lifetime Achievement Award Hector Ramirez, SOC Camera Operator, Live & Non-Scripted Award Jimmy Jensen, Camera Technician Lifetime Achievement Award John Mang, Mobile Camera Platform Lifetime Achievement Award Peter Iovino, Still Photographer Lifetime Achievement Award Cinemoves, MATRIX 4 Axis Stabilized Gimbal, Technical Achievement Award Winning the award for Camera Operator of the Year – Television was Chris Haarhoff, SOC & Steven Matzinger, SOC for Westworld, and the award for Camera Operator of the Year – Film went to P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC for A Star is Born. Left to right, clockwise: Harrison Ford was honored with the President's Award; Dave Emmerichs, SOC shows off his Lifetime Achievement Award; Emcee, Andrea Fasano hosted the show with her characteristic joy and humor.

Left: Dan Gold, SOC with Governors Award winner, Jane Fonda. Right: Hector Ramirez, SOC, the winner of this year's new award category: Camera Operator, Live & Non-Scripted.

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THE NOMINEES FOR COY FILM:

AND THE NOMINEES FOR COY TELEVISION:

Michael Fuchs, SOC If Beale Street Could Talk Matthew Moriarty, SOC The Front Runner Jody Miller, SOC Beautiful Boy P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC A Star is Born Ricardo Sarmiento, SOC BlacKkKlansman

Mitch Dubin, SOC Legion Chris Haarhoff, SOC & Steven Matzinger, SOC Westworld Michael Heathcote, SOC The Handmaid’s Tale Gary Jay, SOC House of Cards Ben Semanoff, SOC Ozark

Left: Scott Sakamoto, SOC with his award for Camera Operator of the Year -- Film. Right: Chris Haarhoff, SOC & Steven Matzinger, SOC of Westworld are both winners for Camera Operator of the Year -- Television. Below: Chris Haarhoff, SOC & Steven Matzinger, SOC are interviewed by Amanda Salas with SOC President George Billinger.

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


Left: John Mang is the proud recipient of this year's Mobile Camera Platform Award. Right: Jimmy Jensen, winner of Camera Technician Award, with his father and mentor, Johnny Jensen, ASC.

To all members of the SOC, I would like to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation for recognizing me with a SOC Still Photographer Lifetime Achievement Award. Unfortunately, I left out so many things in my speech that I would have liked to have said, but didn’t, and hope I can redeem myself here. I absolutely love what I do and feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful business and a member of Local 600. As a set photographer, getting that incredible shot can be such a rewarding feeling. But--shooting those amazing shots would be nearly impossible without the help and support of the camera operator, the focus puller, and even the dolly grip. It’s all of you who are so helpful and understanding, and I needed to acknowledge how aware of and appreciative I am of that. Whether it’s a focus puller who extends their arm so I can shoot between them and the operator, or communicating with the dolly grip where an advantageous spot would be

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

without distracting them, or especially the operators who have assisted me in numerous ways allowing me to invade their space--at times with our huge blimps shooting right next to their ear as they hear the constant muffled shutter sound that must drive them crazy. Yet...you’re all still willing to help out. And that’s the greatest camaraderie around the camera that is absolutely priceless to me. It makes all the difference in the world, and I can’t thank you enough. At the Friday night VIP party Eric Fletcher reminded me of the time we were shooting the second or third season of Dexter, and Jimmy Smits had a very intense scene with Michael C. Hall. Showtime contacted me beforehand to make sure I got this shot. Mr. Smits was pacing nervously, going over the lines in his head just before the slate was struck. At the last second he noticed me and asked me not to be on set for this. Operator Fletcher knew how important the shot was to me so as I turned to leave he whispered, “Pete, duck behind me. I’ll operate this shot with my elbow out to the side. Stick your lens through my elbow and no one will

know you’re even here.” So that’s what I did. We got the shot. Showtime loved it and used it to promote that episode. It’s times like these that make me realize I could never do my job without your help. So…I share my Lifetime Achievement Award with every camera operator, every focus puller, and every dolly grip that I’ve ever had the pleasure and honor of working with. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. —Peter Iovino, 2019 SOC Still Photographer Lifetime Achievement recipient

Photo by Gianna & Larissa Iovino

A MESSAGE FROM PETER IOVINO

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ON THE RED CARPET...

Top L to R Clockwise: Dave Frederick, SOC and Nichole Huenergardt, Marketing & PR Manager Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc.; Producer, Norman Jewison and wife, Lynn; Ben Semanoff, SOC COY Nominee - Television and wife, Érica Semanoff; Michael Fuchs, SOC COY Nominee - Feature Film; Marta McClelland with husband, Bill McClelland, SOC, and Susan Williams with husband, ICG President, Steve Poster, ASC; Dr. C. Thomas Lee, The Vision Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Friends; Jody Miller, SOC COY Nominee - Feature Film and Guest.


Tech Talk

SOC TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2019 Cinemoves Matrix 4 Axis Stabilized Gimbal

appreciate each presenter for demonstrating how their product helps the operator tell the visual story and what the operator can expect from the gear on set.” In the end, the winning technology not only fit the judging requirement of furthering the operator, their hands-on demonstration blew the judges away. Within moments of using the Cinemoves Matrix 4 Axis Stabilized Gimbal, all jurors were creating shots that were previously only available with motion control. With the Matrix 4's new control software and creation of frame reference mode, it frees the operator's mind so they can focus on composition and not worry about what direction the wheels need to be turned. The increased flexibility opens new creative possibilities for the operator on set, on the day, and in the moment. Fletcher said “I would like to congratulate Scott Howell and his team for creating an innovative system that provides more creative flexibility for the operator.”

The SOC Technical Achievement Award is given to a manufacturer or technology that has demonstrated superior engineering, advancement of camera operation, and substantial facilitation of the craft. The SOC hosted a full day of demonstrations on December 1, 2018 at the SOC offices, courtesy of Tiffen. Each participating technology was presented by the manufacturers to the blue ribbon jury of SOC judges made up of; Eric Fletcher, SOC, Technical Chair, Luke Cormack, SOC, Richard W. Davis, SOC, David Emmerichs, SOC, Jamie Hitchcock, SOC, Mark LaBonge, SOC, Manolo Rojas Moscopulos, SOC, Gretchen Warthen, SOC, John Perry, SOC, and Lawrence “Doc” Karmen, SOC. After the presentations were made to the judges, the companies demonstrated their gear to SOC members. A special thank you to the judges, and all the companies that participated. For a full list of the participants see the Tech Talk article in the 2018 fall issue of Camera Operator. “Once again we were honored to have a stellar panel of judges from all disciplines of camera operating. I sincerely want to thank them for devoting their time to this year's selection. I think I speak for all the judges when I say that this year's Technical Award entries displayed superior technologies in our industry, and made the selection very challenging,” said Eric Fletcher, SOC Technical Chair. “The products we reviewed show how rapidly technology is advancing. And—I

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

Scott Howell of Cinemoves, was presented with the Technical Achievement Award at the SOC Awards show, while joining the industry in celebrating the best of the best in production and camera operating. Howell said, “This has been an amazing journey. I never expected that Cinemoves would win this award. To be honored by the SOC is overwhelming, and I can’t think of an award for a company like us that would mean anything more than this. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.” Congratulations Cinemoves! cinemoves.com/matrix

Eric Fletcher, SOC with Scott Howell. Photo by Albert L. Ortega

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Smooth Operator EVOLUTION OF A LIVE TELEVISION OPERATOR

by Rob Vuona, SOC

Creative Arts. Photo by Danny Lorenze

If human life is the experience of life, and life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all, then he who experiences more with greater intensity lives more, so “Go For It!” —Rob Vuona, SOC This has been my mantra since as early as I can remember and I have tried to live my life and form my career along those same lines. Life is too short not to be happy, so do what you love.

the moving parts of production. My college internship exposed me to many aspects of TV production—I was a runner, PA, utility, AC, I did audio, lighting, editing, and most important to me, camera—this paved the way for those pivotal introductions in my career.

Moving from Boston to California for college was the first step in a career path that I always knew I was going to take. Becoming a television camera operator was always the goal.

The owner of Videoworks, Mike Porter, who I nicknamed "Coach" for the obvious reason, remains to this day a good friend, and without his guidance I wouldn’t have had the opportunities open up for me. We did multi-camera productions that taught me camera position to headset etiquette, and everything in between. We shot concerts, talk shows, and corporate events. These foundational experiences allowed me to get more creative with my shots and collaborate more with the director.

I think coming up through the ranks and forging trusted relationships is the way to successfully navigate your career path and understand all

At the time, shooting alternative sports was my first choice, after all… shooting camera and skiing were two of my passions and with my ties

HANDS ON

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

Join the SOC in 2019 for Camera Operating Workshops taught by working professionals. These workshops are designed to sharpen your skills, teach techniques for operating, better understanding of the roles and responsibilities on set, and to elevate the craft of camera operating. • Underwater Camera Operating Workshop • Operating in the 4th Dimension - Working with Telescopic Cranes • Camera Operating for Cinema & TV • Camera Operating for Live & Sports Production • Running the Set – the Role of the Operator

SOC members will receive details via emails in addition to priority registration and discounts. Workshops will be noted if non SOC members are able to register.


shooting all of these sports, I was assigned to the live broadcast doing hand-held camera on Sky Surfing. From there, I moved into ChaseCam on skis, Polecam, and super slow-motion, culminating in 12 years shooting Summer and Winter X-Games. Through this initial work, I was blessed to be able to shoot four Olympic Games: Sydney in 2000, Salt Lake City in 2002, Greece in 2004, and Torino in 2006, as well as numerous sporting events, including; baseball, basketball, football, Nascar, World Cup Skiing, and more. I learned that shooting sports presents incredible challenges and hones your technical camera skills—from hand-held to jib, and everything in between.

NEW PASSION One summer I was asked to join a motley crew of guys on a show called On Tour. It was a concert show, where we shot 100 different bands in six months all over the U.S. and Europe. We had 15 cameras set up and wrapped almost daily, all live-switched, and we were doing it in conjunction with a 3-D crew. We all lived in tour buses, and it was a crazy traveling circus.

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS. Photo courtesy of Rob Vuona

to the alternative sports world, it allowed me to create an exciting array of work and extreme videos. There were no “GoPro” cameras in the early 90s, so capturing movement was a challenge, but I was able to make videos using every kind of camera, and every format I could get my hands on—Super 8, 35mm, VHS, S-VHS, Hi-8, Mini-DV, ¾”, Beta and Beta SP, to capture a full range of extreme sports, including street luge, sky surfing, base jumping, skateboarding, in-line downhill, freestyle motocross, snow cross, mountain biking, bungee jumping, and extreme skiing. These were days of innovation—how to make a mount to hold the camera, how to make a housing to protect a cigar camera that still had to be wired to a deck and mounted to a mountain bike at 60mph, how to shoot while walking backward up the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge, or how to mount a camera and shoot while bungee jumping over the Grand Canyon, or pendulum swinging under the Royal Gorge Bridge. All fun, but dangerous challenges, and admittedly risks that probably shouldn’t have been taken, but that’s how we learn to say “no” on set now.

NETWORKING When ESPN commercialized alternative sports, referring to them as “extreme games,” I had friends both competing, and shooting their events. Through those contacts, I was introduced to the network and established key relationships in this industry. As I was familiar with

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It was here in 1996, that I was introduced to Steadicam. The Steadicam was operated by two operators—Brad Olander and Jeff Silverman—with a stereoscope-type camera for the 3-D crew. I was captivated by it. Brad let me try it on and I was hooked, needless to say all 140 pounds of me at the time barely could keep the rig upright. After the show wrapped, I took some of the money and bought my first Steadicam, the SK, I think it cost me around $7,000. As you may have guessed, initially I was terrible at operating, as it was a lot harder than I thought. So while my gear sat in the garage waiting for me to practice, my entertainment “live event” jobs were increasing, and my sports jobs were decreasing. Figuring out a way to practice my Steadicam skills while continuing to lock in my go-to “live shows” doing hand-held was my number one goal. I fit into my schedule lots of small ENG jobs, local commercials, and reality shows to supplement my shooting, and cut my teeth in order to gain confidence in my Steadicam skills. Through these various work experiences, I have been able to work with some of the best live camera operators in the business. I would call Jeff Muhlstock from New York, and Dave Eastwood of Los Angeles my respected mentors. They have shot everything on television in all the genres. Watching them work, and listening to their suggestions on how to achieve shots has been invaluable to my work, and professional development. Being on a 15-camera show with a Steadicam creates a whole new way to operate as opposed to the traditionally ways of one or two camera set-ups; you need to achieve your shot and then figure out how to clear the other cameras to get set up for your next shot, and at the same time you’re pulling your own focus, zooming, and paying at-

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


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Eventually, I got my shot to step up into the live world operating Steadicam, and learned all too quickly how to be in all the other camera shots. If you have never been on headset with a live director, producer, and AD during a show, and find yourself out on center stage stuck in all the other camera’s shots, it turns into the biggest scream fest you have ever heard. Shear panic sets in, knowing that—not only did you screw up—but millions of people around the planet just saw you do it.

their products. I was discouraged, as I knew there was a way to improve the gear to make it more dependable and functional for us to maneuver. Dan Ikeda, sales at Tiffen/Steadicam at the time, suggested that I take a meeting with the engineers over there, Robert Orf and Jacob Hawkins, along with Garret Brown, and Jerry Holway regarding designing a “live version” of their Steadicam. After many meetings, countless hours of CAD drawings and rewiring, we developed the Phantom-V now renamed the Shadow-V. Everything was plug-andplay and set up for live Steadicam operating, and now even better…I had the Steadicam I knew was capable of being built.

NEW TECH

BE HAPPY

Technical issues with the gear became immediately apparent to me when operating the traditional Steadicam as it wasn’t designed to accommodate the needs of live television. Dave and Jeff overcame all the issues with return video, cable adapters, gimbal-mounted zoom and focus controls, and tally sensors, just to name a few, and their early innovations became the norm in our industry.

Camera operating has afforded me the opportunity to do and see so many wonderful things around our planet, and work with so many amazing creative people who inspire me all the time.

tention to your return video monitor—and possibly turning on your prompter, tethered to a triax, and now fiber cables, all while listening to the director and AD call cameras.

The only way to solve these issues was to adapt the Steadicams on the market at the time, meaning, some of us were machining our own parts to make it work. I still have a drawer full of aluminum chunks and a mill in my garage. Around my third or fourth Steadicam purchase/replacement (after my second EFP rig and somewhere between the Masters Series and the Archer), I was researching what I was going to need to customize a new sled. A shorter post, multiple HD lines, more than two power outputs, a way to incorporate return video and convenient mounting options for multiple monitors, along with plug-and-play tally ports, just to name a few. Tiffen/Steadicam, XCS, PRO, Sachler, and MKV are the staples in the industry, and at that time none of them were willing to customize

As much as I love all the adventures I have had over the years shooting ENG, live television shooting Steadicam is my favorite. To this day, I still get the adrenaline rush as the countdown to live begins! At the same time, when I occasionally jump in on scripted and sitcom shoots with the random feature days, I have certainly learned to appreciate all the genres. Nine months of the year I shoot Steadicam on live television shows, and the other three months I run ski tours and travel with my wife, Jacqueline. As I said from the outset, do what you love, life is too short not to be happy!

ROB VUONA, SOC Rob Vuona, SOC is best known as a Steadicam operator on live television shows in Los Angeles, and was the design consultant on the first Steadicam specifically designed for live television, Tiffens Shadow-V where “V” is for Vuona. Vuona moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to pursue a career in television production and attended California State Polytechnic University at Pomona with a major in Telecommunications. During his 30 years behind the lens, on hundreds of shows, shooting in 125 countries, he has earned 12 Emmy nominations that resulted in six wins. He is humbled to have been appointed to the first SOC Live Television Awards Committee. When he isn’t operating a Steadicam he spends time traveling with his wife Jacqueline, eating pasta with his family, skiing, mountain biking and doing his best to avoid getting checked in ice hockey. He is currently working on a coffee table book covering his first 50 years.

Rob skiing. Photo by Jacqueline Vuona

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


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Insight Photo by Anson Fogel

KEVIN ANDREWS, SOC What was one of your most challenging day on set? I was recently filming Steadicam down in Texas in Big Bend National Park...during the summer! The extreme heat combined with the humidity and full exposure scenes all day about dropped me. What is your most memorable day in the industry? I really enjoyed working alongside Russell Carpenter, ASC for a short film he was creating for the Canon company. I definitely learned all I could from him on that production. What would be the most important improvement you would like to see in our industry? I’d like to see productions continue respecting safe working hours for all crew. Credits:  Trillion Dollar Planet, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Case of Jon Benet Ramsey, The Calling, and Dear Eleanor

GEORGE BIANCHINI, SOC What was one of your most challenging shots in the industry? A recent Technocrane shot on The Wrong Mans pilot starting high/ wide finding a small mobile phone on side of road close up—magic hour—huge reset. What is your most memorable day in the industry? I have had so many memorable moments in this industry it is impossible to pick one. What is the job you have yet to do but most want to do? I would like to work on a very scary psychological thriller, or to do an action-adventure movie. Credits:  The Affair (TV pilot/Season 1), The Campaign, Top Five, Clear History, Good Girl$ (TV pilot/Season 1)

Photo by Claire Folger

HILAIRE BROSIO, SOC

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Gogh

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What was one of your most challenging shot in the industry? I was in Antarctica shooting underwater video of fur seals. The water was 31 degrees Fahrenheit, and after 30 minutes my hands were so numb they were useless. What is your most memorable day in the industry? Working with Jon Voight on the Clarkworld documentary. His love for the director Bob Clark and the way he articulates it is so incredibly moving. The person who helped you most in your career? Rob Vuona, SOC introduced me to the Steadicam in 2008. He knew how much I love working in a bio-mechanical environment and it changed my life. Credits: Dexter, The Bold and the Beautiful, NBC’s 1st Look, Talk Stoop, Beyond The Parks

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 R. Burch Jerry G. 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 Jay Gahret Jim Glennon Ray Gonzales Jerry Good Jack Green, ASC Gil Haimson Peter Hapke Lutz 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 Leigh Nicholson King Nicholson John G. Nogle Dan Norris Skip Norton David B. 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 Roger Smith Fred Smith Michael St. Hilaire Ray Stella Joe Steuben John C. Stevens Carol Sunflower Bill Swearingen Joseph F. 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 Christopher Arata 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 Jonathan Beck Tim Bellen Brian Bernstein Justin Besser Corey Besteder George M. Bianchini George Billinger * Howard H. Bingham Maceo Bishop Bonnie S. Blake Jason Blount

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2019

Jeff Bollman John Boyd Katie Boyum Kevin D. Braband Hilaire Brosio Garrett Brown 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 William Demeritt 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 Jeffrey Dutemple 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 Gregory Faysash 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 Guido Frenzel 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 Roger Grange 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 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 Sven Joukes 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 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 J. Steven Matzinger Nathan Maulorico 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 Darryl Miller

41


Marc A. Miller Phillip Miller Thomas Miller Ethan Mills Andrew Mitchell William 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 Peter Munson, Jr. Keith Murphy Sean Murray Saade Mustafa Dale Myrand Leo J. Napolitano Marco Naylor Robert Newcomb Julye Newlin George Niedson William Nielsen Kenny Niernberg Terence Nightingall Kurt Nolen Randy Nolen Austin Nordell Casey 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 Theo Pingarelli John Pingry Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli David Plakos Adrian Pruett James Puli Louis Puli Kelly Pun Ryan Purcell

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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 Jesse Roth 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 Schlicher Mark Schmidt Job Scholtze Vadim Schulz David Jean Schweitzer Fabrizio Sciarra Brian Scott Ian Seabrook Dave Selle Benjamin Semanoff Barry Seybert Barnaby Shapiro David Shawl Chelsea Lee Shepherd Osvaldo Silvera Jr. Gregory Smith Marques Smith Needham B. Smith III Teddy Smith Vanessa Smith Dean Robert Smollar John Sosenko Andy Sparaco Mark Sparrough Benjamin Xavier Spek William Spencer Gills Francis Spieldenner Sandy Spooner Lisa L. Stacilauskas Robert Starling Meagan Stockemer Thomas N Stork Michael R. Stumpf David L. Svenson David Taicher Ian S. Takahashi Yousheng Tang Jaron Tauch Gregor Tavenner Brian Taylor

Christopher Taylor Peter Taylor Paige Thomas David James Thompson Henry Tirl John Toll, ASC Eduardo Torres Remi Tournois Neil C. Toussaint Jamie Trent Bryan Trieb Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty * Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Dale Vance, Jr. Paul D. Varrieur Leandro Vaz Da Silva Ron Veto Adi Visser Stefan von Bjorn Rob Vuona Bill Waldman Michael J. Walker 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 Kit Whitmore 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 * Past SOC President

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Christine Adams Brian Aichlmayr Colin Akoon Jamie Alac Tyler Allison Ana M. Amortegui Greg Arch Fernando Arguelles Michael Artsis Joshua Ausley Richard Avalon John Bailie Blaine Baker Denson Baker Ryan Vogel Baker

Scott Gene Baker Thomas Bango Tyson Banks Michael Barron Craig Bauer Adam Wayne Beck Adriatik Berdaku Justin Berrios Alicia Blair Stas Bondarenko 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 David John 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 Shannon Connally Gabriel Paul Copeland Gareth Paul Cox Richard P. Crudo, ASC Chad Daring Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi Enrique Xavier Del Rio Galindo James DeMello John Densmore Johnny Derango Caleb Des Cognets Ronald E. Deveaux Vincent DeVries Lance Dickinson Eric Druker Matthew Duclos Orlando Duguay Adam Duke Keith Dunkerley Colin Duran Brian James Dzyak Robert Eagle Edward Endres Andre Ennis David T. Eubank Allen Farst Nicholas A. Federoff Ellie Ann Fenton 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 Geoffrey George Hannah Getz Hank Gifford Daniel Godar Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez John M. Goodner John Greenwood Adam Gregory Phil Gries Ryan Grosjean Tomasz Gryz Lauren Guiteras Josef "Joe" Gunawan Shelly Gurzi Marco Gutierrez Jason Hafer Bob Hall Adam Hamer Mufeng "Derek" Han Tobias Winde Harbo James Hart John Hart Kyle Hartman Jason Hawkins Adam Heim Andres Hernandez Orlando Herrera 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 Jessica S. Jurges Timothy Kane Brandon Kapelow Ray Karwel Frank Kay April Kelley Alan G. Kelly Mark H. Killian Douglas Kirkland Sean Kisch Christian Kitscha Michael Klaric Michael Klimchak

Nick Kolias Mark Knudson Robert Kraetsch Brian Kronenberg Robert La Bonge Laurence Langton Jose-Pablo Larrea Barbie Leung 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 Michael Monar Kenneth R. Montgomery Autumn Moran Dean Morin 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

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG


Art Parnitudom Andrew Parrotte 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 Tyler Rocheleau Andy Romero Tim Rook Peter J. Rooney Daria Rountree Sam Rosenthal Jordi Ruiz Maso Jan Ruona Dylan Rush Kish Sadhvani Christian Salas-Martos Danny Salazar William Tanner Sampson Chris Sattlberger Nick Savander Steve Saxon Christian Sebaldt, ASC Christopher Seehase Brian Sergott Alexander Seyum Sathish Shankutty Haley Shepard 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 Fabian Tehrani John Twesten Thomas "Joe" Tyler 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 Louis-Pascal Walsh William Walsh Neil Watson Alex White Jared Wilson Ryan Wood Tim Wu Watcharawit "Koon" Ya-Inta 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. Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment CineDrones Cinema Devices Cinemoves Inc. Codex Cooke Optics Limited Core SWX CW Sonderoptic 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 Schneider Optics Sigma Sim International Sony Electronics

CAMERA OPERATOR ¡ WINTER 2019

That Cat Camera Support Tiffen Transvideo Ver Wooden Camera Zacuto USA

EDUCATORS John M. Grace Ron McPherson Mauricio Vega Ralph W. 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 A. Torres George Toscas Roy H. Wagner, ASC Alfre Woodard

RETIRED MEMBERS Aldo Antonelli Paul Babin Tom Barron Al Bettcher James Blanford Bruce Catlin Ivan Craig Richard A. Cullis George Spiro Dibie, ASC Robert M. Feller Jerry Fuller Dick Fisher Anthony Gaudioz Wynn Hammer Ken Hilmer Gary Holt Robert C. Horne Douglas H. Knapp Michael Little Heather MacKenzie James Mann Stan McClain * Michael McClary Ron McManus Mike Meinardus Emmanuel Metaxas Robert "Bob" Moore Sol Negrin, ASC David L. Parrish Aaron Pazanti

Richard Rawlings Jr., ASC Andy Romanoff Frank Ruttencutter Carl Schumaker Sr. Chuck Schuman Philip D. Schwartz Guy Skinner George B. Stephenson Gene Talvin Joseph N. Tawil Adam S. Ward

STUDENTS Jack Armstrong Jamie Araki Reynaldo Aquino Sammy Avgi Nathan James Bachmann Melissa Baltierra Zakrey Barisione Bedik Bedikian 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 KC Kennicutt John P. Lansdale Eric Liberacki Guilherme Costa Ari Linn Vincent Lomascolo Jose Lora Bali Majji 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 Matthew Richter Jackson Rife

Marco Rivera Edgar Santamaria Esther Santamaria Emil Schonstrom Alexandria Shepherd Simon Sidell Jennifer St. Hilaire-Sanchez Grace Thomas Joshua Thomas Kendra Tidrick William Torres Romas Usakovas Anna Vialova Anthony Worley Peiqi Wu Watcharawit "Koon" Ya-inta Linxuan "Stanley" Yu Lucia Zavarcikova Yiyao Zhu

Current as of February 10, 2019.

AD INDEX Amazon Studios 13 amazonstudiosguilds.com Annapurna Pictures 9 annapurnaguilds.com ARRI 3 arri.com Blackmagic Design 5 blackmagicdesign.com Chapman/Leonard Studio C2

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Social SOC

Curated by Ian S. Takahashi, SOC society_of_camera_operators

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society_of_camera_operators The Comedy Get Down with fellow SOC Members, Gretchen Warthen @cameragretchen and Jess Lopez @steadijess Director: Stan Lathan DP: Tommy Maddox-Upshaw @themaddoxdp Stills: Lara Solanki Photo by Lara Solanki @larasolanki ———————————————————————— #bestJobEver #thesoc #cameraOperator #Photographer #Camera #Lens #DirectorOfPhotography #Cinematography #Cinematographer #Videography #Photography #Videography #PhotographyIsLife #CameraSupport #CameraAccessories #SOC #bts #movies #film #TheSOC

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society_of_camera_operators RePost from @josepharthursoria - @gretchen_warthen & @society_of_camera_operators #Patch ———————————————————————— #TheSoc #bestJobEver #thesoc #cameraOperator #Photographer #Camera #Lens #DirectorOfPhotography #Cinematography #Cinematographer #Videography #Photography #Videography #PhotographyIsLife #CameraSupport #CameraAccessories #SOC #bts #movies #film ————————————————————————rogerwilco007 That’s a cute little slider ladycameraguy @rogerwilco007 perfect for actors who miss their mark. Small enough to not bow without support.

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


W H AT W I L L Y O U C R E AT E ?

INTELLIGENT HORIZON ASSIST AVAIABLE NOW FOR STEADICAM M-1, ARCHER 2, SHADOW, SHADOW V, ULTRA 2, CLIPPER 3, & GPI PRO SYSTEMS tiffen.com/steadicam/voltsystem The TIffen Company, LLC. 90 Oser Avenue • Hauppauge, NY 11788

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