Camera Operator Spring 2014

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TRUE DETECTIVE

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CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

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SOC AWARDS

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SPRING 2014

Filming the paraglide scenes for Blended

Features

Cover

DAVID BLOOMER / WB

VOLUME 23, NUMBER 2

Checking the Trades

by David Tolsky SOC and Brad Greenspan Dave Tolsky reports on the fun things he found at CES; Brad Greenspan weighs in on gear from NAB.

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Camera Operator of the Year

The winners in the Film and Television categories and all the nominees write about what it’s like to work on the movie or show for which they were nominated.

Chris McGuire filming Blended in South Africa.

Photo by David Bloomer © 2014 Warner Bros

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SOC~The Awards with Heart

by Hiram Early Highlights and kudos for the 2014 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards. If you weren’t there, why weren’t you?

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Worlds Apart: ‘True Detective’ and ‘Blended’

by Christopher TJ McGuire SOC, ACO Two very different jobs: a 6-minute Steadicam shot for the TV series, and a rom-com shot in South Africa and Georgia.

Departments

6 News & Notes 12 Transitions 14 Safety is Everyone’s Job 24 Establishing Shot

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58 Hi Def with Jeff

by Jeff Cree SOC

63 Last Take; Advertisers’ Index 64 Roster of the SOC as of 4/27/14

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS ~ BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS

President ...............................................Mark August 1st Vice President ................................. Michael Scott 2nd Vice President ................................. Mitch Dubin 3rd Vice President .............................Lisa Stacilauskas Recording Secretary.......................... Bill McClelland Treasurer .......................................... Douglas Knapp Sergeant-at-Arms .................................Mike Frediani

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE Jennifer Braddock Rochelle Brown Dan Coplan Rich Davis David Emmerichs Eric Fletcher Brad Greenspan John Hankammer Casey Hotchkiss

Rachel Hudson Hugh Litfin Kenji Luster David Mahlmann Heather Page Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Chris Taylor Chris Tufty Dan Turrett

STAFF AND CONSULTANTS

SOC Office Manager ....................Heather Ritcheson Office Administrator ............................ Diana Penilla Accountant ................................Rick Birnbaum, CPA Bookkeeper ........................................ Michelle Cole Web Administrator .................................Rick Gerard Publications Manager ....................... Douglas Knapp Publications Layout ..............................Lynn Lanning Publishers ...................................... IngleDodd Media Calligrapher............................................. Carrie Imai Legal Reps ............................. Jonathan Feldman Esq, Magasinn & Feldman

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Awards ........................Mark August, Bill McClelland, David Mahlmann Charities ...........................................Lisa Stacilauskas Communications ............................Jennifer Braddock Constitution & By-Laws.................Stephen Silberkraus Corporate Liaisons ............................ Bill McClelland, Stephen Silberkraus COY Awards ......................................Rochelle Brown Education & Mentor .................................Hugh Litfin Events ...........................Jessica Jurges, Rachel Lippert, Jessica L Lopez Historical............................................. Mike Frediani, Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Magazine Editor .............................Jennifer Braddock Membership .......................................Rachel Hudson Merchandising & ............................. Brad Greenspan, Promotions .................................Rochelle Brown Newsletter Editor .......................................................

Public Relations/Publicity .........................Rich Davis, Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Publications........................................Douglas Knapp SOC Rep, East Coast ...................... Bruce MacCallum SOC Rep, South Coast ...........................Heather Page Technical Standards ........................ David Emmerichs Website Manager..................................... Chris Taylor

CAMERA OPERATOR SPRING 2014 Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Braddock Managing Ed/Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Lanning Post-Production Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .Douglas Knapp SOC Cover Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Bloomer © Warner Bros Production Coordinators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IngleDodd Media Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Dodd CONTRIBUTORS Mark August SOC Bonnie Blake SOC Jennifer Braddock Jeff Cree SOC Nicholas Davidoff SOC Don Devine SOC Hiram Early Ian Fox SOC Steve Fracol SOC David Frederick SOC Michael Frediani SOC Brad Greenspan Sawyer Gunn Geoffrey Haley SOC Richard Jones

Jacques Jouffret SOC Douglas Knapp SOC Dan Kneece SOC Lynn Lanning Jessica L Lopez SOC Dave Luckenbach SOC Kenji Luster SOC Christopher McGuire SOC ACO James Reid SOC Heather Ritcheson Randall Robinson SOC P Scott Sakamoto SOC Peter Taylor SOC ACO David Tolsky SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY is a registered trademark.

All rights reserved.

Michael Ansell David Bloomer Michael Desmond François Duhamel Richard Foreman Michael Frediani SOC Brad Greenspan

Jessica Jurges Frank Masi Craig Mathew Eric McCandless Peter Mountain Gregory R Peters Heather Richardson Dale Robinette Michelle K Short Kent Smith David Tolsky SOC Ron Tom

© 2014 Society of Camera Operators

Subscription Rates: USA $25/year; Outside USA $35/year (U.S. Funds Only) Subscribe online at www.SOC.org Camera Operator is published 4 times a year by the Society of Camera Operators For display advertising information, contact: Dan Dodd (310) 207-4410 x236 fax: (310) 207-1055 Dan@IngleDodd.com For article submissions, please contact: SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone (818) 382-7070 email: camopmag@soc.org

Visit the SOC web site www.SOC.org 4

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News & Notes

What’s going on with members and in the industry

A Cammy for Chris, a Gavel for Mark

O

MIKE FREDIANI SOC

HEATHER RITCHESON

utgoing president Chris Tufty SOC received his Cammy for outstanding service at a ceremony held at the Smokehouse in Burbank, and attended by his wife Margot and many of the SOC Board of Governors and others. At the same event, Mark August SOC was installed as the new president.

Four Presidents are present as outgoing SOC President Chris Tufty passes the gavel to Mark August, the SOC’s newest president. Past Presidents Michael Frediani SOC and David Frederick SOC flank them.

Mark’s first official duty as president: present the Cammy to Chris.

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Camera Operator: News & Notes

MIKE FREDIANI SOC

HEATHER RITCHESON

Chris Tufty’s wife is both proud of him and delighted he won’t be splitting his time with the SOC presidency any longer.

The last SOC Board of Governors meeting that Chris Tufty presided over in 2014.

Going down the left side: Bill McClelland, Brad Greenspan, Doug Knapp, Mitch Dubin, Dave Emmerichs, Lisa Stacilauskas, John Hankammer. Going down the right side: Mark August, Rochelle Brown, Chris Taylor, Dave Mahlmann, Hugh Litfin, Eric Fletcher, Kenji Luster, Rich Davis. Dave Frederick and Dan Turrett attended the meeting via computer.

Spring 2014

On Behalf of All Camera Operators With the alarming proliferation of cinematographers operating cameras the Board of Governors perceive this trend as a threat to our livelihoods. Penned by Michael Frediani SOC with a major contribution by Mitch Dubin SOC, this letter was vetted by our BOG who stands behind this message on behalf of camera operators worldwide and sent to over 1,000 directors of photography.

Board of Governors Mark August President

Michael Scott

1st Vice President

Mitch Dubin

2nd Vice President

Lisa Stacilauskas 3rd Vice President

Bill McClelland

Recording Secretary

Douglas Knapp Treasurer

Michael Frediani Sergeant-at-Arms

Jennifer Braddock Rochelle Brown Dan Coplan Rich Davis Mitch Dubin David Emmerichs Eric Fletcher Brad Greenspan John Hankammer Casey Hotchkiss Rachel Hudson Kenji Luster David Mahlmann Heather Page Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Chris Taylor Chris Tufty Dan Turrett

Dear Director of Photography: The Board of Governors of the Society of Camera Operators is acutely aware of the growing trend of not hiring camera operators on many productions, both large and low budget. This practice is affecting the livelihoods of many Camera Operators across the United States and beyond.

As Camera Operators we have invested years in our industry. None of us made that decision lightly and none of us have spent a minute regretting our choice to place ourselves behind the eyepiece in order to add to the collective voices required to bring projects to successful completion.

We understand the role of the Director of Photography and would never want to compromise the artistic integrity you offer a production. However we, the Board of Governors of the Society of Camera Operators would like you to reconsider your choice to operate the camera if asked to do so.

The Camera Operator is your collaborator, here to help you realize your vision.

We are an extra pair of eyes to see things you might not see. We are your partner in putting out the small fires too time consuming for you to deal with.

We communicate with the Camera Assistants helping them prepare for and implement very difficult shots. An “Operating DP” compromises the effectiveness of the entire camera department.

While Studios and Production Managers may put pressure on you to do both jobs, in reality having a Camera Operator is a more efficient and costeffective way to work. The Studio mentality may be that we are only a line item on their budget—however, those extra set ups that get completed every day by having an Operator ensures a high quality production at the end of the day.

It is important that you understand—every day you also operate you are taking away a day’s work and healthcare hours from a Camera Operator.

Additionally every time a Director of Photography operates the camera it makes it harder for those who want to use an Operator on future projects.

Please help us protect the art and craft of the Camera Operator.

Thank you,

Spring 2014

Camera Operator: News & Notes

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JESSICA JURGES

During NAB, new SOC president Mark August (far right) presented an SOC certificate of membership to Canon, represented by Larry Thorpe and Tim Smith.

NICOLE WILDER / ABC

A note from Bonnie Blake SOC: “I’ve been in Atlanta since the end of March on Season 2 of BET’s Being Mary Jane. I’m here till mid-July. I haven’t moved here! I’m working as a distant hire. The DP is Michael Negrin.

Here’s a photo of me with Tripp Pair, the ‘A’ dolly grip and JP Author, BET’s behind the scenes filmmaker.

I miss all my SOC peeps!”

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Camera Operator: News & Notes

From the Scandal press site: a photo of Jack Messitt SOC, who is a regular day player on the series when they need a 3rd cameraman. Camera Operator’s Art Director, Lynn Lanning discovered it when she was looking for photos from the series to go with Steve Fracol’s page. Steve was nominated for Camera Operator of the Year ~ Film for his work on Scandal. (See page 33) Spring 2014

A Trip Down Memory Lane

US and Russian Combat Cameramen’s Luncheon at Motion Picture Home in 1992 Joe Longo organized the Combat Photographers Association, with help from Randall Robinson SOC. He invited Russian cameramen from World War II to a luncheon at the Motion Picture Home, where many of the US combat photographers from that war were living. They had a wonderful time.

These photos were in the SOC archives, which are being scanned. Former SOC President Randall Robinson sent these to Local 600 President George Spiro Dibie; ASC President William Fraker; one of the the magazine, with his comments and recollections about the event. He has fond Russian Combat Cameraman; SOC President Randall Robinson (in back); Joe Longo, president of the Combat Photographers Association; another Russian memories of it and the people involved. combat photographer.

William Clothier ASC, John Wayne’s cameraman; actress Janet Leigh; John Agar, Shirley Temple’s first husband and a regular in John Wayne movies

These are the Russian cameramen, who just loved us!

The Russian in the dark framed glasses was speaking at the luncheon when he looked across the room, saw the US cameraman in full dress Marine uniform, and recognized him as someone he had fought beside during World War II. He stopped speaking and rushed across the room to greet his old friend. It was a very touching reunion.

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Camera Operator: News & Notes

Spring 2014

A CLOSE-UP ON

DEAN CUNDEY ASC “Big project or small, my first choice is always OConnor” As you began your career, what films/cinematographers did you study and why? Movies affected me way back when I was a kid. I remember going to Saturday matinees when I was about 11 years old. Those films took me on magical journeys. I was intrigued with how they created such a world that drew me in so deeply. Specifically, for example, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea created a completely unknown world. Early films like those had a tremendous impact on me. Later, at UCLA film school, I was captivated by Conrad Hall’s (ASC) The Professionals. That movie had such a distinct look. I followed his work for quite a while. But throughout my youth, through film school, and my entire career, I’ve become aware of a lot of film noir and black-and-white movies done by great cinematographers that have influenced me.

What other artistic fields influence your work? I think all of us in cinematography react to paintings. We frequently use the metaphor that DPs “paint with light.” Painters, like (Johannes) Vermeer, lit with paint. Their work made us aware of light sources and how it created an emotion. Also, storytelling and novels influence us. Effective storytelling uses words to create an image in our mind. The written word is very powerful.

Give us an example of a movie, or a sequence, that says “this is what making movies is all about.” The most effective art is a movie that draws us in and tells a story. Moviemaking is sometimes referred to as “the greatest art form” because when magic is created, all the arts have been combined – storytelling, painting, architecture, sculpture, etc. That’s what it’s all about.

On a personal level, Jurassic Park challenged me to create the illusion that dinosaurs existed, and entered our world in a real way. The crew and I were tasked with taking the audience on a ride in a very believable way. We didn’t want to elevate the fantasy of it, but show the reality that it was possible for dinosaurs to roam Earth. And this is what intrigued me early in my life about filmmaking. Today, contemporary visual effects can become very sensational and fantastical – and audiences sure do enjoy the ride! But we can’t really OConnor™ A Vitec Group brand

relate to them. My job as a cinematographer is to use light and composition to draw audiences into a credible adventure – regardless of whether it’s a visual effects-heavy movie, a character-driven piece, or even a romance or comedy.

As you speak to people who have a passion for the industry as you do, what kind of advice do you pass on? The movie industry is difficult to break into. But, there are more opportunities now – as the global business of media making expands and digital tools become more available. Emerging filmmakers should take any job they can get, and never ask how much it pays. Then, when they do get the work, they are not there just because of the wages, but because they wanted to work with the team being put together for the project. The money comes later – as tough as that can be. If you prove yourself valuable, you’ll get hired. And never take no for an answer. Sometimes you have to stick with your creative intentions. I was told early on many times that I should consider other work, and now I have an ASC Lifetime Award to prove them wrong!

Cinematographers are the bridge between science, technique and art.

We combine artistry – writing, directing, acting – with the actual process of capturing that onto a medium. A lot of science goes into that. So I would add, don’t solely focus on film. Take a history class! Everything informs your work.

If you hadn’t become a cinematographer, what would you have done?

I was always interested in creative things. In high school and college, I played in bands, so I considered being a film composer. I was also interested in architecture. I took graphic arts, design, and drafting as electives in college. As a kid, I was fascinated with Disneyland – the fact that they created a story that was experienced in 4D by visitors! So maybe I’d be a theme park designer? Walt Disney once said that he wasn’t creating rides – but telling stories and building experiences. That was fascinating to me.

OConnor in association with its sister brands, provides complete cine solutions with best-in-class, innovative products around the camera.

Read more close-ups at ocon.com

Sarah Elizabeth Jones 1986–2014

Sarah Jones was a rising camera star who brightened the day of everyone she touched. A South Carolina native, Sarah began her career in Charleston SC on Army Wives and then continued in Atlanta with Vampire Diaries and many other productions. Her talent and work ethic assured Sarah was just beginning what was to be a stellar career. It was certain, Sarah Jones had what it took.

Her friend Dave Perkal ASC said, “She was a rare talent imbued with a positive spirit that she humbly shared with grace and style. Her aspirations had no limit. She was the one you knew was going to shoot for the stars and make it.”

Sadly, she never got the chance. Sarah Jones was taken from us on February 20th, 2014 on a train trestle in Georgia.

Sarah lives on though. In each and every one of us she now resides, as what happened to Sarah could have happened to any one of us.

She now reminds us daily that safety is paramount, and calling the first shot of the day “The Jonesy” will remind us for many years to come.

Safety for Sarah. We are all Sarah Jones.

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Camera Operator: Transitions

Spring 2014

Honoring Sarah; Pledging Safety Various Buttons and Lapel Items in honor of Sarah

Steven Poster ASC

Sarah Jones’ father Richard accepts her SOC membership plaque.

From SOC Awards Night ICG Candlelight Vigil for Sarah David Frederick SOC

The night before the SOC Awards. People lining up to participate in the vigil.

Spring 2014

Michael Frediani SOC

Camera Operator: News & Notes

13

W

e hear a lot of repeated phrases on set, especially when just trying to do our jobs, to the best of our abilities. My favorites are “we’ve always done it this way” or “that’s not how we do things around here.”

The helicopter crash on Twilight Zone: The Movie

Sometimes it takes a major tragedy to ignite change and rock an industry like ours.

Prior to the early 1980s, insurance companies didn’t see the movie industry as a source of profit. Film sets were viewed as unsafe and the likelihood of payouts extremely high. When these injuries and deaths started becoming more frequent (or at least more known), seeming almost unavoidable or simply unnecessary, colleagues of fallen crew personnel sprang into action, sparking an insurgency for change.

Camera operator and SOC founding member Bob Marta broke his neck in 1975 after being pinned between two cars during a shoot. His friend and colleague Jack Tandberg was tragically struck and fatally injured by a runaway picture car in 1981. The Dukes of Hazzard was infamous for destroying hundreds of cars each season. Camera assistant Rodney Mitchell joked “I have to get off this show before it kills me” the day he was crushed by his overturned camera car during a practice run in 1980. And 1982 was the horrific accident on Twilight Zone: The Movie, the feature length adaption of the television series. Balls of fire engulfed the picture helicopter, forcing it into the actors on set below. Star Vic Morrow was decapitated and two child actors were killed.

Because of these tragedies Marta’s mission was to help lead the first Safety Committee of Local 659 in the summer of 1982 at IATSE’s Bi-Annual convention in Winnipeg, Canada. Twilight Zone: The Movie brought a lot of media

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Camera Operator: Safety

attention because the people in front of the camera were killed. “The trouble is, nobody cares when people behind the camera are killed,” explains Bob Marta. A resolution insisting upon increased safety measures was unanimously passed at the convention.

Shorty after the Twilight Zone: The Movie incident, a transformation was beginning, and change was coming. Warner Bros Vice President John Silvia put together a committee that created standards of safety for every aspect of filmmaking. All unions and guilds in the industry were represented, and the committee’s assemblies became known as “Safety Bulletins.” The studios then issued an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) based on these bulletins.

It was a detailed and lengthy process; despite increased efforts for improvements in safety, accidents kept happening. New Safety Bulletins continued to emerge. It seemed as if every time someone was injured, a lesson was learned, and new rules were put in place.

Soon getting affordable rates to underwrite shoots became a basic part of the filmmaking process; with that filmmakers now had to follow the rules of safety, as the insurance companies were watching every move.

Many of us have been fortunate in recent years with computer technology replacing many extremely dangerous live action stunts. However, we will ask ourselves for years to come: what prompted a production company to place a film crew on a live train trestle in Jesup, Georgia to get a shot?

In spite of all the deaths and injuries that have happened in our business, and all the time and training spent to prevent future incidents, it seems that all of that was forgotten on February 20, 2014. A life was lost because no safety precautions were adhered to and no prevention plan was put into place.

Sarah Elizabeth Jones leaves us with her beautiful smile and a daily constant reminder that safety is no accident.

—Jennifer Braddock, Editor in Chief, Camera Sarah Elizabeth Jones Operator magazine Spring 2014

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One of the best benefits is the ability to test your workflow all the way through final color at Clairmont’s facilities before or during the camera prep. Feel free to contact us to arrange for a hands-on demonstration.

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BRAD GREENSPAN

Checking the Trades

COURTESY NAB PRESS SITE

T

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

rade shows are great places to find the latest gadgets. David Tolsky SOC found lots of goodies at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show. Brad Greenspan discovered great equipment at NAB, the huge convention of media equipment put on by the National Association of Broadcasters. Both shows were held in Las Vegas, which probably made it extra fun.

Here are the reports from Dave and Brad:

Spring 2014

Jigabot has developed an infra red remote control head for small cameras like GoPro or cell phone cameras. Cleverly named “AIMe.” the device sports an infrared window and mounts to a tripod or other support. The subject wears a small star shaped counter sensor called EmIT to accept the IR signal from AIMe. The IR signal is good up to a distance of 150´. This item is worth looking into in cases such as wanting to shoot video of yourself where you have no one to help you shoot, or just to assure steady non-interrupted shooting. It is also possible to program multi cameras to one EmIT receiver to get multi angles of the action. The AIMe remote head is water-resistant, durable, and will work both indoors and outdoors. The device also features upgradeable firmware.

Both the AIMe remote head and the EmIT receiver will currently last up to 2 hours on a single charge. At a price point of $299.99 the unit will be available on June 1st of this year, and will include, one EmIT receiver (150´ range) a carrying bag, armband, and top and low mounts for GoPro cameras and smartphones.

The company recommends no more than a 12 oz. load capacity for the unit. www.jigabot.com or 385-207-3500

by David Tolsky SOC

L

ate into the first week of January, I was on a last minute job that had come up, and not expecting to have time to get to the Consumer Electronics Show. But when the latter days of the following week opened up, I dashed up to Las Vegas for the last day and three quarters of the show. Anyone familiar with CES will tell you that you cannot see everything at the show even in the entire week it’s running!

CES is a spectacle. For one week Vegas comes alive with the latest and greatest electronics from the big brands to the newest start-up companies. Pumping an estimated two hundred million dollars into the city’s economy during that week, it’s probably the biggest show of the year.

My goal in this article is to go a little beyond the imaging products we’ve become accustomed to in this magazine. CES is about electronic innovations and let’s face it, we camera geeks are gadget freaks at heart. And there were plenty of gadgets!

AIMe

Spring 2014

My personal award for Lazy Man’s Best Friend, and probably the most humorous product I witnessed at the show has to go to Grillbot, the barbeque cleaning robot! This little bundle of electronics goes to work after you’re done slaving over Sunday lunch in the backyard. There are three powerful electric motors driving three replaceable bristle brushes. Its built-in “smart computer brain” regulates the speed and direction of its journey around your grill. You simply place Grillbot on your grill, press a button and walk away. I watched this little guy work and yes, it even gets into corners!

The unit comes in 4 colors and has a built-in LED alarm and timer. It’s listed at $119.95. www.grillbots. com or 800-716-5996 DAVE TOLSKY SOC

BRAD GREENSPAN

Grillbot

CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

17

BRAD GREENSPAN

Jigabot

The BMW i3

DAVE TOLSKY SOC

I was up in the press room having lunch with other members of the press when a guy asked me if I had driven the Beemer yet. “No,” I replied. He told me it was not to be missed.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could go to the International Auto Show downtown and test-drive any vehicle you fell in love with? Hands-down the most well-run and classiest exhibit has to go to BMW. Yeah, that BMW! These guys decided to use CES in Las Vegas to show off their all-electric vehicle, the i3. It was clear that BMW’s goal was to send participants home with something to talk about, and that they did! They set up in the convention center’s parking lot with several of the i3s available for driving.

First you walked into their temporary building to register for the drive. It was like walking into a small museum to learn about the technology that went into development of the car.

You discover that the body is made up of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, making it strong yet very light weight. This of course means the battery has less work to do making it more efficient. I also learned of a smaller, lighter battery saving even more weight, yet providing a longer range from one charge.

I won’t go into technical details here, as there will be countless motor magazines and car shows for that. I will tell

you of the experience of driving one…in a word, fun!

The first thing you notice is the incredible pick-up the vehicle has, something you might not expect from an electric car. The vehicle boasts a 119 lb electric motor rated at 170 hp. I mean, you press down on the accelerator of this thing and away you go! Likewise, once you take your foot off of it, you are coming to an abrupt stop that you have to get used to. It’s akin to engine breaking from a motorcycle.

The “dashboard” if you want to call it that, is reminiscent of a tablet computer, showing displays for rpms and mph.

You can also pre-program routes and they have other options I didn’t even have time to discover. BMW developed a system it calls ConnectedDrive that they say connects the driver, vehicle, and the world around them. These include traffic assistance, navigation, and entertainment. There is also a smartphone app where you will be able to monitor amount of charge left on the battery and other functions.

When it was my turn to drive, I couldn’t resist and went beyond the parameters of the press-route and made up my own route. It was my first experience driving an electric car and I was grinning from ear to ear. I dream of the day when I am no longer a slave to the pump.

I know there are a few electric cars on the roads now, and several hybrids. BMW has taken the electric car to the next level. Available in late spring/early summer 2014 beginning at

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

Spring 2014

DAVE TOLSKY SOC

85˝ 3D TV

Bluetooth Headphone From year to year at CES, there are always going to be staples, the items you are used to seeing at CES; high def TVs, computers and computer accessories, speakers, and headphones/ earphones. Onkyo is soon releasing a set of wireless Bluetooth headphones called Trainer ES-BT1 that is exactly what I’ve been looking for in a set of headphones. It’s lightweight and comfortable over the ear, instead of jamming some earbuds in dangerously close to your eardrum.

If you’re a gym rat like me and have been through the cardio-elliptical machine disaster of your cell phone or other music carrying device falling and yanking your earbuds right out of your ears, fret no more. The Trainer ES-BT1 was made with that in mind!

I’m sure you know by now that wireless is the way to go in headphones. No more tangled cables that get tweaked and finally short out. This set gets paired to your Bluetooth device and then you can forget about it. The sound quality is excellent too—you can really hear the separation of instruments in your music. The earpads resemble little cushions and feel great. You will get up to 8 hours of listening pleasure on a single charge.

Something the Onkyo rep and I discovered together was that if you want to increase the volume, don’t press down continually on the volume control. Just tap it lightly in the direction you want, to get results! At a price point of $99 it will soon be on the market. http://www.onkyousa.com/ Products/prod_class.php?class=Headphones Spring 2014

8K 85˝ Glasses Free 3D TV Sharp was displaying a terrific looking 8K resolution 85˝ Glasses Free 3D TV set. This bad boy just looked insane and was showing scenes from Life of Pi and Frozen in 3D. One very cool feature on this set is a system by which you can see optimum 3D from anywhere in the room. Depending on where you stand, you can adjust yourself to align with a pair of vertical dots. Once you see them you’re good. I tried out the system by standing at various angles and can verify that it was accurate. That’s a pretty neat feature.

Sharp was not saying too much about release dates or production models but I’d say the future of TV looks quite bright! The 8K 85˝ Glasses Free set is a joint project from Sharp, Phillips, and Dolby.

DAVE TOLSKY SOC

about $41k. http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/ vehicles/2014/bmwi/

85˝ 3D TV CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

19

Solar Chargers

The Curve is a marvel to behold, quite simple in design yet sophisticated enough to still encompass forward/backward and side to side balance adjustments. Put an LCD BacPac on the back of your GoPro Hero camera for live viewing of the image and away you go!

You can still adjust forward/backward balance with a twist of a small knob near the camera mount. Where it differs from the previous Steadicam Smoothie lies in the side to side balance adjustment, which is now located in the bottom weight. This weight is ingeniously threaded in the middle of the main frame allowing you to twist it left or right to achieve the best balance for your GoPro. The grip of the Curve will click to the main frame, forming a GoPro handgrip as an option, or just to create a more compact storage for the unit.

With the Steadicam Curve, Tiffen was able to create a camera stabilization platform with all the functions of the Smoothie, but at a much more compact size. I had a blast walking around with it, creating smooth floating images on my Hero 3. The Curve comes in flavors of red, blue, black and silver and can be had for right about $100. http://www. tiffen.com/userimages2/Steadicam/Curve_brochure_ final_web.pdf DAVE TOLSKY SOC

Something probably all assistant camera people should have on their carts is a solar charger. If you are out at a remote outdoor location and there is no access to an electrical outlet, you want to have one of these handy! Ascent Solar was one of the solar charger companies exhibiting at CES. They showed me their Kickr IV 4-panel foldable charger that I really like.

Retailing for $129.99, the unit folds out to reveal 4 solar panels with a straight USB connector box located at one end.

Simply hook up the supplied USB cable to the box and you can charge several electronic devices on the multi male hub

on the other end. The hub includes Apple devices, Mini USB, Micro USB and Standard USB. The kit also includes several multi-colored soft elastic bands. I’m guessing these are for attaching the folded solar unit to almost anything via the two grommet rings located on a panel.

Once you buy one of these chargers it will probably go with you whenever you go outdoors. Imagine you’re out mountain biking or hiking on the trails and you’re charging your phone or GoPro camera to the Kickr IV which is attached to your bike or backpack. No electrical outlet needed, you’re harnessing the power of the sun to get your devices juiced! Here are some sample charging times for common devices using the Kickr IV: most iPhones, 1.4 hours, Samsung Galaxy sII, 1.65 hours, Galaxy sIII, 2.1 hours, Kindle Fire, 4.4 hours. Ascent Solar claims the charging times are just about identical to electrical outlet times. There are two other solar panel chargers in the EnerPlex series, a 2-panel and a 1-panel charger as the prices get smaller and the charging times get longer. I recommend the 4 panel version for the most power and shortest charging times. www.goenerplex.com

Steadicam Curve The Tiffen Company was showing off the Steadicam Curve, a compact, lightweight camera stabilizing unit specifically designed with the GoPro in mind. You’ve no doubt already heard about this little wonder or maybe even played with one.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

Bonus: some goodies that PR people sent me Padcaster As I’ve been attending CES as a member of the Press, I inevitably end up on many a PR or marketing firm’s email list.

From time to time I get a notice from one of these firms showcasing a new product. One such innovation, the Padcaster, is worth a mention here although they did not make it to CES (they would be found at NAB however).

The Padcaster is exactly as it sounds: a broadcast video extension of the typical iPad. You may have seen this device in action if you’ve seen the latest Apple iPad commercials featuring the poetic verse. Essentially what you get when you order a Padcaster is a frame, and within that frame your iPad will fit snugly into a urethane insert. The Padcaster frame has a threaded bottom for your typical tripod, and all around it are threaded holes for various accessories that will complete the audio/video upgrade.

To fully transform your iPad into an accelerated performance video machine, the aforementioned accessories are essential. Included with the unit is a cold shoe mount for an external microphone that screws into one of many threaded holes around the exterior edges of the framework. You might also want to use an external portable lighting unit, perhaps battery powered, and mount that to the top of the frame as well.

Included with the Padcaster will be a Lenscaster, which essentially is a corner lens mounting bracket with a 72mm Spring 2014

thread. They also throw in a 72mm to 58mm step down threaded ring to accommodate some of the Vivitar wide angle or telephoto lenses. They sent me a Vivitar wide angle lens to test (58mm thread), as well as a set of 72mm threaded diopters that will screw into the Lenscaster and magnify the stock iPad lens.

The literature and their website also mention you can use

like white balance tuning, roaming exposure target, and digital zoom.

The zoom is a nice feature but you will lose image quality when you zoom so use this feature sparingly. You also get a world of choices like resolution settings and audio resolution.

It’s worth having even if you don’t have a Padcaster.

So after all of this, why would you use your iPad to shoot video over a palmcorder? The Padcaster isn’t meant to replace your trusty camcorder. Rather, if you want to stabilize your video on a tripod and have a nice big monitor as a “live-view,” this is a neat alternative. That, and the ability to shoot and edit on one unit, bing bang boom, the Padcaster is worth looking into. https://thepadcaster.com/

Spy Gadgets

35mm still lenses with this unit but before you get too excited, know what you’re getting into: I typed “still lenses” but didn’t tell you what kind. But when you think about it, it’s only logical that we’re talking about manual focus/iris lenses. And even then, you are going to need a go-between in the middle of your iPad and your lens. Developer Josh Apter mentioned a depth of field adapter like the Cinevate and he sent me one to play with. It would take me several more pages to explain how to experiment with the DOF adapter so I will spare you here. If you have any of these older lenses lying around and you can pick up a DOF adapter on Ebay or Craig’s List, by all means knock yourself out. In the meantime, the diopters and the Vivitar and other lenses can be had for a song. They’re cheap but they get the job done and they’re fun to use on the Padcaster.

FiLmiC Pro — the app for that If the purpose of the Padcaster is to take your iPad video to the next level then start with an essential app: FiLmiC Pro. Apter recommends this app (I bought it for $4.99 in the App Store), especially if you want to play with that DOF adapter and your manual still lenses. The app enables you to lock in focus with your adapter and then attach your lens and fine tune the focus. FiLmiC Pro will give you all kinds of great control over your video, Spring 2014

Back when I was first learning about CES I always looked forward to reading about the latest spy cameras on the market. Spy cameras were the gadgets that one always associated with the Consumer Electronics Show, from the days even before the show moved to Las Vegas decades ago.

It seems each year there were cameras hidden in eyeglasses or pens and they’ve been refined each year.

In 2014 Cobra Digital seems to have refined these items further still. They sent me a pen camera and a sunglasses camera to review.

I chose not to deal with the pen as the instructions that came with it were so microscopic that I couldn’t read them.

Negative points for that.

Their “Mobile Eyewear Recorder” was fun to play with once you learned the right combination of secret button pushing to achieve the desired function. The controls of imaging and audio are located in the left side of the frame arm. There is a tiny built in microphone that will surprise you with its power and clarity.

You can choose to shoot audio separate from the video if you like or both together. Under the control area is a slot for a micro SD card to store your footage. The controls are simple, using red and green led lights to display when video or audio are turned on.

I went out and “shot” some footage, that is, had a conversation with some people in my apartment complex to test out the sunglasses. Upon inserting the micro SD card into its adapter and then into my laptop, the audio was crystal clear but the video was slightly choppy. I’m pretty sure that had more to do with my laptop than the sunglasses themselves, for when the images settled down a bit, they were very clear.

The video imaging supports resolutions of 640 x 480, 720 x 480 and 1280 x 960. The duration of a single charge is 2–3 hours. The funniest stat is that the instructions work with Windows OS up to Vista! Really? Isn’t this 2014?

Don’t get these sunglasses for the build quality. They’re cheaply made and the price reflects that, under $20. You might even get funny looks from people as the sunglasses sometimes get more attention than they should. For how cheap they are, you get some pretty amazing results. http://www.cobradigital.com/speciality-products.php Camera Operator: CES & NAB

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Arri

by Brad Greenspan

E

very year in April, manufacturers and people from the film and television industry make a trip to Las Vegas for the annual NAB Show. This year was no exception, with more advances in cameras, lenses, and accessories being shown on the floor. I made visits to Canon, Arri, AJA, and Blackmagic Design to check out their latest offerings.

Canon Canon was celebrating the imminent delivery of their 100 millionth lens in their EF line. They were also showing off their new Cine-Servo 17–120mm lens in both EF and PL mount. It’s designed to fit in with their cine zoom line, being able to work with a variety of cameras. It has an easily detachable drive unit with a servo rocker-switch for easy handheld use, and the PL mount version supports Cooke /i lens data. The lens is t/2.95 from 17 to 91mm, and ramps to

Canon

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CES & NAB

t/3.9 from 91 to 120mm.

The entire lens weighs just under 6.4lbs, making it one of the lightest modern lenses to cover such a large zoom range.

Arri Arri was displaying the Amira camera, as well as a new matte box for their pro camera accessories line. Arri announced the Amira will have different licensing options available at different price points. Each license may be purchased later as an upgrade to an existing camera, or they can be rented for a week at a time. A new matte box, the SMB-1 was demoed, as well. This is a studio 6x6 swing-away matte box, designed to work with any lens placed behind it. It has easily removable filter stages, which can be added or removed as needed. The front shade of the matte box can be changed out in the field for one designed specifically for anamorphic shooting, complete with its own set of hard mattes. Most notably, this matte box has a tilt module, allowing the whole matte box to be tilted 15° down or 10° up to remove unwanted filter reflections without needing to tape the filters in to the matte box at an angle.

Canon Spring 2014

AJA AJA debuted a new camera, known as CION. CION is a 4k camera with an APS-C sensor, 12 stops of dynamic range, and global shutter. It was designed as an open camera, with no proprietary connectors requiring special custom cables. The camera is designed to have an ergonomic feel, and can accept any viewfinder or monitor of the operator or assistant’s choice. When shooting in 2k or HD mode, the camera does not “window in” on the sensor, so your field of view stays the same, whether shooting 4k or HD. CION records in Apple ProRes, and can output raw via 4x 3G-SDI connectors.

Cion

Blackmagic Blackmagic Design also debuted a new camera, the URSA. Available in PL, EF, and B4 mounts, this camera was designed for productions of all sizes. The camera features UHD and HD recording resolutions, as well as 12 stops of dynamic range and a global shutter. It has a fold-out 10.1˝ monitor for the operator, and 5˝ touch screens on either side of the body. URSA records in Apple ProRes, as well as CinemaDNG Raw and can output via 12G-SDI to an external recorder.

Cion

Ursa

Spring 2014

Camera Operator: CES & NAB

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establishing SHOT

M

Paul Taylor who was then a 1st AC working with the late Steadicam operator, Jeff Mart. They were both a talented Steadicam team who took me under their wing, offering guidance and camera assistant training whenever they had the chance.

Soon my career in film was off and running as a 2nd AC, and I could afford to quit the electronics store. What a great feeling that was! A big break came when I had the chance to work on The Abyss. Mikael Solomon was the DP, Ian Fox was the 1st AC and Marc Brown was the Key 2nd AC. I became part of Mikael’s camera crew after that, working on a large number of features and commercials over the next few years.

It was my early exposure to Steadicam via Jeff Mart and later on my subsequent interactions as an AC with Steadicam operator Greg Lundsgaard, who both kindly offered their advice and support planting the idea for me to become a Steadicam operator. When I saw that Cinema Products, producer of the Steadicam, was offering a workshop, I signed right up. I spent a week in the mountains of Malibu getting top rate instruction by operators Chris Haarhoff SOC, Dave Emmerichs SOC and Dan Kneece SOC to name a few. By the end of the workshop I had gained confidence and basic skills. I felt that with a lot of practice, I could do this! I located a old used CP II Steadicam for sale, purchased it and pinned flyers up at all the local film schools with my name and phone number, offering “Free Steadicam.”

I worked on a number of student projects through AFI,

PETER MOUNTAIN © DISNEY

COURTESY OF DAVE LUCKENBACH SOC

y artistic and creative passions early in life led me to pursue a college degree in Commercial Arts. I wanted to be a graphic artist. A few years after earning my degree and joining the work force my passions shifted and “wanderlust” kicked in. I traveled a good amount and ended up working as a commercial fisherman in Alaska for several years. Frustrated that my original career path was side tracked and that I wasn’t earning a living working creatively, I sought the advice of a career counselor at a college in Seattle. His guidance sparked the idea of me working in the film and television industry. At the same time my wife was offered a job in Southern California. We looked at each other and said “Let’s go,” knowing that’s where movies are made.

I got a job at a large electronics store to pay the rent. On my days off I pursued film work like most people—trying to make contacts and meet people. To gain some basic film making knowledge I enrolled in every UCLA extension course offered. It was during the ‘Camera Assistant’ class that I met two key people who eventually became my mentors. Jerry Chan, 1st AC, was like a drill sergeant, grilling me with 2nd AC basic training while working on music videos. The other great influence was

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CAMERA OPERATOR: ESTABLISHING SHOT

Spring 2014

COURTESY OF JESSICA L LOPEZ SOC

UCLA, Loyola and USC. These early experiences were invaluable, broadening my proficiency and my on set skills as an operator as well as providing me with VHS tapes to cut my first reel.

Looking back, I recognize how instrumental those early contacts were in shaping my career, and the willingness of industry professionals to share their knowledge and skills. I’ve never forgotten my roots and I am extremely grateful for the guidance offered to me. When the opportunity arises I try to pay it forward as much as I can.

—Dave Luckenbach, SOC

I

arrived in Los Angeles eight years ago, with barely any money and high hopes of getting real work as a filmmaker. Little did I know that I was far from desirable to employers—I had no experience.

It took me three years to settle into Los Angeles life, to learn to accept the things I can’t control in this city. Eventually I learned how to play the game of survival. Thank goodness I was so determined to be a Steadicam Operator one day. My finances did not exist on a level of more than gas, food and rent. But because I knew in my heart that it was my dream, I decided to volunteer for The Steadicam Guild. I figured if I can’t afford a rig, I can at least be around so many other operators, learning and networking with them. After expressing my interest, David Allen Grove SOC and Dan Kneece SOC allowed me to take on event coordinating for SG. I had never done it before. But I knew I was a good talker. So I started reaching out to other operators for practice sessions, screenings, and gatherings. That was back in 2008. Today we now have the Steadicam Guild Lifetime Achievement Awards and our very own annual Stabilizer Gear Expo, which started because I took the initiative to get these events off the ground.

People ask me all the time, how did I become a Steadicam Operator?

Where did I look for work? How did I build up my contacts because I know so many people? The truth is I moved here not knowing anyone. I developed many friendships through

Spring 2014

the Steadicam Guild and also by working for Tiffen Steadicam and Panavision.

For the past few years I have also helped the Society of Camera Operators with memberships, bookkeeping, and their Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. Today I am finally achieving my “active” membership status with the SOC and I plan to give back by offering my services in member recruitment, event coordinating, historical camera awareness, and volunteering again with the award ceremony.

And the same goes for IATSE Local 600. Now that I am a Union Camera Operator, I plan to put my best foot forward and offer my services with them too.

Karma can be a good thing when you give back. Everyone is mostly out for himself or herself in the beginning. By volunteering for organizations within your craft, you are not only bettering yourself but you are bettering a community of people with the same interests. The people that run these organizations are some of the most professional experienced camera operators this business has to offer. So why not volunteer to work with them? You never know who you’ll meet or what will happen. All that hard work you do will eventually be seen. They may just refer you to a job or two because they worked with you and believe you have the passion to get the job done. Nobody is going to refer someone they don’t know, especially in the camera department, because one’s actions reflect on them too. So don’t be afraid to show them that you are real and care about our craft.

—Jessica L Lopez, SOC CAMERA OPERATOR: ESTABLISHING SHOT

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Camera Operator of the Year Winner ~ Feature would put the face in the correct orientation for that part of that scene. In other words, it was for face replacement!

With the complex moves and so many variables, sometimes the robot would not always bring the camera to where it needed to be, especially if ending in a tight close-up. Rather than a complicated reprograming procedure, I would occasionally have to override the tricky end of a camera move. This was usually very awkward because of the robot’s extreme angles and the three axis head. In a dark stage with the camera fifty feet away, I never really knew how the camera Peter Taylor SOC ACO would react. I had a witness camera mounted onto the frame of the head, but it only gives a rough guide as to what information is in the frame, and cannot be used for any composition.

Apart from the light box, there were many other situations where the actors had to be interacting with various structures, parts of the space station or whatever. It was decided that motion control (robots) would not be flexible enough to take in any live action deviations by the actors from what was set in the previs. Therefore these shots would best be achieved manually with a crane and a three axis head, with another operator to work the 3rd axis.

Apart from a couple of 360° Steadicam shots, this was the combination used for most of the other work, including all the scenes in the space capsules. This meant that I would go off to another stage when possible with the available crew,

CLAUDETTE BARIUS

s a camera operator, one encounters many different kinds of projects over the years, and depending on how the director and or DP envisage the required style, you work accordingly. Ideally, there is a happy collaboration and one is part of a team.

I try to be as involved as I can with the blocking and choreography of a scene, as I believe that good photography is a combination of lighting, and how the camera is staged and moved around. However, with Gravity the challenges for the operator were very different.

The long pre-production collaboration between Alfonso Cuarón, Tim Webber and Chivo meant that that the whole film had been animated in great detail before filming began.

The lighting was very much tied into the finalized previs, and so no sequence could be changed too drastically, or it would not have matched the predetermined visuals. Gravity is a hybrid film (being mainly CG) and so it was more about blending the actors into what they had already created.

The technical challenge was how to achieve it.

A 20x10ft LED Light box was built and set up on R stage at Shepperton.

An Alexa camera was mounted on a large six-axis robot (Bot & Dolly), itself on a 60ft track running up to the open front of the light box. The previs for the particular scene would be projected within the light box, which was in sync with the movements of the Bot & Dolly. The artist was placed in a moveable rig, also in sync, in the center of the light box and on ‘Action’ everything would start.

The changing LED light falling on the actor’s face would match the light in the original previs, and the camera moves

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Spring 2014

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WARNER BROS

A “

CRAIG MATHEW

Peter Taylor soc for Gravity

and we would rehearse the complicated shots with the puppeteers and stunt doubles.

My laptop was loaded up each day with the particular shot number and previs with the camera co-ordinates as a reference, and this was invaluable.

Having described the basic idea, I can now explain the main difficulties that I encountered as an operator. Camera operators will know that operating a third axis head is fine up to about 45° of roll. After that, at 90°, 180°, and back to 90° at the other side of the circle, the controls progressively magically change.

Firstly, pan becomes tilt and tilt becomes pan, then pan becomes pan again and tilt becomes tilt, but now the controls have been reversed, so tilting up causes the camera to tilt down and panning right causes the camera to pan left.

As the camera continues the roll, the controls keep changing until the camera returns to level, where things are back to normal.

Trying to keep a mental note of the orientation of the camera doesn’t help, as your brain could not possibly keep recalculating for the constantly changing control functions.

To try to combat this, I fitted a witness camera near to our prime lens, which can help a little with centering information. Secondly, I would put thin lines of tape vertically over my master monitor. This was to effectively give me a virtual monitor (on its side) overlaid on the main monitor. The trick was, whenever necessary, to change my orientation to the virtual monitor, where left was up, right was down, up was right, and left was down (or vice versa, depending on the camera being on its left or right side), then back again to the master monitor, with the occasional glance at the witness monitor.

At the same time as all this, I would keep a gentle ambient floating feel to the shot to help with the no gravity feel.

The complicated scenes in the Soyuz and the Shenzhou were a particular challenge for the same reasons. When the capsule encountered a bump or a problem, this also had to be

portrayed by corresponding camera moves. Starting with the camera inverted and panning down an arm to a control and back again as a part of a ten minute take wasn’t easy, and there were times when I thought certain moves were impossible. The excellent camera grips led by Pat Garrett did a great job working millimeters from the sides of the capsules with the custom built Mosys Lambda head. The critically sharp focus lenses were amazingly controlled by Olly Tellett, and together with the 3rd axis operator, we did all that was asked.

All in all it was a very difficult shoot for all the camera and grip crew, and, not taking anything away from the brilliant visual effects team, it should be remembered that good old live action filmmaking was employed for a great deal of it.”

Camera Operator of the Year Winner ~ Television have always been fascinated by photography, by the way light alters the way we see even the most mundane things, and growing up I knew I wanted to work with a camera. While I was still in college, I began working at Film Surgeons, a post-production company that cut television commercials. Later, while working at Avery/Tierce as a production assistant, I had the good fortune

Don Devine SOC

CRAIG MATHEW

to be mentored by Doug Davis, one of their camera assistants who encouraged me to pursue that career. I left school to work, but I truly feel that my education has continued in every job I have done since then.

Joining the crew of Mad Men for its third season was an unexpected privilege. I had never worked with Chris Manley, our Director of Photography before, but I was impressed with his work on what was already an iconic and very successful show, the first in a series of great shows for AMC. Working with Chris has made me a better operator. He places

a lot of trust in me and my work which has both challenged and made me grow. He involves me as he sets up the shots with the directors, and he treats my opinions and skills with respect.

Mad Men’s success lies in its brilliant scripts and equally brilliant ensemble cast. We all share a deep commitment to the show, and that is due to Matt Weiner, its creator, who makes everyone feel that their personal contribution is vitally important to the show’s success. Bringing this show to life is challenging because we are always conscious of the fact that our fictional characters are set against very real events, like the Kennedy assassination and the Civil Rights movement. They also have to grow through the turbulent sixties, and the look of the show needs to reflect that era while still maintaining a modern edge. The figurative and literal lenses need to match. To do this we use a more static and structured approach than many contemporary television series. The shots always serve the actors and the scripts, and the virtue of that is that the camera really disappears for the audience. From the simplest to the most complicated scenes, from the most nostalgic to the most uncomfortable plot lines, the viewer only needs to watch the performances of our gifted cast. This group of actors is the finest I have ever worked with. Everyone comes prepared to do the best work possible in every scene and yet no one takes themselves too seriously; there are no big egos here. These are working actors with great scripts and week after week, they turn in great performances.

My work on Mad Men is a reflection of so many other gifted individuals: Matt Weiner, the creator and spiritual leader of the show, Scott Hornbacher, our producer, and of course, Chris Manley, our director of photography. But the people who truly enhance the quality of my work through their professionalism are Jan Ruona, our first assistant, Lisa Guerriero, our second assistant and Jim Leidholdt, our dolly grip. I also would like to thank the members of the SOC for this unexpected nomination, especially Dave Frederick, Chris Tufty, and Denis Moran.

PHOTOS FROM MAD MEN BY CAREN BAER AND MICHAEL YARISH © AMC

I

“

Don Devine soc for Mad Men

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Feature lot of different layers— all very simple but entwined to tell a great story.

I try to concentrate on the story. Everybody just kind of came together feeling this was a good project. We didn’t really have a lot of equipment. It was a very small camera package.

Obviously it was two cameras, but originally they were only going to carry the second camera on certain days, maybe 10 or 12 days. Then they figured out that there would be a lot of great performances and great acting going on, so in pre-production they decided to carry two cameras the whole time. I think that was a wise decision because of the amount of talent that was there—you might as well capture what we were seeing.

There were a couple of crane days. The first day we were sitting with the Libra head and a Technocrane and it was some of the stuff in Australia where they were sitting in a park. I think it’s almost the opening of the movie—the little girl in the green grass and the camera coming off the trees and straight down on her. That’s really one of the biggest days that we had, technically, in the arboretum, waiting for the right light to happen so Ian Fox there was not a lot of lighting to be done. It was just as natural as possible, SOC

CRAIG MATHEW

aving Mr Banks is one of those rare movies— shot entirely in LA, no fancy camera moves or special effects, no problems on set, no super-long days, just 9 or 10 weeks of feeling good about going to work and about the work we were doing—pure storytelling.

People describe Saving Mr Banks as a movie about the making of Mary Poppins. But we aren’t cutting to footage or matching footage and dissolving from one image that existed onto a related one. It is really a story about PL Travers and her relationship with Walt Disney, and the story behind why she wrote Mary Poppins, and the story of her father. It’s really a movie about people and their relationships, and why they do the things they do—why the characters in Mary Poppins were so compelling for Walt Disney and why it was so hard for PL Travers to let go of the story and the characters.

It was a joy to go to work and watch these actors at their craft. Emma Thompson was so dedicated to the part. It was just amazing to watch her. I was looking through the eyepiece and watching her simply be this character. Most of the times you look through an eyepiece, you see an actor acting, and you have to suspend your disbelief, and get into what you’re doing. Emma really transformed. You could believe that she was PL Travers. She carried it. Tom Hanks was fantastic as well. I had never worked with him before. It was a great experience to watch them both, Tom and Emma.

Director John Lee Hancock likes his rehearsal time and likes to make sure that everything is understood before we shoot, so, you know, there wasn’t much of—I guess the term would be shoot-hearsals—where you shoot and rehearse at the same time. But we didn’t over rehearse. We did the rehearsal, we set up the camera and we shot. It’s pretty efficient. I like it.

It was up to John Lee and DP John Schwartzman and me to block the scene out and make sure that we captured in a very simple straightforward way the drama that was happening in front of us. I think if you look you’ll see that a lot of the work is very straightforward. There are transitions that help move the story along, but the story—the camera sits a lot and just lets the story tell itself. The movie juxtaposes different situations, different characters, and different scenes in a way that moves the story forward efficiently and in a very engaging way. Even though it’s a very simple movie, it has a

PHOTOS BY FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL

S

“

Ian Fox soc for Saving Mr Banks

maximizing the light. John Schwartzman was very good about picking times, so we just followed the sun and concentrated on the very small theme of the girl and made it as simple as we could.

It was mainly straightforward dolly work. A little Steadicam with Walt walking down Main Street in Disneyland. Just two conventional cameras, or one camera on a dolly, and that was pretty much the approach. We paid a lot of attention to rehearsal and blocking, to make sure that the camera was placed in the right spot for the masters, so that everything could fall into place nicely.”

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Television

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Nicholas Davidoff soc for Homeland

PHOTOS BY KENT SMITH © SHOWTIME

ou might say filmmaking was ingrained in Nicholas Davidoff ’s DNA. Nick’s father was a cinematographer, and his mother, an actress; both emigrated from Russia in the ’70s to pursue the American dream. So Hollywood became Nick’s hometown. “Growing up in LA, I always got so excited when I drove by a film shoot. It was like some magical circus. I always dreamed of being a part of it. I never really had a job outside the movie business. I never wanted one. Even my first job ever, at 15, was selling Star Maps on Hollywood Boulevard.

Season three of Homeland brought new changes. DP Nelson Cragg moved on to other projects as did our lead director Michael Cuesta. Together, they had established the whole look and feel of our series. David Klein ASC took over the DP duties.

David was a welcome addition to the show and we all got along splendidly. He was fast, efficient, fun to work with and his stuff looked great. His approach to the show was to keep the same tone and visual style while adding some of his own touches, which made for a seamless transition. Lesli Linka Glatter took the helm as our lead director and EP. Lesli radiates such a glowing energy and enthusiasm all day long, that she’s simply a dream to be around. A few key members of the writing staff also changed this year, so with this dramatic changing of the guard I felt like I was the last torchbearer bridging the gap between the two seasons. David Klein relied heavily on me and on B-operator Bob Newcomb to help keep the consistency of the shooting style intact.

“One of our biggest challenges on Homeland has been to consistently create that spontaneous energy that’s a staple of our shooting style. The world of Homeland is fresh and real and raw, so we all geared everything toward feeling ‘off the cuff ’ and un-rehearsed at all

times. Creating this captured event feel kept us constantly on our toes and accentuated that thrilling tension of our show.

We shot it all in a lively mix of handheld, dolly and Steadicam, although the handheld seemed to be more pronounced this year. Operating on the shoulder with a fully loaded Alexa, all day for 6 months, can get pretty grueling. So I had a few go-to tools that really helped keep me in the game. My workhorses of the show were my butt dolly and my Easyrig. Unhappy with various butt dollies out there, I designed my own, which I nicknamed the Sneaker. With input from the grips and ACs, I developed this unique quick-change center-pipe system, as we were constantly changing seat heights all day. We built a versatile rolling base for the Sneaker to which I can quickly install a Mitchell plate. I can then mount a camera and head on it and roll smoothly in tight quarters, closets or hallways. I’ve also become a huge fan of the Easyrig system. It allows me to get the camera low, off the shoulder and still be super mobile when shooting handheld. It also takes a big load off for some of those endless handheld dialogue scenes. A big shout out again goes out to my dolly grip, Cale Bonsignore and my focus puller this year Dominic Mainl. I’m nothing without these two top gun wingmen who always delivered the goods under the toughest conditions.

Season 3 for all of us felt like the end of a trilogy for Homeland.

The complex and tragic love story between Carrie and Brody, the core of the show for three seasons, had come to an end.

Season 4 will certainly bring a new beginning for Homeland as Carrie Matheson ships off to the hotbed of Istanbul for her new job as a CIA station chief. The production has moved abroad as well, setting up shop in Capetown, South Africa. And as for me I’ll be moving on to other adventures in the film business this year so I won’t be a part of Season 4. But I’ll always remember Homeland as a fantastic, rewarding experience and a highlight of my career. And as a dedicated fan of the show, I look forward to all the thrilling surprises and storylines in store for us in Season 4 and beyond!

Cale Bonsignore and Nicholas Davidoff SOC Spring 2014

CAMERA OPERATOR: CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

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Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Feature

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n operator’s guide to working with director David O Russell—a few helpful tips: Rehearsals are overrated.

And so is any kind of prep, dollies, tracks, marks, sticks, cranes, eye-lines, movie lights or even a shoulder pad. Leave all those things on the truck. Instead, dust off your Steadicam, eat a sensible breakfast (you know, something with fiber and a light dusting of cocaine), do a few mind reading exercises, grab the best focus puller you can find, strap in, and hold on to your butt.

This is my 3rd outing with David O. Russell, and, unique methodology notwithstanding, he is one of the most insightful and creative filmmakers I have had the privilege to work with. He thrives on a seeming absence of structure and planning, immersing instead in a spontaneous chaos through which he and the actors can escape the traditional confines of the movie set to cut a narrative authenticity from whole cloth.

This improvisational freedom, however, doesn’t come without its headaches, like the need to see three hundred and sixty degrees of the set (a daunting task for cinematographer Linus Sandgren), or endure long takes and find camera positions on the fly as the scene develops. Focus pullers get no marks or rehearsals and, given the consistent need to embrace practicals and available lighting, shoot with punishingly low stops.

Surprisingly in American Hustle, David did not jump on the HD bandwagon, opting instead for the organic look and feel of 35 mm film.

Using the 2-perf Arri LT allowed a mag length of nearly 9 minutes (good for David’s long improvisational takes), with a camera weight perfect for the Steadicam, which the entire film was shot on (including masters and inserts).

My last film with David O (The Fighter) was shot very similarly, comprised of 80% Steadicam and 20% handheld. That little bit of handheld was enough of a respite from the Steadicam to make the shoot endurable. On American Hustle, however, David had lost his appetite for any handheld, opting for 100% Steadicam. The first four weeks of punishing long hour days took their toll, reducing me to a cowering beaten mess hunched in the corner between takes.

David realized I probably wouldn’t survive the rest of the shoot continuing like this and convinced production to open their purse strings for a second Steadicam operator to share

some of the load. Greg Lundsgaard joined us soon thereafter and fit into David’s chaotic style of filmmaking like a glove. I usually started the day and shot until my body began to give out, at which point I tagged Greg into the ring to fight the good fight, allowing me time to stretch out and eat a protein bar. Greg and I were like a duo of tag team professional wrestlers, without the Speedos and massage oil.

Our first set of lenses for the film were Canon K 35s, popular in the 1970s around the time American Hustle takes place. They lent an interesting look to the movie, but were a complete nightmare to focus. With reduced rotation on the barrel, and internal issues preventing any accurate focus pulling from a Preston, Gregory Irwin’s and Jorge Sanchez’s Herculean task of focusing the film under the already chaotic conditions of a David O production became all but impossible with the lens complications. After some weeks, the lenses were replaced, allowing the focus pullers to do their job with one less handicap.

Gregory Irwin and I have been working together for a number of years now; he’s a very intuitive focus puller, relying on timing and rhythm, over marks and a tape measure. It’s an extremely valuable talent to have on a film set where anything can happen, and none of it is premeditated.

Working with David in my capacity requires a balance between giving him what he wants yet resisting his instructions when they are clearly going to hurt him in the editing room. Keeping the frame clear of movie equipment, camera shadows, etc and protecting proper eyelines are not very high on David’s priority list when he’s in the ‘moment,’ and my barking back at him when that is necessary to keep the shot usable has brought out a surly side of me that I never knew I had before working with David—a side of me, I must admit … that’s kind of fun.”

Geoff Haley SOC with Steadicam rig; David O Russell pointing.

PHOTOS BY FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL

Geoffrey Haley soc for American Hustle

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Television

““

candal is not photographed like any other show I’ve ever been on. We don’t utilize an ‘A’ camera and a ‘B’ camera in a conventional way. We work both cameras on every single set up and are using the zoom control on every set up, creating shots that chase dialogue, are off axis from typical eye lines and shooting through as much foreground as possible. Pulling off this careful dance takes the full concentration of the entire camera crew and our dolly grips—and we make a great team!

DP Oliver Bokelberg ASC approaches modern cinematic TV in a way that is far removed from what is accepted as ‘normal.’ You can’t help but stop and watch our show because it is not photographed like any other show. ‘Fracol, make it interesting … from the heart’ is often what I hear him say from the DIT area.

On Scandal, we are much more like a motion picture film set ‘family’ than a crew working on a typical TV show. That really starts with #1 on the call sheet. Kerry Washington understands the demands of our jobs and how we need to work together to create perfection. She understands her job better than any actress I know and brings an amazing work ethic and professionalism to the set. The set is always full of energy and that makes for a fun and interesting crew anatomy. And Scandal show creator Shonda Rhimes and her writing staff always come up with really twisted storylines that make for great visuals for us to photograph.

The Scandal camera crew is off the charts good at what they do. 1st AC Emily Mackley can tell a story with her great focus choices and for her it is just second nature. Gayle Hilary is one of the top 2nd ACs I have ever worked with and she keeps us laughing all day with her dry but hilarious British humor.

Our A-camera crew is led by operator and double-up DP Mike ‘Woj’ Wojciechowski. Woj is not only a great operator, but an even better DP. He is truly a fantastic lighting cameraman and an absolute pleasure to work beside. ‘A’ camera 1st AC Jon Zarkos has one of the best attitudes of any Key First I know. ‘It’s not a problem, we have it handled’ is what I often hear him say. 2nd AC Tony Schultz has a great attitude and bumps to 1st AC when we have ‘C’ camera days. We never have any technical issues that are not solved in seconds by Andy Lemon our DIT and George Montejano III as Utility.

And I can’t say enough about our dolly grips. Rick Maxey pushes the ‘A’ camera and Eugene Rivera is on the ‘B’ camera with me. They manage to put the camera where it needs to be to get the best shots and with very little discussion. They are awesome operators.

Our show also heavily utilizes stills photographer Mitch Haddad shooting ‘Photo Bursts’ to help transition one scene to another. Mitch, who is often called ‘Jazzy Snaps’ on the set, is the king of 11FPS with his Nikon cameras and glass. To stay on our tight schedule, we have a lot of double up and 3 camera days so we enlist the help of a core group of day players including Jack Messitt SOC, Bill Boatman, Ron Schlaeger SOC, Scott Fuller and Eric Leach SOC.” Steve Fracol’s professional career began in 1986 as a handheld cameraman shooting college football and basketball, professional soccer and wrestling as well as rock music headliners of day. He soon found himself shooting news for Kansas City’s NBC affiliate where he won the first of five Emmy Awards at the age of 24.

In 1994, Steve started New Vision Pictures with his wife Stacey and built a solid reputation shooting award-winning news promotions, regional and national ad campaigns as well

as documentaries. But Steve’s love of movies and passion for beautiful motivated camera movement drove him to the world of Steadicam. This would lead Steve down a path of making movies that eventually moved him and his family to Los Angeles. Over the next ten years, he found himself working on a variety of feature films as well as multiple seasons on TV shows such as My Boys (TBS), Sons of Anarchy (FX), and now Scandal (ABC).

Steve Fracol SOC Spring 2014

CAMERA OPERATOR: CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

PHOTOS BY ERIC MCCANDLESS, MICHAEL ANSELL AND RON TOM © ABC

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Steve Fracol soc for Scandal

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Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Feature one Survivor is intense to watch. It was intense to shoot. That’s what I remember most — the intensity of it all. It was very hard physical work in extremely difficult locations, especially for the actors and the camera crew. But overall, it was a great experience!

We were shooting in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, at about 9,000 or 10,000 feet, where we found the same kind of environment that you find in the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The terrain was pretty rugged. It was very very cold.

We had the dubious pleasure of waking up at 4 or 5 in the morning, going to the kitchen for breakfast, then taking the ski lift and freezing our behinds in it immediately at 6 am.

We’d go way up there and shoot all day—from crack of dawn until sunset. The cold, the altitude, schlepping the equipment from location to location up on that ridge—that was really the tough part, just getting to locations. And we completed the film fairly quickly—just 38 days.

This was my first time working with director Peter Berg and DP Tobias Schliessler. A lot of people had told me that I would work very well with Peter—that we have the same style. I really like the way he works, so it was a very easy fit for me.

Peter had been trying for many years to make this movie, and it was a very important project to him. Plus Marcus Lutrell, the Lone Survivor himself, was with us for the filming. That’s one of the reasons I remember the intensity.

We all knew that this was a very important story. I think the entire crew and myself were pretty much ready to go, although we knew it was not going to be easy.

Peter is a very intriguing director. His great talent is that he creates an environment with particular relationships, with many elements involving people,

the cast and crew. Then when everyone is in place to his liking, he says, ‘Let’s shoot it.’ I spent a lot of time just watching him work with the actors and that is where I would take my cue from.

There was no rehearsal; we would just go ahead and shoot. For every setup, where we line up a shot, when we work out what we’re going to do, I would always try to be able to give Peter two or three different options. As the ‘A’ camera, it was my responsibility to do a wide shot. This way the audience would have a sense of what is going on and where we are. At the same time, at the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘If this happens I have to go on a tighter shot here’ or ‘I will move to my left or to my right here,’ things like that.

I have to stay open to whatever can happen, and have a planning mind, and anticipate what’s going to happen, and be ready for it. I just love working that way. I love working with no rehearsal. Particularly on a show like this, which is mostly handheld, and I think that’s when magic happens. And Peter likes to work that way.

All of this is pretty much reacting to the performance. I think that’s really the key. For me, camerawork is all about reacting to the performance of the actors, where they go, what they do. Many times you just have to respond and be ready for it. I would do so much prep in my mind just watching Peter and the actors.

I would also talk to Tobias, my DP, and say, ‘I think I’m going to be doing this or that, I’m moving left or right, I’m probably going to go on a close-up there,’ etc, so that he has a sense of where I’m going to go. There was very little talk between Pete, Tobias, and me. We watched each other and I picked up cues, because I didn’t know what the actors were going to do. All the actors were incredibly giving. That kind of stuff is not rehearsed. It can be very dangerous, but all the actors were just fantastic. The entire cast and crew were just great.”

Jacques Jouffret SOC was the first recipient of the Camera Operator of the Year Award for his work on Into the Wild.

Jacques Jouffret SOC

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Spring 2014

PHOTOS BY GREGORY R PETERS © UNIVERSAL

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Jacques Jouffret soc for Lone Survivor

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Television

Kenji Luster soc for Body of Proof

I

grew up in Glendale CA and was fascinated with the way films looked from a young age. I discovered that telling a story with a camera was what I wanted to do.

When I was 14 years old I had the opportunity to PA for two days on an AFI project. It was on that project that I got a chance to see a Steadicam in person. By the next year I was working in the camera department on any student and freebie production I could get on. By the time I was a senior in high school I was getting calls to work on low budget non-union films.

I couldn’t afford film school so I just kept on working as an assistant and eventually worked my way up the ladder. After a few years I bought my first Steadicam, and then started on moving up to become an operator. It wasn’t easy at the time, but I managed to make a living at it.

I must say that I have been very blessed to work with some very talented people over the last 27 years of being in the camera department. I have been able to work with many that I read about in the American Cinematographer magazine when I was 14 years old. I am also blessed to work with so many people over the last several years that I can say are now my friends.

Patrick Cady ASC and I have been working together on various projects for the last 9 years. Patrick is great at listening to my wacky ideas for this or that and I’ve been very happy to listen to his. He is an absolute pleasure to work with and appreciates not only everyone’s job on set, but also the history and traditions of filmmaking.

We know what each other’s tastes and shorthand are, which makes it a great working relationship. I also can’t think of many DPs who made sure that we carried two gear heads on all three seasons!

I was very fortunate to have Patrick Cady ask me to work on Body of Proof with him. Patrick shot most of the pilot and when it got picked up for the first season he was asked to shoot it. The first season was shot in Providence RI and Patrick fought to have both Dave Richert (‘B’ Camera

Operator) and me hired on the show. I guess they all liked our work and I was on for the following two seasons which were shot at the Disney Studios in Burbank.

Body of Proof had a very classic look to it, though we did get to play and do some very visually interesting shots. We had many different styles depending on the story we were trying to tell and locations we were shooting in. We did all we could to make Body of Proof look as interesting as possible within the time and budget allowed us. This is a challenge on any production and I believe we all did a very good job accomplishing this. We tried to stay away from the standard walk and talk Steadicam shots (though we did do a lot of those) and do some more attentiongrabbing shots. With Bill Diamante as our ‘A’ dolly grip we did some very tricky and beautifully executed dance floor moves.

There was a lot more action in our third season, and my background in shooting action came in very handy. We started doing more exciting handheld, Steadicam, crane work and dolly work. We had a great set to work with and were given a lot of freedom to photograph it. Tom Gleason was our focus puller on all three seasons. Not only were there so many shots that I’m still trying to figure out how he did them, but he also is one of those unique few focus pullers that helps tell the story with focus.

PHOTOS FROM BODY OF PROOF BY RICHARD FOREMAN AND MICHAEL DESMOND © ABC. PHOTOS OF KENJI LUSTER COURTESY OF KENJI LUSTER SOC.

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Kenji Luster SOC

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Feature cott Sakamoto has kept busy with such films as Michael Clayton, Salt, The Descendants (all of which earned him Camera Operator of the Year nominations), Road to Perdition, and Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End. Labor Day was another labor of love for him.

“Eric [Steelberg, DP of Labor Day] and I met years ago through mutual friends in the business. I had the pleasure of doing a few commercials with him then and I was delighted when he asked me to do this movie. He said it was a small movie set in rural Massachusetts in the 1980s with Jason Reitman as the director. Knowing their past movies together and their professional relationship, I was excited.

Both Eric and Jason spent a great deal of prep time storyboarding the visuals with Eric’s still camera. Thinking through the story and telling it visually, they invented many clever camera shots.

Having so much of the movie shot in one small house and not being able to move walls made it very challenging. We had to get creative with the camera and dolly configurations, and lay good dance floor to get the camera in just the right spot. We always got the shot Jason envisioned but it turned me into a pretzel many times!

On the day of shooting, the actors would rehearse the scene and Jason would give us an outline of what he wanted to see and what the camera’s motivation was. I would work with Jason on the exact camera moves and the physical set up needed to achieve it. From that point, Eric and I would work out the parameters of the shot and his lighting. It was a fun and enjoyable relationship, but Eric had his hands full lighting the practical sets. He let me and the ‘B’ operator Cale Finot Scott Sakamoto SOC concentrate on the operating. With many scenes of tension and unspoken words, the camera movement became a powerful character in the movie.

We had such good professional actors. One rehearsal or one lineup and we were good to go. Josh Brolin was a charm to work with, he was so enjoyable on set, telling stories, playing with props, making people laugh … but when it was time to roll, he could turn it on.

Kate Winslet had a different approach to her character, more of a method actress, very serious, very concentrated.

Gatlin Griffith (the boy) was very professional and mature; he understood his character and gave a remarkable performance. With Josh, Kate and Gatlin the onset atmosphere was a delight—a lot of laughs and a lot of tears. I’m proud of the finished product. I feel the film explores the fragility of life and how quickly our paths can change.

I had a great support crew with Zoran Veselic as the 1st AC, Craig Bauer the 2nd AC, Johnny Mang as my dolly grip and Cale Finot as the B operator/2nd unit DP. As always Zoran did a fantastic job keeping everything in focus. I know we didn’t have a soft shot in the movie let alone in dallies.

Also I must give credit to Johnny Mang and his excellent dolly moves. There are several shots where we would dolly and boom the camera on the fly. With his precision I was able to sync with him, which made my job so easy.

We used the Red Epic with Arri Master Primes. This was my first experience with the Red. Although I was skeptical I must admit the camera worked great, never failed or overheated. Compared to traditional film cameras the Epic was so compact, I was able to jam it into walls and corners I could never do before. I always prefer to look through a finder whether it’s optical or digital, handheld or on a dolly. I find I’m more in tune with the camera and can feel the movements better. Also with optical finders I can judge focus and lighting as it relates to film emulsions.

With the new digital finders I leave the focus and lighting contrast to the big monitors and assistants.

To be an operator I say you should know basic filmmaking, have an understanding of the visual medium and the way of cinematic story telling, and have an artistic eye on composition and lighting. Steadicam is another tool of the job, another way of moving the camera. Yes, it is good to know, it helps … but it’s not always the answer.

Given the shorter shooting schedule these days and the DP’s need to be see the DIT monitor, I feel the operator is more important to production now than ever. As the operator I work with the director, the DP, the gaffer, the key grip, the set dresser, the dolly grip, the ACs and the stand-ins to set up the shot and to keep the process moving. Many times as the operator I’m the only one who really knows what’s going to be in the shot or not, well before the camera or monitor is even up. It’s a job that is indispensable!

The SOC is such a great organization, I am proud to be recognized. It’s a nice feeling knowing that hard work and long hours can pay off. I’m so impressed with the other nominees’ work; it’s great to be honored.”

PHOTOS OF JOSH BROLIN, KATE WINSLET AND GATLIN GRIFFITH BY DALE ROBINETTE © MMXIV PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION AND FRANK’S PIE COMPANY LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTOS OF P SCOTT SAKAMOTO COURTESY P SCOTT SAKAMOTO SOC.

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P Scott Sakamoto soc for Labor Day

Camera Operator of the Year Nominee ~ Television

James Reid soc for American Horror Story

Spring 2014

MICHELE K SHORT

left alone within a sea of activity all moving to the lively sounds of the music. As the shot advances we stay focused on Jessica in her solitude. The camera circles around the bar to face James Reid SOC her, then we step onto a platform and rise over her to reveal the club as the band continues to play.

Some of the challenges of the shot were getting in synch with the band and making sure that I could pull off something where there was no line of horizon. Finding the first frame was challenge number one. The camera was framed straight up into the ceiling, then upon ‘Action’ had to roll in a very sharp and positive direction to reveal our band leader.

The goal was to place his head at the very bottom right corner of the frame and stop just at the knot of his tie. Since there was no reference point to find him we had to practice several times with many false starts until we had some element of muscle memory. Challenge number two was all the invisible efforts taking place around camera, the camera team: my son Brice ‘A’ 1st focus puller, Charlie Nauman ‘A’ 2nd who was controling the camera speed changes, and my dolly grip Jeremy Webre who was paving the way, moving non-essential people away from the camera. This team effort is what made the shot happen—the synergy, the concentration—and ultimately a successful shot was very satisfying for all.

It is necessary to stress the importance of the team effort and the privilege we have to work on a show of this caliber and creative intensity. It would be irresponsible not to be thankful for the opportunities great or small that Mike Goi ASC has given to our camera team. The challenge of the work is what stirs our conviction to strive for excellence and the success of the work is what empowers us to do “just one more”!

CAMERA OPERATOR: CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

PHOTOS FROM AMERICAN HORROR STORY BY MICHELE K SHORT, © FX

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merican Horror Story for the cameraman is an experience that provokes a counter intuitive initiative. Convention is absurd and the absurd is encouraged. The scripts are dense with creative direction and demand exploration.

Preparing for the show requires a large camera and support package, all of which requires deployment upon inspiration.

Trial and error is encouraged provided it is justified within a TV schedule. Some of the biggest challenges are the design and engineering of the work. The team collaboration is critical as a functioning synergy to accomplish complex shots.

Composition is under constant scrutiny. If we are not creating some level of cognitive dissonance in the frame, then we have failed to engage the viewer, and tell the story. Every day invites a challenge, an obstacle which results in a creative opportunity.

On a TV episodic schedule, it is rare that an operator has the time to embellish the day with overly complex shots. However with the imagination of a creative DP like Mike Goi ASC, we are encouraged to travel the edge and embrace the challenge of complexity, so long as that work locks into the creative aesthetic.

The shot used for the SOC Awards Event was very expressionistic and thus reflective of American Horror Story. The shot involved multiple moving elements within a night club which was driven by a voice over narrative from Jessica Lange’s character.

The assignment was to start framed in the ceiling then a quick vertical drop to reveal a band leader who upon visual cue cranks up the music. The location aided us as it was rich with visual texture that embraced the scene, the club was loaded with people all moving around in rhythm to the music, and of course the club was small, it was crowded, it was hot, it was New Orleans.

The shot continues as a vertical frame revealing the band. Then staying vertical we reveal the space of the club and finally Jessica Lange’s character posed, seated and elegant taking her place at the bar. The camera moves in staying vertical and then at a precise moment we roll into a normal horizon, as we settle Jessica makes her look and we whip pan to her objective. The camera pulls the character towards Jessica only to discover that he has no interest, so Jessica is

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Bruce Carse, emcee

Leonard Chapman accepting the President’s Award from SOC President Chris Tufty

SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards ~ The Awards with Heart article by Hiram Early; photos by Craig Mathew

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s Leonard Chapman accepted the President’s Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to the industry, there might not have been a dry eye in the house. He was so delighted to receive this award, and so touched by it, that we all rejoiced with him.

The same was true with the other award recipients: Chris Haarhoff SOC (Camera Operator), Bill Coe (Camera Technician), Jack Carpenter (Mobile Camera Platform Operator), Jim Muro (Historical Shot), Barry Wetcher SMPSP (Still Photographer), and the Camera Operators of the Year, Peter Taylor for Gravity and Don Devine for Mad Men. The people who most appreciate the quality of their work, who see it and understand it and know the immense effort they have put in to achieve it, proudly give this award.

When they’ve all done their jobs perfectly, as they do time after time, the viewing public doesn’t consciously realize it, although they appreciate it subliminally, because it makes the TV show or movie a pleasure to watch. But the camera operators and the camera crew know what it takes. And they know who’s really outstanding at their jobs.

Presentations were in the new Guerin Pavilion at Skirball Center, with pre and post receptions in Herscher Hall and its patio. An overflow crowd watched the videos showing each recipient’s work and heard the speeches, both praise from the

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CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC AWARDS

presenters and heartfelt appreciation from the recipients. The videos, crafted together by a team of editors headed by Bob Joyce, were perfectly presented in the new elegant hall, decorated by Elizabeth Minarik’s Encino Florists, on a 20K Christie projector and Panasonic Video Switcher donated by VER. The extra large Plasma monitors in the lobby were donated by Panasonic.

Dr Thomas Lee of Children’s Hospital waits to be called to the stage. Note the SRO crowd.

Spring 2014

Jimmy Muro with presenter Jerry Holway

Bill Coe and Steve Campanelli soc are a great team on stage or behind the camera

Chris Haarhoff soc is all smiles at being presented his award by his longtime bud, Colin Anderson soc

A very touching moment was the tribute to Sarah Elizabeth Jones, the young camera assistant killed in an on-set accident only a short time earlier. (See also pages 12-13.) Dan Kneece SOC created a moving video tribute to her, and her parents were present to accept the certificate that made her an honorary member of the SOC. Her father spoke of her short life and the joy that she had being in the camera department team and that she would be so proud to be a part of the SOC.

A few highlights from the speeches: Leonard Chapman recalled actors and directors such as Robert Culp coming to him to ask for specific equipment for their movies and TV shows.

Steve Campanelli, presenting Bill Coe, called the

Don Devine just learned he’s Camera Operator of the Year for Television

Duncan Henderson (right) congratulates Jack Carpenter before handing him his award.

Richard and Elizabeth Jones (center) accept an SOC Associate Membership on behalf of their daughter Sarah.

The certifcate was presented by Dan Kneece soc (left), Mark August soc, and David Frederick soc.

Spring 2014

CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC AWARDS

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Jessica L Lopez soc (2nd from left) arranged for History for Hire to bring vintage cameras to the Awards and train camera assistants as docents. Pam Eylea (far left) who runs History for Hire with her husband, brought 20 old cameras, including some Zoetropes (insets).

SOC President Chris Tufty in a red carpet interview

Jack Carpenter

first AC position “the hardest job on the set.” Bill Coe responded that 40 of his films were with 4 of the top operators in the business, who all had BAFTA, Camera Operator of the Year, and/or SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards. He said he likes working with global screen celebrities, but said Mitch Dubin “wouldn’t leave his seat to come up to talk about me.”

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CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC AWARDS

David Emmerich soc and David Grober of Motion Picture Marine

Spring 2014

Presenter Duncan Henderson said he always knew where to look for Jack Carpenter—under a car. Jack reminded camera operators that “you see it first, but you don’t see everything.

You need someone watching your back.”

Jack also joked about building a new room for his award, and said, “I knew my dad was still Michael Frediani watching [even though he’s soc (right) presents gone], but I had no idea until the Distinguished this happened [holding up Service Award to Cammy] that you guys were Stan McClain watching too!”

Jimmy Muro, formally known as J Michael Muro, talked about hiring a couple of local kids to help him practice his famous zipline shot from The Mighty Quinn and passed along advice he treasured from Larry McConkey: “There is no easy shot,” with the reminder to make every setup special and to inspire your crew with your energy and excitement.

The video for the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital showed Dr Thomas Lee on a computer hookup to Armenia, advising the medical staff there during a delicate operation.

Global Education and Telemedicine—It’s the future of medicine.

Director Will Gluck said he remembered Barry Wetcher originally as “the guy in the porkpie hat who always blocked my view of the actors and generally got in everyone’s way while taking still photographs of every #@#second of the movie.” Then he added, “I started to look at his photographs.

He has an incredible gift of capturing the true essence of a character, a moment, an emotion in such a way that it feels like the scene is edited, scored, and sweetened. All in one frame.”

Mike Frediani SOC, presenting the Distinguished Service Award to Stan McClain, recalled convincing Stan to run for SOC president, “and he’s never forgiven me for it!” although Stan certainly continues to support the SOC. Tom Hallman of Pictorvision, accepting his Technical Achievement Award, said, “It’s one thing to be awarded by our industry based solely on the technology inside, but

The group from Children’s Hospital Spring 2014

another entirely to be recognized by the individuals who use our equipment day in and day out.”

Richard Crudo ASC considers video village an evil place, because “seeing the image simultaneously on a monitor a hundred feet away is not the same thing. The operator experiences the most intimate contact with the actors at the very moment they bring what’s on the page to life.”

Then he added, “Unlike some of my colleagues, I believe camera operating is a full time job, meant to be performed by a person who is not also the director of photography. To deny that the operator’s eyes immeasurably improve our work is not just the height of ignorance, it’s downright selfish. And there’s no place for that in a true collaborative environment.”

Chris Haarhoff SOC, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Camera Operating spoke a profound truth when he said, “I have found that success and talent do not necessarily go hand in hand. One’s greatest asset becomes the people that you meet along the way, people that show gentle generosity along with encouragement and excitement.”

Some Notes of Appreciation David Frederick SOC was once again the proud Executive Producer of the show, although he insists that this was his seventh and final time, and someone else will have to take on the job next year.

Frederick was thankful for his large team of collaborators, especially Co-Producer Jessica L Lopez SOC who helped inspire the event’s Historical Motion Picture Camera theme and then organized the 20 vintage cameras, which were set up and provided with knowledgeable docent ACs instructed

by Jim and Pam Eleya from the History for Hire Prop House.

Chapman supplied an array of their award winning dollys, and Motion Picture Marine had its Technical Achievement Award winning Perfect Horizon also on display.

Brad Greenspan CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC AWARDS

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Camera Operators of the Year for Television: James Reid soc, Steve Fracol soc, Don Devine soc, Nicholas Davidoff soc, Kenji Luster soc. Don Devine of Mad Men took the trophy home.

Richard Crudo ASC presented Camera Operator of the Year awards. Read his comment on page 19.

Dan Dodd of IngleDodd Media Camera Operators of the Year for Feature Films: P Scott Sakamoto soc, Geoffrey Haley soc, Peter Taylor soc, Jacques Jouffret soc, Ian Fox soc. The trophy went home with Peter Taylor for Gravity.

Frederick gave a nod of appreciation to Co-Producer Rochelle Brown for handling all of the Camera Operator of the Year nominee duties and the presenter/VIP gift bags (see page 63), Events Chair Mark August SOC for his logistical support, and Technical Achievement Awards CoProducer Dave Emmerichs SOC for putting together the Technical Awards.

Bruce Carse emceed the event once again.

He says it’s his favorite, because it has heart.

The young lady handing trophies was Jessica Gold, daughter of Dan Gold SOC. Two-term past SOC President Mike Frediani directed the Vision Center Film on Global Telemedicine with collaborators EP/DP Frederick and Producer Jessica Van Destilline.

The SOC Jazz Combo, led also for the seventh year by composer and master guitarist John Storie of the New West Guitar Jessie Gold, trophy handler Group, entertained everyone at the hour and

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a half cocktail reception and then during the Awards presentations.

The SOC sends a special thank you to the presenters of the awards: Will Gluck, Duncan Henderson, Jerry Holway, Richard Crudo ASC, and SOC members Chris Tufty, Colin Anderson, Steve Campanelli, Mike Frediani, Stan McClain, and Dave Emmerichs. Their appreciative comments for the person they were presenting were highlights of the evening.

The SOC would also like to thank Larry Parker for supplying spotlight and courtyard lighting and plenty of advice, Chris Porteus of Skirball for helping plan the event in all its immense detail, Rick Markovitz and his team from Weissman/Markovitz Communications for all their PR work, and Dan Dodd for getting sponsorships from so many vendors.

One of the outstanding features of the show was the way the photos in the tribute book looked. We used a special printing process, and the photos really came alive. (We expect other award shows to copy us soon.)

Lifetime Achievement Operator 2011 Paul Babin supplied his seventh Tribute book cover design.

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How We Do This

Executive Producer David Frederick soc (left) with his son Duncan and Duncan’s girlfriend

Tom Hallman of Pictorvision with his presenter Stan McClain

Will Gluck during his presentation speech for …

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… Barry Wetcher smpsp

This Awards event is largely paid for by the contributions raised through the Event Tribute Book. Ticket prices are kept at an affordable level so that the membership of the SOC can attend, unlike most steeply priced Hollywood awards events that are attended mostly by the corporate community.

We thank our corporate sponsors and are welcomPeter Taylor has fun ing them to participate in with his Cammy this peer recognition celebration. As a result, this is an event that really has heart, as evidenced by the rousing applause and pride shared at each celebrated award category.

Proving once again to be one of the closest allies of the SOC, Panavision came through by supplying screening facilities 5 times for the Camera Operator of the Year Awards, a truck full of equipment for capturing the Awards events – 5 professional HD cameras and all of the engineering talent team to record, present the integrated videos and for another first time, capture the preshow to present in a live webcast and subsequent DVD release. Thanks to all at Panavision for the hours of preparation and execution of this monumental task. Panavision Worldwide VP Bob Harvey is always eager to provide these services to the SOC and we are forever grateful to Bob! This evening was so well received that for the first time in SOC awards history, we had a standing room only crowd.

This is proof positive that the SOC awards are very much an appreciated industry success. Hopefully we can inspire other award events to follow suit and incorporate fund raising opportunities like the SOC who supports child patient care, global medical training and vision research at The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

The SOC Awards are truly one of the most anticipated and enjoyable evenings in the awards season. Frank Kay of JL Fisher said it was a perfect trifecta – “A great venue with camera historical decor, great speech presentations and great presenters to great honorees.”

Please join the SOC at the 2015 Lifetime Achievement and Camera Operator of the Year Awards.

(More photos on page 44.)

a brief pause from checking the photos in the tribute book CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC AWARDS

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by Christopher TJ McGuire SOC, ACO

True Detective photos by Lacey Terrell / HBO Blended photos by David Bloomer; Š2013 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc Chris McGuire soc follows Matthew McConaughey through an old building.

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hristopher TJ McGuire SOC, ACO shot the first six episodes of True Detective, a television series featuring Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart, two detectives on a 17-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana.

Episode 4 required McGuire to do a six-minute Steadicam shot, in and out of buildings at night.

He also signed on to shoot Blended in South Africa and in Georgia.

It’s the third movie that Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have teamed up on. Here they play single parents whose one date was a disaster. Vowing never to see each other again, they each sign up for a family vacation in South Africa and find themselves at the same resort.

Director Frank Coraci and DP Julio Macat ASC had one team in Atlanta GA and another in South Africa, but kept Chris McGuire for the entire film, with certain creative choices for camera work that differed by location.

Chris McGuire describes what was involved with the shot for True Detective, and what it was like working on Blended.

Great Show, Great Actors The prospect of working with two high profile actors in Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and with a script that was so visceral in itself had all the hallmarks of a great show. And with the talent of Australian DP Adam Arkapaw, I knew the show was going to light up screens tuned into the HBO network.

The show True Detective, starting with a provoking opening sequence, was sure to deliver a provocative story set down in Louisiana. I had the good fortune to operate on the first 6 episodes of the show including the 6 minute shot in Episode 4; the stash house was to be a oner going in and out of small project houses in a domestic neighborhood in New Orleans.

Getting Ready for the 6-Minute Scene Although the rest of the show was shot on film and with Panavision XL2s, it was decided to use the Alexa in this scene for image capture for run time and also size.

The process of planning and executing the shot began with walkthroughs discussing various things with departments to gauge the needs of the director (Cary Fukunaga). One of the things that was going to be required was to get over an iron fence about 15 feet high with the two actors escaping the melee they were leaving behind.

Initially I wanted to take a section of the fence out to

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enable a wipe through and a slight ramp to stay with the actors. Production did not get the approval to do that so we planned on a crane step on/off. Thankfully Paul Goodstein (Key Grip) suggested the Chapman Titan crane with a drop down arm that would enable me to step on and crane up without too much of an arc. It worked perfectly and much credit to the entire Grip department that made it safe. It was a daunting prospect to know after a crazy 5 minutes of heavy action, moving all the while at a rapid pace, you had to step onto a crane, stop moving, and totally put your trust in your grip brothers.

We also had another operator Ramon Engle who was an important part in the construction of the shot. Ramon had helped throughout the process in rehearsals and had also completed takes in the two nights of shooting the scene.

As with most Steadicam shots that involve a lot of actors and extras the first thing you worry about is the rig being hit.

Spatial awareness is the most important attribute of a Steadicam operator. Having a close affinity with your focus puller is an essential relationship and I was working with one of the best, Donny Steinberg.

It’s always worthwhile to ‘walk the course’ many times to Spring 2014

Chris McGuire tracks the action between the houses.

figure out where your best opportunities are to change sides and possibly pull the rig in close to get some rest.

The Choreography With the first part of the sequence we rush into the oncoming gang of guys approaching the house into a tight porch, where they force open the door with threats to the hostage. Getting into the house through the doorframe with six actors all trying to get through could have been messy.

Following Cohle through the tiny house to clear the rooms meant swapping sides constantly, but mostly with the rig ahead of me and all the while preparing for the whip pan into the child sitting on the bed.

The next part, following and opening the shot up for capturing the beats, was the most rehearsed. Many personality Spring 2014

beats of the gang members had to be seen and timing was the most important for all the people involved. This was a great testament to every department.

The brick through the window and the bullet hit were important to the whole pace of the story and we had to hit those beats.

The hardest detail was the reveal of the hand grenade booby trap in the kitchen. An insert could have cut the shot in two for sure, but Cary was adamant that it would carry through as a push in. I’m glad he stuck to his vision.

As we leave the first house the action develops into the transition of Cohle’s character into the protagonist and the real reason he’s there.

Into the next house and a quick moment to catch my breath, although as Cohle takes off after Ginger he throws CAMERA OPERATOR: TRUE DETECTIVE

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Chris McGuire follows Cohle in the disused school Ep 5.

the phone to the ground right into my feet, causing me to do a little dance to shake the phone line free of my legs. Then I was chasing after Cohle to get around him as he’s attacked by local gang members. It was important to get wide as we came around, and this made for bigger gulps of air! I knew I had a breathing rest point coming up so could dig in. The move around the building and rejoining Ginger with a punch in the face was welcome! As the characters ducked down for the gangs and the police to pass by, it was time to pull the rig close and have a split second rest.

rehearsed many times, as this actor was going to lead me into the house where other members were ‘tooling up.’ This was a rig transition across the body to ramp up speed and switch the rig in front to get into the narrow doorway and then switch again to laterally slide through the house to exit and reveal Cohle and Ginger again.

As I ran backwards with a mix of Don Juan and ¾ operating it was all about hitting the crane platform safely and having another rest, before stepping off and chasing the actors into the end of the scene that was: “The Stash House —Episode 4.”

Why Needed It was always the director’s idea that the camera would be another character caught up in the journey through the projects and would show fatigue. Personally I didn’t like that, as we all want our work to be the best we can achieve, but when I watched the shot afterwards it really was a factor in involving and believing the physicality of what the character Cohle was experiencing.

I’m so thankful of the opportunity to have worked the shot and hope to be involved in another someday soon!

Dealing With Fences Running through the clothesline had to be a well structured segment as I didn’t want to get caught up in any laundry, so we made sure those particular garments and sheets were placed to enable a smooth transition through.

Incidentally, throughout the shot, the makeup department lay in wait to add blood to Ginger’s character, thankfully hiding well and stealthily applying.

Across the road and into the last house, catching the gang member looking down the road but not seeing Cohle and Ginger was

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Spring 2014

Filming the quad bike scene.

Coupled to that sequence we did a lot of Steadicam hard mounted to a quad bike to track alongside and in front of the actors. Sometimes we mounted the rig to a vehicle and shot into the actor traveling on the same vehicle to look like they were riding their quad bike in the dirt.

The Paraglide Drew Barrymore riding a quad bike.

Golden Opportunity The biggest draw for me to sign on with this movie was the chance to go to South Africa and photograph the landscape, especially the animals. Almost every day we would have the treat of driving to work and casually seeing giraffes, elephants and hippos just going about their business.

They were not only part of the scenery, they were an important part of the film. We boomed up on a Technocrane shot early one morning with the sun cresting over the mountains to reveal a herd of elephants in the vegetation.

A great sight, but I couldn’t linger to enjoy it. The shot continued to pull back and track alongside Drew Barrymore and her screen son riding little quad bikes. It was beautiful and hilarious.

Spring 2014

The sequence with Drew’s character paragliding was a mix of many shooting tools and brought together all of our experience to channel the camera direction. To shoot Drew in the air, a 300ft crane was used to ascend the parasail with Drew actually in the harness and Ritter fans to blow into her to simulate her moving through the sky. We used Drew Barrymore in paraglide rig. the Techno to get her coverage from different angles and also to move past and around her. When she came in to land, I was wearing the Steadicam while riding an ATV. Since we were losing light as she came in hot, we had to be alongside at speed to get the touch down of her feet.

Each setup/sequence required a lot of choreography of background extras in South Africa as the families were staying in a busy resort. Kudos to the assistant directors who kept the flow of subtle but busy background.

Information is always key to making the shot happen, but there will always be the moments that happen accidentally which makes for an unexpected moment of onscreen magic.

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Someone wiping frame or the right amount of people in the background can always make a shot more interesting without being distracting. Here the animals as well as the extras provided those moments.

Following the Director’s Vision Guy Micheletti (Key Grip) gave us the tools, including his legendary track, to create many graceful shots. Many days and nights included a 30´ or 50´ Technocrane, and the local Dragon grips made light work of humping gear around. With a mix of Steadicam we floated thru the director’s vision easily.

Chris McGuire tracks the action between the houses.

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler on a disastrous date.

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The camera moves in South Africa were planned to be more elegant, almost fairy tale like, because the families were on a vacation they never thought they would experience.

When the families are in America, where a place called Manchester NH was doubled by Buford GA, the camera is slightly awkward, with a subtle disjointed handheld feel —nothing too much to divert from viewing, but enough to Spring 2014

Go With the Flow Rehearsal was really a minimum. It was important to block with the actors to consider camera angles, but with the

comedy and with Adam Sandler we rolled until he and Frank were happy with performance, true to the script, but with Adam’s improvisations added. It’s important to have the camera in the right place to maximize a comedic moment, being loose enough to allow the comedy to breathe within a frame.

With a lot of our work, right across genres, we as operators have a shorthand and use that information to assess and distinguish the best course of action within the frame as the moment ahead of us is happening. We have to accept that we need to go with the flow and remain open to oncoming changes that frequently happen ‘live’ within a take. Choices

FRANK MASI

feel clumsy. It reflected the way the characters related to each other.

The baseball field that was constructed by Lake Lanier near Buford GA was to play host to the Little League baseball scenes and we were required to shoot at speed Drew’s screen son racing around the bases. Again we adapted an ATV and mounted the Steadicam via timber and a High Hat and grabbed the kid running towards us at high little legs speed.

Little League baseball, and Drew Barrymore’s screen son running for all he’s worth.

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are made both before and during a take, so therefore we improvise and make decisions before anyone else can.

The film’s finale was definitely an example of that. The whole cast assembled to sing and dance. I was on the Technocrane as we tried to beat the sun dropping over Atlanta. I was getting so many different, sometimes conflicting, instructions relayed to me via the headset from both the director and the DP that it’s a wonder I managed to hold strong, make sense of both of their judgments, and get the shots they wanted. We chased the sun and the song and sprinted past the finish line.

Teamwork Blended was my 8th collaboration with Julio Macat ASC. Julio has taught me so much in my time in the USA. I owe my Local 600 status to him grandfathering me. The first shot he ever had me do on a movie—Thick as Thieves—was a crane step off followed by a 100m track back, in Bulgaria. I have a fond memory of arguing with the grips: could I please at least have a handrail!

Both Julio and director Frank Coraci have long résumés in comedy photography.

Although they had never worked together before, from day one they collaborated completely. So I felt very lucky to be a part of that team.

Traveling to such a beautiful location with them was a fantastic experience, and collaborating on the classic team of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore was great. All of the actors on Blended were wonderful to work with, very attentive and willing to collaborate on the best way to improve their performance.

The camera crew we were lucky to assemble in South Africa were amazing, always ahead of the game in logistics and always with a smile on their faces. My 1st AC Justin Hawkins and 2nd AC Kent Satram were always attentive to my and Julio’s needs.

“B” Camera Operator Peter Belcher and his team were always keen to poke a lens in to help with coverage, although on most of the dialogue sequences we shot one camera to be sure of tight eye lines.

I did have the chance to see Peter operate and DP a splinter sequence alongside the main unit that involved a cheetah, Libra head, quad bike and big joint of meat. Pretty amazing to see the cheetah running at full stretch toward the lens!

In Atlanta, the film was also a wonderful opportunity to work with two legends in our community, Baird Steptoe and Clyde E Bryan (both recipients of the SOC’s Lifetime

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DP Julio Macat ASC and director Frank Coraci.

Photo by Frank Masi

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Camera crew in Africa

Chris McGuire confers with the director while Adam Sandler gets ready for the camera to roll.

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Getting set up for the shot below.

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Spring 2014

Spring 2014

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER TJ McGUIRE SOC ACO

Achievement Award). It was a real honor to work alongside them and hear some wonderful stories.

In Africa we shot with the Alexa and Codex units. It was a little cumbersome but we managed to work with the setup, not against it. Josh Gollish the DIT was always attentive to the best and quickest way of dealing with the system. In Atlanta we switched to the Alexa XT which is a welcome relief to everyone in the industry.

Throughout the principal photography we encountered many scenarios and challenges but with the professionalism and mutual respect all departments had for each other, the show came together and smoothly transitioned into another beautiful coupling between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

Julio Macat helps Chris McGuire cool off between takes.

CAMERA OPERATOR: BLENDED

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Hi Def with Jeff

New Lenses, Assorted Upgrades

By Jeffrey Cree SOC

premiere set of primes utilizing a very high performance multi-aspheric design. The Summilux-C Primes are T1.4 with a cam focus design, expanded linear focus scales, and performance that goes beyond the demands of the current 4K and 6K camera systems. The 12 focal lengths of Leica Summilux-C Primes are handcrafted by CW Sonderoptic in Wetzlar, Germany. The manufacturing of these lenses is very demanding and tedious; this limits the volume of lenses that can be produced which has made it impossible for CW Sonderoptics to meet the volume demand of the market.

The high demand and low production volume of the Summilux-C Primes generated an interest at CW Sonderoptic and Leica to produce a second set of PL mount lenses for the cinema market. The still photo side of Leica has produced two groups of still lenses for many years. The Leica Summilux models are f/1.4 while the Leica Summicron performs at f/2.

So the plan to generate a second, lower cost set of PL primes was brought forward and the Leica Summicron-C Primes emerged. To get the lenses to the market in a timely manner

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enerally I tend to focus on one topic or one group of products, but in this issue I have decided to introduce a new product and discuss upgrades that are available for an existing product that make it perform differently than when originally introduced.

The new Leica Summicron-C Prime Lenses were introduced last year at the NAB and IBC shows but have only started delivering in December of last year so they are very new to the market. Over the last 42 years with my duties at Band Pro and at Sony and ABC before that, I have had the pleasure to work with most of the lens manufacturers but my current duties at Band Pro have me working more closely with Leica and CW Sonderoptic.

Having reviewed more than 40 sets of Leica Summicron-C primes that have entered the country I have decided to give you a brief introduction to this remarkable family of lenses.

The Sony PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 4K capture cameras have introduced a number of new features in the past months through hardware and firmware upgrades. Most of these features such as high speed capability were long promised features. What we are seeing with some of the latest upgrades are things that have been asked for by the end-users through interaction in seminars and forums. I want to address some these features and explain how to utilize them in the second half of this article.

Introduction to the new Leica Summicron-C Prime Lenses The introduction of the Leica Summilux-C primes was the first venture into the world of cinema lenses in over a hundred years for the longtime maker of still photographic equipment.

Their design goal for this product was to produce a set of prime lenses that are compact in size and unequalled in performance. A premiere international team was assembled to design the lens set that was headed by Iain Neil of Panavision Primo fame. The result of this collaboration was a

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the first deliveries have been limited to a set of six lenses: 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm. Three new focal lengths, 21mm, 29mm and a slightly longer 135mm have just started delivering with a new 40mm coming in the summer to bring the total to ten lenses.

Simple guidelines were produced to which the Summicron-C primes would be designed. The criterion was very simple. The design still had to be high performance but a much simpler design than that of the Summilux-C primes.

The design had to allow the lenses to be produced in much higher volumes and at lower costs. The finished product had to allow for easy repair and cleaning. Some of the harder criteria to meet were the ability to maintain the high resolution and high contrast, to color match and provide the flat field illumination to closely match the existing Summilux-C Primes. The Summicron-C design is a stop slower than the Summilux-C Primes at T2.0 and goes out to T22 while maintaining the full closed position for use with electronic cameras. To maintain functional characteristics common to the Leica Summilux-C lenses the aperture and focus rings are positioned to provide the same distance from the flange.

A helical thread design was used for the focus assembly with the new Summicron-C Primes to simplify the design and to lower the cost of production. This does not allow the expanded scale of the Summilux-C lenses so the product has Spring 2014

a more traditional focus scale. CW-Sonderoptic selected an all spherical design and stayed away from the more expensive aspheric elements used in the Summilux-C lenses. This alone created major cost savings as well as simplifying the construction of the lenses. All of this was done while maintaining the close focus characteristics we have gotten use to with the Summilux-C primes.

The size of the Leica SummicronC is more in line with Zeiss Ultra Primes while maintaining better geometry and resolution.

All the current designs maintain a 95mm front diameter and are only 4 inches in length except for the 135mm which maintains the 95mm diameter but is 4.6 inches long. The weight of the lenses ranges from a low 2.7 lbs. for the 75mm and 100mm, to 4.1 lbs. for the 135mm. Most of the lenses in the set fall around the 3 lbs. mark. This makes for a very small compact set of high performance lenses.

Performance of the Summicron-C Primes surprised me the first time I projected them at Band Pro’s office in Burbank. I had been told that they were surprisingly sharp but having looked at most of the Summilux-C Primes that enter the country as part of my job at Band Pro I did not expect to see a small lens provide that much resolution while maintaining high values of contrast. All of the Summicron lenses that I have reviewed have maintained 200 line pairs in the corners of full aperture 35mm when projected.

Geometry is excellent in even the widest focal lengths. Flares are equal to or better than the other high performance lenses in this price range from Zeiss and Cooke. The MTF values of the lens have a more traditional curve that the Summilux-C. The maximum MTF falls in the T4.0-T5.6 range for all the lenses which is expected with the more traditional design used in the Summicron-C Primes. While the SummiluxC Primes have virtually no breathing the Summicron-C Primes fall well within the specification of the other lenses in this class.

Those of you who are using the new Dragon sensor from Red will be happy to hear that the Image Circle of the Summicron-C Primes is greater than a 35mm. The new published specification says 35mm but every lens that I have projected has done better than the published specification.

During the recent NAB exhibit I had the opportunity to test every lens in the set on a Red Epic using the Dragon sensor and no vignette was visible with any focal length. Being the skeptic that I am I even tried it with multiple sets of lenses.

The new Leica Summicron-C Primes are a more cost effective solution to their big brother the Leica Summilux-C lenses. The simplified design has made it possible to produce an affordable set of prime lenses while maintaining a very high level of performance. These primes will perform comfortably with the current generation of PL mount

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cameras on the market and will carry you into the future as performance demands grow.

Upgrades for the Sony PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 The introductions of the Sony F5 and F55 cameras were a little disappointing as many of the listed features did not exist. To Sony’s credit the list of upgrades that were promised have been delivered in a timely manner and very close to the timeline presented at the introductions of the cameras. We are now at version 4.0 one step beyond the original introduction feature list and we are starting to see that the product development team at Sony is listening to the market as we are seeing features suggested by the market appearing on the cameras. At NAB I had the pleasure of talking to some of the key players in the design group for this product and they are currently developing plans for future upgrades to these cameras rather than developing a new model. This is good

news, as it will let the product mature like the HDW-F900 was allowed to do over a nine year period. I cannot guarantee that long a run but it is promising that those who purchase these F series cameras will be allowed to receive a return on their investment in the product. Here are four of those improvements that have added or will add performance and function to the PMW-F5/F55 camera system.

Introduction of New Codec Much to the surprise of many of us who have worked with Sony over the years, they have publicly announced the addition of ProRes and DNxHD to support the Final Cut and Avid platforms. Up to now Sony has depended on the solid performing XAVC platform to support 4K, 2K and HD in the F5/F55 cameras. The established SR codec or SStP as it called in the camera menu was added by Sony to simplify the 2K and HD interface with the editing platforms.

RAW was always available with the addition of the AXS-R5 Spring 2014

Recorder to provide an interchangeable 4K and 2K solution but for many the file size and expense made this solution non-viable. The advent of ProRes and DNxHD however are amazing news for rental houses or owner/operators handing footage over to Avid or Final Cut Pro editors. Adding these Codecs eliminates any need for plug-ins or separate transcoding processes prior to delivery. This upgrade will not be mandatory but I would highly suggest if you own one of these cameras that you upgrade. The upgrade will require a trip to the Sony Service Center as hardware will have to be added to the camera. Unlike all the previous upgrades this will not be free but for those who need to support these common editing platforms it will be worth it to make the investment. We should know the cost and availability by CineGear 2014.

Improved Color Gamut and the Addition of S-Log3 Many of the blogs and mailing lists have asked for improvements in color reproduction with the PMW-F5 and F55 camera. In Version 3.0 software two new Log Curves and Color Gamuts were added by Sony to simplify and improve color grading for the PMW-F5/F55. The generation of new curves S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 and S-Gamut3/S-Log3 was the result of efforts to better interface with the DCI-P3 and ACES workflows.

“S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3” is designed to perform like pure log workflow. Color space is similar to a negative film scan which is used for TV production, film out and digital cinema. Color reproduction is designed slightly wider than DCI-P3 to provide ample room for color grading. The tone curve is more like pure log encoding preserving more tonal gradations and better reproduction of the blacks, and is compatible with the Cineon workflow. This combination was designed specifically to use when working in the DCI-P3 workflow.

“S-Gamut3/S-Log3” is very close to camera native color, and is very good for archiving for use as a digital camera negative, and works with 8 Bit, 10 Bit and 12 Bit code values.

Color space of S-Gamut3 is kept the same area of original S-Gamut, though color reproduction was rotated inside S-Gamut3 to be more accurate than the original S-Gamut.

Using this combination will simplify the utilization of the ACES workflow.

The above color gamuts were designed to work in conjunction with S-Log3. S-Log3 is based on the well established Cineon Digital Negative curve. The S-Log3 tone curve has no shoulder and has a reduced toe. It performs more like pure log encoding than S-Log2 which results in better log based grading. Mid-tone values appear brighter than when using S-Log2. S-Log3 also provides a 1.5 stop wider dynamic range than S-Log2, while covering the full EI range capability of the camera.

Even if not using the specified workflows these Log curves and color gamut modification can improve the color reproduction and dynamic range for the F Series cameras. Using these curves and color gamuts in conjunction with the Spring 2014

camera’s ability to apply 3D LUTs to the recorded image improves the camera’s ability to deliver consistent and accurate color.

Center Scan Mode Sony has introduced Center Scan Mode as of Version 3.0 software for the F5/F55 cameras. This feature allows the camera to provide a native 2K or HD image by sampling only the center of the 4K image sensor. The end result is an image area that is equivalent to Super 16mm in size. This allows users of the camera the ability to use Super 16mm PL lenses on the camera. This ability has proved to be a major benefit to those that are using the camera in a handheld mode as these groups of lenses are more compact and zooms tend to be longer in this smaller format. Many end users were reluctant to pay the high price of some of the new 35mm PL mount lenses especially due to the limitation of the zoom range provided in these products. This mode allows for recording in XAVC HD, XAVC 2K, SStP and 2K RAW. Another benefit of this feature is the ability to use a much simpler B4 mount adapter than was required to adapt from PL to B4. The IBE HDx35 adapter allows 35mm PL camera to utilize B4 mount lenses from 2/3˝ sensor cameras. Optically it works very well but has a 2.5 stop loss of light.

Mechanically it makes the lens package abnormally long and the system is relatively expensive.

When using the Center Scan Mode a much smaller and simpler adapter can be used. One example is the MTF B4 2/3˝ to Super16 PL adapter. The B4 mount lenses were designed to be used with a prism system where the green channel focuses slightly behind the red and blue channels this adapter corrects for that offset while providing the mechanical distance to correct for the difference in size between 2/3˝ and the super 16mm formats. The loss of light is only .8 of a stop.

This configuration provides the characteristics of a 16mm system when it comes to angle of view and depth of field.

Of course the limitation of this system is that your limited to 2K or HD resolutions but for many this mode and adapter provides a simple solution for the need for longer zooms that are lighter and more compact. Many of the users of the F5 and F55 cameras are recording HD for broadcast and this feature opens up the ability to use lenses they may already own. Large amounts of high quality Super 16mm PL and B4 mount lenses are available to the market and this feature opens them for use on these cameras.

User Menu and Customization Sony had many requests for the return of the user menu group in the F5/F55. This group first appeared in the BVW-D600 during my tenure in Sony’s product marketing.

Initially Sony felt that the direct button interface of the PMW-F5/F55 would make this feature unnecessary, but the demand was great enough that it has returned with the introduction of Version 4.0 software. The menu group allows the assignment of 20 menu items that can be configured by the end user. The items can be sorted and sub items that you CAMERA OPERATOR: HI DEF WITH JEFF

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may not use can be edited from the list. The menu comes configured with the most common items used in the initial setup of the camera. I would recommend that you edit those items first to make room for items that you may feel are necessary to simplify the operation of the camera.

It is comforting to know that we are dealing with manufacturers that are listening to the market. Leica and CW Sonderoptic understood that although the Leica Summilux-C Primes had been well received by the market due to their look and performance that only a small portion of the market could afford to buy a set. So they have now introduced and are delivering the Summicron-C Primes as a high performance, more accessible, more affordable alternative to the SummiluxC Primes. Sony’s introduction of the PMW-F5 and PMWF55 cameras had an initial boom and then wavered for a period as key features were missing. After the market realized that Sony was meeting the upgrade schedule the sales numbers picked up again. What is more reassuring is that Sony has already announced future upgrades for these products beyond the schedule presented with the introduction of the product. Features have been modified to meet the demands of the market. All of this is very healthy for the market.

Q

The space allocated to me for this issue does not allow me to cover every feature of these products. If you have questions please feel free to email me at jeff.cree@bandpro.com and I will make every effort to answer your questions.

SOC Roster Society of Camera Operators Current as of 4/27/14

FUJIFILM NORTH AMERICA

Sandra Kurotobi

GEO FILM GROUP CORPORATE George Nolan 3ALITY TECHNICA GPI PRO STABILIZER SYSTEMS Sakae Manning Jack and Michelle Bridges ABLE CINE HISTORY FOR HIRE Andrew Shipsides James Elyea AJA VIDEO SYSTEMS HYDROFLEX Jeff Way Matt Brown ARRI JL FISHER Bill Russell Jimmy L Fisher BAND PRO FILM & VIDEO KESLOW CAMERA Letticia Stafford Robert Keslow BERTONE VISUALS MARK BENDER AND ASSOCIATES Gianluca Bertone Mark Bender BIRNS & SAWYER MATTHEWS STUDIO EQUIPMENT William Meurer Ed Phillips BLACKMAGIC DESIGN PANAVISION Christine Peterson Bob Harvey CAMADEUS FILM TECHNOLOGIES POLECAM Sebastian Lumme Perry Drogo CAMERA DYNAMICS SCHNEIDER OPTICS ~ CENTURY DIVISION Jim Davis David Contreras CANON USA Bill Turner Tim Smith TERADEK CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING Michael Gailing Richard Schleuning THALES ANGENIEUX CHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIO EQUIPMENT Eva Paryzka Leonard T Chapman TIFFEN Christine J Huenergardt Rick Booth CLAIRMONT CAMERA VER ~ VIDEO EQUIPMENT RENTALS Mardrie Mullen Scott Dale DIGIHOLLYWOOD Chol Kim The Roster of Charter, Active, Associate, Honorary FILMTOOLS INC and Retired members is on page 64.

Stan McClain

WBSF

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Photo Lab

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1/15/14 9:40 AM

Spring 2014

CRAIG MATHEW

“OMG!” Nick Davidoff SOC graciously accepts his Camera Operator of the Year goody bag, prepared and presented by Rochelle Brown (right) and Rachel Hudson. The bag and its contents were donated by SOC sponsors. At least, we think that’s where all the contents came from…

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Heffernan Insurance Brokers — www.heffins.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

AJA Video Systems — www.aja.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC

Hover-Views Unlimited — www.hoverviews.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Carl Zeiss — www.zeiss.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

JL Fisher — www.jlfisher.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Chapman Leonard — www.chapman-leonard.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Matthews Studio Equipment — www.msegrip.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Cinematography Electronics — www.cinematographyelectronics.com . 11

OConnor / Vitec— www.ocon.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Clairmont Camera — www.clairmont.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Panavision — www.skbcasesusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Filmtools— www.filmtools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

SKB Cases — www.skbcasesusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

First Entertainment Credit Union—www.firstent.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Vitec Videocom Inc – East Coast — www.vitecvideocom.com . . 11

Glidecam — www.glidecam.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Warner Bros Photo Lab — www.wbphotolab.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Spring 2014

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SOC Roster Society of Camera Operators Current as of 4/27/14 1/26/14

CHARTER Lou Barlia Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Rupert Benson Jr Stephanie Benson Bob Bergdahl Howard Block Donald R Burch Jerry G Callaway David Calloway Phil Caplan Mike Chevalier Bill Clark Dick Colean Steve Conant Jim Connell Rick Cosko Jack Courtland Elliot Davis Sam Drummy Joe Epperson Mike Ferra Ron Francis William Jay Gahret Jim Glennon Ray Gonzalez Jerry Good Jack Green Gil Haimson Lutz Hapke Peter Hapke Bill Hines Jim Hoover Bill Howard John Huneck Wayne Kennan Bob Keys Gary Kibbe David Kurland Norm Langley Thomas Laughridge Steve Lydecker Brice Mack III Joe Marquette Jr Owen Marsh Bob Marta Bob McBride Al Myers Ed Morey Tom Munshower Fred Murphy Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Rik Nervik King Nicholson Leigh Nicholson John G Nogle Dan Norris Skip Norton David Norwell Wayne Orr Richard Price Ernie Reed Arnold Rich 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 C Stevens Carol Sunflower Bill Swearingen Joseph F Valentine Ron Vidor Sven Walnum ACTIVE Peter Abraham Jonathan S Abrams Michael R Alba Bret Allen Derek M Allen Robert Reed Altman Colin Anderson Jack Anderson

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Kevin W Andrews Francois Archambault Joseph Arena Will Arnot Ted Ashton Jr Mark August Grayson Grant Austin Paul Babin Randall B Baer Christopher Baffa Lonn Bailey James Baldanza Jerry Banales Christopher Banting Jeff Barklage Ricardo Barredo Angel Barroeta Gary H Baum John James Beattie Jonathan Beattie Guy Norman Bee Tim Bellen Nils Benson George M Bianchini Lukasz Bielan George Billinger Howard H Bingham Bonnie S Blake Jason Blount Bob C Boccaccio John Boyd Katie Boyum Kevin D Braband Gerard Brigante Hilaire Brosio Garrett Brown Kenny Brown Pete Brown Scott Browner Robin Buerki Gary Bush Stephen S Campanelli Jose A Cardenas Peter Cavaciuti Dave Chameides Lou Chanatry Joe Chess Jr Jeffrey R Clark Anthony Cobbs Craig Cockerill Steven Cohen Marcis Cole Kris A Conde Andrew Glenn Conder Michael Condon Brown Cooper Dan Coplan Luke Cormack Javier A Costa Richard J Cottrell Jeff Cree Rod Crombie Richard Crow Jeff L Crumbley Richard A Cullis Grant Culwell Joseph C D’Alessandro Nicholas Davidoff Markus Davids Richard W Davis Mark G Dawson Andrew A Dean Michael S Dean Jim Denny Kris Andrew Denton Joel Deutsch Don Devine Kenny Dezendorf David E Diano Troy Dick Alfeo Dixon Matthew I Doll Rick Drapkin Scott C Dropkin Mitch Dubin Simon Duggan, ACS Louis R Duskin Allen D Easton William Eichler David E Elkins Jason Ellson David Emmerichs Kevin J Emmons Steve Essig Brant S Fagan Tom Faigh Diane L Farrell Dianne Teresa Farrington

Jesse Michael Feldman Michael Ferris George Feucht Dick Fisher Lance Fisher Aaron Fitzgerald Eric Fletcher Michael Flueck Houman Forough Felix Forrest Ian Forsyth Ian Fox Steve G Fracol Keith Francis Nick Franco David J Frederick Michael Frediani Michael A Freeman Steven French Samuel “Buddy” Fries Mick Froehlich Jeff Fry Paul M Gardner David Gasperik Anthony Gaudioz Rusty Geller Mark Gerasimenko William Gierhart Laurie K Gilbert Harvey Glen Mark Goellnicht Daniel Gold Allen Gonzales Robert Gorelick Afton M Grant Bruce Alan Greene Chad Griepentrog David Allen Grove Robert Guernsey Pedro Guimaraes John C Gunselman Chris C Haarhoff Jess Haas Geoffrey K Haley John Hankammer Tim Harland Joshua Harrison Kent Harvey Chris Hayes David Haylock Dawn J Henry Alan Hereford Steven F Heuer Kevin Hewitt Jamie Hitchcock Dean Holmes Abe Holtz Jerry Holway Casey Hotchkiss Colin Hudson Philip Hurn Frederick Iannone Dave Isern Christopher Ivins Eugene W Jackson III Jerry M Jacob Francis G James Alec Jarnagin Simon Jayes Christopher D Jones Kurt Jones Steven Jones Jacques Jouffret John H Joyce David Judy Mark Jungjohann David C Kanehann Mark Karavite Adam T Keith David Kimelman Douglas H Knapp Dan Kneece Rory Robert Knepp David T Knox Robert Kositchek Bud Kremp Kris Krosskove Per Larsson Jeff Latonero Eric Leach Sergio Leandro Silva Richard Leible Sarah Levy Jimmy W Lindsey Abigail Linne Hugh C Litfin Patrick Longman George Loomis

CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC ROSTER

Jessica L Lopez David Luckenbach Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Bruce MacCallum Rob Macey Vincent C Mack Paul S Magee David Mahlmann Giuseppe Malpasso Kim Marks Cedric Martin Johnny Martin Philip J Martinez Parris Mayhew William McClelland David B McGill Michael P McGowan Christopher TJ McGuire Aaron Medick Alan Mehlbrech Jack Messitt Duane Mieliwocki Marc A Miller Andrew Mitchell William Molina Raphy Molinary Machado Lawrence P Moody Mark Emery Moore Denis Moran Josh Morton Manolo Rojas Moscopulos Jeff Muhlstock Michael James Mulvey Scott T Mumford Riggs Murdock Chris Murphy Sean Murray Dale Myrand Leo J Napolitano Robert Newcomb Julye Newlin William R Nielsen, Jr Randy Nolen Austin Nordell David B Nowell, ASC Ryan Michael O’Donnell William O’Drobinak Mark D O’Kane Michael D Off James Olcovich Andrew William Oliver John Orland Rafael Ortiz-Guzman Brian Osmond Georgia Tornai Packard Heather Page Mario Eugene Page Nick Paige Victor J Pancerev Andrew Parke Patrick J Pask Christopher T Paul Paul C Peddinghaus Douglas Pellegrino Karin Pelloni John Perry George Peters Matthew A Petrosky Jonathan F Phillips Alan Pierce Theo Pingarelli S Jacob Pinger Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli Robert Presley Louis Puli Ryan Purcell Elizabeth Radley Yavir Ramawtar Juan M Ramos James B Reid George Richmond Ari Robbins Alicia Robbins Peter Robertson Brooks Robinson Randall Robinson David Robman Andy Romanoff Peter Rosenfeld Andrew Rowlands Dave Rutherford P Scott Sakamoto David M Sammons Joel San Juan Bry Thomas Sanders Martin Schaer

Ron Schlaeger Mark Schlicher Gregory J Schmidt Mark Schmidt Vadim Schulz David Jean Schweitzer Fabrizio Sciarra Brian David Scott Benjamin Semanoff Barnaby Shapiro David Shawl Osvaldo Silvera Jr Jamie Silverstein Teddy Smith Needham B Smith III John Sosenko Mark Sparrough Benjamin Xavier Spek Sandy Spooner Lisa L Stacilauskas Robert Starling Meagan Stockemer Michael R Stumpf David L Svenson Christopher Taylor Peter Taylor David James Thompson Richard Tiedemann Henry Tirl John Toll, ASC David Tolsky David Roy Tondeur Remi Tournois Neil C Toussaint Bryan Trieb Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty Rick Tullis Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Matt Valentine Paul D Varrieur Ron Veto Andrew Voegeli Stefan von Bjorn Rob Vuona Bill Waldman Michael J Walker Timothy N Walker Adam S Ward Gareth Ward Gretchen Warthen Aiken Weiss Mande Whitaker Kit Whitmore Joe “Jody” Williams Ken Willinger Chad Wilson Dana D Winseman RL Wise David A Wolf Bill Woodbridge Ian D Woolston-Smith Peter C Xiques Brian Young Chad Zellmer ASSOCIATE Christine Adams John Addocks David S Adelstein Brook Aitken Jamie Alac Ana M Amortegui Andrew B Ansnick Jillian H Arnold Daniel Asmelash Jacob Avignone Ryan Vogel Baker Tyson Banks Eddie Barber Josh Barrett Stephen Blanor Jeffrey D Bollman Peter Bonilla Jean-Paul Bonneau Massimo Bordonaro David Boyd Jennifer Braddock Manuel Branaa David Brooks Rochelle Brown Donald Brownlow Clyde E Bryan Neal Bryant Sasha D Burdett Anthony Q Caldwell Jordan Cantu

Bruce Cardozo Jack Carpenter Paul Case Marc Casey Damian Church Gregory Paul Collier Mack Collins Gareth Paul Cox Richard P Crudo, ASC Anthony Deemer Russ DeJong Enrique Xavier Del Rio Galindo William B Demeritt, III Ronald E Deveaux Jorge Devotto Twojay Dhillon David Dibble Keith Dunkerley Brian James Dzyak Christopher Ekstein David T Eubank Allen Farst Paul Ferrazzi Kristin Fieldhouse Nichole Fleit John C Flinn III, ASC Mark Forman Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Bryan Fowler Fred M Frintrup Nicole Fuchs Juan Pablo Fuentes Hiroyuki Fukuda Hank Gifford Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez John M Goodner Nikki Gray Brad Greenspan David V Gregory George Eric Griffith David E Grober Robert Guthrie W Adam Habib Bob Hall James Hammond Anthony Hardwick John Hart Jennifer Ann Henry Anthony P Hettinger John M Hill, Jr David Hirschmann Alex Hodge Scott Hoffman Chris Horvath Rachel A Hudson Carrie Imai Toshiyuki Imai Andrew Antal Irvine Gregory Irwin Haley Jackson Quenell Jones Sarah Elizabeth Jones Lacey Joy Henry Bourne Joy IV Jessica Jurges Brett Juskalian David Kane Timothy Kane Frank Kay Mark H Killian Douglas Kirkland Adam Kirschhoffer Robert La Bonge Laurence Langton Jose-Pablo Larrea Dr Thomas Lee Aaron Leong Alan J Levi Mark Levin Howard Levine Justin Liang Adrian Licciardi Stuart T Lillas Rachel A Lippert Eamon Long Gordon Lonsdale Jasmine Lord Christopher Lymberis Dominik Mainl Darin Mangan Jose del Carmen Martinez James Mathers Jim R Matlosz Colin P McDonald Marcus Allen McDougald Mike McEveety Hilda Mercado Lowell A Meyer Jonathan Miller Charles Minsky, ASC K Adriana Modlin-Liebrecht E Gunnar Mortensen Matthew C Mosher Natasha Narkiewicz Michael Nelson Micah Newman Natalie Newman

Kurt Nolen Russell C Nordstedt Casey Burke Norton Crescenzo GP Notarile, ASC David B Nowell, ASC Obie Justin Painter Kim Palmer Larry Mole Parker Steven D Parker Jeremy Parsons Florencia Perez Cardenal Mark W Petersen Jon Philion W S Pivetta Ted Polmanski Robert Primes, ASC Barnabas J Prontnicki Joe Prudente Liz Radley Richard Rawlings Jr, ASC Marcia Reed Bill Reiter Brian Reyes Elizabeth Reynolds Lawrence M Ribeiro Claudio Rietti Peter J Rooney Sam Rosenthal Melissa Roth Jordi Ruiz Maso Danny Salazar Steve Saxon Terry G Schroth Carl Martin Schumacher, Sr Christian Sebaldt, ASC Christopher Seehase Kara Siebein Stephen Silberkraus Charles A Simons Guy Skinner Michael Skor Jan Sluchak Dan Smarg Rob Smart Robert F Smith Dean Robert Smollar Brian Sowell Brent A Spencer Don Spiro Owen Stephens Aymae Sulick Jeremy Sultan Tara Summers Andy Sydney Tiffany Taira Ian S Takahashi John Twesten Caitlin Rae Tyler Daniel Urbain Jose Val Bal Sandra Valde Thomas Valko Dale Vance, Jr Benjamin Verhulst Breanna Villani W Thomas Wall Leonard P Walsh,II Justin Watson Alex White Simon Wolfe Tim Wu Santiago Yniguez Tim Yoder Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC HONORARY John Bailey, ASC Tilman Buettner James Burrows Alexander Calzatti Trevor Coop Roger Corman Dean Cundey, ASC Bruce Doering Clint Eastwood Jack Green, ASC Tom Hatten Ron Howard Ron Kelley Kathleen Kennedy-Marshall Jerry Lewis Larry McConkey A Linn Murphree MD Steven Spielberg Robert A Torres George Toscas Roy H Wagner, ASC Haskell Wexler, ASC RETIRED Aldo Antonelli Gary Olyn Armstrong Eugene Ashbrook Tom Barron Al Bettcher James Blanford Vee Bodrero Bruce Catlin

Ivan Craig George Spiro Dibie, ASC Robert M Feller Jerry Fuller Wynn Hammer Ken Hilmer Gary Holt Robert C Horne 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 Frank Ruttencutter Richard Salvatore Chuck Schuman Philip D Schwartz George B Stephenson Phil Stern Joseph N Tawil Ben Wolf STUDENT Jeff-Steven Arevalo Mojica Quaid Cde Baca Joseph Blankinship Ziryab Ben Brahem Mary Brown Terrence Laron Burke Jessica Campbell Stewart Cantrell Richard Castaneda Nick Centera Petr Cikhart Sabrina Cullen Stephan Dekemper Briana Del Giorno Yaquelin Di Crystal Billy Dickson, Jr Laura DiFiglio Annor Doeman Timothy James Dolan David Duesterberg Edwin Escoto Julian Amaru Estrada Thomas Cole Fedak Nicholas A Federoff Kyran Ford Jerry Franck Michael A Garcia Joshua Gary Jonathan Goldberg Christian T Hall Kiyana Hancock Rita Hansen Tobias Winde Harbo Benjamin Hardwicke Donovan Hennberg-Verity Carolyn Scott Hunt Preston Lane Jeter Timothy Kang Brandon Kapelow Andrew Kendall Jeff Kulig Amahaad Lee Michael Lemnitzer Ari Linn Amy Linsamouth Reginald I Masingale Megan McCarthy Sam McConville Raquel T McKuen Fabian Montes Moira Morel Christian Nash Benjamin Kirk Nielsen Lorenzo Pace Jonathan Hyun Park Karina Prieto Macias Jessida Putkaew Viktoria Raykov Elson Ros Tiye Rose-Hood Daniel C Schade Alexandra Schwartz Dawn Suhyun Shim Davin Swade Stanley Megaera Stephens Michael Street Anthony Wells Amanda Winner Christina Wolf Anthony Worley Roana Alyssa Wullinger Jhasmine Young Terry Zellers

The list of Corporate Members can be found on page 62.

Spring 2014

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