5 minute read
End of an Era
Roy Tash csc
Stan Clinton csc
By GUIDO KONDRUSS
It’s always hard to say goodbye to old friends, but sometimes it’s necessary. The CSC Awards Committee has made the tough decision to retire two of its signature awards: the Roy Tash Award for Spot News Cinematography and the Stan Clinton
Award for News Essay Cinematography. Because of changes within the broadcast industry wrought by the Internet, slashed newsroom budgets and shifting attitudes towards the news cameraman craft, interest in the two awards waned appreciably in recent years. The number of submissions steadily declined to the point where it was felt that the awards were no longer competitive and representative of today’s television industry. Although the categories will no longer be offered as part of the Annual CSC Awards, they will remain as a lasting tribute and testament to the exceptional skill and craftsmanship of more than 200 nominees and winners during a period that lasted nearly five decades.
The Roy Tash Award was first presented in 1970 for outstanding cinematography in television news by a camera person. The award is named after Canadian film pioneer
Roy Tash csc, who spent most of his 50-year career as a newsreel cinematographer – first for Pathé
News and then Associated Screen
News – documenting events across the country and around the world.
Tash shot film of everything from prime ministers and royalty to athletes and babies and everything in between. His biggest scoop was being the first to film the Dionne quintuplets during Christmas in 1934. It was often said that no event was complete without Roy
Tash and his camera. An inductee into the Canadian News Hall of Fame, Tash was also the recipient of the Bill Hilson Award “for outstanding service contributing to the development of the motion picture industry in Canada.” Tash was also a lifetime member of the CSC and served as the society’s treasurer for many years. The original Roy Tash Award features a gold-plated 35 mm Bell and Howell Eyemo, one of Tash’s cameras he filmed with throughout his career. Tash personally presented the award, which bears his name, each year at the CSC Gala until his death in 1988 at age 90. The Stan Clinton Award was presented for the best news essay where cinematographic distinction was the prime consideration. It was first awarded in 1989 in memory of cinematographer Stan Clinton csc. Trained in the British system of filmmaking, Clinton worked for years in London shooting features, documentaries, and training and advertising films. He brought his English cinematography sensibilities to Canada, joining the CBC in 1952, where he worked for the next 22 years. During his tenure at the CBC, Clinton built a reputation for his superb shooting skills and was legendary for always producing top-notch work no matter how compromising and difficult the assignment. He is credited with upping the quality of film work at the CBC from primarily newsreel work to a level that produced award-winning dramas and documentaries. Clinton was also very generous with his time and knowledge, training many camera assistants, some of whom went on to become directors of photography. Clinton was one of the original full members that formed the Canadian Society of Cinematographers in 1957 and served later as the society’s president for three years. While the Roy Tash Award and the Stan Clinton Award are now withdrawn from competition, they will not be forgotten. Both awards will be on permanent display in the CSC Clubhouse as a legacy and tribute to their respective recipients through the years.
THE ROY TASH AWARD for Spot News Cinematography
2015 Marc D’Amours, CTV News 2014 Jon Castell, CBC 2013 Liam Hyland. CTV News 2012 Andrew Lawson, CTV News 2011 Gord Edick, Global 2010 Jim Lenton, CHBC News, Kelowna 2009 Cheng-Hsian Chang, CTV News 2008 Brett Purdy, Global TV Winnipeg 2007 Sergio Magro, Global BC 2006 Giancarlo Desantis, Citytvl 2005 Kirk Neff, Citytv 2004 Keith Whelan, CBC 2003 Shawn Foss, CTV Vancouver 2002 Phil Nolan, Global 2001 Yehoram Pirotsky, Global 2000 Greg Danilenko, CTV 1999 Bill Purchase, CTV 1998 Howard Cooper, CTV 1997 Douglas Gamey, Global 1996 Yehoram Pirotsky, Global 1995 Dan Laffey, Global 1994 Gord Edick, Global 1993 Robert Cleator, CFRN Edmonton 1992 Richard Games, CFCN Calgary 1991 Dominic Scuillo, CITY-TV Toronto 1990 Alan S. Watson, CFRN Edmonton 1989 Dan Moynihan, CBC Regina 1988 Frank Mahon, Globa 1987 Doug Baird, CBC Vancouver 1986 Patrick Bell, CBC Vancouver 1985 Jim Moule, CFCN-TV 1984 William Purchase, CFRN Edmonton 1983 Tim Moses, Global 1982 William Szczur, BCTV 1980 John Grierson, CITY 1979 Raymond Bournier, CBC Winnipeg 1978 Peter Woeste, CKY-TV Winnipeg 1976 Dan Laffey, Global 1975 Walter Corbett, Global 1974 Teri Culbert, CBC Toronto 1972 Alphee Moreau, CHCH Hamilton 1971 Phillip C. Pendry, CBC England 1970 Teri Culbert, CFPL-TV London
2014 Peter Szperling, CTV Ottawa 2013 George Glen, Global, Calgary 2012 Allan Leader csc, Discovery 2011 Kirk Neff, 16:9, Global TV 2010 Kirk Neff,16:9, Global TV 2009 Randy Maahs, CTV News 2008 Doug Gamey, Global TV 2007 Luke Smith, APTN Whitehorse 2006 Paul Wing, CJOH Ottawa 2005 Randy Maahs, CJOH Ottawa 2004 Keith Eidse, A Channel 2003 Randy Maahs, CJOH Ottawa 2002 Paul Wing, CJOH Ottawa 2001 Stephane Brisson, CTV 2000 Paul Wing, CJOH Ottawa 1999 Wendell Tenove, CTV 1998 Paul Wing, CJOH Ottawa 1997 Chris Gargus, CBC Toronto 1996 Don Scott, CBC Calgary 1995 Chris Gargus, CBC Toronto 1994 Danny Cook, CBC Toronto 1993 Paul Wing, CJOH Ottawa 1992 Kevin MacDonald, ATV Halifax 1991 Peter Warren, CJOH Ottawa 1990 Kevin MacDonald, ATV Halifax 1989 Peter Warren, CJOH Ottawa
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