The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) tonight announced winners of the Camera Operator of the Year Awards in film and television at its 2014 Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. Additional honors were presented to previously announced recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Distinguished Service Award, Historical Shot, Technical Achievement Award and President’s Award during the black-tie event in Herscher Hall at the Skirball Cultural Center. The event took place before an audience of 500, including SOC and International Cinematographer Guild (ICG) members, industry executives and press. SOC Vice President and Awards Executive Producer David Frederick, SOC, presided over the event with emcee Bruce Carse. All proceeds from the show are donated to the Vision Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The honor was accepted by Dr. Thomas Lee, Director of the Retinal Center.
A special In Memoriam tribute to Sarah Jones, the 27-year-old assistant camerawoman killed by a train while filming Midnight Rider on February 20, was included in the evening’s events. David Frederick, former SOC President Dan Kneece and SOC Vice President Mark August presented an honorary associate membership certificate to Jones’ parents, Richard and Elizabeth, to a standing ovation.
Lifetime Achievement Award recipients included Chris Haarhoff, SOC, Camera Operator, presented by Colin Anderson; Bill Coe, Camera Technician, presented by Steve Campanelli; Barry Wetcher, SMPSP, Still Photographer, presented by Will Gluck; Jack Carpenter, Mobile Camera Platform Operator, presented by Duncan Henderson. The Distinguished Service Award was awarded to the Founder of Filmtools, Inc., Stan McClain, SOC, presented by Michael Frediani. Leonard Chapman, Founder of Chapman-Leonard Studio Equipment, received the President’s Award, presented by SOC President Chris Tufty. Accepting the Technical Achievement Awards were President Tom Hallman, on behalf of Pictorvision, presented by Stan McClain, and Dave Grober, Founder and President, on behalf of Motion Picture Marine, presented by David Emmerichs. The honor for Historical Shot went to J. Michael Muro for his zip line shot in The Mighty Quinn, presented by Jerry Holway.
Guests included ICG President Steven Poster, ICG National Executive Director Bruce Doering, SOC President Chris Tufty, President of Local 871 Michele Tedlis Sorbo and President of Local 80 Russell Nordstedt. Richard Crudo, President of American Society of Cinematographers, presented the Camera Operator of the Year Awards.
SOC 2014 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS:
Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film
Peter Taylor, ACO, SOC – Gravity
Camera Operator of the Year – Television
Don Devine, SOC – Mad Men
SOC Awards Sponsors: Premiere Level: Panavision; Platinum Level: Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc., International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600); Gold Level: Canon; Silver Level: AJA Video, Clairmont Camera, Fox Studios Production Services, Jules Berlin Agency, Paramount Pictures, Pictorvision, Preston Cinema Systems, Sony Electronics Inc., Tiffen, VER.
In Memoriam Tribute to Sarah Jones: The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) added a special In Memoriam tribute to Sarah Jones, the 27-year-old assistant camerawoman killed by a train while filming Midnight Rider. As several members of the SOC had contact with Sarah during her career, the event organizers felt the special segment was an essential addition to the event attended by a wide range of industry professionals. "The SOC considers Sarah one of our own and will be including her as an Associate Member based on her work to date. Her loss will be an inspiration to the production community for safety on the set at all times," said David Frederick, SOC awards chairman. "The segment celebrates her joy of life and work as we witness the outpouring of support on social media from her 'set families,' including the Slates For Sarah Facebook page with over 65,000 likes and growing every day," he continued. A special Pledge to Sarah page has been created to inspire safety awareness for all camera operators on set.
About The Society of Camera Operators: The Society of Camera Operators, founded in 1979, is an organization dedicated to the advancement of the art and creative contributions of the Camera Operator in the Motion Picture and Television industry. Their goal is to nurture excellence in the field of camera operation and allied camera crafts, encouraging development of both technology and production methods to enhance their work. Society members are kept at the forefront of the industry's ever-advancing technology through their continuing workshops and corporate-sponsored equipment showcases. The SOC publishes the Camera Operator magazine. The Society donates the proceeds of their Annual Lifetime Achievements Awards Event to the Vision Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Membership includes Camera Operators, Directors of Photography, Camera Assistants and Still Photographers. The official website can be found at www.soc.org.
