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SOC Newsletter
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Editor
Dan Gold, SOC Photography
Loren Elkins
Rochelle Brown
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Upcoming Events
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Createasphere Technology Expo
Burbank Marriott
November 2-3
Createasphere.com
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Hold The Date
SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards
Sunday February 19 2012
4:30pm
Leonard Goldenson Theater
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
North Hollywood
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| Board of Governors | |
Officers
Mike Frediani, President
Chris Tufty, 1st VP
Steve Fracol, 2nd VP
Dave Frederick, 3rd VP
Dan Turrett, Treasurer
Dan Gold, Secretary
Mark August, Sgt.-at-Arms
Board Members at Large
Robert Reed Altman
Will Arnot
Bonnie Blake
Steven Campanelli
Dan Coplan
Mitch Dubin
David Emmerichs
Buddy Fries
Bob Gorelick
Chris Haarhoff
Alec Jarnagin
Doug Knapp
Kenji Luster
Stan McClain
Georgia Packard
Heather Page
Peter Rosenfeld
Mike Scott
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New Members
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SOC Welcomes These New Members
Active Members
Bud Kremp
Alan Pierce
George Peters
Brian Scott
Neil Toussaint
Jeff L. Crumbley
Cedric Martin
Mark Sparrough
Ryan Purcell
Rob Macey
Keith Francis
Paul Gardner
Tim Harland
Ken Willinger
Alan Hereford
Brown Cooper
Felix Forest
John Sosenko
Tom Cox
Associate Members
Jennifer Braddock
Jillian Arnold
George Griffith
Rochelle Brown
David Grober
Brent Spencer
Dany Salazar
Steve Saxton
Christopher Lymbris
Hilda Mercado
Matt Turvey
Claudio Reitti
Kurt Nolen
Student Members
Josh Barrett
Nicholas Nikides
Christian Hall
James Elam
Jeff Kulig
Megan McCarthy
Megaera Stephens
Mary Brown
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Greetings! Welcome to the September/October issue ot the SOC Newsletter. Our congratulations go out to SOC Member David Mahlmann on receiving the Emerging Cinematographer Award from International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. Well done.  | | Member David Mahlmann, SOC and Director Erwann Marshall on the Left. David won the ECA award from Local 600 for the project entitled NUMB. |
Congratulations are also in order to David Tolsky, SOC for being the first to respond to the free workshop offer in our last issue. Dave won free tuition to a 3D Cinematography Santa Fe Workshop. Don't forget to catch up with the SOC on our Facebook page. |
Underwater Workshop
SOC and Hydroflex Sponsor
SOC and HydroFlex hosted a two-day Underwater Camera Operator workshop August 2011. Learning the basics on using and prepping cameras inside waterproof housings from Matt Brown at HydroFlex was the first day of the workshop, with Cameras from Clairmont Camera, Sony, and Panavision Hollywood. 
 2011 SOC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Pete Romano ASC, SOC shared his tips on underwater camera operating in the pool. Members experienced real hands-on training in full scuba gear and completed underwater scenes and camera angles.  | | Pete Romano, ASC, SOC teaches SOC participants from the pool deck (right). |
Participants in the workshop included Rochelle Brown, Molly Edwards, Markus Davids, Charles Simons, Marc Casey, David Rosner, John Matysiak, Justin Watson, Pete Romano, Simon Jayes, Ron Vidor, Mark August,
Loren Elkins and Matt Brown |
The Decline Of Dailies
We asked 2011 SOC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Mike Ferris for his thoughts on the subject.
"What's the Rush?" I am currently working on a small budget, big idea feature photographing in the 2.40:1 widescreen format on film using Panavision cameras and destined for the 'big screen'. In the past shooting for the 'big screen' it was common practice to see the work as it would be seen by its audience. This was the custom for over a hundred years. Today's dailies are often viewed on a seventeen inch screen, in a lit room, while viewers are on the move, talking and dividing their already compromised attention. The budget savings are indisputable, the convenience undeniable. The subject then, is the cost these advantages exact. Some advantages to viewing projected dailies: Size. A motion picture achieves its impact, glamour and appeal from the fact it is larger than life. Its scope and grandeur are immense in a theater setting and affects an audience accordingly. Those artists, craftsmen, women who bring their talents to bear creating these images should have the commensurate emotional experience. When scenes are magnified to these proportions the benefits to production are immediate. Technical errors in image, sound, design are revealed early in the process. The emotional impression of a scene, timing and rhythm of dialogue, dynamics of performance are apparent and become more clarified. Judgments can be made in the most informed manner possible. Production Insights, Intangibles and Luck. When film-makers gather "spellbound in darkness" to review their work at days end they do not park their intellects outside in the hallway. There exists a social connection sitting together as a group. As the lights come up the ideas come forward. As this ritual repeats itself daily such ideas multiply and layer as thoughts from an experienced, interrelated group are shared. Good ideas can come from the least likely of places. If a director has luck he will find useful ideas among his collaborative sources. The great directors are always looking. Change is constant. To improve on methods of the past while maintaining efficient production procedure is a good thing. Each project, its goals and limitations must be judged by how best to use the tools which render the best possible result. Considering the uses of new versus old technology each project must judge for itself what it can best afford to use and what it can do without. If this is done wisely production is well served. Spencer Tracy in INHERIT THE WIND explains, "....progress has never been a bargain, you have to pay for it,......you can have a telephone, but you lose privacy....and the charm of distance. Madame, you may vote, but at a price--you lose the right to retreat behind your powderpuff or your petticoat. Mister, you may conquer the air, but the birds will lose their wonder, and the clouds will smell of gasoline. " When it comes to size and insight is bigger better?
What do you think about "The Decline of Dailies"? Email your thoughts to:
secretary@soc.org |
SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards Update
Hold The Date February 19, 2012
On Sunday, February 19, 2012 the SOC will host it's annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. This event acknowledges the work we do in our industry and heralds the selected extraordinary few by our active voting membership. Lifetime achievements are awarded for Camera Operating, Camera Assisting. Still Photography and Mobile Camera Platform Operating . Special recognition is awarded to extraordinary accomplishments in a historical shot. Camera operators of the Year are awarded in Film and Television and this year we are introducing the award for a camera operator on a college level film to encourage using camera operators. The SOC, long time collaborators with this industry also acknowledges the outstanding technical achievements made to further our work behind the cameras, with Technical Achievement Awards.
The event, held at the beautiful Leonard Goldenson Theater at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood, starts at 4:30pm with a rich selection of cocktails and extensive delicious hors d'oeuvres. A perfect place to network and celebrate the accomplishments of your peers! At 6pm the festivities start in the theater with film clips, presentations and moving speakers. You won't want to miss it!
For further event information, sponsorship potentials and ticketing please contact Levy, Pazanti Associates at (310) 201-5932 and also keep an eye on the www.soc.org website. There will be an updated home page announcement shortly.
Active voting SOC members please keep a sharp eye in your email box in the first week of November for your Lifetime Achievement/Historical shot awards ballot.
Nominations for 2011 Camera Operator of the Year in Feature Films and also Television are being accepted at SOCnoms@gmail.com
Please send in your nominations for Camera Operator of the Year in the 2011 year in Film and Television. Thank you!!!
The Camera Operator of the Year ballot will be posted in late December.
Thank you.
Dave Frederick, SOC
Awards Event Chair |
3D In The Classroom
Sensitive Test For Vision Health
American Optometric Association Publishes
"3D in the Classroom: See Well, Learn Well"
Public Health Report
The recent emergence of innovative 3D presentation technologies and 3D content in movie theaters, in the home, in video games and now in the classroom, perhaps surprisingly, provides a unique public health opportunity. The ability to perceive depth in a 3D presentation - known as "stereopsis" - turns out to be a highly sensitive test of a range of vision health indicators. It is much more sensitive than the standard eye chart that has been in use for 150 years, because it requires that both eyes function in a coordinated manner, as they converge, focus and track the 3D image."It helped to see a 3D view of things. It was easier for me to picture and under-stand the structure." 5th Grade Student, Colorado
"These 3D videos help me learn easier, because I'm a visual learner...in 3D-it's literally in front of you."
8th Grade Student, Michigan "3D viewing difficulties led to a comprehensive eye exam and the uncovering of an important congenital eye muscle disorder that can now be treated 5 years before it would normally be diagnosed."
K-5 Student Report, Florida To read the whole article, for more information, and the 30 page book 3D In The Classroom, go to the AOA website: http://3deyehealth.org/classroom.html |
College Camera Operator Award
Fletcher Camera Sponsors The SOC Award
| * Are you a great storyteller as the Camera Operator?
* Are you cut out to have a long career as one of the best Camera Operators in the film business?
* Are you up to this competition?
* Enter this SOC College Competition and find out!
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For Information contact Steve Fracol, SOC 2nd Vice President and SOC Education Chair steve@fracol.com
"Fletcher is honored to sponsor the first SOC College Camera Operator Award award for 2012. We have always admired the SOC for what it has done by raising money for it's charity Children's Hospital Los Angeles since 1978. We simply saw this as an opportunity to be part of something that gives back not only to Children's Hospital but to the young rising filmmakers that will become the future of cinema."
-Tom Fletcher |
Vets On Set
Workshop At Panavision Hollywood
SOC helps Support our Military Veterans with VETSonSET 
The SOC will have a part in training hosted at Panavision Hollywood on Oct 26th, 2011 for our Military Veterans. VETSonSET.com is a non-profit organization set out to help our military veterans find work in all areas of Productions in Motion Pictures and television. This is an introductory course set to help on entry level positions and the Society of Camera Operators will have a presence with Active and Associate members to answer questions on working on the set behind the camera. For more information contact Mark August, SOC at events@soc.org
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Letters to the Editor
We Hear From You
Responding to the article "Do We See It First?" in the
Dan,Nice article. The changing dynamic of who is to judge the validity of the frame (was the shot good or not...and why) was a change I also had trouble with. When ever a flawed shot was approved in a loud voice from video village it was always difficult to have to inform them that a huge shadow of some sort was in the bg, the focus rack was not timed correctly, I clipped a flag during the critical pan, etc. They always seemed to be hugely annoyed to have this pointed out to them because they really loved the take. Then they would sit around and discuss over seemingly endless playbacks if they could cut around the offending portion of the take. It seemed to upset them even more when I would point out that the huge bump in the dolly move was right on the most critical line in the movie where the star looks longingly into the eyes of the beautiful actress and says "I love you more that life itself, but I'm married or a robot or gay or a republican or a member of the same sex as you are or...." Choose one, or many. (They could be married to a gay republican robot of the same sex or something.) Or make up your own. I'm sure you have been in a similar situation more than once. To have the obvious pointed out to them really really really makes them upset. Because, you see, they really really really loved that take, as flawed as it might be. And if you really want to make them upset (it's kind of fun at times depending on the situation) then point out to them that we could have already completed a minimum of one or two takes while they were discussing how to get around the problem. Ice cold stares all around. The irony here is that before video there would have been no discussion at all. The operator would have quietly informed the director that the shot was no good and, if asked, would have discretely and quietly explained why. (Because the director would have been standing or siting close to the camera and not looking at a video screen on the other side of the stage in a walled off area I used to call North Korea--you can't get in or out without a pass.) That would have actually SAVED TIME!!! Something they are always talking about. At least around midnight or four o'clock in the morning. Now before video if you had not informed them that the same shot was no good for whatever reason and they didn't find out about it until during the next day's dailies there would be no discussion at all. You would just be fired. And I didn't even have to deal with tiny poor quality eyepiece monitors. But I guess we are professionals. We make the necessary adjustments and move on. No one ever accused us of working with adults. Retirement has increased my lifespan. Michael Scott (By the way--I truly think the phrase "We see it first" is no longer valid. I do like "We see it best" although perhaps a little egotistical. "We see it all" or "We see it completely" is much more accurate.) |
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