The camera operators behind ‘A Complete Unknown” and ‘Yellowstone” won Society of Camera Operators’ Awards for camera operator of the year in film and television, respectively, during the annual SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Saturday at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, the SOC honored P. Scott Sakamoto for his work on Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” (DP Phedon Papamichael is nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Award for the film). The award for “Yellowstone” episode Life is a Promise honored Scott Dropkin with B camera operator Abby Linne and “C” camera operator Jed Seus.
The camera operator of the year nominees in film also included Bianca Butti with Terrence Hayes (B camera operator) and Patrick Quinn (C camera operator), for “Challengers;” Michael Fuchs with Rebecca Rajadnya and Keith Dunkerley (B camera operators) for “Wolfs;” Karsten Bloch Jacobsen with B camera operator Simon Finney, for “Wicked;” and David J. Thompson with B camera operator Hugh Braselton for “Civil War.”
In the television category, camera operator of the year nominees also included Sam Ellison with B camera operator Eli Aronoff for “The Penguin” episode Cent’Anni; Michael Fuchs with B camera operator Rebecca Rajadnya for “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” episode First Date; Chris Haarhoff with B camera operator Robert Campbell for “Fallout” episode The End; and Gary Malouf with B camera operator Chris Dame for “The Bear” episode Tomorrow.
Following the Los Angeles fires, the Governors’ Award was presented to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations section, recognizing its “heroic efforts” in containing the wildfires. The President’s Award went to KTLA senior staff news videographer James Ramos and CBS Los Angeles photojournalist John Schreiber for their frontline coverage.
Said SOC president Matthew Moriarty: “This year’s awards not only celebrate excellence in our field, but also recognize the courage of our first responders and the dedication of visual storytellers who document history as it unfolds.”
The celebration began on Friday with an honoree and nominee reception that was free to all SOC members through a donation from FUJIFILM. The SOC’s second annual art exhibition, “Capturing the Spirit: Evocative Moments on Screen,” also supported by FUJIFILM, was on display during the reception and awards gala.
During the ceremony, Jesse Berry from the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles recognized the SOC’s ongoing support of the hospital, including production of fundraising videos that help drive contributions to pediatric vision care.
