Andrew Mitchell, SOC (L) Mike Frediani, President of SOC and Stephen Campanelli, SOC (R)
SOC Awards - Clint Eastwood
SOC Awards - Petr Cikhart
SOC Award Paul Babin
“ J. Edgar” and “Glee” Take Top Awards from the SOC
Los Angeles, February 19, 2012 – – Stephen Campanelli, SOC and Andrew Mitchell, SOC claimed top honors in the two competitive categories at the 2012 Society of Camera Operators (SOC) Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration in the Leonard H. Goldenson Theater at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Campanelli won Feature Film Camera Operator of the Year for “J. Edgar” and Mitchell won Television Camera Operator of the Year for his work on “Glee”.
Campanelli was previously nominated for “Hereafter” in 2011 and “The Changeling” in 2009. The other nominees in the feature film category were Will Arnot, SOC (“The Help”), Mitch Dubin, SOC (“Warhorse”), Peter Rosenfeld, SOC (“Cowboys and Aliens”), and P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC (“The Defendants”).
Mitchell’s win for “Glee” marked his first nomination in the category. The other nominees in the Television category were Grayson Austin, SOC (“Memphis Beat”), Greg Collier, SOC (“Bones”), Simon Jayes, SOC (“True Blood”), and Chris Tufty, SOC (“The Closer”).
Earlier in the night, Campanelli presented the SOC Board of Governors Award to 4-time Academy Award® winner Clint Eastwood in recognition of his contribution to the art and craft of filmmaking, his vast body of work and his respect for the many contributions that a camera operator brings to every production. Eastwood and Campanelli have worked together on every Eastwood film from “Bridges of Madison County” to “J. Edgar”- – a collaboration lasting over 18 years.
The SOC Lifetime Achievement Award for Camera Operating was given to Paul Babin, SOC. Known for working with top directors such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Barry Levinson and James Cameron, Babin added his technical and artistic contributions to an array of films including “The Abyss”, “Always”, “Fearless”, “True Lies”, “ The Rainmaker” and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”.
The SOC’s celebration of the camera operator’s vital role on the set now begins at the college level. With its first College Camera Operator of the Year award, the SOC took the lead in honoring student productions that utilize a full time camera operator. The SOC was proud to honor Petr Cikhart (American Film Institute) for his work on “The Skull Cap”.
Philanthropy is a cornerstone of the SOC. The fundraising efforts of the Lifetime Achievement Awards are just a part of the way the SOC supports the Vision Center of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.
The SOC-produced a short film last year that helped persuade the Board at Children’s Hospital to increase the budget for the Vision Center by thousands of dollars. The members of the SOC hope this year’s film, “ Know the Glow™”, has an even greater impact. For more information visit www.knowtheglow.org .
Photo Captions
SOC 1: Television Camera Operator of the Year recipient Andrew Mitchell, SOC (left) Mike Frediani, President of SOC (center) and Feature Film Camera Operator of the Year recipient Stephen Campanelli, SOC (right) attend the Society of Camera Operator Lifetime Achievement Awards which took place at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on February 19, 2012 in North Hollywood, CA. Photo Credit – Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging
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