Cameramen to fete helmer Burrows
Cundey to receive President's Award
At the same time, SOC will present its President's Award to cinematographer Dean Cundey, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
The presentations will be made at SOC's 11th annual awards banquet at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey.
Burrows' directing credits include "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Laverne & Shirley," "3rd Rock From the Sun," "Dharma & Greg," "The Bob Newhart Show," "Taxi," "Frasier," "NewsRadio," "Caroline in the City" and "Veronica's Closet."
Called 'consummate director'
"James Burrows is the consummate director," said SOC president David Robman. "He has guided the creation of more successful and award-winning situation comedies than any other director in television history. And that's just last season alone."
Cundey's award is for a body of work that includes "Apollo 13," "Jurassic Park," "Halloween," "Escape From New York," "Romancing the Stone," "Big Business," the "Back to the Future" trilogy, "Death Becomes Her," "The Flintstones" and "Casper."
"It means a lot to me to receive this award from SOC because I know firsthand that no one understands, appreciates or is more supportive of the creative role played by cinematographers better than camera operators," Cundey said.
Lifetime achievement
SOC will also confer lifetime achievement awards on video camera operator Wayne Orr; Howard Block, a film camera operator; still photographer Wynn Hammer; camera assistant Gary Armstrong; and Tommy May, mobile camera platform operator.
"These 'Cammy' awards are designed to recognize individuals who are rarely, if ever, in the limelight," said Robman. "These individuals have all compiled substantial bodies of work, and they have consistently contributed to the success of good films."
SOC's technical achievement awards will be given to Cartoni USA, headed by Guido Cartoni, inventor of Cartoni tripods and fluid heads; Geo Film Group's Nick Phillips, inventor of the Libra 3 remote heads; and Horst Burbulla, inventor of the telescopic camera crane, Technocrane.
'Touch' of greatness
For the second consecutive year, SOC will honor a particular shot that made a memorable impression. This year, it will be the opening scene of Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil" (1957). The camera operator was the late Philip Lathrop, and the cinematographer was Russ Metty.
"It was a great lesson in how to use the camera to build unbearable tension," Lathrop said years later. "It would be a simple shot today, but it took us the entire night to light and shoot that scene, and it was worth every minute of that time."
It was Lathrop's last picture as a camera operator. He went on to become a noted cinematographer ("The Americanization of Emily," "Lonely Are the Brave," "Days of Wine and Roses," "The Pink Panther"). His widow, Betty Jo Lathrop, will receive the award from "Touch of Evil" star Charlton Heston.
