Colin Anderson, SOC and Mark Goellnicht, SOC, ACO won Camera Operator of the Year in film and television, respectively, at the annual Society of Camera Operators (SOC) Awards on Saturday evening (3/7). Anderson took the feature honor for One Battle After Another while Goellnicht earned the distinction in television for “The Oner” episode of The Studio.
This year’s ceremony was presented via live stream, with in-person watch parties hosted simultaneously in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, bringing together camera professionals across the country to celebrate the craft of camera operation.
“Camera operators are the connective tissue between vision and audience,” said Mathew Moriarty, president of the SOC. “The past several years have presented extraordinary challenges for our industry, yet our work has remained bold, inventive, and deeply human. This year’s recipients and nominees represent the highest standard of our craft and the enduring strength and resilience of the camera community.”
Anderson topped a highly competitive field of feature film nominees consisting of: himself for Marty Supreme with Brian Osmond, SOC, as “B” camera operator; Lukasz Bielan for F1, with Natasha Mullan as “B” camera operator; Gilles Corbeil, SOC, for Frankenstein, with James Frater, SOC, as “B” camera operator/Steadicam; and Michael Fuchs, SOC, for Weapons, with Kate Roberson as “B” camera operator and Connor O’Brien, SOC, as “C” camera operator.
Goellnicht beat out fellow TV nominees Erdem Ertal, SOC, for The Pitt, season 1, “6:00 P.M.” episode with Aymae Sulick, SOC, as “B” camera operator; Scott Maguire for Severance, season 2, “Chikhai Bardo” episode with Mark Schmidt, SOC, as “B” camera operator; Jim McConkey, SOC, for Étoile, season 1, “The Swap” episode with Fanny Coustenoble and Niknaz Tavakolian as “B” camera operators; and Nick Müller, SOC with Nick Medrud, “B” Camera Operator for Stranger Things, season 5, “Chapter Four: Sorcerer” episode.
The SOC’s President’s Award was presented to Nick Phillips, inventor and founder of Libra Head, with groundbreaking stabilization technology which has become one of the most relied-upon tools in modern image-making. Phillips accepted the honor via live stream from Cape Town, South Africa, joining the global camera community in celebration.
The SOC also presented its Technical Achievement Award, honoring Sony’s Rialto Mini (VENICE Extension System Mini) for innovation that advances the art and craft of camera operation.
