President’s Desk — June 2024
As almost any cinematographer will tell you, it’s that amalgamation of talent that manifests itself in work that an audience can not only see, but feel.
In April, I found myself at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, alongside many other ASC members and staffers. I was there to represent the Society and moderate a panel of filmmakers from Masters of the Air (AC April ’24). This panel included one of the show’s cinematographers, Jac Fitzgerald, as well as the sound mixer, members of the VFX team, and the executive producer. The ensuing discussion illustrated how a group can create an artistically supportive structure during production. I was impressed with how frankly this cross-section of people spoke to the importance of maintaining a collective creative voice, and how that concept coalesced and became something unified onscreen.
This collaborative dynamic reaches far beyond what an audience might feel on the surface during their first look at any production once it reaches the screen. The prowess of an actor’s performance or the capable hand of the director are easy talking points — but the convergence of the crew’s work creates the bedrock that supports all other endeavors. Collaboration is what brings cohesion to this process, and this has always been the most interesting part of physically making a movie. In most cases, we are in awe of our fellow cinematographers and collaborators because we appreciate how each crewmember has blazed their own trail to get to where they are today — and that respect for another’s journey contributes to bringing this family together.
I love how crewmembers interconnect with each other, creatively or logistically, within our world around the camera and the director. Each film comes alive and finds a way to seek something new and individual in a manner that is touched by humans — an evolution that is not possible via a computer’s generative response.
While I was at NAB, Tiffen held a 50th-anniversary celebration honoring ASC associate Garrett Brown and his groundbreaking invention, the Steadicam. Humble as ever, Garrett spoke eloquently about his regard for fellow inventors and his own crew members. He added that he felt a heartfelt affinity for the generations of camera operators that have learned to use his invention on landmark films over the past several decades.
Like other innovators in our industry, Garrett has felt the lineage of the people around him, and he graciously acknowledged them for creating the on-set energy that is conducive to expressive storytelling. As almost any cinematographer will tell you, it’s that amalgamation of talent that manifests itself in work that an audience can not only see, but feel.
Best regards,
Shelly Johnson
ASC President
