The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) has announced the nominees for the Camera Operator of the Year competition and the Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

The awards ceremony – a black tie fundraising event to support the Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles – will be held on February 5, 2011 at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, CA.

Nominees for Camera Operator of the Year – Feature Film

HEREAFTER – Steve Campanelli
SALT – Scott Sakamoto
THE FIGHTER – Geoffrey Haley
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Peter Rosenfeld
THE TOWN – Colin Anderson

Nominees for Camera Operator of the Year – Television:

HOUSE – Tony Gaudioz
BONES – Greg Collier
SONS OF ANARCHY – David Frederick
RAISING HOPE – Doc Karman
24 – Guy Skinner

“During the nomination process, our members were amazed at the caliber of work out there this year,” says SOC 1st Vice President Jack Messitt. “It was not easy to narrow down the field. Every nominee represents the very best in the craft of camera operating and it will be extremely difficult to chose a winner.”

The Camera Operator of the Year Award will be voted upon by the SOC active membership and announced the night of the awards show.

The SOC Lifetime Achievement Recipients are:

Camera Operator:
Michael Ferris (Die Hard, Scarface, Spiderman 3, Back to The Future II)

Camera Technician:
Alan Disler – 1st Assistant Camera (Pearl Harbor, Master and Commander, The Patriot, Mars Attacks)

Mobile Camera Platform Operator:
Peter Romano, ASC – Underwater Camera Operator (Inception, Star Trek, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Minority Report)

Still Photographer:
David James (Shindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Batman Begins, Minority Report)

Technical Achievement:
Arri Alexa Camera System
Ultimate Arm – Gyrostabilized Camera Crane

Historical Shot:
Das Boot – Running in Hallway of Submarine

“The SOC is proud to honor this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients,” says SOC President Dan Kneece. “Their career long achievements are a testament to the creative impact of the entire camera crew and the technical innovators vital to our craft.”

About the Awards:

To order tickets for the awards ceremony please contact: Levy, Pazanti & Associates – (310) 201-5033

The Camera Operator of the Year Nominees are the A-camera operators on the nominated film/television series. It is not a stipulation of eligibility that the nominee be a member of the Society.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were nominated by the membership of the Society of Camera Operators. Consideration for a Lifetime Achievement Award is given to candidates with 20 or more years experience in the job classification. It is not a stipulation of eligibility that the nominee be a member of the Society.

Lifetime Achievement Award and Camera Operator of the Year ballots are sent out electronically to the active membership, comprised of camera operators with a minimum of 5 years industry experience as a professional camera operator.

About the Society of Camera Operators

Founded in 1979, the SOC is non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the art and creative contributions of the Camera Operator in the Motion Picture and Television Industries.

For more information regarding the SOC and the Lifetime Achievement Awards, visit the SOC website at: www.SOC.org