Greetings over your interweb devices
“I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama, don’t take my Kodachrome from me.”
Cameras. All my life, they have been a welcome presence. From the omnipresent still and movie cameras wielded by my uncles, to my first photography lessons (and first 35mm camera) given to me by Marco Gentile at Cate, and the hours and hours of photo work every week during and after college –– I learned to love images. Then, of course, there were the moving images flickering on television screens and in the many darkened cathedrals of cinema I haunted for decades. Don’t get me wrong, sound is equally important (I mean, when was the last time you left the theatre humming a two-shot?) — but my fascination has always been the pictures — frozen or in-motion. It stood to reason that taking still images would become my avocation, and working with some of the best camera people ever was my vocation.
I was so fortunate to work with men and women who spanned the entire history of television. In fact, the great O. Tamburri, our first TD (technical director) on “The Golden Girls,” began his TV career as a camera operator on “Howdy Doody.” I learned so much from these master practitioners of their arts, but the most important lesson of all was understanding the importance of “paying it forward.” In whatever position they found themselves, our crew all had someone along the way who gave them the chance to ask questions, guide their practice, and ultimately let them prove themselves. All through our WTH years, members of the crew who showed the interest and aptitude got the chance to run camera during rehearsals and promos. It came in quite handy once when one of our camera people got sick between the dress and air performances of our show and Bryan, our camera utility, was ready to step right up and save our necks. Bryan would go on to have a very successful career as an operator and later even moved up to work the same positions as me — and brilliantly — as did many others who got their feet wet in our midst.
Things changed over the years, fewer sitcoms were being made, and opportunities to spot and help upcoming talent didn’t present themselves as readily. During “Anger Management” though, we got to do it one more time. Cory Gunter came from generations of legendary camera ops and DPs (you could say he was born with it in his bones), but he was just starting out as a camera utility — running cables, building cameras, moving and maintaining equipment, even sweeping the camera aisle. If you looked, though, you might notice him practicing during lunch on his own and extending his knowledge by asking smart questions of the rest of his department. With the blessing of Kent, our producer (also a WTH veteran), we started to let Cory sit in on a rehearsal passes and even shoot a couple of scenes himself. Pretty soon, he moved up to full time camera op with us until, after we took a long hiatus, he was in such demand we could barely book him.
I suspect currently on some soundstage there is a young woman or man hoping to move up to camera op, and I’m sure that if he is around, Cory will lend a helping hand wherever he can.
I was so fortunate to work with men and women who spanned the entire history of television. In fact, the great O. Tamburri, our first TD (technical director) on “The Golden Girls,” began his TV career as a camera operator on “Howdy Doody.” I learned so much from these master practitioners of their arts, but the most important lesson of all was understanding the importance of “paying it forward.” In whatever position they found themselves, our crew all had someone along the way who gave them the chance to ask questions, guide their practice, and ultimately let them prove themselves. All through our WTH years, members of the crew who showed the interest and aptitude got the chance to run camera during rehearsals and promos. It came in quite handy once when one of our camera people got sick between the dress and air performances of our show and Bryan, our camera utility, was ready to step right up and save our necks. Bryan would go on to have a very successful career as an operator and later even moved up to work the same positions as me — and brilliantly — as did many others who got their feet wet in our midst.
Things changed over the years, fewer sitcoms were being made, and opportunities to spot and help upcoming talent didn’t present themselves as readily. During “Anger Management” though, we got to do it one more time. Cory Gunter came from generations of legendary camera ops and DPs (you could say he was born with it in his bones), but he was just starting out as a camera utility — running cables, building cameras, moving and maintaining equipment, even sweeping the camera aisle. If you looked, though, you might notice him practicing during lunch on his own and extending his knowledge by asking smart questions of the rest of his department. With the blessing of Kent, our producer (also a WTH veteran), we started to let Cory sit in on a rehearsal passes and even shoot a couple of scenes himself. Pretty soon, he moved up to full time camera op with us until, after we took a long hiatus, he was in such demand we could barely book him.
I suspect currently on some soundstage there is a young woman or man hoping to move up to camera op, and I’m sure that if he is around, Cory will lend a helping hand wherever he can.
To one and all, Be Safe-Stay Healthy