Nominations open for SOC Camera Operator of the Year Awards

This award is given to a Feature Film and/or Television full-time Camera Operator who has operated on a distinguished project of considerable quality during the previous year.

Anyone in the film/TV community may nominate a Camera Operator for this award, including but not limited to SOC members, directors, producers, production crew members, studios, and production companies. Camera Operators may also nominate themselves.

Nominations for Camera Operator of the Year will open on December 17, 2021 and close on January 14, 2022. The Awards Committee or a blue-ribbon panel appointed by the Awards Committee will select nominations from the submissions for the previous year’s best films or television projects, specifically those that employed a full-time Camera Operator responsible for operating the majority of the project.

For this award, there will be no consideration of any Director of Photography who also operated the camera on the same project.

The submissions will be vetted for their qualifications by the Awards Committee and then narrowed down by committee vote to five (5) final nominees. Then the list of the final five nominees in each category will be sent to all active voting members in good standing for a vote by secret mail, email, or web-based ballots.

The awards will only be announced at the Awards Celebration and will be kept private until that time.

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Film Nominee Submissions

To be eligible:

• The nominee should be credited as “Camera Operator” or “A Camera Operator” and be the lead Camera Operator on the production.
• A nominated Camera Operator may include other Camera Operators as part of the nomination (e.g., B Camera or Steadicam). All Camera Operators on the specified production must have verifiable Camera Operator credits and have worked for the production for the majority of the schedule.

There are two methods of qualification for Film nominees:

• Films that are intended for theatrical release, but are initially made available in the previous calendar year through commercial streaming, video on-demand service, or other broadcast.
• Films released during the previous calendar year that complete a screening run of at least seven consecutive days in theaters in at least one of the six qualifying U.S. cities. Qualifying cities: Los Angeles County; City of New York (Five Boroughs); the Bay Area (counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa); Chicago (Cook County, Illinois); Miami (Miami-Dade County, Florida); and Atlanta (Fulton County, Georgia). Drive-in theaters are included as a qualifying commercial venue in the above cities (must run for seven consecutive days with at least one screening daily).

Television Nominee Submissions

To be eligible:

• The nominee should be credited as “Camera Operator” or “A Camera Operator” and be the lead Camera Operator on the production.
• A nominated Camera Operator may include other Camera Operators as part of the nomination (e.g. B Camera or Steadicam). All Camera Operators on the specified production must have verifiable Camera Operator credits and have worked for the production for the majority of the schedule.
• The submitted project must have been broadcast on television, cable, or streaming service with at least 50% of the episodes released in the calendar year 2021. One season of a production may only be submitted for one calendar year’s award; a single season of a production may not be submitted for more than one calendar year’s consideration.

Submission & Fee:

There is a $75 USD submission fee per nomination. Payment must be made to complete your nominee submission. For fee payment, download the credit card authorisation and email it to Membership@soc.org.

Timeline:

• December 17: Nominations Open for Camera Operator of the Year Film & Television
• January 14: Nominations Close for Camera Operator of the Year Film & Television
• February 14: Membership Voting Opens for Camera Operator of the Year Film & Television
• February 28: Membership Voting Closes for Camera Operator of the Year Film & Television

Apply here.