Society of Camera Operators announces Camera Operators of the Year in film and TV

The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) has announced the recipients of Camera Operator of the Year in Film and Television during the 2024 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The recipients of Camera Operator of the Year in Film are the team of Juanjo Sánchez, SOC, with Manuel Branáa, Operator de Cámara “B”, for Society of the Snow; and the recipients of Camera Operator of the Year in Television are Neal Bryant, SOC with Carey Toner, Camera Operator for The Last of Us, S1E3 “Long, Long Time”. The award recipients were celebrated by industry peers and colleagues at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

Juanjo Sánchez, SOC with Operator de Cámara “B”, Manuel Branáa took home the title of Camera Operator of the Year in Film for their work on Society of the Snow. Sánchez and Branáa topped a talented group of nominees in the film category, including Mick Froehlich, SOC, (Leave the World Behind); Geoffrey Haley, SOC (Chevalier); Ari Issler with “B” Camera / Steadicam Operator, Nick Müller, SOC (Boston Strangler); and Andrew ‘AJ’ Johnson, SOC (Carmen).

Neal Bryant, SOC with Camera Operator Carey Toner, were awarded Camera Operator of the Year in Television for their work on The Last of Us, S1E3 “Long, Long Time”. The TV category nominees included multiple collaborative teams: Dominic Bartolone, SOC with “B” Camera Operator, Jessica Cannon, “C” Camera Operator, Justin Cameron, SOC, and Rollerblade Camera Operator, John Lyke (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, S2E6 “Beat L.A.”); Don Devine, SOC with “B” Camera / Steadicam Operator Neal Bryant, SOC (Barry S4E2 “Bestest Place on Earth”); Mitch Dubin, SOC with Francois Archambault, SOC, “B” Camera Operator (Fargo S5E1 “The Tragedy of the Commons”); and Gary Malouf with Chris Dame, “B” Camera Operator (The Bear S2E10 “The Bear”).

The sold out SOC Awards show celebrated the organization’s remarkable 45 years of dedication to advancing the art and craft of camera operation. Hundreds of guests, nominees, and decorated industry leaders attended the Awards. In recognition of the industry’s challenges during the past year, the SOC made deliberate modifications to the traditional ceremony, encompassing theater seating at a new location and a fresh, innovative awards format.

In addition to celebrating the achievements of the exceptional film makers and crews, the SOC Awards proudly welcomed Dr. C. Thomas Lee from the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to center screen to salute to the success of the SOC’s continued support, including filming the charity’s fundraising videos.

During the cocktail hour and following the award show, guests were treated to the art exhibition, Delivering THE Image: Operators and Crew Answering the Challenge. Made possible in part through the generous support of Fujifilm, the exhibit offered an exclusive opportunity for attendees to view and acquire one-of-a-kind works by renowned photographers, and past SOC Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees: Phillip V. Caruso, Peter Iovino, Bruce McBroom, and JoJo Whilden.

The SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards are given in recognition of outstanding achievement by an established person within the field of film and video production.