SOA Awards First DiGiulio Scholarship

[Tim Tyler]

The Steadicam Operators Association, founded by Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown and Nicola Pecorini, presented the first Edmund DiGiulio Steadicam Scholarship to Alastair Christopher of New York City. The award provided full tuition for the October 2005 SOA Yellow Springs Workshop, which was sponsored by The Tiffen Company.

 

The scholarship has been established posthumously in honor of Ed DiGiulio, founder of Cinema Products Corp. DiGiulio was a driving force behind numerous industry technical innovations, including the Mitchell BNCR conversion, Cinevid video assist, as well as the development of the popular CP-16/16R cameras. In 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized DiGiulio?s dedication with the prestigious Gordon E. Sawyer Lifetime Achievement Oscar.

 

?Ed welcomed me to Hollywood,? says Garrett Brown, ?and gave my wild new invention its name.? It was DiGiulio who saw the potential in Brown?s image-stabilizing device and Cinema Products funded development of this new invention. In 1978, Brown and the Cinema Products engineering staff won an Oscar for the invention and development of the Steadicam.

 

Jonathan Hock of Hock Films nominated Christopher for the scholarship after meeting him during an ?at-risk? youth film workshop in New York. ?It was like he was born with a camera in his hand,? Hock recalled. ?By participating in the Yellow Springs Workshop, Alastair has had the opportunity to develop his skills with the Steadicam, elevating his job prospects and marketability in New York.?

 

The Steadicam Operators Association was founded in 1988 to connect skilled Steadicam operators with motion picture directors and producers. Today, the SOA represents Steadicam operators worldwide, providing contact information to the entire film and video industry on www.steadicam-ops.com. The association promotes Steadicam workshops throughout the world. In addition to conducting the Yellow Springs Pennsylvania workshops, the SOA participates along with the Tiffen Company in workshops in Los Angeles, Chile, Stockholm, Melbourne and Paris.