Chalk up another award-season win for One Battle After Another.
Colin Anderson has taken the prize for camera operator of the year in film for his work on the Paul Thomas Anderson epic, whose tableaux went from armed border areas to desert highway chases. The Society of Camera Operators honor comes on the heels of a slew of technical prizes for the movie, including from the American Cinema Editors, the Art Directors Guild and the British Society of Cinematographers; the American Society of Cinematographers decides Sunday. The award was announced in a livestreamed ceremony Saturday night.
On the television side, Mark Goellnicht won for camera operator of the year for his work on the acclaimed “The Oner” episode of Apple TV+’s The Studio, in which Sarah Polley’s character attempts to direct a movie and Seth Rogen’s tries to oversee it in a one-take hourlong chaos extravaganza. Goellnicht is a veteran operator with Mad Max: Fury Road and The Great Gatsby among his credits.
Camera operators work closely with cinematographers and directors to ensure the equipment is best positioned and maintained to capture the intended shot — “the connective tissue between vision and audience,” per Society of Camera Operators president Matthew Moriarty.
Moriarty also noted in a statement how “The past several years have presented extraordinary challenges for our industry” — presumably referring to AI — “yet our work has remained bold, inventive, and deeply human.” He said this was a testament to “the enduring strength and resilience of the camera community.”
Anderson is no stranger to big-time movies or PTA; he worked on Star Trek and Star Wars films as well asThere Will Be Blood,The Master,Inherent Vice andPhantom Thread. He was also nominated this year, against himself, for his work on Marty Supreme.
Nor is he a stranger to awards: the Society of Camera Operators six years ago gave him a lifetime achievement prize.