We want to celebrate the lives of three of our Members who we have recently lost. We thank them for their contributions to the production community and the SOC. Our best wishes go out to their friends and families.
Bill Swearingen, SOC
Charter Member
July 24, 1937 – February 15, 2017
In late summer 1978, a number of Camera Operators gathered at our house in Sherman Oaks to determine if there was a way operators could receive long deserved recognition from the Academy. Among them were Bob Marta, Bill Clark, Mike St. Hillaire, Mike Benson, Peter Hapke, Jack Green and Bill. From those meetings Bob Marta was elected president, Bill Clark vice president and Bill was sergeant at arms. The outcome of those meetings became the SOC, of which he was so proud.
In present day I don’t know how one moves from loader to second assistant, first assistant and then operator. In September 1959, Bill applied for membership and was accepted into IATSE, Local 659 in 1961 as a film loader at MGM. Therefore, each time he had an opportunity to move up, it was necessary to apply to the union for an upgrade to second and first assistant and then operator for film and tape.
His television career included “Daktari,” “Peyton Place,” “Six Million Dollar Man,” “Bionic Woman.” Features as an assistant, “Will Penney,” “Airport,” “Earthquake.” As an operator “The Waltons,” “Falcon Crest,” “Grease.” Also three camera shows: “Mork and Mindy,” “Happy Days.”
Bill loved what he did, lived and breathed cameras, photography and film. He was active in the union and was sergeant at arms for a number of years.
Due to a major stroke in 2011, he remained in poor health. Bill passed on February 15, 2017 surrounded by his children, grandchildren and me.
– Terri Swearingen
Lawrence P. Moody, SOC
Active Member
Lawrence P. Moody, SOC passed Tuesday, January 24, 2017 in Los Angeles of a heart ailment.
Larry began his career in 1999 at TVG, the horse racing network. He worked for several networks including: Telemundo, Pacific Television, Fox Sports, AT&T Digital Media Center and National Mobile Television during his career. His specialty was operating a Jib Camera. Larry was quite skilled with complicated equipment and in 2013 posted, “I am looking for new ways to improve and capture amazing images.”
I got to know Larry while we were both working as camera operators at TVG. Larry was always a good friend, a wonderful person, and an excellent cameraman. He enjoyed being as artistic and creative as possible with cameras, especially on the jib. When I joined the SOC, I was excited to see Larry was already a member.
Music was another passion of Larry’s, who played the base guitar, often while donning a T-shirt that said, “I am music.”
Survivors include his mother, Dolores Washington; two brothers, Tyhem Fleming and William Terron Fleming; a sister, Sherri Moody Smith, and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces and great nieces.
– Paul Overacker, SOC
Jennifer Ann Henry
Associate Member
Jennifer Ann,
What you set out to accomplish, you mastered. What you focused on left us breathless, moved, brought us joy, adventure, laughter…
Highly skilled, snowboarding, skateboarding, photography, cinematography, being herself, a woods woman, Christian, friend, counselor, teacher…
Those who met her through work know of her extraordinary eye and talent for visual poetry.
Jennifer was the long-standing associate of, and dear friends with Vilmos Zsigmond and his wife. Jennifer both studied and taught at Vilmos’s academy in Budapest.
Her list of credits is expansive, and remember, she was one of a handful of women in a grueling field within the Film Industry: the Camera Department. Years slinging massively heavy cases, handling lenses worth tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, to bear the responsibility of recording an image worth multiple millions.
Handling lenses? Juggling would actually be an appropriate term, as often as not, under the deadlines, conditions and demands of Hollywood. All in a field dominated by men, who got there the hard way: decades of hard work, discipline, art studies, camaraderie…as did she.
Jennifer helmed the controls of the finest motion picture cameras in existence. It was not only her career of choice, it was her passion, her all, her heart…her ability to move and flow and dance with a camera, to keep her eye on the image steadfast no matter the hour, the weather, the demands…
Jennifer kept the stream of compelling images moving through her eye, into our hearts. She manifested the vision of the world’s greatest writers, the world’s greatest directors. The best sought to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jenn.
Jennifer, the images you have given us cause us to be placed in your prayers forever.
An Open Mic Memorial Service for JENNIFER ANN HENRY will be held:
Sunday, April 2, 2017 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
at the Landmark Nuart Theater, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles, CA 90025
– Richard Hench
