Photo by Eboni SellersVolunteers from the Society of Camera Operators spent a Saturday afternoon at Panavision Hollywood with 40 members of 600 Black Women. Instructors Gretchen Warthen, SOC, Sharra Romany, SOC, Steve Matzinger, SOC and Dave Chameides, SOC covered best practices for Fluid Head, Gear Head, Easyrig, Ergorig, Cinesaddle, Shoulder, and Hip shooting techniques.
600 Black Women, a collective of the 97 black women and gender non-conforming members of IATSE Local 600, represent just .009% of their union. Each year they come together in a major production city to enjoy a weekend long seminar of workshops and training. This year, we were happy to have members of SOC volunteer their time to lead an Operating Workshop for the collective.
Founder Chris Wairegi said “Not all of us are fortunate enough to have had mentors, or get hands-on experience with the tools of the trade. So opportunities like this can make all the difference in someone’s career and confidence.” The group was broken into cells that rotated through each operating system to give time to get in depth with the various systems and shooting styles. Events like these support 600 Black Women’s mission to create a more inclusive industry of talented individuals.
