From the January/June 1999 issue of the Operating Cameraman

Dean Cundey, ASC has a long standing relationship with his former operator Ray Stella, SOC. (Ray is now a DP.)

"I've worked with Ray for about 26 years, first as my camera assistant, then I moved him up when he started breaking things," Cundey said with a grin, "about eighteen years ago. I think it was on some documentaries for World Vision or maybe it was Southern Double Cross.

"What I look for in a good operator is an aesthetic sense of the scene and good reflexes with regard to actor/camera movement and an eye for composition. Ray provides the subtlety to move the camera and knows when to do it without direction.

"On the set Ray has the sensibilities to be able to handle the personalities and the pressures that come with dealing with actors and directors who may be a bit more demanding or difficult, and not take it personally. Ray also makes suggestions to improve the shots and communicate with the dolly grip all on his own to take some of the creative load off my shoulders.

"From a technical standpoint Ray is also an exceptional Steadicam and remote head operator. He was first a good operator; then he expanded the craft into new areas of expertise.

"The opening shot of Halloween was done by Ray on Steadicam, and at the time long shots like that just weren't very common. He came up with some very creative shots for Robert Zemeckis on Death Becomes Her, during the dream sequence, using the remote head and experimenting with shots that worked. He had to develop techniques that worked well for him because operating in these unconventional ways is often very difficult for many operators.

"Spielberg wanted to move the camera in very specific ways on Hook and Jurassic Park and Ray's skills allowed us to get the shots and move to the next shot quickly with little setup."

Dean points out the real benefit of having a good operator is that each position can be given complete attention: the DP and the operator can each focus on their individual jobs, providing the consistent quality that every film deserves.

"When I operate as a DP, it is much more difficult to fully service the director with regard to lighting and coverage and consistency of the look of a film when on every take I am concerning myself with following actors or if a sandbag or a C-stand is in the shot. I happily give that responsibility over to my operator to do his job so I can do mine."

Dean Cundey and Ray Stella share a very special relationship as picture after picture will attest. Movie goers around the world have enjoyed the work of these two creative technicians over the years. Some of the highlights of their careers together:

Apollo 13 (1995)
The Flinstones (1994)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Hook (1991)
Nothing But Trouble (1991)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Road House (1989)
Big Business (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Project X (1987)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Back to the Future (1985)
Warning Sign (1985)
Psycho II (1983)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1983)
D.C. Cab (1983)
The Thing (1982)
Escape from New York (1981)
Halloween II (1981)
The Fog (1980)
Roller Boogie (1979)
Halloween (1978)