From the July/December 1999 issue of the Operating Cameraman

Sean Fairburn SOC says:
Third in the series on directors of photography and operators is George La Fountaine ASC. He and I spoke about family, sitcoms and even more about family. Sitcoms are a family among the crew and George has been father to many in our industry that have gone on to do fine work. But to George it's "Not brain surgery and we're not curing cancer, we're just filling time between commercials." Although George may not seem to take the work as seriously as others, over the years he has learned what is truly important. "Family is the most important thing to me and I encourage that philosophy in my crew as well."

Here's what George LaFountaine Sr, ASC, has to say:

"The trust and communication I have with my crew is based on a confidence I have in their work.

"My camera operators over the years become like family to me and we get to know one another very well. They are constantly salvaging usable shots out of ill-conceived blocking and direction. They are my eyes and ears on the set and their contribution is very important to me because sitcoms are driven by the directors so I don't always have the opportunity to futz and tweak the frame of each camera on every shot. I can trust that the very best possible shot is going to be found by my operators and that gives me time to put the light where I need it to go, as changes are made in script and blocking sometimes right up till show time. Camera operators need to know that this kind of work demands a certain flexibility and not to get bogged down with the stress of it all.

"Sometimes I like to test operators by moving little things on the set and see if they notice it and usually they see it and quickly put it back. It's also important how an operator salvages a shot so they understand what's important, how it fits in and how to get it.

"The operators with me over the years have been great. Guys like George Loomis, SOC, 10 years; Jon Kunkle, 8 years; Marvin Rush, 10 years; Wayne Kennan, 6 years. All very talented operators and other guys include Irv Waitsman, Kenny Dahlquist, Gene Jackson and my sons George La Fountaine Jr and Chris La Fountaine.

"Director quality varies and some may be more talented in one area than others, so a good camera operator must be tactful in suggesting how to best get the shot the director wants. We would love to rehearse, and block, and light each shot until it's just right every time. But that's not always the case. Sometimes it's just one big salvage job all around. Other times the director has boxed in one of the other departments and we're waiting for the situation to get rectified before we can shoot.

"We are all a big family and we need to get along and respect each other and be pleasant. It's bad enough we have to work, so we may as well be nice to one another. Television is just salvage work. It's also people helping people. New guys coming in may not realize that there is orchestrated chaos and even though it may seem like things are out of control, they're not. You must not get caught up in it and panic. If you panic, you convey you don't know what you're doing and that's deadly. You must be adept at handling people and be able to see through the situation and come to an effective resolution that doesn't damage relationships but builds them through the adversity. Respect for other departments and realizing they have a job to do as well is important for new operators: everyone will work with you or everyone will work against you--it's up to you.

"I have been very proud of my sons and it is a great thrill to work so closely with you sons because, let's face it, the hours are long and if you can spend time at work and time with family together it makes life more enjoyable. I wasn't always like that. I had to learn that lesson the hard way. One evening I came home late and my wife asked if I planned on attending my oldest son Richard's high school graduation tomorrow? I looked at her and said, "He's not graduating tomorrow. He's only 11 years old." The reality was my first son had grown up right before my eyes and I didn't even notice. I was crushed. I could never reclaim those years and it was too late to fix it.

"After that I quit the business for over three years and devoted my time to my family and especially to my two younger sons, George Jr. and Chris. I went to all their games. I helped them with homework and became an active part of their lives. Now Richard wants nothing to do with the business and I can't change that, but it makes me proud to have two other sons working with me as operators on the same set they would visit as little kids. I still demand good work from them; I can get them the gigs but I can't keep them in the jobs if their work is not good. My relationship with my sons is very special because they are also my camera operators. That means more to me than I can describe--they protect me and they are my eyes and ears on the set just like all my other great operators, but as their dad, I am proud to see the talented professionals they have become. If you get the chance you've just got to do it! Working with your kids is a true joy. Don't miss the opportunity to involve your family in your work. You will be far the richer for it.

"Like any proud father it's also great getting compliments on them from others, I love it. To them it's probably getting old but I think that inside it may be a little tougher in that their desire to do a great job means making dad proud. I can't know everything and I have four cameras, four operators and four 1st assistants who are continually salvaging things all day long. It frees me up to do other things. I trust them to get the work done. These guys and gals bail me out because I can't know everything. I put Chris and George Jr on the wings with the close ups and they let me know if Bob is getting tired and I make some adjustments or let the director know so he can hurry it up or pick it up tomorrow.

"You love your kids but you don't always know if you've done a good job with them. Usually when they leave home they're gone for good and you only get to see them once in a while. So you don't often get the opportunity to see the impact you made on their lives, their values, how they react to others with tact and diplomacy, how are they as human beings and gentlemen in the industry and in their community. Working with my sons on the set gives me that added opportunity to see how I've done ass a father. The perception may be that George Jr and Chris wouldn't have the job if not for dad, but my sons can't say 'no' to me. I love having them around and their work speaks for itself."