Gary Thieltges

Gary Thieltges
OccupationCinematographer

Gary Thieltges is an American cinematographer, owner of Doggicam Systems and best known for inventing camera rigs used on big-budget Hollywood films and television shows. Upon being hired as the director of photography of a beer commercial featuring a dog in 1997, his first invention was the Doggicam, a camera on a stick with a monitor at the operator's eye level to view the picture feed.[1] Thieltges' PowerSlide, a wirelessly controlled camera dolly that rides on super rigid track, was used by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki in the famous car ambush scene in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.[2][3] In 2004, the Society of Operating Cameramen awarded Thieltges their Technical Achievement Award for The Bodymount, a lightweight camera support system that can be worn by an actor and placed anywhere on their body.[4][5] The Bodymount has been on such actors as Bruce Willis, Angelina Jolie, Eminem in 8 Mile and on Mick Jagger in a music video with Lenny Kravitz, among many others. In 2005, Thieltges was presented with a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences for the design and development of the Sparrow Head, a lightweight system for remotely controlling the pan and tilt of a camerama.[6]

  1. ^ Metzer, Marla (14 June 1997). "Capturing a Fido's Eye View of the Big Screen". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ Phillips, Michael (27 December 2006). "Children of Men director thrives on collaboration". Chicago Tribune.
  3. ^ Healy, Donna (2009-03-14). "Capturing the action". Mtstandard.com. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  4. ^ "Doggicam Systems". Doggicam.com. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  5. ^ Tim Tyler (2006-02-13). "Gary Thieltges to receive Academy Award for Technical Achievement". Cinematography.com. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  6. ^ "Session Timeout - Academy Awards® Database - AMPAS". Awardsdatabase.oscars.org. 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2012-05-30.