John M. Stephens

John M. Stephens
Born
John Morley Stephens

November 17, 1932
Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S.
DiedJune 18, 2015(2015-06-18) (aged 82)
Orange County, California, U.S.
OccupationsCinematographer, camera operator

John Morley Stephens (November 17, 1932 - June 18, 2015) was an American cinematographer, known for his innovative action photography.[1]

He pioneered a number of cinematographic devices, including the body camera mount for the 1966 film Seconds, and the world's first remotely operated pan-and-tilt-head camera, as well as several vehicular mounts, for the film Grand Prix (also 1966).[2] For this latter invention, he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994.[3]

Early life

Stephens was born in Valparaiso, Indiana in 1932.[1] He enlisted in the United States Navy during the Korean War, where he first learned how to use a camera in extreme conditions.[1]

Career

Working as a photographer in Sun Valley, Idaho, he entered film work as an assistant cameraman and stills photographer on Bus Stop (1956) and South Pacific (1958).[4]

Stephens met director John Frankenheimer while working as a camera operator on the film Seconds. He and director of photography James Wong Howe helped develop an early camera body mount, better known as a Snorricam, for the film. Frankenheimer hired Stephens as the second unit cameraman for his next film, the Formula One racing drama Grand Prix, determined to capture the F1 cars driving at 160mph (300km/h). Stephens developed a mechanism that allowed a Super Panavision 70 cameras to be mounted to a F1 racer and be remotely controlled from a helicopter or camera car. The system had to overcome several factors - including the weight of the camera, the speed of the vehicle (on average 260 km/h), and the high head winds and G forces which caused mechanical problems in the cameras.[5] Stephen's innovations earned him a Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994.[3] He was also one of the first cinematographers to use Nelson Tyler's aerial gyro-stabilized camera system, which would become the norm for aerial cinematography.[6]

As a cinematographer, Stephens was known for his work on such films as Billy Jack, Blacula, Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, and William Friedkin's Sorcerer. He also shot the memorable bicycle chase for Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, though he did not receive on-screen credit for his work.[1] He was also the second unit director and cameraman for John Landis' comedy Three Amigos and the aerial photographer for Phil Alden Robinson's acclaimed Field of Dreams.

From the late 1980s onward, he more prominently worked as a second unit and aerial unit director of photography, most notably on Martin Brest's Midnight Run and James Cameron's Titanic. He survived three different helicopter crashes over the course of his career.[3]

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Don Burgess cited him as an early mentor.[7]

Death

Aged 82, Stephens died in Orange County, California on June 18, 2015.[8]

Partial filmography

As camera operator

As cinematographer

As second unit director of photography

References

  1. ^ a b c d Barnes, Mike (2015-07-06). "John M. Stephens, Action Cinematographer and Cameraman, Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  2. ^ Stone, Matt (2014). James Garner's Motoring Life: Grand Prix the movie, Baja, The Rockford Files, and More. North Branch, MN: CarTech, Inc. p. 37. ISBN 978-1613251362. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Twohy, Jennifer (7 February 2014). "Marilyn and Me, John Stephens on filming Bus Stop in Sun Valley". CanalBlog. SunValley.com (original). Retrieved 26 June 2015. John Stephens has gone where the action is," said the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994 when it gave him the Technical Achievement Award for developing the first remotely controlled pan and tilt head camera on the Oscar-winning Grand Prix. "A top second unit cameraman and director he has photographed some of the most exciting images ever recorded on film. From breaking new ground on Grand Prix to the exciting bicycle chase in Steven Spielberg's ET, John has photographed the action from virtually every kind of vehicle, from lear jets to helicopters. (He has survived three helicopter crashes).
  4. ^ p. 334 Lentz III, Harris M. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015 McFarland, 3 May 2016
  5. ^ Crowe, Jason (11 January 2017). "James Garner's Grand Prix". Auto Action. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018.
  6. ^ "A History of Aerial Cinematography". legendofpanchobarnes.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  7. ^ "Don Burgess, ASC: Making Each Shot Work". The American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved 2026-02-27. "A Burgess family friend was cinematographer John M. Stephens. "I kind of watched Johnny from afar," Burgess says. "He was primarily an action guy and a very successful director of commercials as well — Porsche spots. And I just kind of thought, 'How do you do that?'" (....) In the spring of 1976, during Burgess' junior year at ArtCenter, Stephens was hired to direct and shoot 2nd-unit footage on a feature filming in the Dominican Republic, and he invited Burgess to assist on the project. It would mean missing out on the end of the academic year. Stephens took his 1st camera assistant, future ASC member Steven Shaw, to see ArtCenter dean Jim Jordan and try to convince him this would be an amazing opportunity for Burgess. Jordan agreed. (....) During production in the Dominican Republic, director of photography Dick Bush, BSC had to leave the show, and Stephens took over the main unit. Burgess spent the next three months working as a loader on what would become William Friedkin's Sorcerer.
  8. ^ "John Morley Stephens - Obituary". Legacy.com. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
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