The Guild of British Camera Technicians (GBCT) is a

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that represents camera technicians working in a film and high end television production around the world. There are currently around 450 members of the GBCT, many of whom are members of other moving image craft organisations such as the

British Society of Cinematographers The British Society of Cinematographers (abbreviated B.S.C. or BSC) was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey (23 August 1901 – 28 February 1973), the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers ...

and the Association of Camera Operators. The GBCT is currently based within the Panavision London offices.

Affiliations

As a member of the Cine Guilds of Great Britain (CGGB), the GBCT does not act as a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

. The relevant trade union for UK members is the

Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU), formerly the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, became a sector of the Prospect trade union in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2017 following th ...

(BECTU). Other members of the CGGB include the

(BSC), the society of

British Film Editors British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

(BFE) and the

British Film Designers Guild ''(Also known as Designer's Guild or B.F.D.G. and can be seen after a member's name as a professional certification abbreviation)'' A society of British Film Directors and Designers was founded in 1946, for the betterment of the Design in British ...

(BFDG). In 2011 the GBCT joined with the BSC, GBFTE and BECTU to form a not for profit

collecting society Copyrights can either be licensed or assigned by the owner of the copyright. A copyright collective (also known as a copyright society, copyright collecting agency, licensing agency or copyright collecting society or collective management organiz ...

, Screen Craft Rights, to receive copyright payments from sales of film and TV productions to Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden and distribute them to UK cinematographers, designers and editors. On 12 May 2020, the GBCT was one of four signatories on a statement related to

Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

safer working practices. Other signatories were the BSC, ACO and BECTU Camerabranch. The GBCT has a long-standing affiliation with the University of Arts London through the UAL Diploma provision.

Camera craft

Professionals in the industry have long recognised the importance of camera craft to finished films and television programmes, with specific awards for cinematography from the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

the

British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

as well as more craft specific awards such as The Operators Award, organised by the GBCT, the BSC and the Association of Camera Operators as well the Guild of Television Camera Professionals Awards for Excellence in Camerawork.

History

The Guild, as it is known colloquially among members and the industry, was formed in 1977 by focus pullers Terry Cole and John Deaton and

camera operator A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task. In filmmaking ...

s Mike Fox and Geoff Glover who wanted to create a non-political association with an authoritative presence in the industry. Their intention was to create an organisation that protected the interests and aspirations of a growing

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

workforce while developing new talent and maintaining high standards.

Trustees

The GBCT has 6 eminent

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

s drawn from the moving image industry who monitor its constitution. The current trustees are: Founding Trustee: Sir Sydney Samuelson CBE Producer/Director:

Michael Apted Michael David Apted, (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was a British television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the '' Up'' documentary series (1964–2019). He later directed '' Coal Miner's ...

Producer:

Steve Clark Hall Steve Clark Hall (born November 9, 1953) is a retired United States Navy submarine officer and documentary film maker. He is the first openly gay senior U.S. Navy officer who is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Early life and education Stev ...

Producer/Director:

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and ''Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ''S ...

Cinematographer: Phil Méheux Director:

Joe Wright Joseph Wright (born 25 August 1972) is an English film director residing in Somerset, England. His motion pictures include the literary adaptations '' Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), ''Atonement'' (2007), ''Anna Karenina'' (2012), and ''Cyrano'' ( ...

Membership

Members work with and within the camera department, including roles such as

grips The , or GRIPS, is an elite, highly selective research graduate school located in Minato, Tokyo. Funded by the Japanese Government, it has the status of List of national universities in Japan, national university. It is also one of Asia's leading ...

and

script supervisor A script supervisor (also called continuity supervisor or script) is a member of a film crew who oversees the continuity of the motion picture including wardrobe, props, set dressing, hair, makeup and the actions of the actors during a scene. The ...

and specialist technicians for

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

, aerial and underwater filming. To be accepted for membership they would have to be nominated by four existing members before their nomination is sent to the membership committee. If the committee approve the application then the GBCT Board, made up of the

Chairperson The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and thirteen members of the GBCT, will then scrutinise and discuss the application before deciding whether or not that person can become a member. Members could be working in a number of grades including (but not exclusive to)

clapper loader A clapper loader or second assistant camera (2nd AC) is part of a film crew whose main functions are that of loading the raw film stock into camera magazines, operating the clapperboard (slate) at the beginning of each take, marking the actors a ...

focus puller A focus puller or first assistant camera (1st AC) is a member of a film crew's camera department whose primary responsibility is to maintain the camera lens's optical focus on whatever subject or action is being filmed. "Pulling focus" refers to ...

digital imaging technician A digital imaging technician chief (DIT) works in the motion picture industry. The DIT position was created in response to the transition from the long established film movie camera medium into the current digital cinema era. The DIT is the cam ...

, and director of photography/cinematographer.

Membership grades

Full: This category is specifically for current practitioners living in the UK and Eire Overseas membership: This category is open to British technicians resident outside the UK, or non-British technicians who work regularly in the UK Associates: Associate members are individuals closely affiliated to the GBCT Trainees: Membership services and facilities is provided to Guild trainees for the duration of their time as trainees Retired members: This section is only available to existing Guild Members Honorary: Honorary Membership is awarded to individuals who have been instrumental in helping to support the Guild in some form or other or by enhancing its standing within the industry. Members in this category include the founders of the GBCT, Remi Adefarasin OBE BSC, Angela Allen OBE and Chris Menges BSC, ASC.

Publications

The GBCT Crew Directory has been published annually since 1980. It is supplied to members and distributed to production companies and personnel. Between 1980 and 2000, the GBCT published "Eyepiece" on a bi-monthly basis and has a regular feature, written by members, for the BSC publication under the title "GBCT News".

Training and education

One of the most significant areas of work for the GBCT is training and the maintenance of standards. This has included work with the sector skills council ScreenSkills to provide training for military veterans.

GBCT Camera Trainee Programme

The "GBCT Camera Trainee Programme" is aimed at technicians wanting to work in high-end fiction production. The programme uses existing practitioners' experience and knowledge to provide training and mentorship to trainees who are placed on productions including feature films, TV drama and commercials.

GBCT and UAL Diplomas

The GBCT and its members have worked with

University of the Arts London University of the Arts London is a collegiate university in London, England, specialising in arts, design, fashion and the performing arts. It is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea Coll ...

to design, develop and deliver a series of accredited qualifications for the camera department that blend academic knowledge with vocational skills. The courses include Level 2: Clapper Loading/2nd Assistant Camera; Level 3: Focus Pulling/1st Assistant Camera; Level 2: Grips and Level 3: Key Grips. The courses are financed by ScreenSkills.

GBCT and the Mark Milsome Foundation

Within the GBCT Camera Trainee Programme is one trainee who has been selected to be the Mark Milsome Trainee. This is a placement assisted by the Mark Milsome Foundation, an organisation set up in honour of camera operator Mark Milsome who lost his life while working on a drama in Ghana in November 2017. Members of the film industry worldwide contributed to the fund that has helped the foundation's work.

Post nominal

While it is not a requirement for members to use the letters 'GBCT' after their name, it is encouraged that they do so in common with organisations such as the BSC, the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

and the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

References

{{Cinema of the United Kingdom 1977 establishments in the United Kingdom Cinematography organizations Entertainment industry societies Film organisations in the United Kingdom Film-related professional associations Organizations established in 1977