Two views (or more) of VJs…

In the beginning there was the Newsreel Cameraman. Hauling around more gear than a pack mule, he (no shes back then) covered the news and view of the nine-teens and twenties, joined by an Audio Man in 1927. That was the original VJ. Rough and tumble, but always got the story. These NR guys held …

Epiphany…

A sudden awareness of something wonderful! And it all came about because a former reporter asked where the reporters were in the photograph of newsreel cameramen that graces my facebook page. I responded that there were no reporters...just cameramen until the late 20s when soundmen appeared with all of their apparatus. Epiphany. No reporters for …

Farewell Les…

Newsreel Cameraman Les Thomsen has left us. The above video is from a 2006 SFBAPPA meeting at his house, where he and other old timers discussed the early history of the club. Afterwards he gave a tour of his house - the basement is a museum of equipment used in movies, early television, and newsreels …

Newsreel man (and his daughter)….

I'm sitting here at my kitchen table wading through history and war stories....perusing a book from another era: Newsreel Man by Charles Peden. An old buddy (Al Bulloch) once told me he was gonna write a book called "War Stories." The story behind the news...things news cameramen do. Stuff no one knows about except those …