The Akeley Specialists - Text 3
This specialization of Hollywood camera operators was accompanied by their professionalization. In fact Akeley specialists had their own status in the ASC. Their special status referred to a category of operators who were defined, first of all, by their use of the Akeley camera, and then by the kind of shots they took. Steene, for example, in the advertisements he placed regularly in American Cinematographer, systematically used the term “Akeley specialist” to describe himself, even though he also worked with a Bell & Howell Eyemo camera. In the 1930s, when most specialists tried to sell their camera in the classified ads of the ASC’s journal because they had adopted other equipment, Elmer Dyer continued proudly to use the expression “Akeley and aerial specialist.” He promoted himself in this manner not only to show that he used this camera, but because the camera was a synonym for specialization in the Hollywood system. On the topic of the specialization of directors of photography in shooting interiors and exteriors, George Schneidermann, for example, wrote that “Neither cinematographer should feel that this specialization of assignment is in any way derogatory to his ability or standing. After all, none of us feel ashamed of calling on an Akeley specialist like Elmer Dyer, A.S.C., for assistance in trick or process work.”[5] This designation would be used for a few years after the ASC decided to stop making class distinctions among members of the association in order to promote their equal rights and responsibilities,[6] but in the end it disappeared with the adoption of other cameras.
