John Morley Stephens (born November 17, 1932 Valparaiso, Indiana died Huntington Beach, California June 18, 2015) was an American cinematographer. He was noted for his innovative work on the 1966 film Grand Prix, for which he pioneered the use of a number of camera mounts and developed the first remotely operated pan-and-tilt-head camera.[1] For this latter invention, he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994.[2]
Stephens learned how to use a camera when he served in the United States Navy in the 1950s. 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).[3]
^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).
^p. 334 Lentz III, Harris M. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015 McFarland, 3 May 2016
