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Edmund M. DiGiullo - Mitchell VP of Engineering Obit

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 2:24 pm
by cinewokertarzana
Salutations to Mitchell Camera from Tarzana. Forgive any morbid suspicions of posting this 10 year old obituary, but Edmund DiGiullo was a sort of hero of mine. Not only was he a leader in motion picture technology, but he was one of the driving forces at the Mitchell Camera Corporation during its final years. He also founded Cinema Products and developed the Steadicam! I found this forum while doing a search and thought it only appropriate to share his memory and influences that he had on our industry, here at this web site.

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Edmund M. DiGiulio, 76, Leader In Motion Picture Technology
By G. S. BOURDAIN
Published: June 9, 2004 in the New York Times

Edmund M. DiGiulio, an influential force in motion picture technology who won several Academy Awards for his innovations in cinematography, died on Friday at his home in Malibu, Calif. He was 76. The cause was congestive heart failure, his family said. Mr. DiGiulio (pronounced dee-JU-lee-oh) developed a reflex viewing system for the Mitchell Camera Corporation, where he worked after graduation from Columbia University in 1950 and a stint at I.B.M. The device earned him an Engineering and Scientific Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He also developed the System-35 Mark II camera with video assist and camera control for three-camera filming, which was used for ''Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.'' In 1968 Mr. DiGiulio founded a company named Cinema Products and developed the CP-16 and CP-16R, Mickey-Mouse-eared television news cameras that were seen worldwide perched on television news reporters' shoulders in the predigital era. The CP-16 had another moment of fame in ''The Blair Witch Project.''

Mr. DiGiulio also developed the Steadicam, a motion picture camera stabilization system worn by camera operators. He, the inventor Garrett Brown and the company's engineering staff won an Oscar for the system in 1978. He worked for many years on special projects with the director Stanley Kubrick, starting with ''A Clockwork Orange,'' and developed the ultra-high-speed lenses that Kubrick used for the candlelit scenes in ''Barry Lyndon.''

At the Oscar ceremonies in 2001 Mr. DiGiulio received the Gordon E. Sawyer Lifetime Achievement Award for technological advances. He was a chairman of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Technical Committee for five terms. Mr. DiGiulio is survived by his wife of 47 years, the former Louise Brown; a daughter, Amanda Richmond, of Los Angeles; and a granddaughter.

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George

Re: Edmund M. DiGiullo - Mitchell VP of Engineering Obit

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:12 am
by stevenO.
Hi George, thanks for posting that. Mr. DiGiullo also authored several articles in the SMPTE Journal and authored one in American Cinematographer (I have uploaded a picture) They are all an outstanding read. He deserves to be remembered.

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Articles:

- Developments in Motion-Picture Camera Design and Technology — A Ten Year Update (July 1, 1976 vol. 85 no. 7)
- A Realtime Pin-Registered TeleScanner – (August 1, 1998 vol. 107 no. 8)

America Cinematographer Article:

- Filming "Stop the World - I Want to Get Off" in Mitchell System 35 (March 1986)

Steven

Re: Edmund M. DiGiullo - Mitchell VP of Engineering Obit

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:45 pm
by justinwizard
Yes, much respect to Ed. Not yet mentioned in this thread is one of his great technical achievements. He constructed the special Zeiss lens used to film the candle lit scenes in the movie: Barry Lyndon. On a BNC, of course. If you watch this YouTube video, you will see Ed come on for a short discussion at about 1:50 into the video. Well worth a watch.



Be well,
Justin

Re: Edmund M. DiGiullo - Mitchell VP of Engineering Obit

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:45 pm
by 21442_alwal
Nice info on Mr. DiGiull0 whose contribution were many. A particular interest of mine is The Cinema Products XR35.

Before the administer points out that this not on topic because it's not a Mitchell. Well, hold on for just a minute. Actually it was a refined and improved Mitchell NC inside an alloy case which was much smaller and streamlined than a big BNC, but did the same thing. That being it was a blimped NC. I have included a great shot (International I believe) with Ed on the right (who could miss his great mustache) and a head on shot of his XR35.

Lots of camera operators have stated that they loved shooting with the XR35. - Simmon!

Re: Edmund M. DiGiullo - Mitchell VP of Engineering Obit

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:51 pm
by stevenO.
Thank you Simmon. Love the XR35 myself. It sure as heck weighed a lot less than a Mitchell BNC but may not have been a quiet. Who as the stats here?
xr35_combo.jpg
Steven