|
A native of New England now living in New York City, Afton was introduced to the camera at a very young age. The son of a camera operator for the local television network, he was in the station and around the equipment frequently. Somewhere, there exists a small collection of very early Afton Grant productions that will hopefully never again see the light of day.
Afton was inadvertently introduced to the Steadicam in 1986 when he first saw the film "Aliens", in which a few of the characters wield very large guns, suspended from their bodies by a mysterious and fascinating piece of equipment. Unbeknownst to Afton at the time, that piece of equipment was a Steadicam arm. The fluid movement of these very large guns in the film was incredible, and when he found out what the technology was behind them, that equipment would become a lifelong passion.
When the decision was made to go ahead and make the investment in the equipment, Afton set out to not only master the operation of the equipment, but to master the real reason the Steadicam operator is on set - to move the camera. He has designed and developed what has become a very popular industry website devoted to the study and appreciation of Steadicam operators and their work (SteadiShots.org). By sharing his studies with the world, he hopes it can promote the Steadicam as a true storytelling tool - giving other operators a resource by which to study the craft of moving the camera, as well as filmmakers and directors a resource by which to study the craft of directing it.
On set, Afton's goal is to execute the visions of the Director and DP, while always considering the experience of the audience when they watch the finished product. The ultimate goal is to maintain interest in the picture and story. Regardless of length or content, this is Afton's mantra in each and every shot.
|
