John Russell, ASC

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On the morning of April 21, ASC associate member John Russell died at the age of 68. He was the inventor of the hard front for the Arriflex IIC camera, the first to put a BNCR lens mount on the Arriflex 35BL and mechanical engineer of the original Skycam.

Born in Bolivar, Missouri, Russell learned his skills in the United States Air Force as he maintained the many cameras they had to have on line each day. Among other tasks, his cameras were used to map nearly every inch of the USSR. Upon his honorable discharge, he moved on to Alan Gordon Enterprises where he built many custom cameras and camera mounts. He then worked at F & B Ceco, Birns and Sawyer and Panavision before starting his own business, JAR Enterprises, in 1975. Dedicated to the advancement of motion picture technology, he devised many devices including the Eyepiece Video Tap for Arriflex and Panaflex cameras; the first Director’s Finder with video assist; the triple hard front for the Arriflex IIC, which allowed BNCR, PL, and Panavision lens mounts to be easily changed in the field; and many custom video taps and lens mounts. Russell also excelled in the area of Steadicam modifications and accessories. His many alterations to Arri cameras — IIC,III, and 35BL — allowed operators to perform new types of shots.

Russell modified an Arri IIC to be driven by the inching knob with a Heden motor for fellow ASC associate Garret Brown as a test for the flying motorcycle sequences in Return of the Jedi. He was employed by Steven Spielberg as the chief camera technician on Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 1941. He constructed more than a hundre Eyemo crash cameras and housings, and also built cameras for ASC members Haskell Wexler and John Hora.

Russell prided himself on his gruff exterior presence, but inside he had a heart of gold. The world will miss his genius, we who knew him will miss the man.

— Dan Kneece, SOC

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[ In Memoriam ]