Celebrating the heroes behind the camera
By the time the Director first calls “Action!” on a movie set, there has already been months of work behind the scenes. When the professionals – among them set designers, screenwriters, prop masters, visual effects specialists and costume designers – do their work well, the audience doesn’t notice a thing. But, without them, a movie just wouldn’t happen. Hamilton celebrates the unsung heroes behind the camera.
When we watch a movie, we see the actors on screen, larger than life as they live out the stories of their characters, following the arc of the plot, building to a climax before the happy ending, shocking twist or satisfactory conclusion.
It is usually the actors who receive accolades for their work but Hamilton, with our long and prestigious history of working in the world of movies, choose to recognize the hard work of those whose names do not appear in lights. That the actors play out their scenes in historically accurate clothing or settings, or that the action takes place in an immaculately imagined future is down to the teams of specialists, hundreds of whom are involved in the film project from start to finish, and all of whom are always behind the camera.
"Hamilton’s distinctive watches have captured the attention of the world’s leading screen stylists who have chosen them for their historical accuracy, the way they help to define a character or, in the case of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, for Hamilton’s ability to create futuristic designs that would fit the look of the film."
To recognize their achievements, the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards was first launched in 2006, underlining Hamilton’s close links with Hollywood, which began in 1932, when two Hamilton watches appeared in the Marlene Dietrich movie ‘Shanghai Express’. This was followed in 1951 when the submersible watches we produced for the U.S. Navy appeared in the smash hit ‘The Frogmen’. Since then, Hamilton’s distinctive watches have captured the attention of the world’s leading screen stylists who have chosen them for their historical accuracy, the way they help to define a character or, in the case of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, for Hamilton’s ability to create futuristic designs that would fit the look of the film.
"These are the people Hamilton celebrates with our Behind the Camera Awards and we’re proud to recognize the amazing work they do in the world of cinema."
The nominees for the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards are selected for their work on movies released during the year, or that are presented at the most recent prestigious movie festivals in Cannes, Toronto and Venice as well as at the festival of the American Film Institute.
The Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards are hosted in one evening and feature a red carpet and all the usual elements of a prestigious awards ceremony. Presenters are chosen from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, straight from the A-list. Many of them have been recognized for their work and understand the passion and focus it takes to make a movie unique and special. They also know how dedicated the professionals are and how much time they invest to ensure everything looks perfect.
So, the next time you visit the movie theatre to watch a summer blockbuster, an animated classic, a psychological thriller or a romantic comedy, take a moment at the end to sit and watch the credits roll. The people whose names appear after the action stops are just as important as those whose names appear above the film’s title.
These are the people Hamilton celebrates with our Behind the Camera Awards and we’re proud to recognize the amazing work they do in the world of cinema.
