Ronald Vidor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Actor
Biography- Ronald Vidor, SOC, ICG, ACO, DCS, SOA, ISP
Cinematographer Dated 4/4/2021
Ron Vidor, the man still at it with the longest working levity and expertise in camera, and who says he "will never give up that ride until dying in the saddle".
Of Hungarian, French and Dutch parents, Ron was brought up in Southern California and educated in Los Angeles, Veracruz (Mexico) as a foreign student, and prep school in one of New England's unusual finest. He then supported himself on a stay through Med School and Cinema at U.S.C. by working as a union Asst. Cameraman in New York City during the summers on commercials, documentaries, news, and the original "Candid Camera" in back & white, the first reality show. During the College season in California, he would sometimes be urgently pulled out and borrowed to work with the Hollywood major studios on day calls.
After 2 1/2 years of College, he was pulled back to "Hollywood" by Twentieth Century Fox to go on "Staff" in Camera Dept. and hone in on his real call which would be "Cinematography" under the ranks of the Hollywood Major Studio Systems. He worked on staff at Twentieth Century Fox in the sixties, and at Universal Studios and Warner Brothers in the seventies. The Major Studios went on to no longer carry staff members in camera. Ron then went on to freelance through the different camera ranks in Hollywood further studying under and working with virtually eighty percent of the greatest cinematographers of the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties. He worked with and was meant-ed as long term Assistant and Cam. Operator to top cinematographers such as Conrad Hall, Gordon Willis, Owen Roizman, Vilmos Zsigmond, Laszlo Kovacs, Dean Cundey, Haskell Wexler, Mario Tosi, Isidore Mankofsky, Paul Lohmann and John Alonzo. Ron worked with director Martin Scorsese on "Mean Street's 1973" and with Steven Spielberg on five different film projects, as well as working with other top directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, William Wyler, John Schlesinger, Tony Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Huston, Robert Zemeckis, Rob Reiner, Robert Altman, William Friedkin, Mel Gibson, Richard Fleischer, Mel Brooks, Blake Edwards, John Frankenheimer, John Badham, John Cassavetes, Michael Richie, Robert Aldrich, and Bob Rafelson to name a few.
Ron was the only cinematographer to become a union member of all three camera jurisdictions in the U.S. at the same time. Ron became and remained a member of International Photographers Local 644 (Eastern Region) in 1962, Local 659 (Western Region) in 1964, Local 666 (Central Region) in 1987, and International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 (National) in 1998. Ron spent the past 40+ years working throughout the U.S. and various countries making his name in ALL genres of camera doing: features, TV movies, TV episodic series, commercials, music videos, documentaries, news, specials, reality shows, and Multi Camera Sitcom. During this time he actually worked with over101 different types of cameras from film 16mm to 65mm to video AND digital. There is not a camera format or specialty he has not practiced.
If that wasn't enough, Ron has always been and is still currently known as the go-to guy and still particularly known for cinematography expertise in his work at the following ability categories: Director Of Photography,"A List" - Camera Operator, Steadicam Operator/Owner, Underwater Cinematography, Aerial, Handheld, Operating The "Wheels", Drone Operating, Choreographing extremely involved and intricate shots, Hot Heads, Remote Cams, Camera On Skis, Camera On Horse, Wide Screen And Anamorphic Compositioning, Camera Special Effects, Action And Stunt Photography. Ron is also a big call with his special abilities through his unique invention of his Steadicam Rickshaw/Dolly called "The Vidor Steadiway". It is known for being able to grab most directors "wish only" list shots. With Ronald Vidor, one call guarantees all of ones possible camera position needs !
Ron was one of the first four Steadicam Operators in Hollywood. The head of Panavision called him in to help design the original "Panaflex Camera". He takes pride in having been the first of three individuals who founded the S.O.C. organization in Studio City, CA in 1979. Ron also takes pride in bringing and leaning Steadicam to television as the "A" Camera Operator and Steadicam/Operator Owner to the pilot and first season of "ER" and having helped capture both ASC Photography and 2 Emmy Awards for each the Pilot and one of the segments of the "ER's" first season. His work has been involved with many cinematography awards and nominations with Academy, Oscar, Emmy, ASC and TV Commercial and Documentary Awards. in 2018 Ron was awarded the rare "Honorary Lifetime Member- Gold Card" of the I.A.T.S.E and International Cinematographers Guild.
Ron can verify having worked on over 1000 actual payed "on movie camera" project credits, seemingly to be the most of anyone so far in world history. "A" Camera Operator with Steadicam still remains Ron's favorite position in camera crewing.
Ron is very most known for iconic credits of working on:
FEATURES: Rocky III, Stand By Me, Lethal Weapon, Romancing The Stone, Boogie Nights, Grease II, The Sting II, Mean Streets, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Revenge Of The Nerds, Close Encounter of the Third Kind, The Stuntman, Beverly Hills Cop II, Carrie, Jaws, The Conversation, Night of the Living Dead, Against All Odds, The Muppet Movie, The Stuntman, Brain Storm, El Norte, Taps, The Jazz Singer, Good Bye Lover, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, Pretty Woman, Westworld, Five Easy Pieces, Day of the Locust, Concrete Wilderness, The Flight of the Phoenix, Valley of the Dolls, Brainstorm, The Big Chill, Wolfen, I Love Trouble, Friday the Thirteenth VI, Star 80
TELEVISION: ER, Dallas, The Green Hornet, The Dukes Of Hazard, Magnum P.I., Air Wolf, Dynasty, The Waltons, Hollywood Wives, Charlies Angels, The Thorn Birds, Fantasy Island, Fame, Mission Impossible, Batman, Star Trek -The original series 1966, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Untouchables, Hart to Hart, Rescue from Gilligan's Island, Hitchcock Presents, Little House on the Prairie, Gun Smoke, The Lucy Show
Ron Vidor, the man still at it with the longest working levity and expertise in camera, and who says he "will never give up that ride until dying in the saddle".
Of Hungarian, French and Dutch parents, Ron was brought up in Southern California and educated in Los Angeles, Veracruz (Mexico) as a foreign student, and prep school in one of New England's unusual finest. He then supported himself on a stay through Med School and Cinema at U.S.C. by working as a union Asst. Cameraman in New York City during the summers on commercials, documentaries, news, and the original "Candid Camera" in back & white, the first reality show. During the College season in California, he would sometimes be urgently pulled out and borrowed to work with the Hollywood major studios on day calls.
After 2 1/2 years of College, he was pulled back to "Hollywood" by Twentieth Century Fox to go on "Staff" in Camera Dept. and hone in on his real call which would be "Cinematography" under the ranks of the Hollywood Major Studio Systems. He worked on staff at Twentieth Century Fox in the sixties, and at Universal Studios and Warner Brothers in the seventies. The Major Studios went on to no longer carry staff members in camera. Ron then went on to freelance through the different camera ranks in Hollywood further studying under and working with virtually eighty percent of the greatest cinematographers of the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties. He worked with and was meant-ed as long term Assistant and Cam. Operator to top cinematographers such as Conrad Hall, Gordon Willis, Owen Roizman, Vilmos Zsigmond, Laszlo Kovacs, Dean Cundey, Haskell Wexler, Mario Tosi, Isidore Mankofsky, Paul Lohmann and John Alonzo. Ron worked with director Martin Scorsese on "Mean Street's 1973" and with Steven Spielberg on five different film projects, as well as working with other top directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, William Wyler, John Schlesinger, Tony Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Huston, Robert Zemeckis, Rob Reiner, Robert Altman, William Friedkin, Mel Gibson, Richard Fleischer, Mel Brooks, Blake Edwards, John Frankenheimer, John Badham, John Cassavetes, Michael Richie, Robert Aldrich, and Bob Rafelson to name a few.
Ron was the only cinematographer to become a union member of all three camera jurisdictions in the U.S. at the same time. Ron became and remained a member of International Photographers Local 644 (Eastern Region) in 1962, Local 659 (Western Region) in 1964, Local 666 (Central Region) in 1987, and International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 (National) in 1998. Ron spent the past 40+ years working throughout the U.S. and various countries making his name in ALL genres of camera doing: features, TV movies, TV episodic series, commercials, music videos, documentaries, news, specials, reality shows, and Multi Camera Sitcom. During this time he actually worked with over101 different types of cameras from film 16mm to 65mm to video AND digital. There is not a camera format or specialty he has not practiced.
If that wasn't enough, Ron has always been and is still currently known as the go-to guy and still particularly known for cinematography expertise in his work at the following ability categories: Director Of Photography,"A List" - Camera Operator, Steadicam Operator/Owner, Underwater Cinematography, Aerial, Handheld, Operating The "Wheels", Drone Operating, Choreographing extremely involved and intricate shots, Hot Heads, Remote Cams, Camera On Skis, Camera On Horse, Wide Screen And Anamorphic Compositioning, Camera Special Effects, Action And Stunt Photography. Ron is also a big call with his special abilities through his unique invention of his Steadicam Rickshaw/Dolly called "The Vidor Steadiway". It is known for being able to grab most directors "wish only" list shots. With Ronald Vidor, one call guarantees all of ones possible camera position needs !
Ron was one of the first four Steadicam Operators in Hollywood. The head of Panavision called him in to help design the original "Panaflex Camera". He takes pride in having been the first of three individuals who founded the S.O.C. organization in Studio City, CA in 1979. Ron also takes pride in bringing and leaning Steadicam to television as the "A" Camera Operator and Steadicam/Operator Owner to the pilot and first season of "ER" and having helped capture both ASC Photography and 2 Emmy Awards for each the Pilot and one of the segments of the "ER's" first season. His work has been involved with many cinematography awards and nominations with Academy, Oscar, Emmy, ASC and TV Commercial and Documentary Awards. in 2018 Ron was awarded the rare "Honorary Lifetime Member- Gold Card" of the I.A.T.S.E and International Cinematographers Guild.
Ron can verify having worked on over 1000 actual payed "on movie camera" project credits, seemingly to be the most of anyone so far in world history. "A" Camera Operator with Steadicam still remains Ron's favorite position in camera crewing.
Ron is very most known for iconic credits of working on:
FEATURES: Rocky III, Stand By Me, Lethal Weapon, Romancing The Stone, Boogie Nights, Grease II, The Sting II, Mean Streets, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Revenge Of The Nerds, Close Encounter of the Third Kind, The Stuntman, Beverly Hills Cop II, Carrie, Jaws, The Conversation, Night of the Living Dead, Against All Odds, The Muppet Movie, The Stuntman, Brain Storm, El Norte, Taps, The Jazz Singer, Good Bye Lover, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, Pretty Woman, Westworld, Five Easy Pieces, Day of the Locust, Concrete Wilderness, The Flight of the Phoenix, Valley of the Dolls, Brainstorm, The Big Chill, Wolfen, I Love Trouble, Friday the Thirteenth VI, Star 80
TELEVISION: ER, Dallas, The Green Hornet, The Dukes Of Hazard, Magnum P.I., Air Wolf, Dynasty, The Waltons, Hollywood Wives, Charlies Angels, The Thorn Birds, Fantasy Island, Fame, Mission Impossible, Batman, Star Trek -The original series 1966, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Untouchables, Hart to Hart, Rescue from Gilligan's Island, Hitchcock Presents, Little House on the Prairie, Gun Smoke, The Lucy Show
