The “Holy Grail” and its attainment, to some in the archeological world is considered to be the epitome of success. Depending on your viewpoint, the Holy Grail can be mystical, mythological, ethereal and even intangible. Regardless of what it may be in other worlds, in the world of production, it’s clearly, a single, coveted and quite tangible gold figurine. A gift to the chosen few from on high, the Academy… the gilded dandy is presented yearly as “Oscar®”

A lot has to happen before Oscar shows up! As evidenced by the sea of names, mostly off screen talent, whose matrix like rapidly scrolling closing credit crawl has been the highly produced accompaniment to many an exiting theater goer. It may even be fair to say that closing credits have seen more backs than a cheap mattress at a day rate motel.

Here’s the point. Arguably if it weren’t for the likes of such highly trained, experienced and creative camera operators, I say nearly none of what’s out there for consumption would ever get done. Just like the role of bassist in a band, it’s not glamorous, it’s often times cumbersome, your work is primarily done in the background and goes mostly unnoticed, EXCEPT for the trained ear or eye in this story. And all the while an operators vision and scope can range from panoramic to close up, yet the people in the front always seem to be looking right through.

Meet Rick Cypher, a veteran Ferro Productions camera operator. Participating in the process of attaining “Holy Grailness” did NOT elude Rick as it has most. In fact, it was Mark Wahlberg himself who personally called upon Ricks talents and that of the HBO boxing crew, for a task most critical, which without, there was no movie. There would be no masterfully captured and recreated fight scenes. There would be a no more critical mechanism than that of Rick, a best in class camera operator and his lens to bring together the components of a recipe through raw ingredients to a fully produced entree to feast upon, a major motion picture. Like a rock solid bass player and the deep, rhythmic and steady line he lays down, Rick and camera are fundamental. The foundation upon which to build, and build they did.

The year 2009 (Principal Photography). The movie The Fighter (2010). The Cast, to include, Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. The story-line, a depiction of the life of up and coming fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward, following his dramatic road to boxing fame in and out of the arena.

Thanks to the Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell, the arena became host to the big fight sequence for The Fighter, as well as home away from home for Cypher and the rest of the HBO boxing crew who were on location for 5 days, clocking more that 12 hours a day on set applying their craft. Having surprising parallels to professional sports, moviemaking from the perspective of a camera operator is often about dedication, flexibility and focus, using a highly trained eye and fluid motion to get/make the shot(s).

“My role consisted of doing what I do for HBO boxing, operating a hand held camera on the ring apron during a fight.” Cypher said.

With years of experience around the ring, there is no more perfect a match than Rick for this job. There aren’t that many movies made about a real person being portrayed by an actor where both, the real and portrayed, have been captured by the talents and lens of the very same camera operator. Rick shot the original Ward fights and it was truly the good fortune of the film that Cypher and the HBO boxing crew were there for the job. Having Cypher at the helm brought even greater authenticity to the production than that of the 1990’s era HBO camera’s used to film some of the segments.

The Results, in the 2011 83rd presentation of the Academy Awards®, Ricks work on this film either captured directly or contributed to The Fighter being recognized by 7 Academy Award nominations and it’s Winning of 2 Oscars.

“I have to admit, it was pretty amazing. In my wildest dreams I did not imagine just how much of our footage would actually wind up being used in the film. To see your work on the big screen like that, knowing that millions of people are watching it and having the film nominated for, and winning so many awards, is a very humbling

experience to say the least.” Cypher recalled. “I can’t wait ‘till my kids are old enough to see it, its rated “R” you know.”

Cypher’s further contributions to The Fighter helped provide audiences with a doubly deep personal experience of the captured action and emotion. Rick originally lived and filmed it LIVE and then re-lived and filmed it for the story.

Quoting Clarence Leonidas “Leo” Fender (Inventor and Founder of…) for the closest semi-religious reference I could find to wrap up a story I began with the “Holy Grail” may I close with Leo words “Let there be bass”! Ohhhh and from all of us at Ferro Productions who value all things Cypher, may we bellow from on high “LET THERE BERICK!”

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