HD EXPO Education Instructors

Steve Fracol, SOC

Steve Fracol’s artistic career can be tracked all the way back to the 5th grade when his drawing of George Washington gained the attention of his entire school. And it was this interest in drawing, painting and sculpting that would later earn Steve a scholarship from the Friends of the Arts-Kansas City to attend the prestigious Kansas City Art Institute.

In 1986, Steve’s professional career began in earnest as a handheld cameraman shooting college football and basketball, professional soccer and wrestling as well as rock headliners of day: Bockman Turner Overdrive, Leon Russell, Edgar Winter, and the Marshall Tucker Band to name a few.  But it wasn’t until 1987, when Steve landed a job with Kansas City’s public television station, that he cut his teeth in the art of visual storytelling; an art form he quickly mastered and that would lead to jobs shooting news for Kansas City’s NBC affiliate where he won the first of five Emmy Awards at the age of 24.

Later, after accepting an offer from RSVP, a prominent Kansas City production company, Steve traveled the United States shooting for a variety of high-profile clients including Wal-Mart, Sprint, Yellow Freight, Utilicorp, Hallmark Cards, and Anheiser Busch.

Then in 1994, Steve and his wife Stacey started their own company and on January 1st, 1994, New Vision Pictures was born. In just a few short months, Steve would build a business – and a reputation – shooting award winning news promotions for television stations across the county. In addition, he was quickly building a client base and a standing among Kansas City’s Advertising community as a DP/Director of choice for both local and national ad campaigns.

As owner and operator of his Arriflex, Sony and Panasonic cameras, Steve would become, over the next ten years, a very prominent Director of Photography shooting for Directors and Producers from New York and Los Angles.  But it was Steve’s love of movies and passion for beautiful and motivated camera movement that would be the driving force in the next phase of his professional evolution.

In the spring of 2004, Steve completed the first of two very intense Steadicam Operators Association Workshops in Pennsylvania with instructor/mentors Garrett Brown (Steadicam Inventor/Operator; Rocky,Star Wars VI  Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and many, many more) and Jerry Holway (Steadicam Operator; As Good as it Gets, Donnie Brasco, and many more).

As a result of this training and Steve’s desire to be the very best at his craft, he now owns and operates a Tiffen, Ultra Cine Steadicam; arguably the best and most versatile Steadicam invented to date. Steve also owns a 2nd Steadicam rig, a highly modified EFP model that he uses as a complete back up system and a light weight running rig.  And to extend his creative range, Steve co-created a unique shooting rig for the Steadicam to mount on any SUV or pick-up truck with a 2 inch receiver-hitch as well as various vehicles of his own design; a highly modified, quiet electric golf cart, a 4-wheel drive ATV, and a very small dolly-style Rickshaw.

For examples of Steve’s work, credits, and behind-the-scenes photos, check out www.fracol.com or … simply give Steve a call at 816-213-0141.