HOBART, TASMANIA, MAY 21, 2015 - When Mark Clementson, managing director of Miller Camera Support Equipment, a leader in the production of innovating camera support solutions, stepped up to the podium at the annual Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) National Awards for Cinematography, he was pleased to announce Pawel Achtel as the winner of the first Bob Miller - ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement Award.

"Behind the scenes of every great motion picture, there is innovation," Achtel says. "The Bob Miller Award provides recognition for the efforts of those who combine the technology, science and engineering with visual story telling. I think the award will encourage Australian filmmakers to further champion some of the most awe-inspiring technologies in visual arts."

The award celebrates industry leaders consistently on the cusp of technological innovation and is a testament to that member's pursuit of excellence in cinematic development. As the recipient, Achtel will have his name forever engraved onto the Miller LP '54 Classic Tripod, which resides permanently on display at the ACS National Headquarters in Sydney, Australia.

"Bob Miller revolutionized the film and television industry with his invention of the fluid head, affording operators the freedom to shoot creatively and capture shots once deemed unattainable," says Mark Clementson, managing director, Miller. "Pawel Achtel is following in Bob's legacy with his commendable technical cinematic achievements, and as a team, we could not be more proud to name him the first Bob Miller award winner."

The National Awards for Cinematography are held annually in May. The black tie gala is the premier ACS event and is an opportunity to celebrate the art of cinematography in Australia. The Golden Tripod is the highest award in each category, with runners up awarded the chance to receive an Award of Distinction. All Golden Tripod winners are then entered to win the Milli Award for ACS Australian Cinematographer of the Year. A Gold Sponsor, Miller has been supporting the ACS since the organization's inauguration in 1958. To learn more about the ACS, visit http://www.cinematographer.org.au/. 

Founded in 1954, Miller Camera Support Equipment designs, manufactures and delivers professional fluid heads and tripods to the film and television industry, providing support for the world's leading camera operators. Celebrating more than sixty years in the industry, Miller is a longtime, global leader in the field of contemporary camera support and holds the first patent for fluid head design for film cameras, which it obtained in 1946. Today, Miller's tripod and camera support systems are frequently used during electronic news gatherings (ENG), electronic field production (EFP), and digital video applications by the world's leading networks, production houses, corporate, educational and government institutions in more than 65 countries. For more information, call +61 2 9439 6377 or visit www.millertripods.com.