WNY native who worked on ‘Anora’ shares journey behind the lens

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sawyer Oubre spent his childhood creating movies. Now, he knows it’s what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

“I’m doing exactly the job I want to be doing, and it feels really cool,” said Oubre, a steady cam operator who now lives in New York City. “Growing up, I always loved making films and I’ve found that this is my favorite way to contribute to the process, is to be the person with the camera, moving it around and contributing in that way.”

As a steady cam operator, he works with a very specialized piece of equipment that helps carry large cameras through sets and over obstacles very smoothly. He said it was something tricky to get into because it’s hard, takes a lot of practice and time, but when he discovered working with a steady cam, it was love at first sight.

He’s worked on films, small indie films, music videos and many projects over the years, including being the steady cam operator on “Anora,” which won five Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture.

“It was a really wonderful set to be apart of, it was hard work, it was in March, very cold and windy and long hours, just like any indie movie,” said Oubre. “It’s tough work, but there was definitely a sense of comradery and a little spark.”

Oubre had the opportunity to go to the world premiere of “Anora” at the Cannes Film Festival in France. For the Oscars, some of the departments went, but the rest of the crew watched them together in Brooklyn. He says it was fun just to make the movie, and seeing the success is just the cherry on top.

“It was like the Super Bowl, like we’re all holding each other waiting until the end,” said Oubre, “It was really special to watch that with the people who made it, and celebrate with them.”

The East Aurora High School graduate said his journey with film all started making videos as a child, and is grateful for his high school film academy teachers for helping him find the passion of creating movies.

“It was kind of where I fell in love with film,” said Oubre, offering advice for aspiring future filmmakers. “My advice would be to find that. Find the people in your life who inspire you and are wonderful teachers, and give you that spark and excitement about what you want to do–and go out and do it.”

To see his work portfolio, visit his website here.

For those who might be interested in working in the film scene here in Western New York, Tim Clark the film commissioner of Western New York, tells us the last ten years, the film scene has exploded here. Six projects are currently booked for this year, but he’s predicting at least a dozen more by the end of the year.

“It’s a bigger industry in Western New York than people think,” said Clark. “We’re shooting lots of stuff all the time, and it’s also very secretive or a very discreet industry, we don’t talk about it much.”

Clark says there are two casting companies in Western New York that are often looking for extras in movies and believes there will be a lot more of those opportunities this summer.

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Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.

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