Meet the Crew

Meet the Crew introduces you to the team that brings Camera Operator to life, like David Daut, lead features writer.

What are some of the challenges that you face in your involvement with the SOC?

The biggest challenge—and subsequently the most rewarding part of the job—is learning on the fly about the intricacies of camera operating. I’ve loved movies for my whole life and have dabbled a bit in the various disciplines on amateur and student productions. But camera operating is often an unsung craft, and I’ve learned a lot about that work through having conversations with operators for the magazine. In just a few years I already know so much more than when I started, and I’m excited to continue learning more!

What is your special SOC moment?

Back in the fall of last year, our own great Ashlie Sotelo came down sick and was unable to host the SOC Instagram Live Q&A with Lisa Stacilauskas. I was asked to fill in, and even though I host the Q&As for the magazine, the prospect of doing it live was a pretty intimidating leap. I said yes, though, and it was a really great experience! It was lovely chatting with Lisa and fielding questions coming in live from the chat.

In my free time, I…

I see a lot of movies. If you follow my Instagram account, about half of my posts are the marquee at either the New Beverly Cinema or the Aero Theatre (I also try to see at least one newly released movie a week). There’s nothing in the world quite like seeing a great movie in a full theater with an energized audience, and I’ve had the privilege to see more than my fair share of truly special screenings. Beyond movies, I spend a lot of time with friends, playing games, visiting theme parks, and other seasonal events around Southern California. Over the last few years I also co-wrote and co-directed a five episode “found audio” ghost story called Hollow Medium, which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts.

In another fifty years, I see the SOC…

It’s an interesting question. The film and television industries are currently in their biggest period of uncertainty and upheaval since probably the 1960s. Streaming services have changed the landscape both for better and for worse, while mergers and consolidations of increasingly large media companies mean there are fewer jobs to go around. Amid all of that uncertainty, though, are incredible technical innovations and some really terrific work being done. Last year was the best year for movies that I can recall in some time, as well as a stellar year for television. It saw a ton of exciting technical innovations from filming with racing drones in Michael Bay’s Ambulance to the further spread of an entirely new production model pioneered by Industrial Light & Magic with their StageCraft Volume. There will be challenges in the coming years as we navigate the changing media landscape, but much like the collapse of the Hollywood Golden Age gave way to a rise in new and exciting talent in the ’70s, the work that’s been done over the past year gives me hope that the future ahead is bright.

Do you have a burning question that you would like to ask an SOC member?

The lucky situation I’m in is that asking questions to SOC members is kind of my job description. I’ve had the enormous pleasure of getting to geek out about the Volume with Obi-Wan Kenobi camera operators Chris Moseley and Chris Herr; chat with Mitch Dubin, Buzz Moyer, Colin Anderson, and John Mang about two of my favorite movies of the last few years; and go on a slightly extended tangent talking with Martin Schaer about the unique work he did with Gore Verbinski on the animated film Rango. I’m excited to continue working with cool people talking about neat projects into this new year!