An Inspired Chat with Davis DeWitt of DTLA

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Davis DeWitt. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Davis, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
By far one of the biggest sources of joy that I’ve recently found are the monthly Maker Meetups hosted by Simone Giertz and Laura Kampf. Every first Thursday of the month, a motley crew of inventors, artists, engineers and makers descend upon Kampf’s workshop to show off whatever new inventions they’re working on, and to enjoy the company of their fellow creators.

And while niche social gatherings certainly aren’t new to the city of Los Angeles, Simone and Laura have worked hard to create a space that escapes the typical trappings most other social gatherings fall into. Most notably, it’s a space that celebrates the genuine passion each participant has for their work, and the joy that can be found in sharing that passion with other like-minded individuals.

I know sounds silly to sing such high praises for what can only be described as a meet and greet, but in a city so caught up in clout chasing and transactional relationships, it really warms my heart to see community building outside the backdrop of career advancement.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As I’ve said before, my friends joke that I’m really just a “Mad Scientist” more than anything else. But behind the fun title is a career I’ve worked very hard to build for myself.

After staring as the electronics expert on Motor Mythbusters, I started Backhaul Studios as an outlet for my love of building things and talking about them on camera. Since then, Backhaul Studios has grown dramatically, and I now work full time building special effects rigs, custom robotics and more for the film and TV industry.

But beyond the commissioned builds and film/TV work I found myself always coming back to one of my biggest passions; building completely ridiculous inventions on camera. As such, I’ve started growing my YouTube channel where I not only show behind the scenes clips from my special effects work, but also tackle insane builds such as the Condiment Cannon and the Receipt Mural.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Like most high school kids, I really wanted a cool summer internship. Something that would surely wow college admissions staff, guaranteeing me a spot at my dream college: Harvey Mudd. So when it came time for the annual school district technology conference, I made a beeline for the nearest vendor tent where I immediately introduced myself, and informed them I was looking for an internship. As luck would have it, the CEO happened to be there and he found my ambitious attitude endearing. Despite being thoroughly under-qualified, I was granted an interview, and eventually, my first ever internship.

And so at 15 years old, I thought I had everything I could ever want: A cool summer internship, my own cubicle, a work iPhone, and all the break room coffee I could drink. But then something funny happened, my college applications came back and sitting right on top was my rejection letter from Harvey Mudd. They weren’t very interested in the kid from Colorado with his computer networking internship and average test scores. They were more interested in ACT scores and AP course loads.

In that moment, it finally clicked. The path I had set for myself was one that led me right back to where I started. Sitting in my cubicle, on my work iPhone, drinking break room coffee for the next 40 years until what, retirement? It was a rare moment of clarity for someone who was only barely legally old enough to drive. And while I sometimes wonder what might’ve been had I scored a little higher on my ACT tests and taken a few more AP classes, I can still confidently say, not making it into my dream school was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn time and time again is the value of saying no. For someone who has worked virtually their entire professional life as a freelancer, the ability to keep a roof over your head revolves around you saying yes to any and all work. Or at least that’s what I thought.

Many years ago, when I used to work as a photojournalist, the recipe was simple: take on as many stories as you can in a week and get a bigger paycheck as a result. In an era where print media hadn’t fully died off yet, this was a viable strategy, and it served as the backbone of my relationship with freelance work.

This philosophy however, began to completely break down as I made my way into the film/TV industry. I quickly learned that saying yes to every single project that called was no longer helping me grow as a creative, but rather stifling my ability to work on my own projects. After all, the entire reason I had moved to Los Angeles in the first place was to focus on being a creative. Instead, after years of instinctively saying yes to every single project that reached out, I was left with very little to show of my own.

Obviously there’s never a one-size-fits-all approach, but even still, the projects you say no to are just as important as the projects you say yes to.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
One of the greatest compliments I ever received came from my time touring with the Blue Knights drum and bugle corps. By this point my work on Motor Mythbusters had finally been released, and outside of streaming on HBO, it would occasionally air on cable TV. Well, word got out that I had been on a Discovery Channel show, so naturally some of the staff got together to see what all the fuss was about.

And even though the show took a more “reality TV” approach to filming, I was still moved when our head athletic trainer looked at me and said, “I watched your episodes, and you know what, you’re exactly the same in real life as you are on the show. I never got the impression you were pretending to be somebody else.”

It takes a lot to become fully comfortable in your own skin, and I’ll be the first to admit that wasn’t always the case for me. However, over the years I’ve worked hard to make sure the public version of me is a true reflection of who I am. And I’m proud of who I’ve become as a result.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
The phrase “In it for the love of the game” comes to mind, and while we tend to throw that phrase around, I have a real soft spot for what it represents. Despite the massive baggage social media carries with it (both good and bad), it has at least taught me one very important thing: do it for the process. This comes in stark contrast to what every single platform preaches, which is engagement is king. Instagram does not care how long it took you to make something, or how much you enjoyed making it. They care about one thing and one thing only: how much longer did your piece of content keep viewers on our platform?

Breaking away from that end result mentality has been incredibly freeing, and regardless of how impractical it may be, making something because you want to see it exist should always be the root of what you do. I’ve always found the projects I’ve the most satisfied with, regardless of popularity, are those in which I pushed myself to deliver the best possible finished product that I could.

After all, if you aren’t pushing yourself to get better at your craft, what’s it all for then?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.backhaul.us
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdavisdewitt/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@backhaul-studios