Conversations with Dan Debrey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Debrey.

Hi Dan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I consider myself lucky to have known which career I wanted at a young age, and to have been able to pursue that career with passion. I’ve been sort of obsessed with filmmaking since I was 13. I grew up in Illinois, and at 21 I moved to New York City. Through a friend, I was fortunate to find myself on an independent feature shortly after getting there. I think my official title was ‘camera department intern’. However, I took a liking to lighting after the first week. I asked the DP if I could try out electric department and he said, “You’re not getting paid, you can do whatever you want.” Since then, I can trace every job I got back to that first internship.

And that was it! For the next 7 or so years I worked in set lighting; starting as an electrician (set lighting technician) and as a best electric for a few gaffers I’d befriended. Fairly soon, I started getting called to gaff features and commercials. I actually wasn’t originally trying to be a gaffer, but it happened rather naturally. DPs liked working with me and I got called back often. I had, and still have, a lot of loyalty to them. Some of my favorite films I was a part of include; “If Beale St. Could Talk” (2018, Electrician) and “Chained for Life” (2018, Gaffer).

Come 2019, I began making the move to Cinematographer. A director called me to gaff an independent feature he was shooting at the end of the year, but I turned it down to continue pursuing cinematography. A week later, the DP had to drop out. The director called me again to see if I’d be interested in shooting it. And thus, I’d found a direct path from Gaffer to Cinematographer!

I always wanted to be a cinematographer and truly believe that working as a crew member first is invaluable. There is a level of awareness and respect that you learn on set. I continued to occasionally shoot and occasionally gaff until 2022 when I was invited onto a feature that was filming, literally, around the world. My position on the film was a funny one: a mix of camera operating, 2nd unit work, and just filling in the gaps in camera department. I was excited to go on a wild trip. We started in New York for a week, then Cairo for two weeks, then Delhi for three weeks, and finally Seoul for two weeks. I learned a lot on this film, probably more than any other. A major takeaway was that film is a universal language and has the power to unite us all despite our differences. We should be using our art for freedom and liberation.

After that experience, I was thinking about my next moves and how to improve my skills. I’d considered applying to grad school for years but the timing only just started to feel right. I applied to the American Film Institute for Cinematography, was admitted, and moved to LA late 2023. The next two years were another wild ride. I met some amazing people in grad school and came out of it with an entirely new attitude and approach to filmmaking. I have to thank my professors for seeing something in me and shaping me (often with tough love) into a better visual storyteller.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There is no clear path into or upward in filmmaking. When I recall my experience coming up in this career, it sounds so clear and direct – but that wasn’t the reality. Film is a strange art that demands a lot of people’s time and energy. We all get into this profession because we love it. It took me a long time to find my community, but now having found them, I feel more confident in myself and my abilities. We are all capable of so much, but personally, I need my community to help realize that potential.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a full time director of photography specializing in narrative fiction, and also shoot commercials and music videos. I think I really shine with a large, technical challenge with a lot of moving parts. I’m up for a big undertaking and get inspired when I have to get creative to pull something off. I’d love to be shooting science fiction or crime drama movies and limited series. Furthermore, I think I bring a certain sensitivity to set. I want the camera to be a participant, not an observer, to empower the characters in the films I’m a part of.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I am optimistic that film production is going to return to LA. It’s been a rough 2-3 years here, and I was very lucky to be in school during most of it. It needs to be easier to shoot in LA. Why are there so many roadblocks? LA is home to so many talented filmmakers, technicians, businesses and resources. It’s a great place to shoot. I really enjoy working here, and I know thousands of other people do too. Let’s bring production back to LA this year!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dandebrey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandebrey/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/dandebrey

Image Credits
Stefan Lan
Yandy Liu
Praveen Elankumaran
Dan Debrey