Today we’d like to introduce you to David Speck.
Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I came to the realization early in high school that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts: School of Filmmaking. It’s there that I discovered exactly what in filmmaking I wanted to do: cinematography. I had always been into visual arts, photography, and science. And cinematography is a perfect blending of the three.
Upon graduation, I moved to LA, and in need of an income, I found myself working at AFI. I was one of two people running their camera equipment room. This was during the advent of HD, and I used this time as an advantage to start learning about this new technology and its future in our industry. I would try and spend free time shooting short films with friends.
After about two years it was time to move on, and I found myself working as a camera operator in reality TV. It paid the bills, but it wasn’t creatively or professionally fulfilling. So, I moved over to the narrative world where I really wanted to be. I worked a lot of non-union jobs for a few years as a camera assistant learning and observing. I finally joined the union in 2006 and worked on my first big studio movie, Pineapple Express, which happened to be directed and photographed by fellow alumni I knew from college.
And so began my union career as an AC in film and television. During this time, I still found work as a Director of Photography on many non-union projects, leading me to be awarded the International Cinematographers Guild: Emerging Cinematographers Award in 2009 for a short film I had shot.
Today, I am a camera operator on larger productions, but I still love to shoot. And I am still shooting industrials, commercials, and narratives. A lot of my recent work can be seen on Lifetime where I do a lot of 2nd Unit DP work for their TV movies. I am always looking for new projects and collaborations. I am currently preparing to shoot an indie feature in May.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always struggles to the freelance lifestyle. Success comes in waves, and sometimes you’re stuck floating in still water.
The one thing to understand about this industry is that it is non-linear. There is no one way to do things or get to a certain place. Everyone’s experience will be unique.
The one thing you can not do is compare yourself to others. You can drive yourself crazy doing that, and at the end of the day, it’s for nothing. Because those people’s experiences will always differ from yours, find your path and follow it. Maybe you won’t get there as fast as another person, but that’s OK. No two journeys are alike. Embrace yours.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a cinematographer. So, I am a storyteller first and foremost. My job is to help the director put their vision on the screen. I do this with various cameras, lenses, lights, filters, movement, etc. There is so much you can do these days with the technology available, but I prefer to try and take the most direct approach. What does the script tell me? I let the story tell me how I think I should light it, and move the camera within scenes.
When I meet with a director for the first time, we tend to chat about the story and our ideas. Sometimes a director is very open visually in how to tell their story. Other directors are very visual and already have a good idea of how they want their project to look. At the end of the day, I am helping to tell their story, so I am listening to them and helping to deliver their needs and desires.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue what I do and keep growing as a professional. I hope to keep meeting new people to collaborate with on projects and tell stories. Each new project brings its challenges, and part of the fun is solving the puzzle to meet them.
Sometimes a project takes you down a new path to places and experiences that you just never thought you’d have. That is the beauty of this industry. It’s always a new adventure, and you never stop learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.speckinthegate.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @davidspeckdp
Image Credit:
Scott Allen Martinez, Glen Landry
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