Currently an Orlando-based, freelance Camera/Steadicam Op, I have worked in the area since mid-2001 in a range of positions from Utility to Camera to Steadicam Op to Engineer.
After moving to Florida to escape the cold of the north, I attended Full Sail University in 2001 and shortly after was able to get an internship with Adrenaline Films here in Orlando. From there, I got my start in Reality TV as a Utility/AC and Second Unit Camera, traveling all over the world on a number of shows including the well-known Survivor.
In between shows, I had a great opportunity to work for a local public TV station (SGTV) creating content for their 24hour broadcast stream, often from scratch. In this relatively low-pressure environment, I was able to take chances and learn all that I could about content creation and to experiment with different styles. It was during this time I got my first "Steadicam" system, a Glide Cam Pro 2000.
In 2004, I had the opportunity to work with Cage XXI Films through a good friend of mine from school. With this opportunity, I was able to move up into the world of large production commercials and music videos. A fun time working with great people, this experience became a springboard to many more projects working with a number of companies all over the globe Including a Puerto Rico based company in the early days of digital HD broadcast cameras.
In 2008 , after working on a large variety of projects for an extensive range of clients all over the world, I took a full-time staff job working at Walt Disney World. One of my responsibilities in this job was to help to create the video camera "tracks" for the new American Idol Experience "Live" show. The show had four camera positions including a Steadicam position. All the positions had to be mapped out and trained to a number of people with varying levels of experience . While I had experience with various Steadicam rigs at the time, it was during this time that I was able to hone in my skills and log over 500 hours in the Steadicam rig. During this time, I upgraded my personal Glide Cam system with the Glide Cam X10 vest and arm.
After the first year of daily operation at Idol, I transferred to the WDW Broadcast Productions Department. At Broadcast, we produced and/or supported hundreds of projects per year for Walt Disney World, Disney Land, our Disney international parks, Disney Cruise Line, and Adventures by Disney. This support came shape of many roles. From camera operating, to audio, to engineering and wireless video management, we had to wear many hats. I even created a 360 rig for an award-winning Google project. In 2013, I also took over the technical supervision of our Ride Mount projects which included designing and supervising attraction mounted cameras at Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and Shanghai Disney. This additional responsibility required me to design mounts for a wide range of cameras including little actions cameras, large cinema cameras, and 360 camera rigs while adhering to Disney safety protocols.
While I would use my Glide Cam for projects at WDW Broadcast, when the American Idol Experience switched from their Glide Cam Gold rig to a Steadicam rig, we acquired their old Glide Cam rig, and I began doing in house Steadicam work with our larger broadcast cameras. When the park attraction closed, we acquired their Steadicam rig, and I began doing significantly more work for the department as the house Steadicam Op. Projects ranged from short blog pieces to live event coverage to park B-roll and included two international live shows and operating for the Emmy Award Winning "Disney’s Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall"
13 1/2 years in all were spent with Disney on countless projects. I gained a wealth of information and experience, adapting from style to style and working on projects with a range of budgets from large scale shoots to little one-man bands. I was also able to use that time to save up and get the beginnings of my own large Steadicam rig and gain the experience to use it. But, as it is, all good things must end, and at the end of 2021 it was time to step away. I had already started taking freelance work on the side, and it was now time to make the jump back into the freelance world full time. Since then, I have increased my gear inventory signifyingly and worked on a range of projects. From political commercials to broadcast live events, and even for my old former employer in the Disney parks, the list goes on and the future is bright.
