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Cinematographer Dan Kneece has worked with some of the world’s most iconic directors, including David Lynch, Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Joel Schumacher. But did you know that he was an award-winning musician, that he comes from a very small town in the American south, that he has worked on more than one movie simultaneously, traveling across the country to meet deadlines with no sleep, and that his favorite camera is... nope, no spoiler alerts here!

Dan Kneece's secrets are revealed in this interview with OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania. Listen in!

In This Episode

00:35 - Cirina introduces Dan Kneece, a longtime Steadicam operator and a cinematographer.08:09 - Dan tells the story of how he was first interested in making movies with a Super 8 camera at 13 years old. 17:17 - Dan points out what he learned from the news business that was relevant to the film business.24:08 - Dan shares the first experience using a Steadicam in the movie Chain Gang.32:27 - Dan talks about movies where he worked with David Lynch and how David entrusted him with his skills and ideas.40:53 - Dan explains some of his responsibilities in being a Steadicam operator based on his experiences with various directors and actors.48:28 - Dan explains how important it is for the script to be on point and why it is the foundation of a film  57:35 - Cirina asks Dan if it’s hard to decline projects from his trusted networks. Dan explains his principle of hiring and working with people.64:24 - What are some of Dan’s favorite lenses?71:41 - Follow Dan Kneece on his social media accounts and visit his website at DanKneece.com to learn more about him.

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Transcript

This is Cirina Catania with OWC Radio. I am speaking today with Dan Kneece, who was a longtime Steadicam operator and now a cinematographer. We call them DPs in our business. And, Dan, I'm so happy to talk to you on the air because you're just a rarity in this town. And welcome to the show.

Thank you very much for having me. 

We have so much to talk about. Let's just start almost at the beginning, and I like asking people what they liked to do when they were 5, 6, 7 years old. What were you like as a little boy, and what was life for you growing up?

I grew up in the small town of Black Hill, South Carolina. It had a population of about 2000 people and was surrounded by swamps and alligators, and it's 10 miles from Barnwell, South Carolina, where James Brown was born. In 14 miles, another side of that is a little town called Allendale, where Jasper Johns grew up. I think what really happened in the area, people are saying this must have been something in the water. But I think really, what happens is so darn boring down there that if you have a creative urge, you got to figure out a way to get it out, or you're going to go nuts.

You need time to be creative. And I think in a busy life in the cities, and we don't often have time, I totally agree with you. I think some of my most wonderful memories are escaping when I was a little girl from my house and climbing into an apple tree to write poetry and just think about the meaning of life. So I think when you're in a small town, that's what happens, right? That's great.

There's not too much trouble you can get into because even if you go out in the woods and get lost, the dog knows the way home. So you just follow the dog out of the swamp, and you're back in your little town. I grew up from a very young age, but when I was a baby, my mother would take me and put me in the playpen. But rather than turn on the television set, she'd put on classical music on the record player. And so I know all of the melodies, from all the classics of classical music. So that was kind of an interesting way and helped my brain develop musically early. And then that took me in a musical direction for a while. And then,