A personal note about Dan Kneece (RIP) from your OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania. "The world lost a wonderful person last week. Dan Kneece was loved by all of us in the entertainment industry. He worked tirelessly and with a great attitude. Ask Dan what is most important and he would say, "I work for the script and the director." Words are hard to find right now, but I wanted to share this interview I did with him back in July of 2019. May you find the love in it and may it help you to savor every moment of your lives. Because every day counts, and the friends you leave behind will remember you for how you made them feel and in Dan's case, also what they learned from you." (Cirina Catania, August 25, 2021)

Dan Kneece On Set (Courtesy Dan Kneece)

Cinematographer Dan Kneece 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.

Dan Kneece’s secrets were revealed in this interview with OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania. We hope you will enjoy these words from someone we all loved.

Here's a link to Dan's cinematographer reel followed by an interview with David Lynch about "Steadicam Dan," and his move towards more DP work.

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.

(l to r) Cirina Catania, Dan Kneece, and Zeiss' Snehal Patel (photo courtesy Michael Valinsky)

Jump to Links and Resources

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,