I worked on Hollywood films as a union Electrician

Back in 2019, I decided I wanted to take a deep dive into lighting. I joined the lighting and grip union with the goal of working as an Electrician on big film sets. My plan was always to use that experience to become a better Director of Photography. In the end, I realized it wasn’t the direction I wanted to take my career, but I gained some valuable experience during that time.

I worked on a few movie sets and TV shows, most notably Goosebumps and the medical drama The Resident. It was an incredible experience to be part of the crew on these large-scale productions and see how things operate at that level.

On Goosebumps, we were mostly filming night exteriors in the woods. The scenes were meant to be lit by moonlight, so our job was to create that look using massive soft light sources. We did this by flying large helium-filled balloons with lights inside them high above the trees. We had about ten of these set up across the forest to create an even moonlit glow throughout the scene. It was really amazing to see what the forest looked like once all of the balloon lights were in place. The lighting gave everything a beautiful, surreal look. Then the FX team came in and filled the woods with haze, and the whole scene transformed into something eerie and cinematic. It was amazing watching the space turn into a spooky enchanted forest.

On The Resident, we worked primarily on a soundstage where a full hospital set was built inside the studio. I spent most of my time moving and placing lights around different areas of the set. It was crazy to be working inside a fake hospital that looked so real. We also shot on location at actual hospitals which made me realize how nice it is working on a soundstage.

Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that union lighting work wasn’t for me. I had hoped it would be a hands on way to learn how to light like the pros, but in reality, much of the work as an Electrician is manual labor. You rarely see the final image, so you don’t get a full understanding of how the lights you set up affect the shot. I realized that without seeing the result, I was mostly just carrying equipment. That made me appreciate the path I was already on as a Director of Photography, where I could stay closely connected to the creative process.

Another factor was the workload and hours on big film sets. While working on Goosebumps, we were doing overnight shoots with days running 15 to 17 hours long. We would show up at 7 PM and leave at 10 AM, spending the entire time hauling heavy lights and laying/wrapping massive cables. By the end of the shift, I felt like I had just made it through a war zone.

Even though I ultimately chose not to pursue that path, I’m glad I got the chance to experience it. I learned a lot about lighting, and that knowledge has definitely helped me in my work as a DP.