Meet Dan McKechnie | Cinematographer & Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan McKechnie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Try to learn something new every day. I’m 68, and you can teach an old dog new tricks.

As a cinematographer and editor, remember that punctuality is a sign of respect. Arriving 30 minutes early is not just a rule, it’s a commitment to your craft and your team.

Getting and Keeping clients is not rocket science. Treat your customers like you want to be treated when you are the customer.

Never ever give up.

Pick a career that gives you a purpose in life and one that you really enjoy.

Be the smile on the set.

Try to be Kind and Humble whenever possible.

Use your skills/craft to give back to the community and those less fortunate.

I try to live by this saying below (Author Unknown)
“Faith is how you know where you are going…
Hope is what keeps you going…
Love is how you get there.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been producing videos for 43 years. If I were to name one thing that I am most proud of in my career, it would be our son Chris’s journey as a cinematographer and man. I started teaching Chris cinematography when he was eight years old. As Chris gained production skills, he would mention to me that cinematography was not his life passion, but it was a great job. I tried to instill in him that cinematography would be a skill set he would always have. When hanging out of a helicopter with Chris (19), videotaping some whales in Hawaii for a resort video that Moving Images was doing, Chris said he wanted to be a policeman. I was shocked and said, “Those humpback whales are not trying to eat/shoot us.” You’ll need to tell your Mom about your new career choice.

We helped put Chris through the police academy, and he was hired in Hemet, California. Chris was a policeman for four months. He called me one morning at 2:00 am and told me that he was thinking about resigning from the police force as it was very, very dangerous. I talked him into talking to his training officer and making sure he wanted to resign after all that hard work from the academy and getting hired. “That is good advice, Pops; I’ll let you know.” Deb, who was awakened by my mobile phone going off and hearing almost every word of the call, said, “If anything happens to our son and you talked him into staying when I know he wanted to leave, I will never be able to forgive you, Dan, I called Chris right back and left a voicemail sharing what his Mom had said.

Chris now produces fantastic film and video projects all over the world. He also does a lot of faith work now and movies with good causes. I remember Chris asking lots of questions when he was eight and just starting, and now I’m the one asking the questions of him. The Student is teaching the Teacher. We are so proud of Chris and his journey.

Along the way, Customers of AVP and Moving Images have become my friends: Scott Hays, Co-Founder of OCWORLD; Hal and Shelly Pisors from New West Productions; Ricardo Gamarra, South Bay Studios; and Asom Broso Tequila. It is such a joy when customers become lifelong friends.

Along the way, learning how to motivate staff and run a video company was a daily process. We learned what works and what does not. As the company grew, we hired more employees with experience in Film and video production. I still consider myself a work in progress when it comes to life and career.

The process can be very humbling. We did an eight-minute video promo for a big company. As we presented the rough cut, when we were about three minutes into playing the video for them, the company’s VP of marketing had me stop the playback. “Did you guys just get a new FX box generator?” “Yes,” I replied. He said, “We don’t need to see every effect your FX box will do in an eight-minute video. Now go fix it.” We learned not to let the “vehicle” get in the way of the message. The final version had two digital effects, not 30.

Remember my brother-in-law Mike Johnson, whom I mentioned earlier? He and his wife Michelle own em-jay Inc., which is now one of my biggest clients. I get to call Mike “Boss” occasionally. He always asks me not to call him that, but I can’t help myself. To me, it’s a term of endearment.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Orange County, California, is one of the vacation capitals in the world. The mountains, desert, and beach are all very close to one another. Obviously, there are the local theme parks, which everyone enjoys. You can purchase an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour experience at Disneyland, where you are treated as royalty and get to the front of all lines; it’s expensive but a fantastic way to visit. We have The LA Angels MLB and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks NHL teams. The Big Brother LA Dodgers and LA Kings play in nearby Los Angeles.

At Balboa Bay, you can enjoy a variety of experiences, from Gondola rides with a singing Gondolier to renting an electric Duffy Boat to cruise the harbor. You can bring a picnic basket with goodies and libations to enjoy. The accommodations are just as diverse, from ocean-view Suites to cozy cabins nestled in the woods. And the best part? You can bring in your favorite foods to cook and enjoy.

We particularly like Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant, Cheese and Chocolate Fans Rejoice, Benihana’s, Flemings Steak House, Kings Fish Market, and Maki Yaki all-you-can-eat sushi.

If we really want to go all out, we have our guests over for a “Top Chef” style BBQ. We first go to the Butchery in Brea, CA, where we select awesome things to cook and serve round after round of dishes of yumminess. Just so you know – the key here is to let your guests know that it is not a sit-down dinner, and we have 5-8 servings coming one at a time. Hot off the grill for them to enjoy. Plus dessert, of course. Our favorite desserts are RED HOT Shakes, BAILEY’S Shakes, or ROOTBEER FLOATS with frosted mugs. On a special Note, I worked on a weeklong shoot at Southbay Studios and promised the crew that I would have a special treat on the last day of production. When I brought out the floats, the crew became a bunch of little boys and girls, excited to be eight years old again.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is a difficult question, as I have so many people to thank for my life and career journey. First, I would like to thank my parents for laying the foundation for the importance of family and career balance. My Mom and Dad worked for me in the early years of my company. My Dad’s business card read “Father of the President.” My Dad would ask me, “Have you walked the halls, son, talked to your staff? In hindsight, I wish I would have acted on his advice more often. When my parents passed away in 2004 and 2008, my wife’s parents, Marcelle and Erwin Johnson stepped right in and became “Mom and Pops” and have continued to be outstanding role models to this day. We are so blessed to have them is our lives. Cherish family and friends.

In the early years of Advanced Video Productions (AVP), I hired family members, Brothers Mike and Garr, brother-in-law Michael Johnson, and many of his friends. I was fortunate to have such a dedicated group of friends and family to ramp up the business. My younger brother Garr’s best friend, Tom Gudvangen, became the VP of AVP. As the company grew, we hired Rick Sherman, who did sound design and scored original music for some of our video projects. Kenny Skaggs was employed as a graphic/animation artist. We also hired many creative directors and producers with film and video production degrees or related experience.

Looking back, I would be foolish not to mention my wife, Debbie, who married me in 1978 (46 years ago). Debbie has always supported me and let me act like a kid now and then, sometimes with boyhood wonderment throughout our marriage. Debbie married me when I was a 6th-grade school teacher before I changed careers and turned into this “Video Nut.” In 1981, I wanted to purchase a home video camera to videotape my students doing House of Representatives speeches. My wife thought I was already buying too many things for the classroom. She was initially against the purchase as I had already purchased 46 animals, a photo lab, and a computer to motivate the children in my classroom. I told her I would get the camera to pay for itself by videotaping events and educational projects. Running a classroom of 34 students and a video production company with a staff of 32 creative artists are very similar. Make it fun. Catch the “Kids” being Good. Advanced Video Productions started in my garage and became a successful video production company.

When AVP closed in 1990, I started Moving Images, and my first hire was Teri Lawrence, our former Marketing Director/Writer from AVP. It begins with a great idea or script; Teri is really good at that. Teri is also very organized when setting up a production. Moving Images has been producing award-winning videos for 34 years now. Production Personnel are hired per project, thus keeping the overhead in check.

Website: https://www.moving-images.tv

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-mckechnie-a639a651/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.mckechnie.7

Image Credits
1) Tom Gudvangen VP AVP and Garr McKechnie
2) John Gasca, VP Post AVP
3) Dan McKechnie
4) Mike Noodian, Dan McKechnie, Scott Hays, Joone Kim-Lopez, Manuel Gómez
5) Dan Mckechnie and son Chris
6) Grand Kids Aiden and Noah McKechnie
7) Coastal Crisis Best of LA Film Festival
8) Rick Sherman and Dan McKechnie at the Awards Banquet
9) Mike Uribe and Michael Johnson
10) My Edit suite at South Bay Studios, where I worked for over 25 years.