Meet Lee Narby | Gaffer/Cinematographer, Husband, Father, I.A.T.S.E. Local 728 Member and owner of Light Ninjas Lighting and Grip Rentals

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

Hi Lee, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When starting my own business, my thought process was aimed at creating more revenue and also building an infrastructure that cinematographers, producers and directors could rely on to help their creative visions get executed. My lighting career was growing, and I saw a consistent struggle when dealing with budgets and how they correlated to rental requests. There consistently seems to be more equipment needed than the producers have budgeted, I felt that by owning the equipment I could not only make money by renting it, but also help expand the creative vision of the content creators and overall help generate a better product.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Looking at my career and where it has come, attitude and hard work are where I feel my strengths are. Although I definitely went through a growing period and had many days on set where I struggled to keep a good attitude, my tireless work ethic continued to keep me in the hiring pool. Staying positive, especially after 12 hours on set and working through the wee hours of the morning, can be difficult, if not impossible and I fell victim to my own ego many times. I’ve learned that no matter how much you may not find pleasure in what you’re doing at the moment, the project is bigger than one person and perseverance will make the difference in how you are remembered but more importantly, how you remember yourself. My wife and I always say that the people who ‘make it’ in this business are the ones who never stop, that to me is the ultimate truth. No one wants to hire a quitter, in fact, they cannot by definition. Light Ninjas Rentals is a small but strong business that has helped many productions keep creating on a budget, and I always want people to know that what they are creating is bigger than all of us and will be here long after we leave this earthly realm.

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?
Enjoying LA can be fun and difficult at the same time. Large numbers of people are what makes this city amazing but also can make it insufferable, so I think having a healthy mix of both is key. If I were to take my closest out for a week of fun it would include street tacos and bacon wrapped hot dogs in the heart of the city, followed by a hike in Griffith Park to burn it off and see an amazing smog-lit sunset. You have to go to Venice beach and see the wild at heart creatives who line up week after week to peddle their art and keep the city weird and wonderful. Then, once you watch the sun set over the mountains and ocean simultaneously (something that sold me, and you can’t get many places) you should head to Dodger Stadium to see the locals support their home team. Wake up the next day and do some yoga in the valley, then find your way to some good Thai food in Thai town, which leads you right down Hollywood Boulevard and the walk of stars. Cruise up through the hills for a breath of fresh air and see where the wealth lives to keep yourself grounded as you enjoy the winding roads through the tree lined canyons. Then start your evening off with some of LA’s karaoke and comedy because we showcase some of the best in the world. Once you’ve done belted out your favorite tune, head off to a Barcade and play some pinball while having an overpriced cocktail or six. Finish it up with your favorite beverage in a brown bag down on the beach at night, listen to the waves and remember why you came in the first place.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest supporter has definitely been my wife, and Local 728 Makeup Artist, Sarah Bonnel. She has helped me load many trucks as well as contributed to the success of Light Ninjas Rentals. Without her and our two wonderful children I would have sold the business a long time ago. Patience, understanding and communication are not only components of a successful production but also of any partnership. In addition to my family, I have had amazing mentors. Amanda Treyz gave me my first Gaffing jobs and helped me take what I learned in college and turn it into functional, real-world applications. She gave me many opportunities to explore my creativity while encouraging me to push myself on set and make great products despite limited time and resources. Amanda also introduced me to Kris Carrillo and Richard Vialet they are amazingly talented Cinematographers who graduated together from AFI’s fellowship program. Kris has taken me around the world to light sets from Latvia to Scotland and also gave me lots of advice on camera work to keep my Cinematography passion alive. Richard brought me on multiple feature films as Gaffer and showed me that being relentlessly positive is crucial to survival in the industry. There are several others who really deserve recognition for their friendship and pushing me along the way: Ryan Figueroa, my initial partner in Light Ninjas who helped me start the business. Patrick Russo, a fellow 728 member who has given me lots of recommendations to ‘big time’ gaffers and helped expand my idea of what I am capable of and James Boyer, an engineering genius who has been in the trenches with me time after time and given me no nonsense advice on life and how to make myself a more desirable businessman and gaffer.

Website: lightninjasrentals.com, leenarby.com

Instagram: @lightninjasrentals, @leenarby