Here’s one for anyone who’s ever had the urge to pick up a camera and paint moving pictures with their eyes.

For me – being an actor, not a cinematographer – there’s always been something romantic, something magical, about the work of a truly talented DP. So when we got a chance to talk to one them (a truly talented DP, that is), we were excited to first of all know how one ends up calling oneself a cinematographer.

Sean McDaniel has been working as a cinematographer for over a decade on narrative, documentary and experimental films. He furthered his studies as a cinematographer while acquiring his MFA in Film Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and his work has screened in numerous film festivals around the world including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Palm Springs Film Festival, LA Shorts Film Festival, HollyShorts, and the Vancouver International Film Festival, among others. He was a USC selection for the 2014 A.S.C. Heritage Award, which looks great on paper, sure, but more importantly speaks to his passion for telling powerful stories through his work behind the camera in support of his collaboration with talented directors.

We got a whole basket of proverbial golden nuggets from Sean and will be passing them onto you over the coming weeks. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for instant notifications when new interviews are posted – and be sure to add yourself to our mailing list, too.

You can watch his reel here.