Digi-Tech Q&A with Miguel DeLeon
This Q&A series is all about shining a spotlight on people in the industry. The goal is to learn about them and share their insights with you. There are many talented people in various markets around the world, and hopefully this series will help you get to know them better.
Q: Who are you, where are you based and what type of jobs do you work?
I am Miguel DeLeon, Owner and operator at LoTek Digital Inc. based in Los Angeles, CA
As a Stills digital technician I am currently working on productions for entertainment key art, some fashion advertising, and some editorial work.
Q: How did you become a Digital-Tech and how long have you done it?
Maybe 2010 or so I started driving, packing, fixing digital equipment for Industrial Color in NYC. While I was there they operated in a way that facilitated learning in a way I haven’t encountered since. The full time techs were required to come into the office when they weren’t on set so I had a wealth of information available to me. After training me up they started sending me out on jobs and it has been a multifaceted journey ever since.
Q: What do you like most about your work; what do you like least?
I find many parts of my work to be very enjoyable but I think I’m most engaged when i'm presented with a technical hurdle that is so far out there that no amount of preparation is going to fulfill the reality of what is going to happen.
The thing I like the least about the work as a digital technician is trying to have that one obscure cord that could solve the curveball that was just thrown at you.
Q: What do you feel is important to learn for anyone starting out or what do you wish you knew when starting?
There are so many aspects to the work as a digital technician, and you may not be at your best in some areas. Recognize your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and be comfortable in saying you don’t know something.
Q: What’s one item in your kit you can recommend to everyone?
Pen and paper. We have a lot to keep track of. Write it down.
Q: What piece of equipment would you like to never see on set again?
Definitely rotational hard drives. Leave those at home.
Q: If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
It would be interesting to see unionization in Photography but I do not have the vision to see that path forward.
Q: What was your best day on set?
None of the things that come to mind are technical. The one I can’t shake is helping Adrienne Raquel photograph Stevie Wonder. Halfway through the shoot we just stopped and listened to him jam for like 45 minutes. I don’t think I'll ever forget that.
Q: How do you explain what you do for work to family/strangers?
I used to liken myself to an umpire at a baseball game but I’ve gained language along the way and tell people “I facilitate collective cognition for the people on set through visual feedback so people can make choices to achieve their vision.”
Miguel DeLeon
@lotek_digital_inc
https://lotekdigital.com
You can read others in the Q&A series HERE
