We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dalton Weber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dalton, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents instilled in me the art of discipline. I was fortunate to be a part of a family where I learned from an early age to take care of myself. High expectations were implied not just to be strict, but to unlock my greatest potential. When I was younger I didn’t know of the extent of how much my family helped me. Now that I’m older I can return the favor.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Dalton Weber. I am 23 years old from the city of Columbus, Ohio. I am a solo filmmaker and former competitive runner who aspires to become a cinematographer. I’m a senior studying film at the Columbus College of Art & Deisgn as well as a soldier in the Army National Guard. I own and operate a production company, Lucid Starlight ltd.

I started playing with a red vivitar camcorder in the late 2000s creating super mario plushy videos with my brother, Thomas. Later in high school I became interested in digital photography and purchased my first serious camera; A canon rebel T5i (with the flippy screen!)

After high school I enlisted in the army national guard to pay for my tuition for film school. once I returned from training the pandemic was in full swing. As society was on the breaking point, I became hyper focused on my craft.

I connected with a well respected digital artist in the Instagram community, Anthony. He took me under his wing as a mentor; Learning all about digital painting, image manipulation & the study of light/composition.

Throughout the next few years I would apply what I had learned in the digital manipulation space and add it to the moving image; multiple images tied together in harmony. I began experimenting with projectors & other unconventional methods. This is what I’m the most proud of.

At the height of the pandemic I volunteered to deploy stateside in my national guard unit in order to aid in the rapid testing services of people in need; Transporting test samples from various nursing homes to testing facilities. During this time I had a sense of melancholy with the state of the world & how I fit in it; bleeding into my early work.

Once the pandemic slowed down I was able to physically attend CCAD as a sophomore and I quickly delved into my studies and began accumulating resources such as my editing suite & the cinema camera system I have today.

As I reached my late junior year, My father began to feel unwell & underwent many hospital visits that continue to this day. His health had worsened throughout the year.

As a young person, I have taken for granted my family & what they have done to propel me to where I am now. It is my responsibility to create a film as a tribute to my father & my family as a whole.

The film titled, “Phantasia” is about a young boy discovering mystical abilities after a family conflict, leading him on a journey through parallel realities. Years later, he returns as a skilled athlete, driven by a desire to reconcile with his deceased father by competing in the Olympics, willing to sacrifice everything for closure.

I have poured my heart into this project and wish to share it with the world. Filming begins in August of this year & will see the big screen in May 2025.

With Lucid Starlight, I share my videography abilities in order to fulfill the promise I made to my family & friends. I will walk through mountains to achieve my goals; As the obstacles prove nothing but an illusion.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to manage myself and my own business has been an amazing privilege filled with numerous opportunities. When I was younger I was quietly discouraged from pursuing arts in favor of a more traditional career and lifestyle, but as I got older I found it important that I create my own story.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Yes! Since I am a new small business I have taken the opportunity to work as a security officer on the weekends in order to make ends meet. While this might sound discouraging for some. I find it quite the opposite as I see the path for victory.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dawtyn.io
• Instagram: @dawtyn
• Youtube: @dawtyn
• TikTok: @dawtyn