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

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I measure my success by measuring happiness; my happiness and my customers happiness.
Success for me is being of service. Going above and beyond for my clients by offering some free equipment support services, showing up early to work and maintaining an up-beat, positive attitude all contribute to my success and my clients success, and happiness.

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

My first job in the entertainment business was working special effects on the movie Titanic. This opportunity was given to me by a student of mine while I was teaching private airbrush classes. This one stroke of good fortune has lead to over 20 years in the entertainment business for me.

I started in the union, but now, I have diversified in the independent market where I get to work on feature films, commercials, music videos, television shows and much more; primarily providing lighting, grip and electric services to production companies and live events in Los Angeles and New York.

I provide comprehensive services by producing the entire G&E department, including quality equipment and experienced independent labor. This, combined with support services like free pikup and return of rental equipment, creates an environment of team work and helps the production to run smoothly and effectively.

By bringing experience and, I think most importantly, a great attitude to work every day, I help ensure that I maintain a large pool of return clients. When clients return, I know I’ve done things right because people want to work with me over and over.

I love production! Movies were always my passion growing up, I couldn’t get enough! When I ended up on the sound stages for 5th Element and Contact, or Godzilla I knew that’s where I wanted to be. In the years that follow, I have brought several of my creative interests to bear on my work in production. In addition to my abundant lighting skills, I still do specialty paint on special effects models, I offer specific acting services and I am a certified and licensed Prop Gun Armorer.
Being on set is where I am happiest and where I can offer the most to my production team. Working as a team and accomplishing goals together, then seeing the hard work come out on the camera, is one of my most joyous accomplishments.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My referrals and reputation are very important to staying busy as a contractor in entertainment and advertising production. Good communication, great attitude and reliability are the cornerstones of my reputation. Thes are the qualities that help projects run smoothly and encourage my clients to hire me over and over again on future jobs.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My biggest lesson that improved me as a person and employee was getting my ego in check. Toxic egos can derail any production or department and make for very stressful work days. Since getting my ego in check, I revel in being part of a team and creating things together. The secondary lesson I learned from this is that we are better working, being creative and problem solving together as a cohesive unit, open to all input from other team members.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.goodmangripandlight.com
• Instagram: @goodmangripandlight
• Facebook: @goodmangripandlight
• Youtube: goodmangripandlight

Image Credits

D.A.Goodman