1st AC Keith Davis on the camera assistant’s craft
First AC Keith Davis is known for his intuitive approach to focus pulling, impeccable preparation, and passionate dedication to the craft. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of the industry's most acclaimed cinematographers, including Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, NSC, FSF, with whom he has worked on five features to date: Her, Advertisement Astra, Tenet, Nope and Oppenheimer. In this interview, Davis shares his journey into film making, his unique "full-feel view" approach to the AC role, and his experiences prepping projects with van Hoytema and Panavision senior vice president of optical engineering and lens strategy Dan Sasaki.
Panavision: What inspired you to work in the film industry? And what drew you to the camera department?
Keith Davis: I’ve always loved photography. I remember stealing my sister's Polaroid camera - I loved taking photographs. My parents weren't affluent, so I ended up learning how to take photographs with my mind. I’d always capture these images. Everywhere I went, I would take these mental photographs. When I got to college, I studied graphic design and photography. After I graduated, I did all sorts of odd jobs, just trying to survive.
A friend of mine asked me to work on this miniseries called A Woman Named Jackie. The DP was Michael Fash [BSC], and I ended up being the guy who put the layout board on the sets. When I got on set, I realized that I didn't learn anything about lighting in school, so I befriended the key grip, Skip Cook. He took me under his wing and taught me about lighting and grip work. I had such a great time working on that miniseries, and during the last three or four weeks of the show, he hired me as a grip. At the end of the show, I was at the wrap party with the director, Larry Peerce, and the DP, Michael Fash, and they asked me, ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ I said, ‘I want to be a photographer.’ To which they said, ‘You should have told us; we could have gotten you into the camera department.’ ‘That easy?’ I asked. They replied, ‘Don't ever be afraid to tell people what you want to do,’ and I ran with that.
I decided at that moment that I was going to move to California to pursue being a camera assistant because I could still do photography on the side. I moved with my college roommate, who was the stand-in on the miniseries. We moved to Hollywood, and there were some lean years. I started doing some work at AFI and worked on some small independent movies. I then started doing a lot of television miniseries work until I was hired as a key second on a TV series called Nash Bridges. I was pretty green when I took the job, but I worked hard and ended up staying for six seasons. For three of those seasons, I was a second assistant before moving up to B camera first assistant in the fourth season, in '98. I've been a focus puller ever since.
Can you take us through your process? What does a day in the life of a first AC look like?
Davis: On a typical day, I get up in the morning, drive to work, and maybe listen to a little music, just to clear my mind. I review any notes about scheduling that I might have, and things I know are going to happen during the day. I read the call sheet before I drink my coffee, so I have a good idea of what's going to happen throughout the day, and I also refer to my own schedules. I try to prepare myself mentally. I believe in what I call a ‘full-feel view,’ which means not just having tunnel vision on my specific job. It's about being able to see the whole picture: understanding the story, the logistics, what's entailed, the terrain, the weather, etc. Do I have the right people, the right equipment?
A big part of being a first is trying to stay a step ahead of my boss - listening, paying attention, and anticipating. Every job I work on establishes itself within the first week or so. It has its own language and rhythm. In that first week, I focus on learning that rhythm, which helps me anticipate what I need. Going into a scene, I usually have a pretty good idea of what the coverage will be based on the rhythm and feel of the show.
As a focus puller, when I'm working wide open all the time, I can prepare myself. I watch mannerisms and how people stand or sit. I try to be another set of eyes because whether it's a digital show or a film job, sometimes the operator is looking at framing, and I can see things they don't. As an assistant, you have so many different duties: You're a manager, a technician, an artist, a psychologist. I kind of equate it to being like a golf caddy because you give the director of photography the tools to do their job, and you read the room. It's more than just twisting a knob or watching a monitor.
My process of pulling focus has always been tapping into my intuition and my 'feel.' I'm more of a 'feel' focus puller, you could say. In the morning, I'll calibrate my eye to the environment because I believe that inside depth perception is a little different than outdoors. It's brightness, how you perceive depth, or whether you're in a dark room or not. I usually start off trying to see what six feet is. Six and 10 feet - I kind of like those. If I'm doing handheld and we're doing a fight scene, then I want to see six and three feet. I want to see that in my mind and feel it. I try not to overthink it too much because if I'm thinking about a number all the time, then I'm already late - it's gone. I have all the tools, and I use the monitor when I need it. I use whatever I can, but I try to depend on myself, my internal gaze.
What’s the role of an AC during prep versus during production?
Davis: My preparation process goes back to when I was a kid taking those mental photographs. I have to touch and see every piece of equipment because that's how I catalogue things in my brain. When something happens [on set], I can always say, ‘Hey, go into this case and grab it,’ knowing exactly what we have and what’s needed — a funky screw or some bracket that I have a mental photograph of and know will work in this situation. It’s touching, seeing and scheduling.
When I start a new job, especially if it's a film with Hoyte, he'll call me and give me a rundown before saying, ‘Go read the script.’ He'll give me points about equipment he’s considering, what he wants and what he envisions for the job. Then I'll start researching. I'll read the script multiple times, breaking it down and taking notes. Then we’ll meet, and I'll compare my notes with his. I think about the little details, like whether I see rain or water or other things that he doesn't need to worry about. We have a few more meetings, and I go to Panavision and prep. I get the lenses from Dan Sasaki and put everything together.
Hoyte isn't an off-the-shelf DP. It's not like we could just go with this or that. He wants some engineering; he wants some thought. I love being in the conversations with Hoyte and Dan and seeing how they get almost giddy about equations. What I love most about working with Panavision is having the resources and support. It's all the people I work with, whether in electronics, machining, lenses or despatch - everybody loves movies. I remember seeing the despatch guys wearing orange Nope sweatshirts and just loving it. It is such a special place, having people who want us to succeed in what we're trying to do.
When I have the full picture, I look at the whole film and ask myself, 'What do I need for everything?' I tend to approach a job by not only figuring out our needs but also making sure we have a little bit of a buffer. At the same time, I don't want to bring the whole rental house, because I don't want to carry equipment we won't use. Something I've learned working with Hoyte and Christopher Nolan is that the call sheet could have a whole week's worth of work on it, and we could pivot to anything at any moment. They tend to be fluid. Being able to prep a job efficiently means having everything needed in any given situation. They could say, 'Hey, we're going to make a pivot, do you have this ready?' and I can confidently say yes. It's like doing a puzzle, but I love puzzles! The puzzle is trying to stay ahead and keep the momentum going - it's all about momentum.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Davis: The best advice I've ever received was from Stephen Lighthill [ASC], who was the DP on the second season of Nash Bridges at the time, whilst I was still a second - he was kind of a mentor to me. He said, ‘You have a right to say anything you feel, but deal without heat.’ In other words, think about what you need to say before you say it with heat. Another piece of advice was from Tommy Lohman, my operator when I moved up full time. He said, ‘It's not about you, and it's not about me. There’s only a small amount of times that you need to make it about yourself, but most of the time we're there for the director, the actors, and the DP.’
