Focus on Set: An Interview with Cameraman Lou DeMarco

Ever wondered what’s it like to work on a movie set? Lou DeMarco, a focus puller and camera operator, has worked on endless blockbuster movies and popular TV shows. Keep reading below to learn how he got his start and what life is like in the industry. 

Getting His Start 

Lou grew up in sunny Los Angeles, California. He went to college at the University of California San Diego where he studied management science and quantitative methods. When he graduated college in 1987, he became a marketing accountant for Paramount Pictures. With his love of baseball, Lou joined the company softball league and met some of the Paramount camera crew during his games. 

“I was bored with accounting and their jobs seemed so fun. They offered me a camera PA job in the dept and I quit my marketing job to join them,” Lou said. “ I became a camera loader only to become a camera technician and operator for the next 35 years.”

Life as a Camera Technician  

As the lead camera technician and focus puller, Lou and his team set up all the camera positions on set as determined by the director and director of photography. This includes changing lenses, rolling the camera, and keeping the actors in-focus. In addition, he and his team set up all the monitors for the director and producers to view the images during shooting. They also plan for the next week’s shooting schedule and must review when to add cameras and additional crew.

“I really enjoy working with my camera crew as well as all the other departments on a movie crew. The collaborative efforts of all departments make it so rewarding to eventually see your work on the big screen 6 months later,” Lou said.

Lou has worked on endless projects including Planet of the Apes (2001), Black-ish (2014-2019), Iron Man (2008), Charlie’s Angels (2000), and more. However, his favorite movie to work on was in 1994 called Black Sheep.

“I met my future wife Kelli on that show. We dated for three years and then got married in 1998 and had two beautiful children.”

Challenges in the Industry 

Although Lou loves his job, with it comes challenges. He explained how some shoot days can end up being 12-14 hour work days. In addition, the recent film industry strikes from the Screen Actors and Writer Guild halted production for almost 6 months, and Lou struggled to find work.  

“The reality is that our union is saturated with operators and there aren’t enough movies being made in the US to give all of them jobs. The strikes created a big work shortage. I didn’t have a lot of work during the strikes and had to start working on low-budget horror movies and concerts.”

Although there are challenges, Lou says “It’s been a great career and I’ve enjoyed every bit of the 35 years I’ve been in the industry. I couldn’t imagine doing another job as much as I love making movies and TV shows.”

Advice for Readers

His advice to anyone interested in working in the industry is that “If you have a passion to work as a camera person or in another position in the film industry, meet as many people as you can who have experienced it and start chasing production assistant jobs on TV shows, movies, and commercials. That way you can find your way to the department that you really love.”

Featured Image: Lou (Notre Dame sweatshirt) is pictured on the set of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

To find out more about Lou DeMarco and his projects, visit IMDB.com