Meet Paul Samaniego | Chief Lighting Technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Samaniego and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I was solely focused on working during the beginning of my career. I was young, ambitious, and hungered for success. “Paying your dues” was a term I heard many times, and most people seemed to echo the same response, which was about ten years. I was motivated to knock those years out ASAP, as I wanted to succeed and excel as quickly as possible. I arrived in Los Angeles without an “official” residence. I rented a storage unit, but my most important valuables
were stored in the back of my truck, which fortunately had a camper shell. This led to a lifestyle of couch surfing, and at times sleeping in the back of my truck. Often, I would work on set for 12-14 hours, then head directly to my next job, possibly catch a couple hours of sleep in my truck, before working another 12-14 hours. In my mind, turning down any job that came my way, no matter the pay nor position, was not an option. There were opinions during those times that if you said no to a job, you would never be hired again. Reflecting on it now, I’m amazed that I was able to do that, but I now recognize how potentially reckless and dangerous that was. I wouldn’t recommend doing what I did, to anyone trying to get into this business. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a mentor offering guidance about what or how to make it, so I did whatever I possible to move forward. My life revolved around work, and reflecting on that now, seems at times, a bit sad. This is not to say, that I didn’t try to be in the “scene” in Hollywood, but all the while I was on the grind and hustling. Now that I have achieved a level of success, I recognize the need to “have a life”. I may not be as young, but I am still ambitious and have a desire to succeed. My drive is still there, and I have goals in my professional life that I am still trying to achieve, but I won’t sacrifice my health and sanity for work anymore. Personal time, family life, whatever you want to refer to it as, is the foundation for success professional life. It gives you the perspective, the appreciation, and the experience to create a positive and successful working environment. I have worked on shifting my mindset from a “live to work”, to a “work to live”. As with everything in life you can’t have too much of one thing and not the other. It is important to be well-balanced in all things, even free time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Chief Lighting Technician (Gaffer) in the film, television/streaming, and commercial production industry. I am the head of the set lighting department, and there are several duties that are entailed in my position. Mainly, I am involved in collaborating with the cinematographer (a.k.a. director of photography) to create a visual language through lighting for the given project. Unless you work in the industry, it may sound confusing, but scenes for films, streamers, commercials are lit with cinema grade “movie lights” that cannot be seen in the shot. There are deliberate choices to our lighting style to help convene the emotional content of a scene. Along with the creative collaboration, are the standard managerial duties of time, crew, equipment, and money. It’s a combination of artistic creativity, technological savviness, and business logistics.

I don’t know what would set me apart from others, as I am not in competition with anyone other than myself. I have an unwillingness to accept failure at face value, but rather considered it an opportunity to learn and grow. I believe in community, and “la familia” mentality that if “you succeed, I succeed, and we succeed.” And vice versa. This is a collaborative medium and other opinions can unlock new routes and other potentialities for success.

I am proud of the achievements I’ve made throughout my career. I set out do what exactly what I said I was going to do since a young age. Through perseverance, determination, and sacrifice I have been fortunate to work on some of the biggest projects, and with some of the top names in Hollywood. I am grateful for these opportunities, but I am also deserving of them, as I have put in the time and work to be where I am at. I am not yet finished with the goals I have set out to achieve, and I am excited to see what I will manifest in the future.

I began my journey, like so many, at a young age. I am from a small rural, farming community in Southern California known as the Imperial Valley. There isn’t much to do out there, besides off-roading in desert or swimming in canals during the unbearably hot summers. We managed to make the best of our situation. I was enamored with movies and naturally grew up watching Star Wars, the originals, and Indiana Jones. I received my first point and shoot 35mm still camera at the age of 9-10 years old and would take pictures as often as I could. This led to using friend’s camcorders, and eventually my own family’s camcorder, when we finally purchased one to make my small films. These projects included anything from silly skits, karate movies, to stop-motion animation. As I entered junior high, this segued into skateboarding films, as my friends and I had dreams of going pro. We also liked the idea of creating more content to enhance our skate videos. My high school had a 35mm black and white photography lab, and I spent a good majority of my time in there canning film, developing, and printing images. This class provided me with access to tape-to-tape editing, and eventually computer editing for my skateboarding videos and short film projects. After playing around at community college for a couple years, I enrolled at Brooks Institute of Photography, which has permanently closed their doors. I graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Motion Picture and Television production, with an emphasis on cinematography. This set my path to Los Angeles/Hollywood to make it in the pictures.

Once in LA/Hollywood, the road was fraught with challenges. I am not a generational filmmaker, and I had no connections in the business other than some friends I went to film school with. However, I was determined to succeed and not take failure as an option. I didn’t want to return to my hometown with my tail tucked between my legs. In my final year of school, I was able to secure an internship at Birns & Sawyer camera house. Upon graduation, this led to part time employment there, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills. I soon branched out in search of work finding whatever way I could to get myself on set. I was fortunate that I didn’t work as an office/set PA (Production Assistant) often, but was put into the camera and lighting departments, as one of their PAs. This eventually turned into being hired in those departments as a film loader and a juicer/electrician, as they were called back then. Again, this was no walk in the park. I would constantly jump from job to job, often leaving one set after a 12-14 hour day, only to travel to another set to work a 12-14 hour day. Sometimes I would be able to squeeze in a couple hours of sleep, but many times I would roll right into work after a quick freshening up in the bathroom. I don’t regret any of those moments in my life, but I do not recommend doing that, as I reflect upon it and realize how dangerous that was. However, at the time I was young, eager, and hungry. I eventually secured my membership in Local IATSE 728, the Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians Union of Hollywood. This membership has provided me the opportunity to earn a livable wage, provide healthcare benefits, and start a retirement plan. It has opened the doors to working on some of the biggest projects of my career and has allowed me to build some of the deepest and longest lasting friendships and work relationships I could ask for. I am grateful for my membership and for those connections as they’ve helped mold me into the professional, I am today.

Throughout my career, I have learned too many lessons to count. I will continue learning lessons every day, as each new project comes with new hurdles to face. However, here is some advice I learned from my experiences. 1. Take care of your health. That should be of the utmost importance. Eat healthy, exercise, sleep, see your doctor. Invest in quality shoes and a bed, those will be your best friends after long days on set. 2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know how to do something. We have a saying that we use jokingly, “Fake it til you make it” in some instances that works, but the majority of times this could lead to injury or a damaging of your reputation. Listen, watch, and learn from those around you. 3. Always remember to be passionate and proud of your work, otherwise why do it. 4. Finally, despite the stresses and challenges, try as best as you can to remain positive and calm. Remember to breathe and try to let things go.

My story is not so different from others who have chosen the same path I have. I was determined and wouldn’t accept failure as an end to the means. Throughout my career I have fallen several times, but continually pick myself up. Perseverance will pay off in the end, and if you believe in your dreams and follow them, they will come to fruition.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is challenging, as fortunately my best(s) friends live close and have come up many times. It always varies depending on the time of year and our interests have changed throughout the course of my years living in Los Angeles. There is so much to do, and it always feels as if there is never enough time. However, here’s how a visit with me would possibly play out.

You can’t visit Los Angeles without a trip to the beach, unless of course you completely detest the beach. It used to always be Venice and Santa Monica, but over the course of time it has shifted down to Playa through Redondo Beach, should you want some fun in the sun and sand with access to restaurants and bars. If it is strictly for surf, sand, sun and fun, Leo Carrillo is a great place, especially since it is dog friendly.

A hike throughout the many trails in Malibu is always exhilarating and provides vistas of the Santa Monica mountains and Pacific Ocean that are second to none. We could head inland to hike in Griffith Park ending at the historic Griffith Park Observatory, with an impressive view of downtown Los Angeles to West Los Angeles, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

We could catch a baseball game at Dodger Stadium, especially if it’s during the playoffs, because the playoff atmosphere is on a whole different level. Yet heading to the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) for a LA Kings game is always a blast. Live professional hockey is another beast, especially sitting against the glass. If those don’t tickle their fancy, catching a football game, from the NFL to NCAA, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Rose Bowl, and/or SoFi Stadium is spectacular. Two of the stadiums have a plethora of historical significance and SoFi is an impressive state of the art multipurpose stadium. Some prefer the beautiful game of soccer, so we could head over to Banc of California Stadium or Dignity Health Center to get in a footie match. This is another great way to spend a day. There is never a shortage of sporting events year around in Los Angeles.

Looking for some live music, I would recommend a live show at the Wiltern Theater, El Rey, Palladium, Echoplex, or the Hollywood Bowl. All have their specific purpose and provide a perfect atmosphere for the genre of music that is attracted to their venue. For orchestral music you must stop by the Disney Concert Hall. The acoustics are unbelievable in there. You can find great live music throughout the entirety of Los Angeles from dive bars to open air “backyard” venues. Maybe it is time for a little art and culture. We could head over to the LACMA or The Getty Center to get our fix of the arts and culture on. We could get on down to the Natural History Museum for First Fridays (happens the first or every Month), sponsored by KCRW, for a spectacular event with live music, DJs, topical discussions, and cocktails. If scheduled properly we could make a stop at the Magic Castle which is full of, well yes, magic and sorcery. It’s unique because you must know a performer or be a member to get in, but it is worth the 1-3 month. There is a dress code so be prepared to dress in your Sunday Best.

For some wining and dining, Los Angeles is a melting pot of culture and cuisine. We could start out in our neighborhood of Palms, grab some breakfast at C&M Cafe, with their delicious arrays of breakfast foods. We could grab an early lunch or happy hour at our gastropub The Garage, I would recommend Dave’s smoked wings on the weekend, those things are addictive, and it’s our Cheers bar. Maybe we’d head down the street to our sabroso, Oaxacan restaurant, Madre. The Barbacoa de Chivo is muy excelente and their Mezcal Margarita is en fuego. Not too far from us is a great little Himalayan/Nepalese spot called Tara’s. This place offers a cuisine that is like Indian but has a unique twist on it. However, it is always nice to get out of our neighborhood and explore more of the city cuisine that LA has to offer. Head down to Venice Beach and stop at Hinano Cafe for a bomb burger, from a flat top griddle that I’m sure has been there since the establishment opened, and it’ll be accompanied with an ice-cold beer. Just remember to bring cash or be ready to use the ATM (cash only eatery). We could end up in El Segundo at Rock & Brews should you feel the need for some more beer garden, gastropub, all while watching your favorite music videos. Feel like a sushi dinner, Irori Sushi in Marina del Rey, is a great little spot, with an interesting way to sit and eat sushi, as they have cut out holes in the floor that your feet/legs go into. Be ready to take your shoes off at the door and store them in a cubby (like elementary school). Maybe you prefer a quick sushi spot. Kazunori in DTLA has exceptional handrolls (as it only serves handrolls). The blue crab handroll is where it’s at. Since we are in downtown, can’t go without stopping by Pizzanista for some excellent slices, or maybe head to Wurstkuche if you want a great German sausage sandwich with some giant steins of beer. I wouldn’t head downtown either without stopping by Ave 26 Tacos for some authentic tacos de la calle. Get you some pastor, onions, cilantro, lime, and salsa and that all you need. How many can you eat? There are too many great places to eat at in LA and I’ve still only scratched the surface.

Finally, we’ll end it with libations, as previously stated in the food section. There are great beers at the gastro pubs, some cocktails there as well, Madre has an unbelievable mezcaleria (mezcal bar), with a variety of mixed drinks. We enjoy dive bars more than anything. So, you could find us at the Townhouse in Venice Beach for an old timey, speakeasy vibe or head on over to the Cozy Inn, for a true westside dive opened from 6Am-2AM. Cheap heavy pours. A nice walk for us in our neighborhood is Irish Times. Great drinks and a friendly atmosphere. If we were leaving a Dodger game, we’d make a pre-game or post-game stop at The Shortstop, or we could hang around Hollywood and hit up Good Times at Davey Wayne’s or end up at the Powerhouse for some good ole fun. We could hit the Arts District Brewery in DTLA, and mozzie down the street to Angel City Brewery. Three Weavers and Smog City Brewery offer many great drinks as well. Again, there are too many to name.

I/we have been to many places and continue to explore the great city of Los Angeles. I’m sure I have forgotten more spots than I can remember, and when I read this article, I probably think to myself, “why didn’t I think of that place”?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout out list is too long, so I’ll narrow it down. First and foremost, I’d like to shout out to my wife, Genna Sandler Samaniego, as she has always been the support system, the rock, and glue that has held our family together. Her unconditional love has been a driving force for me to push the limits and reach for goals I may have thought were unattainable.

As far as credit and recognition, that list is even longer. It spans from family and friends, educators, mentors, colleagues and acquaintances, long life relationships, to brief encounters, books, podcasts, film and television, and travel. Everything I have experienced in my time on this planet has molded and shaped me into the person I am today. Every single moment has contributed to a chapter, paragraph, sentence, and even a single word in my life’s book.

Should you need me to name them, I gladly will.

Website: www.paulsamaniego.com

Instagram: @spamaneggos

Linkedin: Paul Samaniego

Facebook: Paul Samaniego

Image Credits
Photos of me by Genna Sandler Samaniego All other photos by Paul Samaniego