Dan Ray Celebrates 3 Years at 20/20
Dan Ray recently celebrated his 3rd anniversary at 20/20 Visual Media. He was hired right at the beginning of the pandemic (literally 4 days before the world shut down), and from the very beginning, he embraced every aspect of the work we do. He jumped in right away helping us to plan how to survive the shut down. He became an integral part in beginning to plan, shoot, and produce live event, make graphics, edit existing work, and do anything else that needed to be done to survive that time.
In the three years since, Dan has truly become a lead cinematographer/Director of Photography on our team. He designs and executes the look of most of our videos. He leads our team on set to make sure we’re creating a unique look to each piece that reflects the values of our clients. And he still plays a major role in contributing to our post-production efforts, often editing the pieces that he and others shoot. (Plus, he just got his FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone license!)
Three years in, Dan took a moment to look back on some of his favorite work at 20/20, and look forward at what’s next on his list to accomplish.
Dan’s passion for storytelling comes through in each project he contributes to.
“Of all projects we get to bring to life, the one I am most proud of was Josiah Porter’s at the 2022 Little League World Series. There were so many moving parts all week, from the sheer logistics of the venue to filming dozens of baseball games. It was really special to be able to spend time with Josiah’s family and get to know them, and be allowed into their world during one of the most exciting and inspiring moments in their lives.
On top of all that, capturing Josiah hitting a grand slam on the last night we were there was a serene, storybook moment. It took everyone on the team to make that story as powerful as it was. If a story is told well, then anyone will be able to derive some sort of connection to it. I am always looking to bring that out of the people we interview.
To me, centering a story around something that anyone can relate to, from the scenes we shoot all the way down to the edit, brings a story to life and makes it one of a kind. There is always common ground that will allow us to understand and connect to someone we’ve never met before.
As a cinematographer, I want to keep absorbing as much knowledge as I can to be able to craft unique, compelling images. Since our clients and shoots are so varied across many different industries, I want to be able arrive on site and quickly make decisions to motivate the videography. For me, the first thing that draws me into a piece are the visuals on screen, and I am always striving to create consistent, compelling setups to enhance the stories we’re telling.”
- Dan Ray
