Derek van Valkenburg

Background

About Derek van Valkenburg

These days, many professional working people are asked to do more than what they specialize in. How valuable, then, is today's Jack/Jill of all trades? After graduating from the University of Central Florida with the desire to be a filmmaker, I found the video production job market in Central Florida to be limited. So I moved cross-country from Florida to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film/tv industry. I spent my first few years rigging and operating various industry standard cameras as both a Camera Assistant and Camera Utility on feature films, TV shows, and music videos. While the experience was invaluable, my lack of knowledge about the other departments in video production got the best of my curiosity. My goal wasn't to be a Cameraman. My goal was to make professional video productions. I switched gears and pursued work as a Production Assistant. This broadened my experience giving me a bird's-eye-view of how productions worked and hands-on experience with more. I quickly moved into a Key position where I gained valuable experience as a leader of a team of Production Assistants. Because I had technical experience in the camera department, in which I still found work as a Camera Assistant from time to time, I found many great work opportunities I wouldn't have if I didn't have the technical skills. My combined technical and administrative skills led to me being a Production Coordinator at KIN for several years, where I wore multiple hats - most importantly the ability to orchestrate the elements to make sure our productions had everything they needed, and on time. At KIN, I was a Coordinator who was also a Director of Photography, Set Constructor, Lighting Technician, Grip, Equipment Manager, and Team Leader. In my time as Production Coordinator, I incorporated a standard system of communication, defined roles, and established workflows which helped make the small company into a production powerhouse. The result is that these created efficiencies which greatly reduced production hours needed and cost. This allowed us to allocate the savings toward upgraded gear and better crew amenities. I moved back to Florida in 2019 to raise and be closer to family. I have since been working in Orlando as an A/V Technician for The AV Guys, setting up corporate conferences and orchestrating hybrid teleconferencing events. Although the AV and video production industries are different, they are similar enough for my years of experience in the latter to be of great value in my progress in the former. Want to know more? Let's chat!