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Dan Puodziunas: Working his way up the ladder

21 July 2008

Dan Puodziunas completed his Advanced Diploma at the Film and Television Institute in 2005 and has slowly been working his way up the production ladder working on a variety of television programs. While his long term goal is to become a Director of Photography, he is taking his time gaining experience in a many different roles and situations.

After completing his course at FTI, Dan got a rare chance to undertake a work experience program at the ABC. Dan spent six weeks working on the television program ‘The Pet Show’.

After relocating to Melbourne Dan landed a contract as a Runner at Roving Enterprises, the production house owned by Rove McManus that makes the programs ‘Rove Live’, as well as ‘Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader’, ‘Before the Game’ and the ‘Aria Awards’. Getting a start in the screen business takes a little bit of time, Puodziunas explains,

“Working a Roving Enterprises was a bit daunting at first, being my first real job in the industry. My job involved lots of random things from office work, to fixing broken doors in the office, to sorting out the filing cabinet. I could see all the boys going out with lights and cameras to shoot sketches with Hamish and Andy and I’m left in the office”

“Gradually though I got a little bit of experience in editing, and a tiny bit of boom and camera work, but you have to realise that those shoes are already filled by other team members.”

“The best thing I learned though was how to put together a television program from the experience of not having the tape of a graphic five minutes before it goes to air to the overall way that you conduct yourself in a professional environment.”

After completing a year at Roving Enterprises Dan has moved on quickly establishing himself as a Camera and Lighting Assistant on programs like SBS’s ‘Salam Café’, ‘Comedy Slapdown’ for FOXTEL and the ABC programs ‘Sunday Arts’ and ‘Spicks and Specks’. Over a Channel Nine Dan’s contributed to a variety of programs including ‘Today’, ‘The Foot Show’ and some NRL games. He’s just completed a three week stint on the Disney Channel kids program ‘As the Bell Rings’ working as a Best Boy.

Dan’s now employed full time by Next Vision Film and Television, a company headed by Andrew Topp who has been Director of Photography for ‘The Adventures of Lano and Woodley’ and ‘Skithouse’. Dan first met Andrew Topp on the production of ‘Rove’ where he was Lighting Director.

“I still dream of becoming a DOP, but at the moment there are lots of technical skills to be learned on the programs I’m working on, right now I’m rushing off to work on the SBS series ‘RockWiz’.