In high school, Nate had already decided on a career in the moving pictures industry, convincing his drama teacher to turn a couple semesters of acting class into a film program.

He has since been steadfast in that career choice, working primarily in commercials for nearly twenty years, though moving to narrative as the industry shifts. His goal was always to work as a cinematographer, however a chronic health issue made it clear that was going to be a difficult road and a pivot to the lighting department was necessary. After more than a decade working as a gaffer in the commercial world, Nate has recovered from his health obstacles and has returned to his true passion of crafting images for the screen, armed with an intimate and deep knowledge and experience of lighting that many DP’s simply don’t have an opportunity to gain.

For many years, Nate has lit the most difficult and technical products, vehicles. Lighting studio shoots for brands such as Honda, Toyota, Indian Motorcycles, Polaris and Kumho Tires to name a few, he has developed an efficient process for bringing focus to the hero elements of a vehicle and avoiding the pitfalls. While studio work has been a bedrock, he has also honed his skills at quick and effective lighting on location. By knowing the intricacies of what’s required, Nate is capable of accurately assessing the time and resources required for complex projects even before a gaffer is on board.

In addition to his lighting experience, which also includes a comprehensive understanding of DMX lighting control systems and their capabilities, Nate is a steadicam operator, offering productions the double threat of having a DP that can provide steadicam without incurring a separate labor line item while streamlining the execution of client or directors vision on set.