Lamp Dock

On this episode of Lamp Dock, we sit down with two legends of the lighting world—Martin Smith and Lee Eldred—whose partnership has taken them from the early days at Harry Potter all the way to the wild extremes of Mission Impossible. With over 25 years working together, they share how a rental house apprenticeship turned into a global career—rigging cliffside lights in Norway, defrosting generators in the Arctic, and diving 30 meters deep for underwater scenes. But at the heart of it all? Loyalty, laughter, and a relentless passion for the craft.

PART ONEJohn Alcantara’s journey from a curious kid with an artist dad to one of New York’s most respected gaffers is nothing short of inspiring. In this in-depth interview, John shares how a free PA gig and a crash course in lighting sparked a lifelong passion — leading to major projects like Only Murders in the Building, The Many Saints of Newark, and the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown.We dive into: • His early struggles and breakthrough moments • Creative problem-solving in New York’s toughest locations • Lighting for mood, speed, and story on set • Behind-the-scenes stories with Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep & Paul Rudd • The evolving craft of gaffing in the era of LED and wireless techIf you’re an aspiring filmmaker, gaffer, or just love behind-the-scenes film talk — this one’s for you.

Jeff Murrell is a distinguished Hollywood gaffer with a career spanning several decades, contributing his expertise in lighting to numerous high-profile films. His notable works include "Men in Black" (1997), "Gone in Sixty Seconds" (2000), "Lords of Dogtown" (2005), "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007), "Ted" (2012), "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), "Black Widow" (2021), and "The Tomorrow War" (2021).

We’re honored to have legendary gaffer Jim Plannette join us on The Lamp Dock Podcast! With a career spanning decades and credits on iconic films like E.T., Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, and many more, Jim has shaped the way Hollywood lights its biggest productions.From working alongside legendary filmmakers to witnessing the evolution of set lighting firsthand, Jim shares unforgettable stories, industry insights, and a masterclass in cinematic lighting. Listen now and learn from one of the best in the business!

This week on The Lamp Dock, we’re sitting down with industry legend John Gresch, former VP of Sales & Marketing at ARRI, for an exclusive deep dive into the evolution of cinematic lighting. From the game-changing ARRIMAX to the revolutionary SkyPanel, hear behind-the-scenes stories, insider insights, and the innovations that shaped how we light the big screen

Matt Ardine is known for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Ghost in the Shell (2017) and Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019).

Dayton Nietert has been gaffing for over 35 years on iconic shows like, A Few Good Men, Birdcage, A Little Princess, A Walk in the Clouds, Xmen: The Last Stand, Crash, and Seal Team just to name a few…Dayton drops knowledge on set politics, lighting gear and takes us through some interesting set ups. Enjoy!

Bill Silic, gaffer and owner of Sun Lighting Services, has been in the business for over 40 years. Some of his credits include classics like Beetlejuice, Beaches, Frankie and Johnny and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Bill shares some really fun stories of the DPs he has worked with over the years. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do.

Ron Dahlquist's father started in the Hollywood lighting business way back in 1925, little did he know he would have inspired his son, grandsons and great grandchildren to join this beloved industry. Ron began rig gaffing in 1962 then advanced to Chief Department Lead at Paramount in 1972. From there he owned a large rental house, Keylite, and then on to manufacturing at Dadco. With such a broad range of experience, Ron takes us on a historic journey into the past.

Michael Ambrose has been on top of his Gaffing game for over 25 years. With credits like Ford vs Ferrari, Black Panther, Fast and Furious, Mad Men and most recently Ghostbusters II, Mike takes us through some of his Action Unit set ups and his approach to large night shots.

Tim & Sarah Hudson, founders of Hudson Spider, sat down with us to discuss their incredible success story of selling their home and moving their family to America from Australia and starting one of the hottest new manufactures in the lighting business.

Jonathan Cushing, Founder of Cush Light, discusses his experience moving up the ranks as an IATSE Local 728 technician, the genesis of his LED tape & sheet lighting manufacturing company and the nuances of working with LED tape & sheets on the sets of game shows and scripted television.

Chris Ernst, who has been in the business for years lighting content for broadcasters such as FOX Sports, discusses his experience breaking into the business, for dynamics on set having changed over the years & the business behind how new LED technology has altered his lighting package.

'Gentleman' Jim Plannette, the legendary Gaffer behind the lighting of classics such as Braveheart, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Young Frankenstein, The Fisher King, Oceans 11 and Magnolia, shares stories from his 50 years of film lighting experience.