Darryl MacDonald

Director of Photography Drone operator Underwater Camera Operator
Darryl MacDonald
I am a cinematographer based out of Calgary Alberta Canada and spend most of the year working internationally. In Canada I primarily provide specialty camera operations including drone, underwater, high angle (rope access) and motion timelapse work for feature films, live televised sports events and commercial productions. Outside of Canada I primarily work on Natural History productions as well as various remote scientific expeditions over the last 15 years primarily in Africa, the Antarctic (both the peninsula and South Georgia) and the Middle East. To compliment my videography and photography training and experience I have acquired a significant amount of high level training and experience for specialty camera work which provides the versatility of putting camera in a variety of locations and allows me to play multiple roles on small complex shoots. Here is a breif summary: Drones For drones I was educated at a military facility in Canada and have an advanced license in Canada as well as the USA, EU and a few remote regions. I have over 5000 flights and have significant experience flying off boats and working in both polar regions, Middle East, Canada, USA and other areas. I have flown and am extremely competent with everything from FPV to the heavy lift alta series and own 19 drones personally. In Canada I provide all of the live televised drone work for TSN (sports channel) for all of the largest televised events in Canada including the Grey Cup, Jr. World Hockey Championships, National wake surfing championships etc. Underwater I am a level 1 commercial diver and PADI dive instructor with over 4000 dives spanning 30 years. I am a rebreather diver and own a rEvo system. I have dived in both polar regions as well as across North America, Middle East and have significant experience in Cocos, Socorro, Silver Banks, Philippines and the Cayman Islands. I am also a certified scuba service technician, Advanced rebreather and BSAC technical diver. I own several sets of dive gear for cold and warm as well as a rebreather and have underwater setups for a Canon R5 camera, Red Komodo camera and will be purchasing a housing for my Red Raptor in the coming months. I also have a coxswain ticket through BSAC and a Canadian boating license but have a few thousand hours of boat driving experience from working with cetaceans primarily tracking, tagging and biopsy of whales, running dives for the BSAC club in Oman and have also owned 2 boats myself. Motion Timelapse and transitional shots I own several motion timelapse systems and have significant experience from capture to edit including long term timelapses, seasonal transitions and standard motion timelapse and starlapses. I also have significant experience utilizing drones for both motion time-lapse and transitional shots (seasonal transitions, day to nigh etc.) I have a custom built slider setup for seasonal transition shots and specialized drone specifically for timelapse and transitional work. High Angle I have been rock and ice climbing for nearly 20 years and own all of my own equipment. I have worked on shoots with Arctyrx, North Face and others as well as small climbing docs. I am a lead rock and ice climber and previously had my high angle rescue technician certification (recently expired).

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I am also an active certified Primary Care Paramedic with a wilderness EMT certification and Advanced Wilderness Life Support.

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