Lighting and Compositing Department Supervisor David Lee-DuVoisin reflects on his passion for the technical artistry of animation, the unique synergy of working with diverse teams, and his dedication to serving as a reliable resource in his role as a DreamWorks Shop Steward.
Name: David Lee DuVoisin
Job Title: Lighting and Compositing Department Supervisor
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Contact: stewards-dreamworks@tag839.org
Tell us a bit about yourself and your career journey.
I’m from the small rainforest town of Hilo, Hawaii. In high school, I was lucky enough to take a 3D animation course and totally fell in love with it. It was the perfect blend between art and engineering, and even back then, I was pretty set on lighting. I attended college at a tiny school in the Bay Area called Cogswell Polytechnical College. After that, I was ready to take any job I could find, which led me to a role even farther from home in rural Connecticut. I worked on LEGO shorts and commercials there for a few years until the studio sadly went out of business in 2017. Luckily for me, DreamWorks TV needed my exact skill set at that time, and I moved out to L.A. I’ve been at the studio ever since. I currently work as the Lighting and Compositing Department Supervisor on our HUB team, overseeing the lighting departments for all of our CG series and some features.
David Lee DuVoisin (left) with fellow TAG Members for TAG Tuesday at DreamWorks.
What do you love most about working in animation?
I love how it’s a fun mix of art and computer science. Being in the lighting department means you need a solid understanding of composition and color theory, while simultaneously handling the technical side of things like ray tracing sampling and memory a location. Outside of my own department, it’s amazing to work with such a diverse group of people. Many of us have totally different backgrounds and skill sets, but we all team up to create something awesome together.
Why did you volunteer to serve as a shop steward?
I first volunteered to be a team captain at the behest of our amazing previous Steward, Alex AK. At the time, our production staff was organizing, and as someone on the “overhead” team, I had gotten to know a large portion of our TV prod teams over the years. Coming out of that organizing effort, I initially hesitated to step up to Steward due to the time commitment. But watching them band together during negotiations and force the studio to move on their demands really inspired me to step up and do what I can to drive engagement and improve our conditions at the studio.
DreamWorks Animation Artists and Production Workers after delivering a petition for a fair contract to the COO.As a Shop Steward, what are your priorities in helping TAG members at your studio?
My main goal is to be a reliable resource for anything my fellow members need. Whether it’s answering simple questions about on-call status, navigating more complex workplace issues, or just providing a safe sounding board, I want them to know they can rely on me to get them answers and escalate issues to our Field Rep as needed. Beyond that I want to engage our members and remind them that the Union is not some abstract group of people who shape our working conditions. It’s all of us working together.
You can learn more about David on his website.