Title: Founder, Gaffer, Producer, Actor, and Certified Prop Gun Specialist
Company: Goodman Grip & Light
Location: Chatsworth, California, United States
David Andrew Goodman, Founder, Gaffer, Producer, Actor and Certified Prop Gun Specialist at Goodman Grip & Light, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Artists for dedication, achievements and leadership in the Film and Television Production Industry.
Mr. Goodman has established a distinguished career in the entertainment industry spanning more than three decades, marked by a diverse array of roles and accomplishments. For the past 10 years, he has served as the founder, lighting director, gaffer, key grip and dolly grip at Goodman Grip & Light in Hollywood, California. In this capacity, he has led a successful lighting business, handling a wide variety of projects, including feature films, commercials and corporate videos. Mr. Goodman is particularly proud of his grip and electrical work, especially his lighting expertise, which he considers the most successful and fulfilling aspect of his career. He frequently manages interview setups for both internal corporate and external clients, and he credits much of his professional satisfaction to the talented crews he has had the opportunity to hire and collaborate with.
Leveraging his expertise, Mr. Goodman has also worked as a freelance gaffer in Los Angeles since 2005. He also launched Notacopla.com in Los Angeles, California, in 2020, as a prop master. Then, in 2021, Mr. Goodman became a certified prop gun wrangler for Notacopla.com.
Throughout his long and diverse career in the entertainment industry, Mr. Goodman’s versatility has been instrumental to his growth and expertise. While in school, he worked in retail sales of art supplies and operated tattoo shops in Georgia and later in Los Angeles. His background as a tattoo artist and shop owner provided him with valuable business acumen and artistic experience that informed his later work in entertainment.
Mr. Goodman’s early years in special effects included working with various production companies, including Sony Pictures Imageworks and Thunderstone, from 1990 to 1997. Notably, he contributed to major feature films, including “Titanic,” “The Fifth Element” and “Dante’s Peak,” at Digital Domain between 1991 and 1996.
Mr. Goodman also secured roles like executive editor, staff photographer, and staff writer for two international tattoo magazines at Paisano Publications from 2001 to 2003, and was an editor for Playboy TV between 2005 and 2006. He held numerous roles with NoHo Studios in North Hollywood, including assistant director, designer and special effects artist between 2007 and 2009, and with Escovar Studios in Toluca Lake in 2010. Continually progressing, Mr. Goodman spent over five years at Fotographer.com from 2008 to 2013 while simultaneously designing menus and point-of-sale graphics as an independent contractor in Los Angeles between 2011 and 2013.
Among other notable opportunities, Mr. Goodman was the grip and electrical department lead for “The Bay” at LANY Entertainment from 2013 to 2022, served as the grip and electrical department head for LANY Films in Hollywood, and contributed as key grip, gaffer swing, editor and post-production supervisor at LANY Entertainment in 2014. Additionally, Mr. Goodman secured roles with Xun Job and various commercial and pilot productions between 2015 and 2016, including “NAMCAR Night Race.” More recently, he was the lighting director for the feature film “Skillhouse” in 2025.
Mr. Goodman completed coursework in film production at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1998 to 2000. This education was instrumental in helping him transition from special effects to lighting and content creation. He also completed coursework in fine art and illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Furthermore, Mr. Goodman holds several industry credentials, including an entertainment firearms permit from the Bureau of Firearms of the California Department of Justice, and is recognized as an avid certified professional and a certified prop gun wrangler.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Mr. Goodman has demonstrated a strong commitment to civic engagement. He served as both a producer and volunteer for the Beach Ride charity event benefiting the Exceptional Children’s Foundation in Ventura, California. In this role, he managed staging, organized live performances and oversaw overall production. Mr. Goodman also supported Hathaway Children’s Services by donating original paintings and photography for silent auctions to raise funds for the organization.
Mr. Goodman’s contributions to the industry have been recognized with two prestigious Daytime Emmy Awards. He was also featured in Canvas Rebel Magazine. He attributes his success to the unwavering support of his family, especially his parents, and the dedicated professionals with whom he has worked throughout his career. Mr. Goodman remains committed to entertainment and content creation across a range of projects from short films to feature films. He continues to accept lighting assignments as they arise and is currently in post-production on his first short film as a lead actor.
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