Jeff chats to... Craig Waller, Underwater Lighting Technician on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Craig Waller, Underwater Lighting Technician on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Craig is a Key Grip and Lighting Director with 10,000s of hours of Set Experience.

In Craig's own words:

I started my career when I was in my first year of college. I always had that creative side of the brain that needed to be followed as a career. I thought that would be in designing engineering pieces but wasn’t happy about the idea of an office cubicle and drafting table.

I accidentally found my way onto a big commercial job for a week and decided “THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO”. I made it my career after that. This is a quick list of recent and big projects in my 35 yrs of TV / Film / Photography.

Most Recently:

• “Black Panther 2” - UW Lighting Technician / 2nd Unit Underwater Team
• “Stranger Things” Season 4 - UW Lighting Technician / 2nd Unit Underwater Team
• “Suicide Squad 2” - UW Gaffer / 2nd Unit Underwater Team
• NASCAR / FOX Sports 1 - Network TV Lighting Director - 7 years / 700 races of Live BIG track TV shows
• 10,000s of commercials / music videos / tv shows

I started diving when I was 18 years old with my OW and then AOW with PADI. I was diving with lots of friends in the late 80s and early 90s and then moved onto Kayaking. I got my daughter into diving when she turned 14 and have picked up where I left off.

I have approx 5000 dives now and spend most of my free time diving.

Here are my certs:

• OW - AOW 1989
• Adv Nitrox / Deco 2020
• Cavern - Intro Cave 2021
• CCR Tech - Fathom - 2021

You can find out more at www.craigwaller.com