Biography

Billy MacTavish's first film was shot and edited on Super 8mm film, in the fall of 1978, as an extra credit project for his 5th Grade english class. He built both full sized sets and models for this production taking over the family garage as his soundstage. With no formal training, in addition to learning how to make physical contact edits, his use of models on string and and scratching laser blasts in the emulsion of the film added SFX shots to the story. Which included a laser battle in a bar, the rescue of a princess, alien monsters, and a climatic space battle. Years later he realized that his "original" story was in reality a 15 minute remake of the influential Star Wars: A New Hope, which he had seen 11 times in the theatre. He began working professionally in 1987, as a camera operator, for an independent production company in East Texas, while attending film school before graduating with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Cinematography and Editing from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. After graduation in May 1990 Billy began working freelance as a camera op, grip, and electrician on marketing, industrial, independent shorts, episodic television, and feature film productions in the Southeastern United States. From December 1993 to October 1995 he lived and worked in Seoul, South Korea shooting, and editing a two hour documentary about the Korea Seoul West Mission of the LDS Church. Starting in the Spring of 1996 Billy began filling the need of an experienced Lamp Operator and Generator Operator on commercials, industrials, television and feature film productions, eventually working full time as a Gaffer. He started Moving Camera Solutions as a G&E production services company in 1998 specializing in car mounts and physical camera movement through the use of a truck mounted crane and jib, which he purchased for the film Face of the Serpent, (released 2003). In 2005 with 18 years professional experience working in independent film production mostly in the Grip and Lighting departments Billy transitioned his company Moving Camera Solutions into full fledged video production company, working primarily as a Cinematographer and editor but also Producing and Writing as needed. Making primary Oil and Gas industry industrial films, commercials and independent films. In August of 2005 Mr. MacTavish was invited to teach filmmaking classes at Houston Community College which he continued at several different Community Colleges in the Houston, Texas area until May 2015, all the while continuing to work freelance as time allowed. Billy was instrumental in bringing independent film producers into contact with the colleges allowing for a partnership for his students to work on professional projects for industry experience and college credit, and the producers to save budget money on equipment and crew costs. In 2010 his work on one such production (Renfield,) won a Bronze Telly for cinematography. In order to progress in the teaching profession, in January 2010 Billy entered graduate school full-time, obtaining a MA in Multimedia Communications from Academy of Art University after only 17 months, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA. While at the same time, continuing to teach full time, shooting and editing an independent TV Pilot (Caveman Theory, 2011). This production won three different film festivals. In May 2015 Billy began full-time freelancing again as a Cinematographer and Editor, while also producing commercials, industrial and independent films.
- IMDb mini biography by: Billy MacTavish