Back in the late 90s, Steve survived an erupting volcano in downtown Los Angeles that threatened the very core of the city (Volcano, 1997). His work as a location manager has prepared him for anything…particularly good training for his current role as the head of the Hollywood Teamsters, Local 399.
A member of the motion picture industry for 37 years, Dayan began as a projectionist in 1978. He fell into location management working on the TV movie The Day After, the first production to explore the aftereffects of nuclear war. He then moved onto ABC’s hit series Moonlighting, and then into features, including Volcano, City of Angels, EdTV, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Raised in Mexico City, Dayan attended the American School. He moved to Los Angeles with his mother but spent summers in Mexico City with his father. As a young man, he held his first production job there. His father strongly encouraged him to move to Los Angeles if that was his dream. And so he did. His fluency in Spanish and an appreciation of cultural differences serves Dayan well. He has scouted across the United States, into Central and South America, including: Brazil, Belize, Costa Rica, and Mexico.
As a proud Local 399 Hollywood Teamster for 31 years, Dayan spent 15 as a Location Manager, 13 as Business Agent, and 2 in his new post as the union leader.
He has skillfully cultivated meaningful working relationships with labor leaders, elected officials, management, and the media. Tapped by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the board of the California Film Commission, Dayan currently serves as Chairman. He also served as the Chairman of the Board for FilmLA. Dayan lobbied vigorously in Sacramento for tax incentives. He has negotiated the Feature/Television Location Manager agreement with the AMPTP since 2000. He organized the Commercial Scouts and Managers and successfully negotiated their historic first contract with the AICP. He did the same for Casting Directors in 2006.
Steve’s production experience ranges from feature films and commercials to music videos and television. He is well regarded by the film community & his peers and has always been committed to improving communications between the industry & the community at large. We could not be more gratified, knowing he worked his way up through our ranks, and continues to fight on our behalf daily, with an unwavering commitment to membership.