Black and white portrait of Derek Olson at night on a shoot, glasses and beard, hand at his ear

Derek “Dare” Olson

He covered crime and politics as a reporter and studied at the Poynter Institute before he picked up a camera.

He spent a decade in Los Angeles as a stage manager at Smashbox Studios and production supervisor at Disney's Maker Studios, and he shot extreme sports at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

He earned a full-stack web development certificate from UCLA Extension in 2017. He works in JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Node, Python, and Postgres, and he built and runs The Rate Guide, a day-rate platform for freelance film crews. See his builds.

He runs Grain and Thunder now, out of North Dakota.

In the press

Minot State University NewsOctober 21, 2026 MSU connections help bring local talent together for television pilot How MSU staff, faculty, alumni, and former students came together to make The B.O.G., a television pilot shot in Minot. Read the article Minot Daily NewsSeptember 4, 2026 Minot native brings stories to screen A profile of the path from print journalism to Los Angeles production and back to Minot to start Grain and Thunder. Read the article
Derek Olson in a black and white photo, adjusting a RED cinema camera on a young operator's shoulder

Clients

Pepsi, Beyond Meat, DC Shoes, Wolfgang Puck, Canon, JCPenney, Disney Channel, Disney+

Selected work

  • 2026The B.O.G.Half-hour comedy pilot. Writer, director, producer, editor. An ensemble comedy shot in North Dakota with local actors.
  • 2026Millennial Taekwondo TortoisesAnimated comedy pilot. Creator, writer, director, producer, animator, performer. The cast includes Flula Borg, Ryan O’Flanagan, and Nathan Barnatt. Bronze, 47th Annual Telly Awards.
  • 2017The RideshareShort film. Writer, director, editor. Screened at the Las Vegas Film Festival and the Cefàlu Film Festival in Italy.

Experience

  • 2025 to nowGrain and ThunderFounder and creative director. Develops and produces original narrative, documentary, and commercial work from concept through delivery.
  • 2023 to 2025Minot State UniversityAdjunct professor and studio supervisor, Professional Communications.
  • 2019 to 2023Dad FeelsProducer and cinematographer. Helped grow the YouTube channel from zero to 400,000 subscribers.
  • 2018 to 2019ARwallProducer on volumetric LED backdrops for Hollywood visual effects.
  • 2012 to 2017Disney’s Maker StudiosIn-house production supervisor. Supervised stages and equipment at one of the largest digital video networks, which drew billions of views. As a cinematographer, shot videos with more than 100 million views.
  • 2010 to 2012Smashbox StudiosStage manager at a Los Angeles commercial and fashion production facility.
  • Early careerOC WeeklyInvestigative reporter and staff writer. Started video blogging. Read “Get in the Cage!”, a profile of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, or more of the writing.
  • Early careerHenderson Home NewsReporter at a former Las Vegas Sun publication. Accredited press representative for the Nevada Legislature, listed in the Assembly Journal on opening day.

Recognition

  • 2026Bronze, 47th Annual Telly AwardsMillennial Taekwondo Tortoises, animated comedy pilot
  • 2023Jerome Independent Film FestivalAnimated TV pilot, evaluated for development by FOX Animation
  • 2017Las Vegas Film FestivalThe Rideshare
  • 2014Sochi Winter OlympicsPhoto services, extreme sports coverage, 1B+ daily impressions
  • 2013American Pavilion, Cannes Film FestivalMerry Christmas Farmer
  • JournalismLos Angeles Press ClubHonorable mention, Entertainment Feature, Southern California Journalism Awards. “Chicken Babies, Bondage Nights and Severed Monkey Heads,” OC Weekly
  • JournalismNevada Press Association Better Newspaper ContestFirst place, Best Feature Story, and second place, Best Spot News Story, in Class III (weekly newspapers with circulation of 6,000 to 19,999), for the Henderson Home News, a former Las Vegas Sun publication

Board service