Knives Out

Contraction in the film industry has been stark and well-documented—especially following the pandemic and the SAG and WGA strikes in 2023. In Los Angeles, where the blow landed hardest, the numbers tell a grim story: Industry employment fell by 30 percent over the past four years, according to Labor Department data chronicled in a Wall Street Journal report—and the ripple effects pushed many crew members into alternate careers. Hospitality became a familiar landing pad. New York felt it too, if more quietly.

Ryan White worked as a director of photography for 20 years, for Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray, and early in his career even pick-up odd gigs on Anthony Bourdain’s New York shoots. But in 2023, he decided to take a leap on a longtime hobby to see if he had what it took to roll it into a new career, launching the mobile knife-sharpening company, Green Point Knife Truck. Three years later, his team has more vehicles—a fourth is on the way.