Who is David Suapaia? At the end of tonight’s new episode of Big Sky on ABC, we saw a title card paying tribute to this person, a good friend of the show.

If you are interested in learning more, we can inform you that David was someone with close ties to the television industry at large, working as a driver and a valuable crew member for numerous film and TV productions over the years. He was a part of Hollywood Teamsters Local #399 Hollywood, a group that includes a wide range of important crew members including dispatchers, animal experts, mechanics, and many more tied to productions.

While David’s specific role on Big Sky was not available at the time of this writing, his contribution was invaluable enough for him to be honored in the closing seconds tonight.

Title card tributes are one of the most powerful and important ways a show can recognize the achievements of someone who worked behind the scenes. These live on in subsequent airings, and they remind all of us further of the human element that exists in all aspects of the job. We’re only seeing a tiny fraction of the work that is put in to making a show like Big Sky, and the cast and crew become a tight-knit family behind the scenes. This is the end result of lengthy production days through multiple months of the year, with shoots often happening out on location. (This makes, of course, drivers all the more important in safely navigating people to and from set.)

If one thing goes wrong with just a single department, the entire production goes to pieces. They have to rely on one another to adequately finish the job. This show is highly ambitious, and that of course ups the pressure but can also add to a family atmosphere.

With this title card, Big Sky offered up an opportunity to celebrate an unsung hero, one who is unfortunately no longer with us. They remember him, and hopefully, this article offers up more context and reasons why the card was so valuable for the production at large.

Our thoughts go out to Suapaia’s friends and loved ones through what has to be a very difficult time. (Photo: ABC.)