"Because I come from that old-school optics environment, I know stuff about depth of field and camera movement and things that are not necessarily a part of the curriculum for people who started on a box and have never done anything that wasn't on a box"

John Dykstra is referring to the difference in between conventional film-making and modern digital filmmaking. He is stating that due to the fact that he has experience in the conventional film-making environment, he understands strategies such as depth of field and camera movement that are not always taught to those who have only ever worked with digital cameras. He is suggesting that the traditional film-making environment has a lot to use in regards to understanding and experience that is not always taught in the modern digital filmmaking environment. He is likewise suggesting that those who have just ever worked with digital video cameras may be losing out on some of the techniques and understanding that can be gained from traditional film-making. By stressing the importance of traditional film-making, John Dykstra is highlighting the worth of having experience in both digital and traditional filmmaking.