Jason Fitzpatrick is the man behind the cameras that have filmed official action at the Capitol for nearly 15 years.

As a page and a film school student in 1999, he helped clear out a storage room in the Senate basement that would later develop into the Legislative Broadcast Center and Arizona Capitol Television, where he is now general manager.

Since 2000, he has toiled in the Senate basement to transform the Legislature’s in-house film office from a few cameras in the Senate and only microphones in the House, into streaming, archived and televised high-definition coverage of every committee hearing and floor debate in both chambers.

His three-person team, along with a crew of interns during the legislative session, not only films and archives the action, but produces short lawmaker bios and feature stories about state government, and maintains the cameras and equipment that allow the public a window into the Capitol. Arizona Capitol Television is on Cox Digital Cable channel 123, and live and archived legislative videos can also be seen on azleg.gov.

What’s your pet peeve with lawmakers when you’re trying to film committees or floor sessions?

My constant struggle is to get them to use the mics in the correct way. We’ve produced a little video to help them. And I send out emails to remind them. They’re probably just not thinking about it. It’s important to us, but maybe not so much to them. But it obviously helps them get their message out, too. We want to be able to hear everybody.

Excluding the current lawmakers so they don’t get jealous, who was your favorite former lawmaker to film?

It’s hard to pick one. I think John Wettaw was a character, he was funny. Carolyn Allen was a pistol. There have been so many, and I like them for different reasons. Andy Nichols was a good guy, he was a doctor from Tucson who passed away during session, very sudden, it was terrible. I like all of them actually, and I’m not trying to kiss up. There’s something about each of them that I like.

Which current lawmaker would you most want to have a beer with?

(Senator Don) Shooter. That’s easy. He’s awesome.

What are some of the most memorable moments from the floor?

I don’t know if I can pinpoint a moment, but just those end-of-session long days. We’ve done several 24-hour straight shifts. Those late nights that Craig, Mike and I have spent together, and our former employees, and our interns each year, it’s a rite of passage I guess, each year. Everybody’s here, we’re all doing it together.

Do you ever catch stuff on camera that you shouldn’t?

No, because typically we’re only showing the person speaking. So unless they do something while they’re speaking, not really.

What was the craziest session you remember?

My first one, obviously, because it was all new to me. I had no idea. It seemed like all the senators and reps had been around forever, and I just assumed everyone knew what they were doing, and they do, but as I started working I got an idea of who else was new. By the time (the Legislative Broadcast Center) started, I knew everybody and had got the lay of the land. But certainly learning this was all new, too. That was a fun experience because we didn’t really know what we were doing. Slowly we got the hang of it and developed the standards of practice that we have in place today.

Pages almost seem to have their own secret society. As a former page, can you give us any insight into page life?

I don’t know if it’s a secret society, but it’s kind of a fraternal or sorority kind of an atmosphere where you’re all in it together. Everybody is roughly the same age, you all have the goofy uniform on, and all those late nights hanging out with the same people, you get to know them very quickly. It’s fun. It allowed me to learn the process because I could observe everything and I’m a sucker for minutiae.

How many people tune in?

We don’t track that on television. We can do that online, but I haven’t checked in a while. Our standard line is “The important people watch.” So take that for what it is. I think lobbyists are our main viewers. But, you know, our goal is always to inform the public about what happens down here. We want citizens to be involved in the process. So we hope we get a few more each year, and we’re doing that.

Stones or Beatles?

You know, that’s a funny question. I love the Beatles. My daughter is named after one of them. But secretly, I really love the Rolling Stones. It’s been a slow progression over my life, but they just have a bigger catalogue, maybe that’s what it is. The Beatles were sort of short and sweet. Great music of course, but I think I’m more of a Stones fan now.

Did Tom Brady deflate the football?

He did not. I can equivocally say that he does not cheat. He’s a four-time Super Bowl champion, he’s amazing, he’s married to a supermodel and he lives in a castle. What’s not to like?

What would happen if you watched 24-hours straight of Arizona Capitol Television?

I would say that’s amazing and you should get some rest.