In 2023 are SmallHD monitors still worth it? What type of productions are you consistently on that might require the purchase of a SmallHD or Atomos monitor? As I own both monitors from both brands I wanted to share my own experiences on set with what I see more of and what I would recommend for you to look into. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com |...

Long time Pelican owner? Maybe you've been using only SKB cases for a time. Well as someone who owns all three but over the years i've only been buying Nanuk cases. Why is that? Let's find out! If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

Wonder why your monitor looks vastly different than your viewfinder? Can't figure out why your display is too blue or warm and it's been driving you crazy? Chances are you most likely need to calibrate your monitors, both your onboard monitors and post production monitors. In today's podcast episode we talk all things calibration related included what tools and software I use to keep my monitors looking color accurate and to help match them all as closely as possible. If you enjoyed this...

There's a fine line between charging a half day or a full day and many times we're stuck with deciding on which to charge. Is a half day for you 4 hours, 5 hours, maybe 6 hours? Is a full day for you 8 or 10 hours? And when the time comes when you're met with a potential or confirmed half day, how do you approach charging for it? Let's talk about it! If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your...

The great debate between owner/ops, free lancers and film school graduates; should you join your Local under IATSE? Whether you're camera department or G&E, heck even HMU and Wardrobe have their own union should you wish to join! What are the advantages and disadvantages of joining your local union? The last year i've met with colleagues of mine on various shoots and have catalogued their answers. These are working professionals who are Local 600 or who have been in the industry over 10...

With so many dual native ISO cameras out on the market it can be easy for many of us to lean into cranking up the ISO for a cleaner image. However, there's a difference between having a clean image but still a flat looking image and a clean image with depth and contrast. In this episode I talk about how I approached a recent feature film I was on by going with a lower ISO and utilizing all the lighting tricks my team could put together to still create a dynamic looking image. If you enjoyed...

So you've watched some video or listened to an interview with someone saying, "Gear Doesn't Matter" or "Just go out and make the thing" right? Now that's partially true but the one thing many people leave out of the equation is the goal you have for your project. Without the goal how do you know how to get to where you want to be or what you wish to achieve? In today's episode I want to break down the difference between low budget filmmaking with a goal behind it and the opposite where you...

The return on your investment for cameras, lights, lenses and everything in between is a huge factor in the growth and potential success for your business. In this episode I go over my top business assets to focus on with regards to a sustained ROI as well as what category of equipment to consider based upon your geography and the market you work in. I know, it's not a gear review or something that might inspire you but let's face it, if we can't pay the bills and protect our future we won't...

No it's click bait, but in actuality if you're working in Resolve 17 or 18 I found out that the new HDR wheels can be applied with great results to SDR content. I'm not 100% sure how it works but with new technology, algorithms and of course "AI" we now have the ability to manipulate our images even more so with regard to remapping certain parts of our dynamic range. I may start making YouTube videos again because some of the content on the podcast I feel can benefit from a video version...

Ever used a wall spreader? More importantly, WHY haven't you used a wall spreader? They're fantastic! Especially when you don't have any windows to light from and are looking to create your room tone from over head rather than from the ground. In this episode i'll be going over why Wall Spreaders are so handy and especially for the price they will instantly be a part of your G&E kit. WALL SPREADER ON AMAZON   If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow...

Looking to match your Sony FX and Alpha line cameras? Perhaps you're in the market for a B-Camera and want to know how you can match your existing Sony camera to another that isn't the same model as your current camera. I own a Sony FX9 and Sony A7IV which honestly has been the closet match in terms of color and white balance matching. I've also used the FX6, FX3 and A7SIII alongside my FX9 and they're all a little different. The one constant that has helped me match all the cameras in post...

We're back! Can you believe it! Yes I am alive and well, though I would lying if I said the last two weeks of the feature film haven't been rough. Rewarding but tough, anyways! Today we're talking about how to approach shooting fight scenes with the theme of "Shoot for the edit". The main take aways from this episode to help you with your next fight scene are the following: 1.) Know your location so you can know the blocking 2.) Work with your director and fight designer on the specifics...

Well well well, looks whose back! Me...no one special *sigh* BUT we have a breakdown of a scene from my recent Kickstarter project "A Drowning Heart" that we had to shoot two cameras at the same time in this dialogue scene for the sake of staying on schedule. I could ramble on about why and what we used or you could take a few minutes to listen to the episode instead! Shooting multi camera is something we all do from time to time but it's never without its challenges which I hope after today...

Post Cinegear episode, although I wasn't able to attend Cinegear due to unforeseen circumstances I did make it to a pre-event that week which will be the precursor to this episode. It's really never been better for us as filmmakers, whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned professional. The quality and quantity of gear from lighting fixtures to lenses to gimbals, all at various price ranges, have truly opened up the doors of possibilities and opportunities for all of us. I hope you...

Little life update for you all who have been wondering where the podcast episodes have been! Well, life has been extremely busy juggling things between my film, the kickstarter for said film, a feature film i'll be on in July and client work. So here's a short update on all of that before we head into Cinegear LA weekend! If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com...

And we're back! Another breakdown video for a sports water commercial that was part product part lifestyle. We had exteriors to shoot as we ll as interiors that required us to create the light ourselves since we had no option to motivate light coming through any type of window/doorway. The gym itself was active with a lot of customers throughout the day so we had to work around that along with a overcast day during our day exteriors. The biggest thing when it comes to overcast is since the...

Apologies for the late episode upload but I had to wait until the full product was delivered before I could release this episode. So here we are! First virtual production and my experience working with the volume wall. We had a curved wall we were working on about 20ft tall by 40ft wide. There was a mixture of video playback occurring on the wall as well as live tracking for one of the scenes. Overall I had a great experience with volume technology and I can certainly see it's application...

What's good friends! Today we have a long one but it's an interview episode I was on with the good folks Aaron and Chaz from Story Over Everything: Link to their Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/story-over-everything/id1437280815?l=en Link to their Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5f6PL89RJ7jL8Eey6G3yIN Aaron ask's a lot of great questions when it comes to pitching, production, post production and client relations with regard to Branded Documentary projects. If...

When the client/agency says, "Do we need all these people here today?" you look without hesitation and say a big, "YES". I'm sure you've been in that position at least once in your career, it's an awkward place to be because you feel inclined to defend your reasoning for why you have the amount of crew you have. We all know it's not about flexing, especially since we're dealing with money, it's about ensuring that everything the client/agency needs is captured on the day and that means...

I was having a conversation with someone recently and the topic of, "how do I find more work?" kept reoccurring. I felt it would be a great topic especially with a brand new year underway so here we are! For the most part, networking is still the best way to continually get work. The hard part is building your network first, and that takes time. What I wanted to do in this episode is provide some insight on how I built my network, the tangible things I did that led to a desired outcome. If...

It's that time of year again, although i'm late by a few days, with the end of the year review for 2022! I'm going to cover my income numbers, days on set, most used equipment, least used equipment and some lessons learned from 2022. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

Not directly related to Cinematography but an important toolset to have when working with talent. Whether it's a narrative project or a commercial these are 3 of the best tips i've learned when working with actors that can support you through getting the lighting you were hoping for as well as ensuring both the director and talent can work in your favor to achieve the pre-production plans you made. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if...

Bit of a random question but what jobs do you like taking as an owner/operator? Do you enjoy camera operating a lot and take a good amount of those jobs throughout the year? Perhaps its Gaffing or being a 1st AC? I remember when I first started out I was taking anything job I could get my hands on. As my career progressed and working more as a Cinematographer there were still jobs coming my way. Even to this day i'll take select camera operating jobs and gaffing jobs when I feel I could be...

One of the most important questions a owner/operator can ask of him/herself is, "How do I increase my rates?". When I first started out making $200/$300 to shoot AND edit a project was huge! However, we all know we can't realistically stay in that space forever especially those of us who are looking to make cinematography our specialty and thus a career for ourselves. How do you start increasing/upgrading your rates? In today's podcast I attempt to answer that question with one of those most...

Celebrations are in order as my latest commercial "Mentor for Change" took home Best Commercial at the Oniros Film Awards of New York AND at the Cannes World Film Festival! On top of that I'm grateful that we also won Best Cinematography at the Oniros Film Awards, that definitely so great to have industry recognition for a commercial piece of all things. That being said I'm breaking down the commercial for you all and hopefully you can take some of these tricks I use to better your...