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 important elements to know in our business - talk to your clients with a business mindset first and not a creative mindset. Listen to the podcast for the whole story though!

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www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

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 pre-production, cinematography and add to your own lighting arsenal. 

Link to the commercial: Mentor for Change

Website for Still Images: https://atdavidlee.com/breakdowns/

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Not it's not click bait but a practical way to use a longer focal length as your wide shot. There's times when you're stuck with a not so ideal location or perhaps having to shoot at the worst time of day and you need a wide shot for a particular scene. One trick I picked up on last year which I used was to use a longer lens, bring the camera back and have more options for shaping light. Think it's BS? Try it out, you'll find that many times you'll be able to get away with better lighting options which in the commercial realm can make a huge difference. 

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www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

There's pros and cons to using light domes for lighting as well as using 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 frames etc. To think that one is better than the other shows a lack of experience in the game and to be quite honest shows a great weakness in your lighting capability if you only stick to one. In this episode I offer my pros and cons and when each tool can benefit you depending on the type of project you have. If you're still working your way up the cinematography ladder I hope this episode better informs you on what's available and how it can help you.

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www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

One of, if not the, most challenging things you could hear on the day is, "hey can we make it brighter?". Sure we can! The trick is, not actually making what's being captured brighter but just the monitor output itself! The easiest and safest way to do it is by using a slightly modified version of your standard REC709 LUT. In this podcast episode I explain why you want to have two versions of your LUT, how much to adjust your copied LUT version and my workflow on set when monitoring the image for both myself and client/agency.

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www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

Have you ever been on set when the client/agency wants to change the schedule? You've spent a good month on pre production, or less, working with the director and agency on lighting setups, what time of day to shoot certain parts of the boards only to have it all blow up in your face? Well maybe not all the time BUT I know you've been there before! Today i'm sharing with you how I approach these discussions, how I used to deal with them and potential ways to create a better on set experience for you and your crew.

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I recently rented the A-Set Anamorphics from Atlas and wanted to provide my review of them for those who are looking at renting them for future projects or possibly purchasing them for your own rental business. Overall the optics are clean, the flares i'm not a huge fan, shooting wide open at a T2 is rough and the lenses don't have a lot of character to them. However, these could all be reasons why you want them for your next project so I hope this episode supports you in that endeavor!

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www.atdavidlee.com | www.legendarymediahouse.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee 

One of the most prominent qualities i've seen from high level cinematographers in the commercial space has been that clients value their work, A LOT. What does that mean? Simply put, clients have a higher value perception of their work. The level of cinematography, communication and professionalism they bring on set as well as to the visual language of the project have propelled such cinematographers to not only ask but demand the higher rates. In today's episode I want to talk about how important it is for a client/agency to value your overall work in order for you to start growing the business side of your career. And yes, a part of that is leveling up your skills as a cinematographer!

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 

Do you charge hourly for post production? What about fixed rates, is that easier and more efficient for you/your agency? These are the two most common ways to charge a client for post production services and in today's episode I want to go over both. One may be better for your type of company and I always find it best to compare and contrast two methods rather than believe in one ideology off the bat.

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 

One thing I feel gets neglected is happiness, not just ours but everyone involved in a production. As the Cinematographer/DP part of your responsibilities is to set the tone for the day, along with the Director. If you make sure everyone else is happy they'll do the exact same thing for you and that my friends is a great way to usher in a healthy and successful production. On top of that the more good energy you bring the more times your crew, client and agency will want to work with you in the future. Our job isn't just to ensure we're supporting the director with their vision and to create beautiful photography, it's to ensure the entire team, unit, production is successful and if you can pull it off while having a good time on set then I think you've found a recipe for success.

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