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What’s up Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Zachary Guy, cinematographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber whose work has taken him from studying aerospace engineering to shooting high level commercial campaigns for brands like Aquafina, American Express, Google, and more. In this episode, we get into how Zach made the jump from engineering to filmmaking, the real difference between a videographer and a cinematographer, why pre-production is what separates a nice looking video from a real campaign, how to communicate and lead on bigger sets, how to get hired when you do not have connections yet, why spec work is still one of the best ways to open doors, how much Zach invested into his New Balance spec, what it was like shooting an Aquafina spot in Morocco, the lighting and blocking decisions behind the campaign, how to think about product lighting, match cuts, working with your significant other, why Zach has not built a traditional production company, the hardest part about being a full-time creative, and why teaching other filmmakers has become such an important part of his career.
Check out Zachary here:
https://www.instagram.com/zacharyjguy/
00:00 – Intro
00:55 – Free Sales Call Guide
01:05 – One-Handed Crack
01:54 – From Aerospace Engineering to Filmmaking
05:50 – How Zach’s Family Reacted to His Career Change
07:58 – The Full Circle Aerospace Moment
08:56 – Videographer vs Cinematographer
10:10 – Zach’s Pre-Production Process
13:24 – Technical Skill vs Leadership on Set
16:22 – Learning How to Work With Bigger Crews
19:39 – How to Get on Set Without Connections
22:05 – Why Spec Work Opens Doors
24:55 – How Much Zach Invested Into His New Balance Spec
27:13 – Shooting Aquafina in Morocco
29:21 – Renting Gear in Another Country
30:28 – Local Shoots vs International Productions
33:10 – Why the Shoot Happened in Morocco
33:56 – Aquafina Spot Breakdown
34:46 – Breaking Down the Wide Shot
36:33 – Shooting at 1:00 in the Morning
38:03 – How Long the Wide Shot Took
38:54 – The Cafe Scene Breakdown
42:35 – Why Zach Starts With the Wide Shot
43:28 – How Lighting Changes When You Push In
45:38 – Why T-Stop Matters
47:35 – Breaking Down the Library Scene
51:19 – How Zach Thinks About Match Cuts
53:14 – How to Light Product Shots
56:38 – Leaving Space for Text and Brand Graphics
57:33 – Five Pieces of Gear Zach Can’t Live Without
59:59 – Shooting an Airbnb Spec in the Dolomites
1:04:31 – Working With Your Significant Other
1:06:17 – Why Zach Isn’t Building a Traditional Production Company
1:08:49 – The Hardest Part About Being a Full-Time Creative
1:09:56 – Why Zach Loves Teaching Filmmakers
1:13:12 – Filmmaking Advice Zach Disagrees With
1:15:33 – Wrapping the Episode With Zach
1:15:45 – Afterparty
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