Inspire Design Create with David Lee

Two episodes ago we spoke about how to ask for more Post Production budget, today we're flipping it around and talking about Production Budget (crew, logistics, equipment etc) and two scenarios where you might find yourself needing to ask for more cash. The biggest piece of advice I can give is be 100% firm that you need the extra cash for production. If you are (and likewise confident that you actually need the additional crew member, dolly grip, light etc) you'll be able to transfer that confidence to the client/agency who ultimately says Yes or No.

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

It's hour number 7 of a 10 hour day, the director asks you to go get some b-roll or inserts knowing that he/she doesn't have enough variety of shots and it's up to you to deliver. What if it were the other way around? What if the time taken for pre production was actually utilized to mitigate the random shots that end up never looking good from a photography stand point? That's what we're talking about today, OVERSHOOTING. What it is, why many directors default to it and how you can make your life just a little bit easier through it all.

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 

A question I received from Instagram recently that I felt could be an awesome episode as I know many of you have been in this situation before. The short version of the question asks, "How can I ask for $1000 to edit a 15min video when I only charged $500 for the last video?". Amazing question! Let's see how I would tackle it and in your mind ask yourself what you would do differently.

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 

Tired of posting the same things with the same captions everyday for little to no return? Is it even necessary as owner/operators and freelance Cinematographers to need to post daily, weekly or even monthly? In my experience as well from other colleagues I know, I haven't seen anything in the form of actual jobs or projects come my way from posting on social media. Now that being said there still is great value in building your audience as a personal brand because it's another subset of your network you can build out. Crew members who may know a friend of yours starts to follow you and that's another person you add to your network list, but posting IG reels or BTS photos etc won't get you more work directly. So don't feel bad if you're still at 100 followers and some of your friends have 20,000 or more - work is work and if your career is still progressing every year you're doing it right!

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 

You might be thinking to yourself, "I can make high key looking good pshhh" and you're probably right! However, the thing that I always lean towards is how do I actually make it look good consistently rather than mimicking what I see from others? What actually is it about great cinematographers and their approach to making high key lighting look good? The answer to that is ratios, the difference between a key side a shadow side. There's also the location, set design, hair and make up etc but if we're just focusing on the talent you can create beautiful images by knowing what ratio you like for high key and ensuring you create both a key and shadow side. 

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 

Ever been in a situation where the location you have is less then ideal? You were hoping for a row of windows to bring light in from but instead are stuck in a 4x4 room with overhead florescent lights...yeah...not a fun time, or is it??? Today let's explore the realm of overhead lighting and how it can best serve you to create natural but polished looking light for your next project.

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 of the key responsibilities as a Cinematographer is managing expectations. Yes you are there to ensure the visual aesthetic is fulfilled but without the collaboration and support from your crew the production day can go any and all ways, sometimes not to your liking. How do you manage expectations from your crew to ensure they're delivering their best for you and the project? What does it take to please the agency folks while you're juggling a hundred different things on set? Lucky for you we're covering this topic today in the hopes that is serves you in the future and for the rest of your career.

The most challenging aspect of being a owner/operator is truly fighting for our rates. The technical parts and artistic ventures of our career is an on-going journey but we can't survive unless we can fight for the rates we deserve. Below is a link to current 2022 Union rates which I use to help gauge where the industry is and to structure my day rates accordingly.

https://www.mediaservices.com/showbiz-software/showbiz-labor-guide/#tab-which-union-rates-are-included

At the end of the day you have to make the decision for yourself to say Yes or No to certain projects and knowing what the fair market value day rates are is extremely helpful as it provides you with the data necessary when justifying your rates to a production.

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 

I used to feel guilty for not going the extra mile on every shoot, even if I was getting shafted with a super low rate and bringing in gear I knew the project wouldn't take advantage of. Fast forward a few years later, what i've come to learn is if you don't know your worth you'll continue to feel guilty in some way, shape or form for not "doing more". However, if the project and budget aren't also going the extra mile then that conversation goes both ways. You get what you give and the giving always comes from the budget first - remember that the next time you feel an inclination of guilt coming on.

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 

I remember watching cinematographers and gaffers use light meters and thought, "man I don't have time for that, it's too slow!". That was true in the beginning when all I was doing was run and gun but using that same mindset as the budgets and projects got bigger meant that my ability to light was still looking the same - relying on natural light which can only get you so far. By understanding your ratios (Key to Background etc) you start to understand what you want your end image to look like that. Having this knowledge allows you to start building a path of progression to build better images at a higher level, using false color and a light meter are great tools to support you on your path.

In this episode I break down a recent shoot where I used both false color and my light meter to help me light faster especially when you're traveling to places you have never been before.

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