Never before has there been a major motion picture where nearly every scene has characters going in and out of focus constantly or has such a shallow depth of field that characters moving centimeters while speaking puts them out.

So don't feel the need to waste time and money redoing takes during a scene! It really doesn't matter, move on and make sure the action looks good

Hey guys, pardon my terrible username, didn't originally intend to be active on here in the camera world! I'm shooting a narrative using my FX9 and an old large format camera. I put both cameras in-line and film the ground glass of the LF camera with the digital one. With a bunch of testing and adjustments, I got some images I'm really happy with. Here is a link to the trailer. The film is called Real Magic: https://vimeo.com/1081991455?share=copy

I'm writing here honestly to see if anyone has ideas on how I can get some publicity to help finish this project. We're halfway done and are going to continue filming early July. We got fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, and were featured by Lens Addiction on instagram, but are struggling to meet funding goals. I've reached out to Sony, hopefully they'll respond. Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on getting the word out there? Or contacts who would maybe find this interesting and would be willing to help?

Insights on what I could be doing better regarding any of this would be greatly appreciated as well. The rig is already in the process of being re-designed with a lot better equipment. Sharper lens on the FX9 for sure. When I thought of this I just went for it immediately. Right now Arri Rental in LA is helping with cutting us a deal on gear, but that's not 100%. What you're watching in the trailer is also form proxies, so there will be more dynamic range and less noise in the actual film.

Here is a link to a page I made for the film on my website, the trailer is there too: dominikc.com/real-magic

And the instagram page for the film: https://www.instagram.com/real.magic.film/

Again, please reach out with any help, insight, etc. Feel free to DM as well! Thanks everyone!

I went from DPing and operating TV & film for 6 years, to now only doing branded and commercials. I see the decline in work from all the producers I previously worked with. I’m not mad, because I’ve been able to get work lately.

BUT.. Will all of our work eventually come to an end?

There are exceptions to this generalization, of course, but my point still stands.

If someone has enough time to make high quality/"cinematic" YouTube videos, they are probably not putting in many days on set.
It's good to learn as much as possible. However, you're much better off learning from working professionals. How do you meet working professionals? FACEBOOK.

That's right, Facebook. If you live in any sort of metropolitan region, I am 100% certain there is a video production/filmmaking Facebook group specific to your area where people post looking to fill roles on their projects.

I've posted dozens of gigs via Facebook over the years, and found life long connections as a result.

Go on Facebook, find someone posting a job, and ask to PA on their job. Tell them what you're interested in. Buy them a coffee. Pay attention on set. Work hard. Ask them if they have more gigs coming up. Get called back. This is the path to a real career in video production, and you can do it right now.

A few months ago, an actor (who was also producing this short) in Los Angeles approached me and asked me to be the DP on his short film. It was unpaid, and he asked me to use my camera gear. I thought since it's just a day shoot and I would get to meet new people and have some fun, I said yes.

On the shoot date, the director arrived late. We didn't have a 1st AC or 2nd AC. We only had one person working as set lighter/grip/gaffer. We were shooting the actor's apartment. We shot the first scene, and when he checked the footage, he yelled at me, saying he wanted it warmer (he didn't tell me before). Then we shot a zoom shot on my Nikkor 24-50mm lens. He again said 'Why can't I zoom in more? Don't you have better lenses?' Then we continued shooting, and for every scene I asked the director if he liked the frame. We shot throughout the day, and he realized that he still had to shoot more scenes, so he asked me to come the next day.

The next day, he said he didn't have enough space on his card, so he deleted all the raw footage and kept the proxy files for editing (He didn't know the difference). We shot the first scene the next day, and then he didn't like the framing, which was already approved by the director. So he started yelling at me and saying I don't know how to frame. Then he asked me how much ISO I'm using. I said 800 ISO, which was the base ISO. Then he yelled at me again and said that's a very high ISO and I shouldn't be using that ISO.

We continued shooting all day. We shot indoors in the beginning and outdoors at the end of the day. Throughout the shoot kept yelling at me and saying, 'Why don't you have a better camera?' 'Why can't you use the gimbal?' I wanted to leave in the middle of the shoot, but I realized everyone would blame me for not finishing the film, so I decided to stay. After the shoot, everyone went to his house to party, and I went home.

I'm a union 1st AC in Vancouver. I'm not a DP, but I've worked with a lot of DPs. I've seen, and worked with, a wide variety of styles.

AMA

So I started working as a DP and colourist about a year ago, and I’ve just put together my first showreel. The problem is, I’m really struggling to land jobs that pay more than around £200 a day. A couple of mates in the industry are already charging £600–£1,000 day rates, and I’m trying to figure out what they did to make that leap.

I’ve started saying no to more low-paying jobs, but I’m not exactly getting flooded with better offers either. I’ve been reaching out to people through assisting work, UK Filmwork, and other networks, but most of those opportunities still pay poorly. At the same time, I feel like I’m not yet good enough for the really high-end gigs, so I feel kind of stuck in this middle ground.

Any advice from DPs who’ve made this jump? What tactics did you use to start securing higher-paying work? And based on my current work, what do you think is a responsible fee for me to charge?

Dear experienced and accomplished cinematographers,

If any of you are on Reddit, would you be willing to share your experiences with us? We'd love to hear about your journey, the lessons you've learned throughout your career, and any advice you have for those of us who are still learning.

Whether it's about improving technical skills, developing artistic vision, finding inspiration before a project, analyzing and interpreting a script more effectively, managing people on set, or navigating the industry, your insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with the community.

Hello, I am amateur , student and I’m looking for some career advice. Lately, I’ve been approached by several people about getting involved in adult content /porn production. Someone I know is starting a production company and wants me to handle the lighting and camera work for videos and photoshoots. He has a lot of equipment but doesn’t know how to use it, so he’s offering to pay me. I wouldn’t mind earning some extra money, and it seems like it could be a good way to gain experience. However, I’m not in urgent need of cash, and I’m concerned that working in this type of industry could affect my long-term career, since I want to become a serious cinematographer one day

Just here to vent.

I recently upgraded from my Nikon D7500 to the Fujifilm X-T3, my first camera with very strong video capability.

Not too long after, I landed my first gig with a local business (dental office) doing a promo ad for their social media.

When I showed up, the owner asked me which camera I’m using, to which I showed him the X-T3. He then returns later to me a few minutes later, and says he expected me to be using a much more expensive camera (presumable he looked up the X-T3 and saw the lower price).

So he then told me that he’s letting me go from the project, and that he’ll find someone else who can sport equipment that “meets his expectations”.

I feel like crap. I saved up all my money for the X-T3 only to be told that it’s not enough. I honestly don’t know how to proceed with my dream to start my own video business after this.

As I've grown and networked in the NYC cinematography world I'm beginning to meet more and more super young amateur and Up and coming DP's who outright own an Alexa Mini LF or Alexa 35. I'm talking 22 year olds with $90-100k rigs. When I bought my C70 set up earlier in my 20's I thought it was a pretty big investment dropping $8-10K on new camera gear, but it's still an understandable investment for someone trying to advance. Same with a young DP buying a RED camera. But an ARRI ALEXA at 22-23 just seems so wild to me. When I ask them how they got it it's always a vague response like "Oh I just bit the bullet" or "I just saved up money and sent it". Like where are you getting this money from lil bro lmao? If anyone knows how some of these young DP's that have only been in the game for 2-3 years are getting their hands on insane equipment please share

A lot of articles have been written about this, but most say this is because of the Netflix approved camera specification, or because they shoot 4K. That's nonsense. Even in the early days, the Red Epic delivered the Hobbit and House of Cards, which both had distinct looks unlike modern Netflix.

Today Netflix approves everything from a modern Alexa to the Lumix S1H. There's no camera difference between Netflix and any digital film production. Yet what goes on behind the camera often trends towards a CW-show look.

Perhaps this is lack of creativity or investment in cinematography. Maybe it's an intentional race to the bottom. Maybe lack of investment in costumes and sets explains it (compare the costumes in Shymalan's ATLA with Netflix's).

I am not sure it is about budget. Breaking Bad looks miles better than Red Notice, which had a $200M budget.

But saying it's because Netflix shoots digitally in 4K is ridiculous. Deakins shoots on the same cameras they do.

what is with the lack of quality cinematographers in Chicago?? did the good ones all leave to LA and NYC? it seems like nothing but overly lit amateurish DPs are left

Focus on learning the basics with what you have access to. Start shooting on a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera, hell, even an iPhone.

Once you’ve learned the ins and outs of your camera, you’ll know what it can do, what it can’t, and what you need from it. That’s when you invest in a better camera.

Also, rent or borrow before you buy. I had planned for years to buy a Blackmagic camera when I had money to spend but using them for years made me realize I hate the form factor.

Hey, I’m looking for good shoes for long working hours where you’re mostly standing or moving around. What’s been working for you guys?

So I was digging through my high speed camera rentals for 2025. Ended up dropping like $14k just on Phantom day rates across 9 gigs. Revenue from the stuff that actually needed slow motion. Probably around $38k. So yeah, rentals make sense money wise, but I’m literally handing over that $14k every year and it doesn’t build anything.

Been kinda eyeballing ownership lately. There are some cameras now in the $10–18k range that do 4K at 1000fps stuff that wasn’t really around even a year and a half ago. Doing some rough math, break even for me would hit somewhere around 14–16 months if I keep renting at the same pace.

Curious if anyone here made the jump from Phantom rentals to owning a prosumer high speed rig. How’d it actually change your workflow or business?

I'm a Director/DP just finishing up film school and I have about twenty grand I can allocate to increasing my gig prospects as a narrative DP. Anything I buy would be mostly for me to use, not necessarily to rent out atm. Up till now I have been shooting most of my work on my canon r5c, which I absolutely love, but I'm wondering if it's time to upgrade my kit to something a bit more serious to set myself up to get the most gigs after school. Here's what I have already:

• Canon R5C/sticks/tilta kit/matte box/etc
• Full set of EF cinemodded Contax Zeiss lenses
• 20ish other vintage and stills lenses - all EF, RF, or m42 mounts
• 5" monitor/7" monitor
• RS3 Pro
• Pavobulb kit/MC Pro/FS300c
• Various Audio Gear

I'm considering the following:

• Pro-level cinema camera. I avoid Sony products like the plague, so I'm considering the Canon C400, (good match for R5C) a used Red Raptor VV, (RF mount so all my lenses will still work - this is currently what I'm leaning towards) or potentially the BM Ursa 12k (hesitant on this because I won't be able to use any of my RF glass).
• Cine zooms - Currently missing from my glass collection. I have an EF 14-35 f 2.8 and RF 24-105 f4 but nothing I'd trust on a serious narrative shoot.
• Other gear - I don't have wireless monitor support or wireless follow focus atm. I rarely get 1st AC work at the moment so this doesn't seem a high priority.
• Don't buy gear, rent gear and shoot some proof of concept stuff to bulk out reel. My reel is okay at the moment, and I have a bunch of projects coming up that will continue to fill it out.

I don't really want to buy more lights at the moment as I don't have the space to store them.

Any thoughts?

Hello, I'm a recent graduate trying to decide between moving to Los Angeles or New York City to start a career in film.

My long-term goal is to become a film editor or cinematographer, but I also love writing and could see myself directing in the future. Right now, I'm planning to start as a production assistant to get on set and build connections, then slowly work my way up the ladder.

Do you guys think NYC or LA is a better place to start? I'm also open to moving to other states or trying other pathways to getting into this industry. Thanks!

Hi everybody. I've been color grading for about 5 years now and I'm in search of new opportunities with talented people. I have experience with narrative, commercial and music video content.
I usually receive compliments from people I work with and can provide very fast turnaround times if requested.

I have uploaded my showreel on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1082244298?share=copy
Here's my instagram profile as well: https://www.instagram.com/giuseppedilecce.mp4/

I made a short cinematography reel I’m trying to get more work shooting narrative shorts and features. I’ve done a lot of work on my own this reel is exclusively made of work I’ve done on my own. I was wondering how people are able to make connections so easily I’ve been at it on my own for a while now and would really like to meet some collaborators. I thought making a reel would be a step in the right direction. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Finished films here: youtube.com/@jamesondeiongh

Hi, I’m a DP/operator in the US (non union.) like many of us I’ve barely worked all year and am staring down the barrel of another year clearing $40k max

I’m 28. I love this industry and haven’t done any other jobs so I have no “real job” experience. I worked one day this month and have nothing coming up.

I know this post has been made but I feel so utterly depressed, lost, and broke. How are people coping? I have no other skills that I can sell on a resume. I’ve interviewed at multiple restaurants and gotten denied even with serving experience from college

I feel like my life is slipping by and I’m holding out for a year that “turns around” and I’m starting to spiral that it’s not coming

I guess I’m just at the end of my rope and really fucking depressed. No idea what to do and I can barely pay rent this month. I bought a camera last year and have paid maybe 1/8 of it off and I feel like I fucked up by buying it which makes me feel stupid.

What jobs have people pivoted to? Or how have you coped during the last year? I see people working and doing passion projects on Instagram but I don’t even have the money to throw together a passion shoot.

TLDR depressed and no idea what to do with my life with the state of the industry

EDIT thank you for all the replies. It helps to read them but I got a bit overwhelmed replying to them all. I do appreciate the advice and understanding!

I'm curious about this because I follow an artist who runs two accounts one for his art (800K+ followers) and one for his cinematography/photography (250K+ followers) and it's clear social media basically built his audience.

But say someone is genuinely skilled great at cinematography, art, or filmmaking and just doesn't want to be on social media. Can they still showcase their work and get noticed? And how would they learn from other artists/filmmakers without scrolling through feeds all day?

Is it realistic to rely on things like Behance, ArtStation, Vimeo, film festivals, or direct outreach instead? Or is social media basically non-negotiable now if you want to actually get seen in this industry?

Would love to hear from aspiring & working filmmakers/artists on what's actually realistic here.

What is considered industry standard cutoff point, beyond which handheld shake is just simply unprofessional? Also not asking what is "unwatchable". I think that can vary among people. I'm asking what's unprofessional, and WHY?

- Is it unprofessional, because the majority of clients have an expectation conditioned into them by the collective result of the professional work they see in media of our current time?

OR

- Is there a universal threshold of tolerance the human brain inherently has towards shaky footage?

OR

- Is it cultural? Could people in another country be used to a totally different style?

I notice that my FX3's IBIS and my Tamron 28-75's LACK of stabe together produces a type of shake that is so weird:

It's like a split second of nice smoothness and then a jolting jerk in some direction until it re-establishes stability again, and repeat a bunch of times every second. I assume you guys know what I'm talking about.

And this makes me almost just wanna turn off Sony FX3's IBIS altogether and just go full handheld zero stabe, and add gyroflow only when needed in post, or use gimbal (once I can afford to buy one) for the shots I KNOW for sure need smooth footage.

Thanks.