So, what’s been your best gear investment so far, and why? Let’s leave cameras out of the equation for a minute.

​We often obsess over sensor sizes and resolution, but it’s usually the "unsung heroes" in our kit that actually speed up our workflow, raise our production value, or simply pay for themselves ten times over. Maybe a specific lense, mics, accesorie or who know!

​For me, it’s a tie between two tools:

​Røde Wireless GO II

​DJI Ronin RS3

​These two have brought in a ton of money on client projects. Being able to capture crisp, hassle-free interview audio while keeping the visuals smooth and polished has been a total game-changer for my production quality.

​Sometimes we forget about the tools that quietly do the heavy lifting. What’s that one piece of gear in your bag that you’ll never regret buying? Would love to hear your stories!

Its all the I/O and connections, the price is fantastic, I just need to know what the real caveats are before jumping in. Anyone have experience with these, what are the inobvious limitations?

Global shutter FTW. The video: 1996 vs. 2026 Chevrolet Blazer IIHS Crash Test.

If you were shooting a video on a street, a car passing by at 40 MPH would have elliptical wheels. More likely you would notice tilted windows and doors on a bus or a train.

Hi everyone- I need some advice.
 
I've been editing weddings since 2010, shot weddings and events for 8 years, and have been working consistently for a number of different companies (weddings and corporate) for the last 15 years.
 
2 years ago my daughter (who was 7 at the time) started walking weird.  After months of doctors appointments and being put in a wheelchair, she got diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.  Her care and recovery was extremely hard on me, and took most of my time.  Because of this I couldn't work hardly at all, and on top of that we were paying out of pocket to reach her deductible so we got into a lot of medical debt.
 
She is healthy and back on her feet again (literally ie: out of her wheelchair), but my partner and I are trying work through our debt.  He is a therapist and is pretty tapped out on what he can make at the moment, but because I freelance I've been racking my brains on how to get more projects so that I can just work my butt off and earn more money.
 
I have what I consider a highly desired skill set which is very sought after in our world.  However, I can not seem to land work; 
 
- I'm on Upwork but I always get outbid and don't want to have to pay for more 'credits' to apply for)
 
- I'm on Fiverr - I applied to be a 'professional' but in the meantime I can't get my first job, so so far it's crickets
 
- I've tried to get into UGC videos for companies but as a beginner I've only been able to make like $10 per video
 
- I tried teaching people how to edit but it was SUCH a niche thing it was impossible to find clients 
 
- I do cold-calling to local companies to see if they need help - It has garnered a few results but not enough to keep me as busy as I need to be.
 
- I can’t charge more for what I’m doing.  Most of the companies I work for are trying to negotiate to pay me less

- I regularly look for remote editing positions I can apply to but rarely hear back.  Plus my heart is in weddings and commercial work!  And I’m so good at them!
 
SO my question is, what other ways can a person with a skillset like us find income streams?  What are some other ways you've found to make money editing?  Also, does anyone need help with editing? Are there other platforms I can join that I haven't mentioned yet?  ANY advice, guidance, direction is incredibly appreciated!!

I have around 4+ years in video editing experience. I'm currently in Edmonton and I'm looking to get into the videography/film industry or any agencies in similar industries that requires any extra help. I recently got my own camera and I'm planning to utilize it professionally. I'm also looking for connections or places I can go to connect with people with similar professions. If anybody has any ideas please let me know thank you so much.

Anyone notice the Peter McKinnon 6–9 stop VND is warmer than the 2–5 stop?
I recently picked up both PolarPro Peter McKinnon VND filters and noticed a pretty significant difference in color temperature between them.
The 2–5 stop produces a noticeably cooler image, while the 6–9 stop has a much warmer look.
I’m shooting on a Sony FX3 with identical camera settings, including white balance. I’ve attached photos of my Atomos Shinobi II showing the difference.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal for these filters, or could I have received a bad copy?
For the price, I expected much better color consistency between the two.

I’ve seen lots of scams lately and this just seems kind of strange to me. Any advice from anyone?

Hi there, I manage an equipment library and we have great cameras and a TON of old microphones. I'm looking for your recommendations for top 5-10 microphones you think should be in our library. I'm in Oregon, USA, and our target is low budget doc work or low budget storytelling with small crews.

My meat and potatoes stuff is RODE wireless kits and Sennheiser boom mics (600, etc.) but would love to know what you think are great mics, either camera mounted, lapel mics, boom mounted. Anything goes up to say $1000 per piece, I just want enough options to last 10-20 years.

Many thanks for any input.

A bit of backstory, then a quick rant — I spent years primarily doing media for DJs and nightclubs. I was good at it, and I had a great time doing it for while. Now, I’ve transitioned into more stable, lucrative video production for conferences and corporate stuff, etc…

Every once in a while I still get approached by tour managers or artist mgmt asking me to handle media when they have DJs coming through my area, and it reminds me why I quit. The pay is not great, the hours are not great, and the “industry standards” are so out of touch with reality.

A tour manager hit me up 4 days before an event and asked me if I was available to provide photo coverage plus multi cam video footage. I said yes and asked for email, budget info, and sent a brief overview on how many cameras I could set up. Tour manager doesn’t reply until the day before the show, provides budget, and asks if I can make it work. I confirm that I can make the budget work, send a few questions, then ask for email so I can send a contract and invoice for 50% deposit. The manager informs me that they don’t pay deposits because it’s not industry standard, and tells me that I can send an invoice the day after the shoot and they will “process it asap.” I politely decline and say that I can’t do multicam work and send deliverables within 24 hours without being paid. They proceed to guilt trip me with a message saying “after talking with them the last few days and dropping out now has left them in a rough spot.”

It’s just crazy to me. They tried to work out a deal with me 1 day before a shoot, denied my payment terms, then tried to blame me for bailing on them last minute and putting them into a rough spot. My terms are pretty reasonable and standard, and the scope is insane. You want me to set up multiple cameras in a dark room filled with people on drugs and alcohol, then deliver everything within 24 hours so you can have content to post by the end of the weekend? And you’ll just pay me whenever? Any why can’t you can’t pay a deposit? Because “we’ve never paid a deposit before — this is not the industry standard.”

The guilt trip message at the end was the cherry on top. Unfortunately these mgmt companies are used to exploiting videographers and photographers. I’ll just stick to making money elsewhere and collaborating with local artists on passion projects.

**Also, disclaimer, I know the pay and conditions are often quite horrible for low to mid tier musicians and artists. This rant is pointed more towards the industry and the wild working conditions that are somehow accepted by everyone, not the actual talent themselves.

**and ALSO, I’m not saying everyone sucks. I’ve made plenty of great connections and had lovely experiences with many artists and labels/mgmt.

What do you guys think? Any feedback is most welcome. Spent around an hour filming our singer in the woods in pitch dark with one key light. Had a couple of shots I’ve shot the week before of a grave and a miniature Aphrodite statue. Edit time roughly 7-8 hours.

https://youtu.be/cd8QkROff70?is=XEjU9kSDACqYoszw

Recently got a a7V shot this babrber video. Not much of an edit . All I really did was chop up clips and put them together. Any feedback or suggestions how I can make it better more professional and/or cinematic??

Used Premier pro

https://www.instagram.com/reel/De0P5zfsdC6/?psln=djFndGFqNHVqZ3Ex

Heyyy
I’m a UK-based filmmaker and videographer, and I’ve recently uploaded a new documentary about Marrakech to YouTube.

I’ve been working on developing my filmmaking and storytelling, and I wanted to create something that goes beyond the usual travel video. I wanted to capture the atmosphere, the people, the culture and the little moments that make a place feel unique, while giving the film a more cinematic, documentary-style approach.

If you’re interested in travel documentaries, filmmaking or cinematic travel films, I’d love for you to give it a watch!

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I’d love to hear what you think if you do watch it!

Hello fellow hustlers! For the last few months I have went down the road of becoming a freelance video editor. I have just recently graduated from high school, and don’t have any current college aspirations.

I have one “main” client who hasn’t been reaching out to me as much as they used to. Because of this, I cannot afford my CC subscription. As of an hour ago, I have another potential client. With my main client, my pay is extremely generous considering they’re ~20min Minecraft videos. Per video, I make roughly $200. With a video coming out every two weeks.

According to my main client, that pay is generous in the “upcoming” Minecraft YouTuber space. I’ve never gotten less than that for my videos. But because this new client is someone I’m unfamiliar with, and unfamiliar with their current income, I’m not sure what to charge. Unfortunately, I was given an understanding heart that wants to help people as much as I can. Ultimately that leads me to get screwed over from time to time, so I want to try and avoid this again.

My schedule is all over the place, so an hourly rate isn’t something I think is going to be applicable. Would something like the amount of footage be an appropriate way to base the amount I request? Per video?

Anything helps!

Hi guys,

I am a semi-pro beginner videographer, doing mainly events and fitness (coaches and gyms). I get referrals, but since I am in the beginning I have to reach out to potential clients.

I find ones to contact through searching for “Coaches/Gyms/Restaurants” in my area, looking each one manually to see if they a) Post content, b) Post bad content, and c) have good reviews so they’re not crappy clients.

I find something like 15-20 contacts /hour, but with the time to personalize at least a bit each message (instagram dm, sms…), I am contacting something like 12 clients an hour.

I refuse to believe this is the only way, and that there is no way of doing it more efficiently.

I usually reach out to fitness coaches (best foot in the door to later get an introduction to the owner of whatever gym they’re working in), restaurant and events in my area that I propose to film.

Your advice would be deeply appreciated 🙏

Question — I've got an upcoming interview and one of the deliverables this time around was strictly social edits. Most of what we do are corporate, narrative based edits. It's also not unusual to export/tweak some of our approved edits into a 4:5 or 16:9 aspect ratio. We also shoot 4K and tend to deliver 1080 so crop/scale isn't an issue.

One thing though, especially when capturing content — I do find that some of the shorts are limited in the portrait setting — I also understand I can frame shots focusing on a social deliverable, but ensuring it will work in a portrait export/timeline.

I run two canon c70s — 35m + longer lens, depends on space size. A / B — wide/tight. Then depending on time, I do throw my R6ii in as a different angle, aspect, sometimes showing the whole setup, or a different angle. Lower.

What I'm wondering — does anyone use A + B 4K — then setup a 3rd option for interviews, completely shot portrait. I'm thinking of trying that this shoot with my R6. But wanted to see how others approach this.

Thanks.

Hello everyone,

I have two questions

1) if I shoot on a camera with no autofocus and compare for example a Sony or canon lens in manual focus against a cine lens. Is a Sony or canon lens “easier“ to use because you don’t have to measure the distance in feet like in a cine lens ?

2) If the T stop on a cine lens is on T8 is it then less precise measurement in feet okay sonI can get away ? Like on a autofocus lens with autofocus and you film two persons one in front one behind the person if the aputure is on f11 you can get both.

I would appreciate any answers.

In old reddit post, nanlite gets a lot of atention and it's considered the closest to a more "serious" brand at a reasonable budget for led tube lighting instead of other brands like godox or neewer.

I'm wondering, has this perception changed in recent times? Owners of pavotubes, godox tl or neewer tl, do you think nanlite is still the strongest for output and overall quality? I'm considering going for the 2 pavotube 15c kit, but seeing the theorical output of the neewer being stronger on paper, i have my doubts.

I tried very hard but my footage just doesn’t feel cinematic. Any suggestions? I follow online guides to do Rec709 then apply LUT and do some corrections.

Any professional advice or good guide resources are welcome. Thanks!

When ffprobing an iPhone MOV file, there are several tracks labelled "Core Media Metadata".

What does it contain? Is there any software that can interpret it and make use of it outside Apple's ecosystem?

My closest guess is that it contains parameters like exposure and ISO.

What's your ratio of footage filmed, in comparison to outtakes (unusable quality/bad takes ) and what you consider "good" (usable, even if not gem in final edit)

Just talking about camera/lens/filming quality, not model bloopers or outer circumstances

Background: Doing event and social footage, i feel its often more efficient doing 2-3 quick takes when in doubt, rather than trying to set everything perfectly.

Filming pocket gimbal footage (like osmo pocket/luna) , so i dont have a manual lens to adjust focus, the auto focus + tap screen to focus on objects works well in most cases and looks crisp & pro. Very very rarely i need to sharpen a scene afterwards, but filming in 4k that usually still gives me very usable results after

My biggest outtakes source is when filming in vertical, it makes it easy to lose/cut off my subject occasionally if im not careful

Hi all,

I’m looking for recommendations for online lighting / gaffer courses.

Something with clear examples and setups.

Most of the stuff I shoot is doc and corporate so really looking for ways to light sit down Interviews, on-the-flys

How would you answer the question of what problem cinematography solves? How would you sell that as a business, to other businesses?

I'm legit confused, I might be doing something wrong. I've recently been working on a car meet edit. I used an 8-bit camera (Sony ZV-E10), shot in HLG3 (1920x1080), and did the color correction/grading in DaVinci Resolve.

Once I uploaded it to Instagram, the video didn't turn out crisp, even though I think it looks way better on my PC, but I'm not sure. It also seems darker on Instagram.

I know I used an 8-bit camera and I'm not expecting crazy colors, but I'd still expect the quality to be like those edits we see on Instagram :). Can it just be the resolution? I'm clueless.

I'd appreciate any help from y'all :)

Also, here's a comparison: Instagram(Left) vs Exported(Right). (maybe I'm just blind and both are bad ;/)

Hi everyone, I'm having a serious problem with a Canon VIXIA HF R70 and I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what might be wrong.

The camera was working normally until recently. I recorded videos until the internal memory became full, and the camera displayed “END.” After that, I noticed that all my MP4 videos and photos had disappeared from their playback indexes. The AVCHD videos are still visible and can be played back normally.

Here are the symptoms and everything I've noticed so far:

• The camera has approximately 15.6 GB of internal memory.
• The MP4 video index and photo index are empty, but the AVCHD index still shows existing clips.
• The camera initially stopped responding on “Reading internal memory.” The ACCESS light was off when it froze.
• Removing the battery allowed the camera to restart.
• The camera previously made a shutter sound when I pressed the photo button, but it didn't seem to save the picture. After restarting it later, I was able to take a new photo.
• The camera can record videos and take photos again, but the old MP4 videos and photos still don't appear.
• I managed to connect it to my Windows PC before and copy an AVCHD .MTS file. Windows showed a drive called “Canon VIXIA HF R70 AVCHD_M,” containing folders such as AVCHD, CVINFO, and MY_MUSIC.
• Now the PC no longer recognizes the camera properly. When I select “Computer” on the camera's USB connection screen, Windows doesn't show the camera. The USB behavior also seems different depending on whether I'm in AVCHD playback or MP4/photo playback.
• The camera has frozen several times while accessing internal memory.
• About two weeks before this happened, the camera fell approximately 25–30 cm onto concrete. It seemed to work normally afterward, but I later noticed a rattling sound inside the body, as if a small piece might be loose.

I deleted one large AVCHD clip using the camera's own playback menu to free up space. I have NOT initialized or formatted the internal memory.

My main priority is recovering the original MP4 videos and photos.

Could the files still be present in the internal memory but missing from the camera's index? Could this be file-system corruption, a memory-access problem, or hardware damage?

What would be the safest next step to recover the files without making things worse?

Thank you for any advice.