Vipul Bindra: 0:04

All right, justin, thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. As you know, we were talking about the for years. I wanted to start the podcast and the purpose was just I want to have conversations that, a, I enjoy, because I can obviously talk my head off about video production, and I want to talk to other people who care about the same things I care about, and then, b, I would hope the audience gets something out of this that you know, these are the conversations I wish I could have heard when I was starting out, because there may be some entertainment, some golden nuggets in there that hopefully somebody could benefit from Right, so, thank you again, like I said, for coming. Thank you, and so let's start with. I just want to know what do you do, man? I think you do some cool things with video.

Justin Markwalter: 0:50

It's a wide yeah, I know Wide array of things. My wife, friends, family, I feel like sometimes they don't know what I do. I just tell them I'm a camera operator, I shoot photos, I shoot videos. My buddy Dalton says, if it's legal he'll shoot it From helicopters to different countries. Fiji sleeping in the dirt and a little metal hut and baking until 2 in the morning and the hut finally cooled off because it sat in the sun and cooked To here, kissimmee Motorsports or Kissimmee Orlando, all over the place.

Vipul Bindra: 1:28

so wow, tell me more about the Fiji thing. That's.

Justin Markwalter: 1:30

You got me already curious, so I want to know so I go to a church in Rockledge, florida, and they were going on a missions trip and they pretty much was like hey, if anyone wants to go, know that it'll be X amount of dollars. We would love people to go. And I shoot for the church time to time and I was just thinking nobody. There's nobody in the church that documents anything. They say all these cool things and you'll see like some cell phone photos and pretty much garbage stuff that they show to the people and there's no story to it. So I went after the service and I was like hey, brad, if you're cool with it, I would be interested in going. Know that I don't know any details other than, obviously, what you just told us. And he's like listen, if you want to go, I would love for you to go. And I was hoping you were going to come up and ask me. So, long story short, the church paid for me to go. I had no idea what I was getting into.

Justin Markwalter: 2:26

When you see Fiji I would imagine anyone else that sees Fiji you think beautiful island, beautiful blue waters, beautiful beaches, beautiful women, everything. Well, that was far from that. When you land in Fiji, it's beautiful there, but where we were was the opposite end, pretty much the middle of nowhere. These people lived in huts, shanties, shacks, whatever you want to call them like little pieces of cardboard. It was pretty much like a homeless camp, and church wanted me to document it. I thought we were staying in a hotel. I was far off from that. The food was insane, but I actually don't even know what I was eating. It was a whole bunch of different animals and they literally just chopped stuff up with machetes, cooked it and they're like yo, here you go. I'm like I'm pretty sure there's bones and stuff in that and, yes, every bite you would chew, get bones, spit the bone out and you just kind of took it for what it was.

Justin Markwalter: 3:24

And luckily, the family that I stayed with they gave up their children's room and they left me a mattress. Like I don't know, it might as well not even been a mattress. I felt like I was just sleeping on hard concrete for two weeks, uh. But I shot a bunch of stuff. I showed a really cool story. The overall video ended up being like seven minutes, had some people in the church crying, tearing up and uh to me that's what I wanted to accomplish and they got to see what the church was doing and, uh, what that village was trying to do, and I don't want to say I'm getting choked up, but it was a really cool like opportunity for me to be able to show that to everyone that donates or tithes money to certain things like this. Uh, I shot everything on a7s3.

Vipul Bindra: 4:11

I brought a small audio stuff and just captured what I could and it was an awesome experience I think that's incredible and, like you know you, getting choked up is is incredible because that's the power of video. Right, you were there, experiencing it, but you were able to, with this little equipment, capture those emotions. That people up like down here can now feel those emotions, right, they can feel that story and that can show them, like you said, what the church is doing. So I think the power of video is just incredible. Now, what would you say? Would you say that's a positive experience for you Because obviously there's hardship, right?

Vipul Bindra: 4:49

But on the other end, you came back with something incredible.

Justin Markwalter: 4:52

Absolutely. It was very valuable and eye-opening to me. I didn't like you see, like National Geographic and like people living like this, but to actually see it and live it and just be part of it. And knowing that these people live like this day to day, like I'm going home in two weeks, these people are living like this forever. It was pretty crazy. There was one little scene where there's a kid like eating who knows what off this plate. He's sitting all by himself. Maybe two and a half three, I've got a four year old, so it just like I hit home knowing that I have a four-year-old that gets whatever he wants, any anything, food wise, whatever he.

Justin Markwalter: 5:32

if I serve him something, he doesn't like it, I'm cooking him something else because I can this little kid he's eating when he can practically it looked like garbage and he's just having the best time.

Justin Markwalter: 5:43

He even smiles, like in the things he saw the camera or whatever and he just got excited Like, ooh, someone's paying attention, uh, but yeah, very eyeopening. And I every night I take my bed or I go to bed and like, holy cow, this is the best thing ever and I've never slept better in my life. When I got home and just knowing that I have it so good and compared to like super rich people and everything like that, like knowing that I got a car, ac, a hot shower, that was wild.

Vipul Bindra: 6:13

There's no showers or anything like that, probably no plumbing.

Justin Markwalter: 6:16

Right, yeah, it was literally a kiddie pool that had water in it from I don't know where it was freezing, and then you got like a little cup and you poured it on yourself to wash yourself. That had water in it from I don't know where it was freezing, and then you got like a little cup and you poured it on yourself to wash yourself. Uh, and that people just walk by, they're just like hanging out, like living their life, and like yo, somebody's taking a shower, like whatever it is what it is like we're all living, and uh, yeah, anyway, I'm getting off on a tangent, but uh, it's, it was a really eye-opening experience and I'm very thankful that I got to be a part of that and that's, I got to be a part of that because I'm into cameras and I love what I do more than anything and, uh, I hope to keep experiencing more things like that no, that's, that's that's incredible man.

Vipul Bindra: 7:03

Um, like I said, I think, uh, we feel very, you know, living in a country like america, like we, we were in the us. You know, we are very privileged. Like I have two daughters, four and eight, and they, you know, like for them, like I'll have something really delicious in front of them and they may just be like I don't feel like eating it, right, yeah, and then to see the contrast that you saw, which is like where they would, that kid would probably, you know, would love to have whatever my kid just refused because, but again, the circumstances are different and, um, I don't know, uh, I don't know. It just makes me feel very wonderful that we are where we are, but at the same time, I feel like I don't know, I feel like everyone should have what we have and I don't know how to make that happen.

Vipul Bindra: 7:48

Obviously, it's not within my power.

Justin Markwalter: 7:50

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 7:50

I'm passionate about video, like you, so all I can do is share the stories. Right, that's the impact At least I can make. I don't think I could go make a bigger impact. Maybe one a bigger impact, um, maybe one day, you know, maybe one day, yeah, you never know, but uh. But I'm so glad you're here sharing this story, because there is this side to, to filmmaking, where you know, obviously we all love cameras and filmmaking and, and you know, audio or whatever we get intrigued by.

Vipul Bindra: 8:18

But there's the other side of it, which is far more important, which is stories yeah and that's the end goal is the storytelling, because that is what captures people like nothing else. You know, a video can make people cry, it can make them laugh, it can smile. There's very few other mediums that can do that.

Justin Markwalter: 8:36

Yeah, the emotions.

Vipul Bindra: 8:39

And you know, considering how easy it is to make it nowadays, with everyone walking around with a cell phone, I think you know we live in wonderful times, it's the way I see it right, and I feel like it's only getting better. Yeah, and it's keep going to better, because you know, guess what, probably you know. I don't know. I'm just imagining, 20 years later, phones that look better than current day.

Vipul Bindra: 9:04

You know a red and Alexis, or whatever right, yeah, absolutely than current day you know, uh, red and alexas, or whatever right, this is the power of every single person that's gonna be in their pocket. Yeah, wow. So what got you into this whole camera thing and I don't know, like I grew up riding bmx.

Justin Markwalter: 9:16

Uh, when I was doing that, uh, yeah, my phone didn't even have a camera when I was first doing that. And then obviously, like you get a flip phone and it's got a little dinky camera on there and essentially we had nothing to capture any of that. And I grew up and I was traveling from state to state riding dirt, going down dirt Hills, riding gigantic dirt jumps, and I and I was like man, this would be cool to capture, like what if, when I'm older, I want to show my kids this, and kind of hard to believe that I was thinking that far in the future at the time. But I ended up getting a camera and I started shooting. I had no idea like shooting auto whatever, whatever came out of that camera I was getting, but it was way better than anything that my cell phone would capture. So that just turned into like a hobby, a passion, and I absolutely loved it and all my buddies were like this is the coolest thing ever. Then, like myspace became a thing, that's yo, I need a new profile picture and like things like that. Yeah, so, uh, that was a thing and I just going. And then I think I was like 21. I was like man, I need to grow up, I need to get a real job. Like cameras aren't paying me to do anything and at this time I had kind of learned like the basics of shooting manual and stuff like that. But I was like not getting paid. I get a job sales job, I don't know how much, maybe a year or two longer, no-transcript. Hey, you're really terrible at what you do. And I was like you're correct, let me shoot photos for you or something like that. And so I ended up shooting photos of all the inventory of the store. This was probably 15 years ago and that turned into essentially where I'm at now.

Justin Markwalter: 11:26

I shoot for his dealership, I shoot for another dealership. At one point I had three, then COVID came, it stopped production, so that kind of messed everything up for a while. It went back down to one and then I was like man, I'm shooting all these dealerships and I was like triple dipping. I was shooting them all in one day two hours at one store, two hours with another two hours at one store, two hours with another two hours at another store. I'd take all that stuff and then I'd go home and edit it and I'd have it up like the next day. They loved it, making killer money.

Justin Markwalter: 11:55

At that point, uh, with COVID ruining it, I was like man, I got to kind of outsource. I started posting more on social media and people were like, hey, dude, uh, will you, will you shoot for us, or will you create this for us, or come shoot my family or whatever? Photos, video. And I was like, yeah, sure. And then I was like I think I can really make something here and I just started pushing it and pushing it and pushing it, posting it, telling my friends like, hey, if you need something, I got you.

Justin Markwalter: 12:19

And uh, 15 years later, I'm making roughly a hundred grand, a little bit over that. And I work five days a week and I'm absolutely loving every single day I go to work. All my retainer clients that I do work for it's the best day ever going to work. I don't know what I'm going to do and it's. It's different and it's fun. And I can't think of a day where I was like man, this job sucks. I love every minute of it.

Justin Markwalter: 12:44

And I will say the downside to this is now, when I am off work, I want to spend more time with my family, spend more time with my kid, and so my kind of like the passion to just go out and shoot myself, uh, it's kind of gone down, knowing that I don't want to touch my camera, I don't want to be in my office Like this setup that you have here is incredible. Having something like this maybe would push me to doing it, but again, I'm still away from my family, even though I'm one door away. Yeah, so yeah, but anyway, that's how I got started into it and I love doing it. I love picking up extra gigs. I love working with new people. I love absorbing. I love doing it. I love picking up extra gigs. I love working with new people. I love absorbing. I love watching how other people do their job.

Justin Markwalter: 13:28

I'm like oh, that's weird, I never thought of doing it like that, and just the whole job it's just. It's different every day and I think anyone that's ever touched a camera. I hope that they can get to some sort of level, to where they love it like I love it and you obviously love it.

Vipul Bindra: 13:45

Yeah, I was gonna say, I live and breathe the video.

Justin Markwalter: 13:47

Yeah, I was gonna say you guys can't see this garage, but his garage is insane, along with his um massive truck full of incredible. I feel like you got a bnh out there probably. I feel like how I was gonna say, that is a serious truck.

Vipul Bindra: 14:03

But you know, I want to bring it back, though. I think what you said is incredible and you will find how many people I've met over the years. This is a very common thread and I find an outsider, because I didn't start like that but, like so many people, started in video because they just were passionate about skateboarding or BMX or some kind of sport, and all they wanted to do was just share that with the rest of the world or their buddies or whoever, and that got them somehow into video. So they weren't even looking for video, they were just doing what they were just passionate about. So you have a very similar story to a lot of creators actually out there, and that's incredible that that little journey got you to here, where you're technically successful. You're making six figures, which, again, I don't think it's that important, but that's what people care about when they're starting out right.

Justin Markwalter: 14:53

That's one of the reasons I mentioned that Exactly, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 14:55

So because to two people that is important. So you're making six figures. You're independent, you have time to spend with your family. You, you have time to spend with your family, you're shooting cool things, but you're somewhat independent, you know, as if you don't have a boss, right?

Justin Markwalter: 15:08

Which is incredible. I mean, that is the American dream, isn't it? Yeah?

Vipul Bindra: 15:12

So that's crazy, that it starts from a little you know, passion or your love for BMX that leads to a life like this.

Justin Markwalter: 15:19

Yeah, no 100%. And if I had not done that when I was younger, I don't know if I would have done this now. And it's kind of crazy because I just got a reminder. Are you familiar with Photo Bucket by chance, Do you know?

Vipul Bindra: 15:31

what that is Like a stock photo, right? Is that what I'm thinking, or am I wrong?

Justin Markwalter: 15:35

Photo Bucket was like I almost want to say like kind of like a Dropbox but way back in the day you would upload your photos to that and that's where you could store them, and then you could show people and people can see your photo bucket and stuff like that. And I just got like a reminder, like hey, your photo, your photo buckets about to be deleted unless you'd like to pay X amount of dollars.

Justin Markwalter: 15:52

Like dude, I forgot I had that and then I went on it and I found some gyms. It's like, oh wait, I cannot believe these are still here old photos in my phone, uh. And yeah, that that's another timely thing. I know some of you will probably know what I'm talking about, especially if you're a photo guy back in the day yeah, that that's incredible, though.

Vipul Bindra: 16:11

So you know, like that, you've been creating content this long, and again we seems like we've been in. You've been in this area the 15 years that you're saying born and raised. That's what I'm saying, and I've been here since 2010 and we've somehow didn't cross paths until what? Uh, at least physically, I say in person until david came along and started doing these meetups?

Vipul Bindra: 16:31

yeah david, and and that's incredible, you know, like that we're in the same town creating content, and our paths didn't cross until another filmmaker you know started doing these meetups and it was like, oh wow, this is incredible that you know you've been on this journey, I've been on this journey and we're somehow in the same town creating content and just trying to be independent, you know that's that's my goal. Um is um. You know, we talked a little bit, but, like I was just always passionate about video, but I just didn't know. And again, silly me now, I was always into youtube, I should have started the channel, but forget that.

Vipul Bindra: 17:06

I was just like cameras and technology and all that, but I had to have a job on the side right. Because, that's how you pay bills and then eventually one day you just go. Okay, I got to follow my passion and it was the best decision ever because of what happened, right. But that leap of faith was really hard to take, because then you get comfortable, right, you're like at least for me.

Justin Markwalter: 17:28

I was like, oh, that's no insurance, right, I've got kid.

Vipul Bindra: 17:31

At that point I'm like crap do I want to do? I want to just leave everything behind and start this production thing. And then you've all these voices around you're like oh you're, I don't think you're this not real job. You're not gonna make enough, or that was the biggest pushback from, like family and stuff.

Justin Markwalter: 17:45

Uh, they're pretty much saying like listen, you can't do that, like you're not gonna make it. And at the time I was making I was like two grand a month. But when I was 21, 22 and I was working in a couple days a week actually I think it was only two the rest of those days I was going out doing stuff, having fun with my friends or going riding bikes or doing whatever I wanted, and then it was like man, I can make more money if I just applied myself and worked Monday, tuesday, thursday, saturday, sunday, if I really wanted to, and then it just took off.

Justin Markwalter: 18:18

And now I've got three retainer clients, four retainer clients, and I pick up side gigs. That's how I actually met David was through another person that hires guys, and we ended up crossing paths, working together on the same set. And then our buddy, jd. He's like, hey, you should go to this video maker meetup thing. And that's when I went to the first one with David and I met all these other guys like wow, this is really cool. There's other people out there that are into this Like I am. I didn't know anybody at the time, just you should just see your YouTube guys. And yeah, like are you? And I was like this is the coolest thing I could go to and listen to people just talk about cameras and something that I love more than anything.

Vipul Bindra: 19:09

Exactly, and for me it's like, again, it's the information. The problem in this field, at least I found, is there's too much noise. Right, there's so many people who don't know what they're talking about talking about it, and then the people who are successful, who have the knowledge, are happy to talk about it, but you need to somehow separate the noise from this important information that you wish you could have and you know, because I'd rather learn from people who've already been where I want to be.

Justin Markwalter: 19:39

That's what I'm trying to do.

Vipul Bindra: 19:40

Yeah, exactly, then be around. You know people. What I'm saying is I don't want to like if somebody is like, oh, this is how you get a successful business, but they've never had a successful business, I'm like, and they may be right, but I'm like do I want to waste a year of my life experimenting, or do I want to already talk to somebody who's like hey, I built three businesses, I got X amount of revenue, I sold the business for whatever and I'm like okay, please tell me right, and that was my idea. It's like to meet people like you and I'm like I wish I had this conversation, you know, I don't know eight years ago and maybe I would have applied myself better, I would have quit earlier and I would have hopefully left that miserable job yeah, no, absolutely yeah yeah, and so hopefully somebody gets even a little bit out of this, but that's exactly what I'm talking about.

Vipul Bindra: 20:21

I'm really glad we're talking about yeah, exactly because this is this, but that's exactly what I'm talking about, man, I'm really glad we're talking about this.

Vipul Bindra: 20:25

Yeah, exactly Because this is what it's about. It's about, you know, doing that American dream, which is freedom, you know, which is because, again, literally my last podcast we talked about the same thing, like how we're trained to be worker bees, and though the American you know principle is of, you know, entrepreneurship and freedom, but I feel like our schools are just trying to put us in jobs 100%. So we need to fight that and we need to get out and be Americans, be you know, be independent and be our own bosses. And video is an incredible, you know. Yeah, I would say Avenue avenue. If you're passionate about it. I wouldn't go into this just to make money.

Justin Markwalter: 21:08

You could, then it'll be a miserable life because you have to love, I was gonna say I think you'd be miserable doing it, because at that point it's now just a job. It's not something you love exactly and anyone can go do a job that you don't love, exactly then it becomes the same thing. You see the other thing.

Vipul Bindra: 21:22

But yeah, if you're passionate about it and you love creating or telling stories or whatever, you can make money. Because the other common thread is and tell me if you all these people they've met, you've heard it where it's like oh I don't, I love this, I want to do this, but I don't know how to make you know the hypothetical six figures or whatever that I want to make.

Justin Markwalter: 21:41

Yeah, no, that does happen. Uh, you do hear people talking about it and sometimes it's also hard to tell people like, oh, we'll go do this, but because it worked for me doesn't mean it's going to work for them, and unfortunately that's, uh, I would say, something hard for some people to swallow because they see what I'm doing Like dude, that's easy, anyone can do that. Like, you're right, and I got lucky. I got in the position to where I am doing it. You go try it.

Justin Markwalter: 22:04

Yeah, one of the buddies that's been to some of the meetings. He's trying to do it. I've been trying to help him do it. It's just he's just the people that he's, I guess, going after aren't biting just yet. However, he did just land a pretty cool retainer client that I put them on. Well, they came to me and I was like I can't. I'm booked Monday through Friday. I don't want to take any more work on. My work-to-life ratio is literally perfect. But I got a buddy and I would not have met that buddy if it wasn't for this network stuff. That's awesome, and so now we're good. He's actually worked for you.

Vipul Bindra: 22:41

I saw.

Justin Markwalter: 22:42

Emmanuel, which one?

Vipul Bindra: 22:44

Torres, I think you. I saw, really I saw, uh, emmanuel, um which one? Taurus, I think taurus, yeah, oh, wow, I'm gonna have a pod on the podcast, uh, in a few weeks, so that's pretty exciting yeah, if you mention that, he'll probably bring it up.

Justin Markwalter: 22:52

He was just in colorado with them, like he's incredible from what he's told me he's loving it and, knowing that, the person that he's working for now uh, what I know of them and how much fun they seem, the fact that they got linked up I'm super excited for them.

Justin Markwalter: 23:07

I actually almost quit one of my retainers to go work for this person, but I was like no, everything's perfect right now. I don't want to mess anything up. Hey, emmanuel, meet this guy. Now they're together. I know he moved from I think it was Lakeland, over here, not really knowing a whole lot of people, and I was like dude. I was like I'll help you out, I'll send you whatever I can. If I can't take it, it's going to you. And he seems to be doing absolutely killing it and I'm loving that for him.

Vipul Bindra: 23:36

That's awesome and that's really good. Great of you and power of networking yeah and this is power of giving.

Vipul Bindra: 23:44

Um, like I've said this I feel like I'm repeating myself so much, but I've said this so much ever since I started telling people what I was doing that was getting me success, I started getting more success, yeah, so find people who are like, willing to give, always get it back. It's never you. You need to get. If anyone's listening and if I can even help one person need to get out of this mindset of oh, what if they'll take my client or they'll steal some money of me or some job from me. I'm telling you.

Justin Markwalter: 24:10

There's enough of it for all of us.

Vipul Bindra: 24:12

There is. Everyone needs a business. Sorry, every business needs a video. Video is so much work out there, but the thing is it's a mindset change. You've got to learn to give you and, but the thing is that it's a mindset change. You got to learn to give. You got to learn to share what you know and then guess what You'll notice, most people are great on the other side and they'll be happy to share back. So so this story is incredible, where you guys met through this networking and you're like hey, I my plate's full, but here's here, let me help you get this. Returner client.

Justin Markwalter: 24:43

So you can now get where I am.

Vipul Bindra: 24:45

And that's what it's about. And I'm telling you uh, in my experience it'll come back in some way or the other that you, you know eventually, and that I think that's that's what's what that's about.

Justin Markwalter: 24:55

I don't know I love it. Man, one day he'll be sending me job exactly and or hey, I need, I need a second shooter, and even if he doesn't, it is what it is. I'm happy that he got it versus just some random guy that we both don't know, and I know that the client is now going to be happy because they're with Emmanuel.

Vipul Bindra: 25:12

Somebody we know is going to do a great job. Yeah, that's perfect. Yeah, that's perfect. Yeah, that's amazing, man, it's the things that I didn't even know Like we met and I'm. I'm like, oh, I didn't know, like I know emmanuel, but I didn't know that you got him a client, so that's incredible.

Justin Markwalter: 25:24

I took him to vegas, like a couple times on a I just I saw that you shared a photo, because I remember you saying something like you don't really share a whole lot on your instagram, I need to. And so I went and looked and then I was like, oh, I was like there's my homie. I was like, check that out. And so, yeah, dude, I have a story to tell you.

Vipul Bindra: 25:40

I don't know if he's going to like Mr. My first experience with him is crazy. So I had this client a year or two ago. We were doing their events like every quarter or whatever, and I had a photographer, a great guy, nothing against it. But you know he was not in the budget. So I was looking for a little less money but same qualities. And obviously, through David's networking, I had met Emmanuel. So I was like, hey look, I'll take you to Vegas. Food is provided, hotel is provided. This is the rate. You know, I don't think it's a bad rate, but it's not like really really high either.

Justin Markwalter: 26:12

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 26:12

All I want is you to just take some photos you know it's an event Make them look good. And he was supposed to come to my home to save on parking at the airport, so we were gonna ride to the to the airport together, and now here comes time to leave and there's no emmanuel.

Vipul Bindra: 26:34

So I'm calling and then then going to voicemail and I called the other emmanuel because we had, uh emmanuel, uh galagos, a guy who goesos sorry for the wrong pronunciation, but he was going to come, you know, to it. So I'm calling him and was like hey, do you know where Emmanuel is? He's like I'm at the airport. I meant the other Emmanuel not you, so he's like I don't know.

Vipul Bindra: 26:56

I'm like this is because you know I can't video. Sure I can replace it for the guy. I'm like I can't, I don't have photo equipment on me, I'm bringing all the video equipment. He's bringing the photo equipment. Yeah, that's how the deal is.

Vipul Bindra: 27:07

Yeah yeah I'm like I can't just replace him on like like a video guy, I could at least replace. So anyway, I'm like panicking, so it's up 30 minutes or later. I'm like, okay, like we're waiting. I'm like, okay, we don't want to miss our flight, so we're like we gotta go, so now we're driving to the airport I'm panicking, I'm like where are you? So he freaking messaged. At least he was honest, he was great. He's like dude, I just overslept or whatever.

Justin Markwalter: 27:26

Oh I don't know.

Vipul Bindra: 27:27

So I'm like, hey, I don't care show up to the, to the airport, like now I'd anyway it was, it was hilarious, so so, and then we got. I was like, okay, maybe he'll be there, so we check our bags and he's not like this anymore, guys.

Justin Markwalter: 27:40

No, no, no, he's great he's. I said I rehired him, so there's a positive end to the story.

Vipul Bindra: 27:44

But no, and then what was it? So, yeah, no, now we're on the plane and he's still not there. He's like, obviously, he's saying I'm on his way, I'm with the airport and security lines are crazy, obviously Of course TSA pre-check my goodness point is now we're on the plane right and there's no choice and I'm like, slowly and people can see, my heart is like seeing, I'm like crap, this and this is a good client, so I can't just screw them over like I have to, I'm gonna, I'm gonna deliver what I promised, whatever I would have had to do at that point.

Vipul Bindra: 28:18

But anyway, last person in the plane walking finally towards that, I was like, oh, thank goodness, you had no idea the relief that sat in Assas' face. But again, not to go to the pause, this is a crazy story. But he delivered. The photos were awesome and what I liked about him was he was up front. He was like hey, this is not a normal thing, this is just a one-off. It happens, and I'm like you know it's okay and the good thing is I took him to Vegas.

Vipul Bindra: 28:46

I still give him a hard time Because the next time he went I was like okay, so for you, you got to come 30 minutes earlier than everyone.

Justin Markwalter: 28:53

So we know you'll be there. He's like you're never going to let this go.

Vipul Bindra: 28:58

I'm like no and now. The photos were incredible and to me what mattered was the client loved the photos.

Justin Markwalter: 29:04

That's what matters.

Vipul Bindra: 29:04

And then he was fun to hang out with outside of work. You know, and I've hired him a bunch of times after that, I think just this past year we did like an event. He did a cam op for me, so, which is funny because you know we also, and that's a mistake of me.

Justin Markwalter: 29:22

I then pigeonholed him in my brain as a photographer right.

Vipul Bindra: 29:23

So I've hired him a bunch of times and I forget that.

Justin Markwalter: 29:25

No, he can do cam op too.

Vipul Bindra: 29:26

He does some good stuff too so I needed a cam op for like a live event or whatever, and that's where this last year he helped me.

Justin Markwalter: 29:33

So that was our first gig together was a live event.

Vipul Bindra: 29:36

That's awesome, so yeah so I was like this is I gotta stop doing that for people like pigeonholing him to what I hired them for yeah and he did incredible work there. I have nothing to to say about it, so no great that's what I thought too but that's a funny story.

Vipul Bindra: 29:50

But normally, yeah, I would not hire somebody who did that to me. But look, he made it. He, he did great work and he was up front about what happened. I don't like bullshitters, you know. I knew exactly when he said it, like he was genuine. This happens and he made it.

Justin Markwalter: 30:03

You know, that was, that was the main thing I remember at the meeting you were like if you're late, like you're out, you're not getting hired ever again. So as soon as you said that I was like dang. He got a second chance because he made it. He was late, but he was on the plane I was gonna say as long as you're on the plane, late or not, he's there. Yeah, that's awesome he's gonna hate me for telling this story.

Vipul Bindra: 30:22

No, he's a great guy. Please don't, Emmanuel. I'm sure you're going to watch this.

Justin Markwalter: 30:25

Maybe one day you'll stop ignoring my phone calls. We can go get a beer sometime.

Vipul Bindra: 30:28

Exactly yeah, and then anyway. So yeah, but no, this is incredible, man, that we have common people and you're helping and sharing, and what I want to know is now that let's talk to the meat that people want to know, or at least I want to know about, is retainer clients, that's like the key to success in video, because I've said this a thousand times, I'll say it again Nobody who's successful in video gets 50 new clients every year. It's just impossible. The easiest thing is to keep the clients that you have.

Justin Markwalter: 30:59

Keep them happy.

Vipul Bindra: 31:00

Keep coming them, keep them happy. So you clearly are doing that. And so what's your strategy? A how do you do that?

Justin Markwalter: 31:08

And B I want to know how you structure your retainers okay, we'll start with a, because b is going to be atrocious. Uh, a, uh, that was. How do I keep the retainers correct? Uh, so the few retainers that I have, which started with the one, it was pretty much hey, come, shoot my inventory, get it done, get it up. Don't make me babysit, I'll be happy, easy peasy. Shoot some units, get them on the internet, bada, bing, bada, boom, I'm done. He's happy. That turned into some other stuff.

Justin Markwalter: 31:38

I've now taken on more roles and now he pays me more money and same thing. I show up when I need to or when I want. Essentially, I don't want to say need to, because he's pretty lenient. As long as he doesn't have to babysit and everything's done, he doesn't care.

Justin Markwalter: 31:53

Two days a week, actually, he, just for the first time in I almost want to say probably a year, made a request like hey, can we start doing more video work? And I said absolutely, I've been trying to and I'm here for it. So my other guys, they're in the same boat, as long as I'm there and I'm doing the work and they don't have to babysit, they don't have to monitor their social media, cause I do share the stuff that I create for them on their social media, so they don't have to worry about it and they don't care what it looks like, how it comes like, what it's shot on, as long as it obviously doesn't look terrible. Anyone can shoot from an iPhone. We were kind of already speaking about that, like in a couple of years that's what a lot, even now, camera iphones are so good.

Justin Markwalter: 32:42

Yeah, uh, visuals are not an issue.

Vipul Bindra: 32:43

So perception may be different, but correct, but not on social media content.

Justin Markwalter: 32:45

I think that may not even be an issue there. Yeah, so with the power sports dealership, I shoot with a sony a74. Everything's easy peasy, they're all happy. Sometimes he'll be like, hey, I want to do this, and he's easy peasy, they're all happy. Sometimes he'll be like, hey, I want to do this. And he's like don't bring all your lights, I don't need none of that bullshit. And he's like just shoot it. He's like don't make your life hard, just shoot it. And I said, okay, cool, you're happy, I'm happy.

Justin Markwalter: 33:08

And then we, uh, my other retainer or my other retainer clients, they're exactly the same. They're like like, we don't care what you shoot it on, you can shoot it with a potato. As long as it's done, it looks good and it's turned in in a timely manner, we're good with it. And I just watched david morefield, uh, youtube, and he's shot on an iphone and like with the little four transmitters, and I was like dude, I was like I feel like you're doing exactly what I'm doing. You got a retainer, I got a retainer and one, um, my general contractor, my one general contract that I have, he doesn't care, he's like you can shoot it on a cell phone if I can have it up same day. I'm I'm here for it. So, honestly, I've been shooting a lot on a dji pocket three and then yeah, dude, yeah, that thing looks incredible the amount, I'm surprised I don't actually have it in my pocket.

Justin Markwalter: 33:58

I usually carry it everywhere. The amount of money I've made from that thing is insane. And for anyone to say like, oh well, you have that job because you have a nice camera, I make a lot of money literally on an iphone and on a dji pocket 3. Anyone can afford a DJI pocket three. And I keep getting on tangents as long, as long as my clients are cool, fun and I don't want to say entertaining, but they do keep me entertained. They don't care what I'm doing, as long as everything is up, it looks good and, I guess, in a timely fashion, whether it's an iPhone or an eight, seven, s, three, fx, three, fx, six, whatever you want to shoot on, I feel like I feel like it got weird on that one.

Vipul Bindra: 34:42

That's okay. I mean, I completely get it. What you mean, what I'm curious about is so so it seems, which is great, that's what we want, right? We? Want a client who says hey, again what?

Justin Markwalter: 34:57

I'm talking about.

Vipul Bindra: 34:58

That's amazing. Now let's talk about the real thing. You can't really put that in a contract. Hey, do whatever on Mondays and Tuesdays and I'll pay you this much. So how are you structuring these retainers for A how long and what are the deliverables, at least legally, in your contract? Or do you even have a contract I?

Justin Markwalter: 35:16

was going to say so. When I was messaging you on Instagram yesterday, it was like I feel like I'm not doing it right, because I learned from YouTube. I learned just from watching other people do it. I didn't have really a mentor, so all of my jobs they're like gentleman's agreement, essentially Like hey, I'm going to come in two days a week, two hours at peace. Uh, whether I have a contract or not, I feel like they could let me go tomorrow and I don't have the money to fight somebody. Like hey, like agreement breach, like you got to pay me at least the rest of this month.

Vipul Bindra: 35:49

I mean, I can't say that I don't have the money I'm not a lawyer, but yes, you can. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but yes, but it's just more like Kill fees are a real thing, just so you know.

Justin Markwalter: 35:58

I was like, if you're going to crush it, I'm not going to be here next month. Like, hey, just let me know. Like we're cool and I'm now good friends with all of my clients that I work with. I play hockey with two of them. One of them is now a good friend that was my power sports guy and it's just a kind of a gentleman's thing and every now and then I ask for a little bit more money and so far I haven't got any kickbacks. They've, they've all been good with it. I'm not asking for the moon, it's just like hey, yeah, do you want this? I want to charge you an extra five hundred dollars and five hundred dollars added to the monthly, whatever you're paying me. It just it all adds up and it's easy and I feel like like I'm not asking for a lot.

Vipul Bindra: 36:36

No, that's very fair. And again, you don't need to go into exact numbers. Feel free to either round it up or just tell me if you don't want to tell me. But what I'm curious about is so it sounds like so far you obviously you're friends with them, so it's like very easy Now, yeah, Now you are Now yeah, it's just gentleman's agreement, like a handshake. You know you don't have anything on written. You go what? Two days a week for one of them, or two of those, two of those, one day for one, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 37:05

And then one day for one. So how do you charge like payments? Do you have automatic recurring payments and roughly what you're able to charge and do you have a given like you have to make this much deliverables? How are they valuing you at whatever that price point is?

Justin Markwalter: 37:20

so I don't have a deliverable. Uh, there's no agreement on actual deliverables for any of them. Uh, for example, my general contractor if we go out looking for a couch for his mother's house which we've done we record absolutely nothing. He's like dude. He's like we got literally nothing done today. He's like that's not on you, that's me, poor management on myself. I'll see you next week. And he and he pays me because I came out there. It's essentially he's paying for my time. Now there are days where I'll shoot headshots for the guys in his company and we it was like a day rate type job. Let's say 800 bucks for the day, yeah, 1200 bucks, whatever, whatever you charge, um, I'm fortunate enough to where I can go week to week, knowing that I'm gonna make. So I, 600 bucks, that's what I charge. And, uh, and it's week to week, every week, 600 bucks, whether we're going on a trip. We're going to Costa Rica, we're going to Vegas, which we're both going to Vegas January 19th we're going to SHOT Show.

Vipul Bindra: 38:24

That's where I wish I was going.

Justin Markwalter: 38:25

I'm getting paid to go do that.

Vipul Bindra: 38:29

That's so cool yeah.

Justin Markwalter: 38:30

Everything's getting paid for. I'm actually kind of double dipping because one of my other retainer clients is sending me there, uh, because I work for a gun company and they're sending me there to record content for them, so I get to go to the range day. I'm not a huge gun guy, for the record I love guns, but I don't know much about them. Yeah, uh, I guess the range day all the big like I know all about them, but that's not the topic.

Justin Markwalter: 38:54

But let's go uh, we all get to go shoot them outside, I guess, and supposedly it's pretty badass and you have to be super high in the industry to go to this actual range day and shoot everybody's brand new guns they're about to release, like the following day, so I'm going to go do that and then it'll be inside, wherever we are. I guess this is like the biggest gun convention in the States. Maybe you know that. Yeah, so I get to do that. And then I hired my buddy as a grip, who's my general contractor. So it's funny. He's going to be working for me, but I'm going to shoot a little bit of content for him too. So now I'm going to double dip on both of them and I'm going to make money from one.

Justin Markwalter: 39:28

Make money from the other and I continue to get paid. While my trip's getting paid for, I'm going to eat like a king.

Vipul Bindra: 39:34

We've already locked in some really cool restaurant things that we're going to go do some really unhealthy burritos, and I'm super excited for and uh see see, what's crazy is sure, in one way, you like you said you, you don't understand business or you don't have any of the structures that I would say you need to have, yeah, but on the other side you're doing it like a business owner, because you're like hey, look, we're gonna, I'm gonna double dip here oh yeah, you gotta maximize opportunity, you're still maximizing your roi yeah and you're doing the correct things.

Vipul Bindra: 40:03

Uh, and you know, like you said, somebody's paying for your travel, somebody's paying for your food, somebody's gonna pay for your lodging and you're gonna create content and you get to go to a cool show. I mean, vegas has all the cool shows I to go to but nobody's willing to pay me to go to, like CES, nab. I'll get you next year.

Justin Markwalter: 40:20

There you go, I'll get you next year. There you go, I'll come with you. There you go, I'll be your group, my PA, whatever Exactly, I'll come yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 40:37

But no, the typical that people say at the end of the day, you're running a successful business and you're doing all the right things, clearly, but seems like it's also you're having fun doing it oh, absolutely so I'm.

Justin Markwalter: 40:44

I'm I'm making it day by day the most unorganized way possible, but I'm learning from mistakes. Uh, definitely learning from mistakes. This year, especially, taxes are going to kick me in the butt pretty hard. I I do have an LLC. Like I am legit, I have insurance. I strongly recommend anyone that has LLC to have insurance. If you step foot on any, any, any anywhere where you're shooting, you should have insurance, because if something small happens or huge happens, at least you're covered.

Justin Markwalter: 41:13

Um, I know, when I first started, if I didn't have the insurance and someone did get hurt, I would have been absolutely screwed. But I do have that. It's relatively cheap for what it is and your coverage. Yeah, I'm super excited for Shaw Show and then, following that, we're going to Costa Rica in February and that's going to be with my general contractor. We're going to go create more content over there. We're going to go look for buildings and we're gonna show some stuff off. Uh, like, hey, look how terrible this is and this is what we would do. Uh, or hey, like, look how awesome this is and it's cheaper over here because whatever whatever he wants.

Justin Markwalter: 41:48

Yeah, just make content, yeah I'm gonna shoot it on my pocket three and I'm gonna have it up that day and he's gonna be happier than ever. We're gonna go ride dirt bikes and rip side by sides and then it's going to be going to be awesome you know what's.

Vipul Bindra: 41:59

What's, what's so amazing about this conversation that we're having. We're so similar in the way like I feel the passion for you about making content, telling stories, but the approach is completely different. You saying I'm going to take the pocket three, I'm going to post it the same day.

Justin Markwalter: 42:13

It's just like gives me, gives me like chills, I'm like no, I need to have my lighting, my sound my, my like I gotta get everything right.

Vipul Bindra: 42:20

So it's like you know, like I don't know, I can't even to be real we've done same day edits for conferences. But what I would do. But again, that's paying. This is the idea that look, there's not just one way, right?

Justin Markwalter: 42:46

Correct, you don't got to have all this. I do have a lot of this.

Vipul Bindra: 42:53

And I do jobs like this, but each client is different.

Justin Markwalter: 42:55

Each client is different. Some don't care about that. They just want something that they know is going to look better than what they can provide, and they want it now. And I'm able to do that. Yeah, most other people are able to do that, yeah it's just but.

Vipul Bindra: 43:09

But that's. That's the story I think you have right now. Is that basically just your phone, maybe a pocket three, which is not that expensive of a camera? You can go out there and make a living, and make a good living at that, and that's incredible and that's the same thing. Like I said, we're doing the same thing, but that's just an alternate way of doing it.

Vipul Bindra: 43:35

I think you're making better profit because you have barely any expenses which is why IRS is not going to like you was just like uh, I can go like oh, this is expense, that's an expense, that's an expense you have like a pocket three oh, I do have a good amount of expenses, but uh, yes compared, compare or comparably speaking.

Justin Markwalter: 43:50

Yes, my expenses are next to nothing compared to a lot of other people.

Vipul Bindra: 43:55

The competitive advantage there is. Again, I don't know the exact numbers, but $200,000 for me or anyone else may only be worth $100,000 for you, because if our expenses are that much higher, we need to make double, triple whatever, to make what you're making and have the same lifestyle right.

Justin Markwalter: 44:12

Yeah, not over here. I'm making $100,000 and doing well with $100,000. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 44:16

So that's incredible. That's what I'm saying, wow.

Justin Markwalter: 44:24

And hopefully one person takes their approach and I I'm. I'm speaking at a school on the eighth and oh yeah, so today's the third speaking to a school, and my main objective is to to find not necessarily to find that I don't want to say loser punk rock skater kid, like I was, but like I hope that I can connect with one kid throughout the whole day, if it's just one, to prove that someone like myself and hopefully someone like him, whether they're making A's and B's, c's and D's, whatever, there's other alternatives than going to college or going to the military or, uh, I don't want to say trade school, but I think trade schools are a better alternative than most of those other options.

Justin Markwalter: 45:05

But uh yeah, just a camera, a passion, you can make money doing it if you apply yourself, and I, I think I'm a very good example and you're gonna know how to do anything and I feel like I don't know how to do a lot, but I'm making it work every day and learning by mistakes and I try not to repeat them. And here I am, and now I'm on a really cool podcast well, thank you.

Vipul Bindra: 45:26

Talking about people that are cool, doing big stuff, yeah, no, but that's, that's uh. Like I said, I I'm I'm already like really excited to hear everything you've said so far, because it's so, so incredible, but at the same time, so different than the path that I've been on. Um, but that's crazy, but but you speak about it. I know it's a little tangent, not on the topic that we're talking about, but you're right about like, uh, trades, like in this country right now, man, if you just went to trade school, you can come out already making six figures better than us video people, because you don't even need to do all the learning and the education all that, you just learn that one trade because the demand, at least in Florida, for HVAC techs is so high.

Justin Markwalter: 46:05

It's crazy. It's crazy. I accidentally got put in an HVAC class in high school and I thought it was supposed to be something else that I signed up for. I got there and I was like, like what the hell is hvac? I was like I thought this was, I don't know pottery, whatever the hell it was. You know. Like, oh yeah, you're gonna learn ac, cooling and heat and all this stuff's. Like I have zero interest in that. Like get me out of this. And I went and spoke to the counselor and I got out of it.

Justin Markwalter: 46:28

Shoot me in the foot yeah, no, yeah, non-flu, yeah, I would have been doing great now, but, granted, I love what I do now and I'm happy that I did get out of that.

Vipul Bindra: 46:35

Exactly. But you know, like so many builders that I work with, like same thing they're just they can't find good people. You know, reliable, good people in HVAC. So if, if somebody right now just went out and you know, went to trade school, whatever and got really good at it a killer in florida, none of this camera bs that we have to do, um, so it's incredible. I've seen a lot of yeah, a lot of opportunities out there, so there's lots of ways to make money. Um, you know, you just have to, like, you know, do it yeah that is what it comes down to.

Justin Markwalter: 47:09

Yeah, you have to. You just got to go for it. You gotta apply yourself so that so that's awesome.

Vipul Bindra: 47:14

So what's next for you? Seems like I think you pretty got locked in. So do you just want to coast or do you want to do something different?

Justin Markwalter: 47:24

Or what are you wanting to do next?

Vipul Bindra: 47:25

I just want to keep doing fun shit.

Justin Markwalter: 47:29

More power sports guys please, that's actually my new retainer. I just picked up another one, which is actually funny that I'm working for him, because it is actually a retainer client that I had before the covid. Uh, he moved away to texas or something like that and he came back and now he's working at another location. Their store has nothing like no content, no, anything. There's not even any bikes on their website. Like, how do you sell bikes that don't exist? They just look like stock images. When you buy a car maybe not your truck, your van sorry, don't want to, yeah, um, but it's. You want to see an actual picture of it. And when clients come, hey, I see you have this whatever bike and it looks great. I see you're not trying to hide anything. Everything's super high detail. I don't even need to come see it. Can I buy it and send it to Georgia? That happens all the time. He hit me up and he's like hey, come be my guy. And I was like I'm 100% in.

Justin Markwalter: 48:27

But out of professionalism I did need to speak to my other dealership and typically it was like hey, if they don't sell the same product and they're not the store right behind their store, like, I'm good with it While this location sells uh, one of their big brands. They clash. They're 20 miles from each other. They're competitors. I told my boss, hey, if he doesn't hire me, I'm going to send someone else. And it was actually Emmanuel. And uh, I was like the same job's going to get done, but you're essentially Taking money out of my pocket. Why not let me go do that? It's not going to like Change our work relationship. I'm still going to get my same job done here. And I got the green light.

Vipul Bindra: 49:10

So I'm working at both.

Justin Markwalter: 49:12

So I'm excited.

Vipul Bindra: 49:12

That's incredible. And then that's really nice Of your boss, some people do get gung-ho on. No, but I'm like like you said, it's gonna get done yeah why take money from your?

Justin Markwalter: 49:21

pocket exactly, but at the same time I'm pretty sure you are professional.

Vipul Bindra: 49:24

If you would have respected, if he had said no, you wouldn't have done it right yeah yeah, yeah so, so at least when I first branched out I didn't actually tell him.

Justin Markwalter: 49:32

And then I did tell him and he actually fired me on the spot and I didn't think about it was that long time ago right before right.

Justin Markwalter: 49:43

Um, yeah, it was before covet, that's why, so that's when I got the second dealership and, uh, I didn't think much of it. I was like, oh, I'm just shooting more power sports, like whatever cool, I'm gonna double my money work the same day. And then I told him and he's like you're not, you're not being serious. And I was like, no, I am. And he's like dude, he's like you can't work here anymore. And I was like, all right, that's, that's funny. What are we doing for lunch? He's like no, he's like dude, I'm gonna walk you out. And he legit walked me out and I was like, holy cow, like you're, you're being serious, serious.

Justin Markwalter: 50:15

I left and thankfully I don't know if it was like a week or two weeks later, he's like hey, he's like I want you to come back. And I came back and I guess he realized like, hey, no matter what, the same thing. Like they're going to get their photos. Now, he doesn't have someone getting his photos, he doesn't want to train somebody to do what I was doing and and, realistically, I started because of him and I felt terrible like, yeah, I don't think he'll ever watch this, but like I love that dude, he's done a lot for me and uh, yeah, so it was a lot to ask for this one and he told me no originally.

Vipul Bindra: 50:49

Then he was like all right, you know what it's like, they're gonna do it, so just go send it and I actually start friday with them, so well, congratulations in a good way, but also, like I said, great on your uh other boss, I guess, or other client, to be okay with that, because, like you said at the end, yeah, uh, but I'm. My philosophy is simple, is that, like you know, if it conflicts too much, I just don't do it, but if it's like you said, if it's just going to get done, it's.

Vipul Bindra: 51:18

It's nothing that competitive yeah you know, like because you don't know, you're making pictures of stuff that sells. They have that in the store correct. Yeah, yeah it's going to get done. So then you know. But it is nice to ask your client like is that okay? Because, at the end of the day, uh, you don't want to create conflict, so correct, and I was.

Justin Markwalter: 51:34

I was willing to not take the new job if he was genuinely didn't want to create conflict, correct. And I was willing to not take the new job if he genuinely didn't want me to do it. I was going to tell him like, hey, buddy, I can't and I would have sent the job to a friend. Or hey, I have a buddy that will do it. I'll even train him. And thankfully, I just got the gig and here I am and still doing the same thing.

Vipul Bindra: 52:02

And I'm going gonna start shooting for two dealerships, which is gonna make me more money and I'm gonna have more fun and keep doing exactly. Wow, man, this is, this is freaking, um like, but I mean, I'm just uh happy that, um, that you found this path and you found more work with sounds like what you enjoy, um, and you're doing it, so Okay. So what would you tell, like, if you could do something differently? How would you approach that now, like, would you change anything?

Justin Markwalter: 52:26

Like compared to what I'm doing, like what would I do different?

Vipul Bindra: 52:31

If you could change anything, what would you change?

Justin Markwalter: 52:33

Okay, so I'm learning now a lot about about, like, the finance side of business and not, uh, cross-mingling bank accounts. Uh, actually, I learned this at the last one that we just had in orlando just the light bulb clicked, I said something to david's meetup. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I said something to david and david's like dude, you can't do that, yeah. And then I spoke to my gc guy who helps me out with a lot of stuff cpa.

Justin Markwalter: 53:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, so yeah so I send man, you want to talk about bad. I write everything like on your iphone in the notes tab, like I go through my amazon list, I go through credit card statements, I add it in, I break it down and then I actually throw that into chat gpt and I say, hey, can you calculate this for me? And it calculates all of that money that I've spent. I send that to him and he's like dude, you're really sending me like iPhone notes. Still, bro, it's 2025 now what are you doing?

Justin Markwalter: 53:33

I actually had QuickBooks for a year. I opened it once like nah dude, no, that's where it's free. I believe I actually had quickbooks for a year. I opened it once like nah dude, no, it's, that's where it's at, and uh. So this year my goal is to better that. I use my business card. I got an amex travel card, uh, or an amex platinum card and a amex gold card platinum. I don't know if you have one, but but for all the lounges and stuff.

Justin Markwalter: 53:58

Priority Pass or whatever I love traveling now, knowing that I can go into a lounge, get a massage, take a shower Sometimes I don't even need a shower, but it's a free shower it's an incredible shower. And then I go get a massage and then I hop onto another flight for an hour or two. Dude, I'm living my best life. Most of the time you get to an airport, you hate your life. You hate dealing with people. You get to your location, you're miserable and tired. You just want to go to sleep.

Justin Markwalter: 54:22

I could go fly now and just start working, if I really wanted to, with that, but I really need to focus on just one bank account, all business and the business side, not pulling from both accounts, co-mingling I think, yeah, you definitely don't want to do that Again, not any kind of advice over here.

Vipul Bindra: 54:40

But yeah, my biggest thing also is the contract side of it. Nothing wrong with the handshake agreements, but the truth is, anyone in this country that will make money is lawyers and you never again. Chad GPD is awesome. I use it all the time. I wouldn't use it for contracts. Get a real lawyer, because the thing is there's some terms again not legal advice but they can add like literally attorney's fees and kill fees and all these things in there, Because what happens is, let's say, your client doesn't pay you, you can take them, you can just call your attorney and they'll handle the rest because their fees are in it. Like you don't have to worry about it, because they're going to take care of it.

Vipul Bindra: 55:20

Yeah, because, because you, they put it in the contract. If you, if you build a good contract, right, Um, they can put all that in there, Meaning or if they like ah, we don't have money anymore.

Justin Markwalter: 55:39

Yeah, sorry, buddy, yeah exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 55:41

Then the attorney and plus otherwise. A lot of times what happens is when people go to ChatGPD or these websites, when they build a contract it may just say sure, you can go to small claims court and you can get your money back, but the attorney's fees may be. Let's say, they owed you 600 bucks and you can get your money back, but the attorney's fees might be let's say, they owed you $600 and then $10,000 for the attorney and you're like not worth it.

Justin Markwalter: 55:59

That's what I was talking about earlier when I was like I don't have the money to deal with that, and that was really what I was meaning.

Vipul Bindra: 56:03

It's not worth it at that point, and that's why I'm saying you want an attorney who will build that in that hey least, if you have to go to court, they also have to pay the attorney. So you are not coming out of pocket and you get paid what you deserve to be paid. So my thing is I would highly recommend and again, if it's working working, don't destroy the relationship. But contracts are incredible in this country. They're enforceable and the attorneys that enforce them can build them in a way that hopefully you don't have to even spend attorney's fees because the the other party would pay for them. So I would highly recommend anyone doing this just in the beginning just start with contracts I wish I had done yeah, and and, and, maybe in the future, like I would.

Vipul Bindra: 56:54

I would highly suggest working with an attorney because you want to build such a strong contract. Now. It is a negotiation. I'm sure when you sign up they may want some changes or whatever.

Justin Markwalter: 57:04

I don't know.

Vipul Bindra: 57:06

That's part to negotiate. But the point is, if you have a good contract and it protects them too, it's not just you. It says, hey, I'm going to minimum deliver, I'm going to come for two days. I'm going to minimum deliver. I'm going to come for two days, I'm going to x amount of deliverables and obviously, uh, just like I think me you deliver more than what you probably will put in there, so I do so you'd never have to worry about that as long as you do what you say.

Vipul Bindra: 57:26

But it protects them that, hey, we're gonna get this for this money. If they don't get what they're paying you for, then you know, then they don't have to pay you. So it protects technically both of you. But I don't know. I would highly suggest especially if anyone's starting this now already start with a contract in place. Already start with the LLC, already start with your QuickBooks or some kind of accounting software, because yeah, learn it out of the gate, then you don't have to learn it later, years later.

Justin Markwalter: 57:52

Yeah, and you don't have to fix the mistakes or whatever. I feel like an old dog. I don't want to learn anything new. I have an idea of what I'm doing and it seems to be working. Why change it? But when it comes to somehow possibly affecting my family or my bank account as a whole, I can't play that game.

Vipul Bindra: 58:16

No, exactly learn. I would rather people not learn the hard way, like for me, like long time ago, when I start first set of my business and it's cool, you know like, oh, what's the name gonna be? Or llc, and you set that up and then next thing you know you're getting bill like you need to file this tax, you need to file this tax and you're like what? I just set up a name? It's like no, no, no, it's a legal entity. So a lot of people you know I learned it that way, yeah yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 58:39

You do something I didn't have any mentors or anyone initially, like I said, especially where it was like oh no, you got to do it this way, I had to learn it's like oh, what is this bill for? What is this stupid tax? And then you have to Google it, you have to figure out and then you know, uh, the other ways are like oh, what is this tax? Like oh, what are you telling me they're going to charge 30 on my you know income for excel? Like what is that for? Anyway?

Justin Markwalter: 59:06

and or oh, you can write off miles. Oh, I wasn't recording them.

Vipul Bindra: 59:08

You know, use my like exactly yeah, so it's like things like that, and, and so hopefully anyone, at least even I, can have one person like you know, you want to do this from day one. Yeah, so you're already far ahead of us.

Justin Markwalter: 59:19

Yeah, no, 100%, exactly Right. And you you are. I believe you said you didn't have like somebody, like what we're doing. I didn't have one, it was just all learn, and I think it's now, with the way YouTube is, you can literally find anything. Granted, obviously you got to be careful with your YouTube heroes, because sometimes they give the worst advice.

Vipul Bindra: 59:39

You've got to be very careful with the advice. You can find gold, though.

Justin Markwalter: 59:42

No, yeah for sure, and not to plug David again, but seeing the raw like day-to-day what he's doing. And you've got Jared Phelps in Texas, who I also met at one of the meets, which I believe that was the first time I saw you. I don't know, I think it was like a taco place, Either way, or maybe it was the rooftop bar. Either way, I met Jared as well and Jared told me he's like yeah, I do like EA stuff, video games. I was like what the?

Vipul Bindra: 1:00:14

hell, it's there in our house over here, yeah. I was like what the hell of video games? And?

Justin Markwalter: 1:00:20

nobody.

Vipul Bindra: 1:00:20

No, I had no idea, that was even a thing and wow, that's so crazy because I grew up, you know, es sports oh, no, yeah, I knew that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:00:27

Yeah, yeah, oh. I grew up playing some video games. I still play today at 38, and I feel I don't want to say like a loser, but I'm like man, I got to put these things down.

Justin Markwalter: 1:00:36

Yeah, when he said he was like what are you shooting in video games? Like what are you and I'm not going to talk bad about someone that does like Twitch streaming? That's literally what I was thinking. And then I saw his Instagram, I was like, oh man, you're doing Halo and like you're doing the full, like championship games, like you are living what I want to be doing. Like that is incredible. I grew up on halo. That land parties, like that was the coolest thing in the world to me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:01:04

And then for this man to come in and say, or for that man to be doing that, I was like, dude, that's a childhood dream that you're living right now and that's way cool that's awesome, yeah and and so I'm saying the paths that people can take is so crazy, like yeah, but you know again, if somebody told me, like you know, as a kid I love playing video games, that hey, I can go make videos for video games or land parties or whatever, and make money? Yes, and good money better than a job. Yes, crazy, couldn't have even imagined, and yeah uh. But you know again, I think there's also a little bit of lottery in this, because uh, I would not, I would agree yeah, because it's it's.

Vipul Bindra: 1:01:43

There's one thing to first know, right. The second I think it takes a special type of person because everyone can do it for five days, but you have to keep doing it you know, keep doing it, like, for example, for the client. I think outreach is one of the most annoying things in the world. To just cold outreach, either by email or in person or whatever, and uh, it's very hard. Like most people will give up because you know if it was a lot of no, yeah exactly, and then most people just take it personal if they're not saying no to you.

Vipul Bindra: 1:02:16

What I'm saying is it takes in a special type of person to be able to get through that. And then not only that, then you've all these factors, you know, trying to put you down or all this noise around you. So it's very difficult.

Justin Markwalter: 1:02:30

But also the pressure of landing one. If you do get one, then the pressure of like man.

Vipul Bindra: 1:02:34

I really got to impress this guy to lock that in Exactly.

Justin Markwalter: 1:02:38

You can get it and do crap, and then they're never going to call you again. You've got to produce.

Vipul Bindra: 1:02:42

Exactly so it comes down to. I think that's why I'm like finally, I think it's the lottery aspect of it. For some reason, some people just aren't going to make it. I don't think it had anything to do with their skills and effort, because, you know, I don't know, that's what I've seen, Like this I wouldn't say it's that much, but there is a little element of it. What do you think? Yeah, I would. I would agree with a hundred percent. You have to have some luck.

Justin Markwalter: 1:03:04

Yeah, and there's people that are doing it, that and again, not to talk bad about anyone else living their life and they're making it. But there's people that some pretty terrible content and they're doing great, yeah, they're, they're absolutely crushing it and their clients said, no, this is my guy, I, I don't want to work with anyone else, this is my guy. If you're that guy and you're making it like fantastic and I think that is also a lot of luck and who you know in the networking world, it's just that I will say and and to be honest, I I'm let's see this one say I have two contrasting sides.

Vipul Bindra: 1:03:39

There's a business side. There's a creative side of me, a creative side of me. When I look at terrible footage, I'm like how can this person get paid to make this? But the truth is what I've learned and the way to make money is all your clients care about is making money. I'm sure you'll say the same. If you're not selling, you know they're not getting rid of the equipment at the dealership. They're not. They're going to let you go very quickly.

Justin Markwalter: 1:04:02

Oh, 100%, even if you're friends, right?

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:04

Yeah, yeah, at the end of the day, they keep you because what you do makes them money, right.

Justin Markwalter: 1:04:08

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:08

And that's more important than that. Your videos are pretty and obviously you're making pretty videos. Which is good. They care about is money and uh, sometimes, uh, some people can make money without making pretty videos. Now, I wish they were doing both, because I think you can do both.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:26

You can make good videos and still make the money, yeah but at the end of the day, I'm saying, a business owner will always choose somebody who makes the money over pretty videos. So sometimes I think that's also a thing where they've had a relationship. Where the videos work, it makes the money and somebody can come in be like, look, all my videos will be pretty there. It's just not worth the risk, uh because this guy's working.

Justin Markwalter: 1:04:46

Yeah, exactly this is working what we're doing now. Yeah, why change it exactly?

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:50

because all they care about is making money and they they don't want to let this guy go or hurt his feelings or whatever what's already working I don't want to go through that process exactly.

Justin Markwalter: 1:04:58

It's working, why change it?

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:59

exactly I. It's unfortunate and I'm saying all the filmmaker part of me is like, but it is what it is, I'm actually, I'm that guy.

Justin Markwalter: 1:05:09

Why are they hiring that dude?

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:10

yeah, exactly because but but I've learned again. You know the kindness part of this is what you can do is go find your five people that just want to work with you and you kill them with both right. You give them not only content, but you give them the money that they need.

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:25

Cause at the end of the day, like I said, that's all the King at the in the corporate and commercial world. They have to make money and they'll pay you a portion of it. Simple as that. It's a it's a give and take relationship. So if you're not going to make the money they're they're going to, let you go pretty fast. Yeah, no, absolutely so. So I think that's.

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:47

I think the approach to me is better, like where you find your five, you find your tribe, you know, and don't worry about other people. Like stop worrying about what everyone else has, what money they're making, who their clients are, what the content is. Now, it's one thing to do it educationally, because to me, the biggest thing that you can get to know is here's what I charged, here's what the deliverables were, here's, like, how many people I got, and maybe my profit ratio. That type of information is actually valuable because you could go like, hey, this is a 10 grand project. Uh, I had to make deliver three videos, right, and my cost to produce them was, I don't know, five grand. So you could calculate like, okay, I could I make five grand profit. Yeah, I could make it work. But if you don't have that information, if you're bidding against let's say me and you don't know what I'm charging and what my deliverables are, then it's hard to compete because you may be under. But if you're only delivering one video with one person or the value's not there.

Vipul Bindra: 1:06:43

Exactly. Even though you're lower, the client won't go with you, and I think that's the valuable information that could help. But outside of that, I don't think it matters what anyone else is doing, because at the end of the day, you go to the client, you make the money. You make them awesome videos. They will, and as long as it's working, they're not going to go anywhere.

Justin Markwalter: 1:07:02

If it's working for them, they're in it. Yeah, exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:07:05

And that's simple. You just find your five or your four and you can make a killer living doing this, yeah.

Justin Markwalter: 1:07:11

So that's what I'm doing now, and I love it. If one of mine, for whatever reason, decided like hey, I think we're going to go in a different direction, or I don't know, we don't want to do this anymore, we're going to take a break, whatever, cool, I'll take my loss, I'll try to find somebody else, and who knows where it'll be. Obviously, with this networking stuff, or okay, that opens up another day that I can say hey, guys, just so you know, like, if you need anybody, I'm available, if you need anybody, I'm available. Every Saturday, sunday, monday, you got a gig. You need another shooter, let me know. Or you can't make it, you need to send somebody. I'm your guy, let me know. Currently.

Justin Markwalter: 1:07:47

You're busy, I'm busy, which is good.

Vipul Bindra: 1:07:48

I mean, that's the best thing, is a video person you can say is I don't have availability, that means you're doing well, and I think again, again, I've said this before too but like that makes you a best negotiator, because now you're not. If. If a gig pops up that or project pops up that you actually want to do, you'll be way more relaxed negotiating through it than just going, oh, I have to get this, I have correct this right and you'll get a better deal for you and the client in turn at the end of it, because you were not desperate.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:15

You are not just taking it the first thing thing.

Justin Markwalter: 1:08:18

Anything someone's throwing at me. I don't care what it pays, I have to do it Exactly. And that's when you make bad deals. Yes, 100%, and I feel like we've all done that. Yeah, and we learn from it and it's like, okay, I'm not getting out of bed for this much money, it is what it is. Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:35

I mean, you got to pick that number Otherwise.

Justin Markwalter: 1:08:36

Because you don't want to be miserable.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:38

The worst thing you can do as a video person is show up on set, you know, and then be miserable because you are not happy with, because, even if, well, it shows, my thing is, yeah, exactly.

Justin Markwalter: 1:08:48

Your whole crew is going to know.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:49

And then you're never going to get hired. Or even because you know you have to understand they offered you a rate, and I'm not saying that was a good rate. Whatever the rate, let's say they offered you a really low rate, just say no. But if you say yes, for some reason, like you got to pay your bills. Then go be good, be positive and not be miserable because it's $100 or whatever that you deserve obviously more, because nowadays again $100 is too little.

Justin Markwalter: 1:09:11

Absolutely not doing it for $100.

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:13

Yeah, but I'm just saying, somebody is at that level where they will do it for a hundred bucks yeah then at that point you got, you have to at least still give it your hundred percent, because, guess what, you don't know who are the, who else is there?

Justin Markwalter: 1:09:24

who are you and who will see that video exactly?

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:27

and that could be, you know, a portfolio fees if you were a camera, or for whatever the point is. You don't know what it leads to, but guess what it will do negative, uh, recommendation will go much further than 100, because guess what everyone will be like?

Justin Markwalter: 1:09:42

oh, that guy I remember that guy. Yeah, he was not again.

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:45

Not not fun to be here, and even though you may be great, you just were not just not happy about being paid such a low rate. So again, don't take it if you know if, if you, if you won't be happy, that's, that's right at the end day.

Vipul Bindra: 1:10:00

But again, I'm all for. I don't like people being taken advantage of but to be real, when you're green, I think people should just be on more sets and if that means 50 bucks or a hundred bucks, as long as they're not disrespecting you, they're being upfront, like up front. Like hey, this is the rate yeah, no, but and I'm and they're accepting that you're green. Right, there's a fair exchange there.

Justin Markwalter: 1:10:22

I think you should do it, because that's the only way you can learn is you're going to get 100 bucks, but you're also going to learn a lot, exactly, and that's worth, and that's valuable. That's valuable and that that's honestly why I try to get on sets, because I want to see what you're doing.

Justin Markwalter: 1:10:35

I want to see how you're doing it and how can I implement what I'm doing with what you're doing and I'm like man that's going to make me a better shooter, whether it's your lighting or the way you set up your camera, the way you shoot, or hey, look at this, and I think I said earlier, it's like I would have never thought of that if I had not been here today.

Vipul Bindra: 1:10:53

I would have never learned that and what's funny is that I just threw this together so I didn't get enough sleep. I was like, um, what do I have in the camera cart? And then put it together.

Justin Markwalter: 1:11:05

So I'm glad you like it, so say it looks great.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:08

Yeah, I mean we're here hanging out power of fx6, right it just, it just makes everything look nice um kind of wish I had a hat on this year.

Justin Markwalter: 1:11:16

Yeah, the shine, this crazy shine line, my bad lighting.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:21

I could move the backlight away, but you know I'm too lazy to do that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:11:24

No, we're good, we're good. We just live with the shine. I love that. I even have that. That's pretty cool.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:29

So but see, that's what I'm talking about and I'm glad at least you learned something. So that makes me because that's my point, man, and I'm still trying to learn because this industry moves so fast. It's crazy how like talk about.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:45

Shasha like that. We have NAB and every year they're freaking launching new crap and it's hard to sometimes even keep up for somebody like me who's so freaking obsessed with everything. I have that personality, I have to know everything, I have to test everything to see how it fits in my workflow, which can become really hard when freaking 500 new products come out and you're still trying to run a freaking large video production company. So anyway, it can get very overwhelming also with what we do.

Justin Markwalter: 1:12:16

If you want to do it, at least at the, at least at the size or the scale that I'm trying to at least do, at least trying, you know but the way things are moving, um, because something you just said made me think this what do you, what do you think of, like, uh, all the ai stuff that's coming out to essentially assist in your video, uh, production and quality?

Vipul Bindra: 1:12:37

I think it's incredible. I can't wait for new and new and new tools to come out. See, I don't know why people get so worked up over like, oh, it's going to take our jobs, it's not going to take our jobs?

Justin Markwalter: 1:12:46

I don't think it will.

Vipul Bindra: 1:12:47

Because the thing is, what makes me me is me. I don't know the right way to say it, but think of it this way Client comes and gives you a thousand bucks, and they give me a thousand bucks. They say go make a video, right.

Justin Markwalter: 1:13:00

You'll make a great video. I'll make a great video, but it will not be the same video.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:05

So it doesn't matter how good the AI gets, it will not make the video. I will make the video. And my clients don't come to me because they just want a video. They want my video because it made their friend or somebody they know. There's companies 10x, 20x revenue. That's why you come to me. You don't come to me. They get a decent looking video as a bonus right, yeah obviously, because I'm a creative person.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:27

I don't want to make good videos. We'll try and make it the best looking video at that price point. That's just a bonus. Right, you're coming to me because you say, hey, I want to sell I don't know 100 new of what I sell every month. That's why I'm there. Right, I'm trying to see if video can A solve that and, if it can, how it can solve that. And that's why you bring me on. I don't know why an AI can or how an AI can replace that. If it can, then I'll happily retire.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:55

I mean I'm too young to retire at 33, but I will I mean that's what it is and, at the end of the day, I don't think AI is going to get there because it's not going to replace me, but I am all for AI helping me. As soon as ChatGPD came out and all these people were like writers are, I was like no, this is incredible. This gives you a starting point.

Vipul Bindra: 1:14:14

It clearly is not good enough to replace a writer, but what it does replace is it's true. Instead of me having them wait weeks and weeks, now I can be like okay, here's the first draft, now make it good. They may only get one or two days, so it did affect a little bit, but it's not like replacing them.

Justin Markwalter: 1:14:36

I would never just take something off chat GPT.

Vipul Bindra: 1:14:40

If they're funny to your liking and to your personality. Yeah, I know. Also, it has a way to write it which is like a little jargony. I don't know, I'm not a fan of it, but it's a really good starting point, especially like, for example, I was starting the podcast, I'm like I don't want to sit here brainstorm names. I'm like, okay, here's what I'm gonna do. Right, I've literally described it. I'm a vipple bender. I'm the founder and owner of bender productions. This is what I do. I want to start a podcast because I want to talk to cool people and I want other people to. Maybe you want to listen to this. What should the podcast? But you know you have to also feed it information. And gave me freaking 20 lists and half them were terrible I was gonna say, oh yeah, that's how it is.

Justin Markwalter: 1:15:13

So I was like, oh, these two I like right can you give me more like that?

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:14

and then you know, out of that, I was like, oh, these two I like, right, can you give me more like that? And then you know, out of that, I was like, oh, these are more the vibe I'm going for. The point is it took me I'm saying that now but it took me like 10 seconds to do that and 30 seconds later I had a name right. It would have taken me hours in the past to come up with that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:15:40

At the end of the day, I'm just trying to get it over were with. I don't have time and energy. This isn't making me money to spend hours. That doesn't matter, right? That's what actually took me the longest uh time to create an llc was I can't come up with one that makes me happy exactly, or you end up with like worse, but this was literally, because I didn't have chat gpd I was just like I don't know what to name it.

Justin Markwalter: 1:15:54

All right, just last name name productions yep, and I wish you could go back and change it, but too late, but that's what happened I wish I had chat gpt, I would have come up with a better yeah, the one I have now was a mix through chat, gpt and then from a friend what do you name it? So it's uh. So I live in the 321, which is brevard so is. Brevard. So it's 3-2-1 action media Okay, but it can also be construed as like 3-2-1 action.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:22

Exactly Media, pretty cool.

Justin Markwalter: 1:16:24

And I thought that part was pretty cool. But now, after seeing it and hearing it, I was like I hate that. It says media on it. Granted, it is media, it is what it is.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:36

You want it to be what Three, two, one action.

Justin Markwalter: 1:16:38

Yeah, so it's like three, two, one action.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:39

Is that available? Um actually not. It might be, but you may want to. I was going to say you want to go immediately by that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:16:47

Cause I have a new one now.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:48

Okay, uh, so I'm, I don't know if you know the Wyoming thing.

Justin Markwalter: 1:16:57

So I bought or set it all up for the company. I don't want to say it on here because yes, that's fine.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:04

You'd probably go for privacy there.

Justin Markwalter: 1:17:06

I could have some conflict of interest on who might hire me because of this thing. It's gun related and the whole goal is to sell camera gun styled merch and anyone that I've said it to. Actually, I said it to you at the thing. I don't know if you remember or not, but it's in the process and I'm super excited about it.

Justin Markwalter: 1:17:26

I'm going to get some badass shirts made and I just got to be careful that my name's not attached to it because Disney's going to like hey, like we'd love to have you on set to shoot whatever, like, oh, you're a gun guy.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:39

I, I'm gonna pass.

Justin Markwalter: 1:17:39

I'm gonna go to someone else. I'll go to you and, uh, or maybe not you, but you know what I mean yeah, exactly, yeah, no, I know I know what you mean.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:46

Yes, I, I get it.

Justin Markwalter: 1:17:47

It's like you're gonna not hire me because of that, but yes, there are people that are like that and unfortunately, you got to keep your name off of things and that's where it's gonna go.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:55

So but that's pretty cool, though I mean, hey look, I'm hats off to the entrepreneur. Part of it here. Like you know, you're doing it, you're achieving it, but you're also being smart about it because you don't want to lose.

Justin Markwalter: 1:18:08

I don't want to lose income.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:09

Yeah, because of something To make something. I don't want to lose something to make something.

Justin Markwalter: 1:18:12

At that point it's not worth it. Yeah but I think it is cool and I I feel like some people will be wearing the t-shirts.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:19

When are you when?

Justin Markwalter: 1:18:21

you plan to launch that? Uh, I just purchased the Wyoming side of it. That takes a couple of days to process. Um, tuesday, I'm probably going to set it up, cause that's what I'm going to be with my guy out in Daytona.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:31

Using Shopify.

Justin Markwalter: 1:18:33

Uh, I don't know how I'm going to do that yet that's gonna.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:35

This is gonna be a whole brand new adventure um shopify would work yeah I feel like it would work. I don't know how I'm gonna do, thank goodness this is not one of those youtube channels, otherwise I'd be like promo code, yeah 20.

Justin Markwalter: 1:18:48

We don't have no sponsorships here. 20 or 20, yeah, whatever, yeah, uh. But yeah, I'm hoping that works out. I'm gonna make some cool things and, uh, whether you bite or not, I don't care, I want to do it for me and I and I, that's what's going to make me happy.

Vipul Bindra: 1:19:04

So, yeah, I mean and like that's what it's about man. At the end day, it's all about you. You're happy yeah and you're making money.

Justin Markwalter: 1:19:11

I mean, I think other people like and I already see people kind of doing what the company name is going to be based around and like the program I I've I've actually started a group also on Instagram like a private chat, like how the Orlando Florida filmmakers one is. I've got a couple of buddies in that one, emmanuel's in it, a couple of my local buddies and I'm I'm trying to use that as essentially like the Orlando Florida filmmakers page. But for us guys over there, then we'll dip into some people over here, but all guys that I know, all guys that I would bring somewhere, personable people and people that I'd like to be around and hopefully within that group that can grow kind of like the Orlando one, but just a group of fun guys that I enjoy being around and hopefully, guys, they enjoy being around and we'll all work together and have some fun and maybe shoot some guns and create some content and wear badass t-shirts look at that.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:05

I mean that sounds pretty fun. I mean, to a subset of audience I guess it may not be so, but yeah, yeah, yeah, pretty fun. Yeah, I mean I think most of the people or at least all my buddies they're.

Justin Markwalter: 1:20:17

They're all stoked on it so far.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:19

They're like dude when you, when you're doing that yeah it's gonna take a little bit of time yeah, I don't know why, but that's just a controversial topic in america. I don't get it. Look, um, I wasn't born in america, I chose to be an american, so I'm slightly different, you know yeah you know perspective on things, um. But point is I don't get the whole everything. This becomes a controversy thing, but we're going to skip past that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:20:44

But either way, it makes no sense to me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:48

Yeah, because you're just having fun.

Justin Markwalter: 1:20:49

It's like that in politics you believe what you believe in, I believe what I believe in. You're a good dude, I'm a good dude. Let's work together, let's have some fun. We don't need to argue about it, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:21:01

It makes no sense to me, but that's just the world we live in.

Justin Markwalter: 1:21:03

Don't not hire me because of that, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:21:06

And I work, man, I work. I've done, obviously, political stuff. I've done it for both sides. I've nothing against anyone. I think all Americans are. Americans are, like me, just cool people trying to make money. Yeah, that's what unites us, in my opinion. Having been to enough countries I mean I'm not world travel, but I've been to enough countries to see the difference I find, at least with, and which is why I feel like I feel so strongly as an american now is because we're united by one front we all want to be fucking.

Vipul Bindra: 1:21:36

We want to be rich we all want to not that meaning everyone will get there, but we're all united in that one front. We want to be successful, we're going to provide for our families and we want to have a good time, and I think that, no matter what you believe in, tell me if I'm wrong.

Justin Markwalter: 1:21:49

I think that's what every American is united by the American dream.

Vipul Bindra: 1:21:54

Exactly, and so I don't get the argument Because at the end, the core we are way more similar than anyone else out there Yep, 100%, and it is what it is. Yeah, so I mean we're going to move back.

Justin Markwalter: 1:22:07

Let's go back to the fun stuff. It's funny that that's where it went, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:10

But hey, this is unscripted, it goes live, it goes wherever. So I mean, hey, it's okay, let it's okay.

Justin Markwalter: 1:22:15

Let me ask you a question yeah go ahead. If you were to let's say you didn't have the van and you were to wake up and go shoot like your dream shoot, you had a month to plan it. I guess like what kind of style or what would you want to go shoot Like? If you could wake up tomorrow and be like man, I wish I shot this Now, knowing what you know, what would you shoot?

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:35

Okay, I would shoot.

Justin Markwalter: 1:22:39

Okay, what would you shoot? Okay, I would shoot. Okay, have you seen drive?

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:41

to survive. Do you know what that is?

Justin Markwalter: 1:22:41

uh f1 yes, I did.

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:42

I wasn't an f1 fan until I watched that okay, I've been an f1 fan since 2006, the only sport I thought, so I'm obviously a nerd cameras, video games that's what I was into those camera guys, the only sport yeah, the only sport I've watched since I was a kid is formula one.

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:56

I just love because it's techie. Again, you know you have to have the literally millimeters perfection to get it like it's so advanced. Anyway, I love that that thousands of a second matters, um, not to go into a tangent, but I found growing up that I just cared about time too much, and other people around me didn't, you know. So I love that sport because I was like, oh, thousand of a second matters here, like time matters, so anyway. So I've been watching as a kid and then obviously nobody in america actually even in the avari group, nobody freaking knew about the sport or cared about it. It was a european thing and I was the only idiot, you know. Like I have to watch every race, I have to watch it live because it's not the same once you know the result, yeah anyway.

Vipul Bindra: 1:23:35

So I've been watching as a kid. And then, finally, this show comes out and this is you know and this is after I've been doing video production- and it just popularity boomed in America like nobody's business.

Vipul Bindra: 1:23:48

So it's great. And what's crazy is which obviously I watched I'm not, I would make it slightly different, but again they do really great the way they edit it. So good for them. I mean, they're helping make the sport I like popular. So I'm not going to complain. But what's crazy is what I loved is watching behind the scenes and they're shooting on these FX6s, fx9s or whatever FX3s the Zaxcom equipment they had. The point was I was like I could literally go and this is years ago. I was like I could literally go in my, in my storage unit and right now shoot this thing. Right, the equipment isn't the issue. Plus, the passion is there. I know all these drivers like I'm following the sport yeah is the.

Vipul Bindra: 1:24:27

The reason they got it is because they have the contacts, or like, we're talking but I don't have a contact in f1. I have contacts somewhere else, but uh but anyway so to bring it back together one day, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:24:39

So my ideal, right now at least, dream gig if it would be anything to do with formula one. Obviously I love what I do talking heads, you know interview style, footage, b-roll, you know all the typical corporate stuff that I I love to do. But that's right, but yeah, but something to do with formula one, like a documentary on I don't know a driver or a team, because you know Drive to Survive is done.

Justin Markwalter: 1:25:02

So I don't want to repeat what they're doing. I thought they were doing another season.

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:05

Yeah, they are. What I'm saying is done as in.

Justin Markwalter: 1:25:07

it's already been done, like I'm not going to copy what's already being made.

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:11

It's successful. But what's crazy is I already have all the equipment. I could literally make a show like drive to survive same quality, same everything, same skillset.

Justin Markwalter: 1:25:21

You just don't have the access. Yeah, I would love.

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:23

So plus also, the thing is, even if I got access, I you know, if it was like, oh, funded myself, I'm not funding it, that matters, I mean, it's one day to fund would be if I could go film something with Formula One with a good budget, and I would like to make something like Drive to Survive. But my vision, my style, that'd be cool, so it'd be very similar, but editing would be completely different. I don't like how they edit, how they tell their stories. They're very non-linear. I don't know, that's just not my style.

Justin Markwalter: 1:26:04

But yeah, but that would be awesome. But again, this is a hypothetical I don't know in formula one. I doubt anyone is listening to this, but if they are in formula one, please, please, reach out to me. You know I'll be your bts guy exactly. I'll make you gotta take me, because I asked you the question. Only been doing this for what?

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:13

14 years now so I I think I know a little things too. I mean especially talking, especially talking head. I've done it like 20,000 times by now. I could freaking light any driver, like in my sleep.

Justin Markwalter: 1:26:24

Would you have the softbox and the grid in the shot?

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:27

See again, it depends. So it depends on the budget and the time. If you're like, hey, you've got I don't know 30 minutes to set up, right, because it depends on availability too?

Justin Markwalter: 1:26:39

Then yes, this is my go-to setup right now 600x. No, I'm saying would you have it in the shot with the talking head, because in that when they're doing interviews, no, I would never do that, yeah, you see it and I was like, well, that's questionable, this is like a full setup it's been doing weird things I've seen, which is fine.

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:51

Again, that's the creative aspect of it. Some of the angles that they do their third angles is it's just not something I would do, but that's okay.

Justin Markwalter: 1:26:59

You know that's they're gonna do what they want exactly exactly, and that's what the creative thing is.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:03

I may do a third angle differently, so I I still do that too. I'll do two angles and then a third angle. Um, anyway, point says yeah, I wouldn't really do that and if actually again I have more time to set up, I'd probably do like a frame and a book light type of setup. Anyway, I wouldn't even have the softbox. Uh, again, I don't know how much time they get to set up and all that would determine which is the whole purpose behind the van right, if you have to go move quick, we can, and if we have time to set up, we can.

Justin Markwalter: 1:27:28

You know, we can take both approaches no one's going to pick this apart, unless we're in this industry to normal people like man. That's so cool look at that thing. Look at that fancy light.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:38

Yeah, I'm like nah, I mean this is, I mean it's good to be made again. This setup has made me tons of money because most time I do corporate, you know talking heads, because testimonials, uh, you know brand videos, whatever, all essentially boils down to some kind of b-roll and some kind of talking head. Um, and a lot of times I'm going I've done this, by the way 12 to 15 interviews, one stop. Do it there, literally take the equipment, pull out, set up, interview out, next location, next setup. So you gotta move quick and, uh, this setup is beautiful and moves fast. We don't have time to set up like an eight by eight. You know, make a book, light or whatever. We gotta move. So a light dome 150 with a 600x is is so incredibly fast and beautiful. It's made me tons and tons of money because I can, I can set this up in like five, ten minutes at most, plus I like I can bring anyone, 99 of people will set this up what size is that box?

Vipul Bindra: 1:28:32

uh, so this is what, uh, five foot, I believe, is the it's pretty big. Yeah it's, it's pretty good. Uh, obviously not every office is going to be big enough sometimes they shove you in freaking tiny offices. Then I like the f22c's because it's like two by two and it's like this thick, you know, because that's what I was looking at.

Vipul Bindra: 1:28:49

I got to play with it at the yeah, at the event and that's really good for travel, and also sometimes when you got to be fast because you know it is what it is again, um, it's all about timing. A lot of people may not watch that. That's why I'm saying, that's why I don't judge other people's work, because, you know, maybe like oh, I could have done it. You don't know what they had, yeah you also don't know the time they had it's not the equipment, like, for example.

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:11

As you saw, equipment's not an issue, but if I only have 10 minutes versus I have 10, 10 hours, obviously that's too much, but you get my point and I will do things differently.

Justin Markwalter: 1:29:24

It also boils down to what Can you be efficient enough with what the gear is providing At the end of the day, it's all about workflow, the new workflow that you've seen.

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:32

The whole idea is, literally, it saves me in seconds. Literally, this saves me. It's not having to take the sticks out of bags, you know, and the cameras out of bags. That's all I'm trying to say.

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:42

So at this point I'm so to what I do, efficient, that I'm literally trying to save seconds between transitions so so this is at this point like I've done this so much that it's the idea was oh, if I can have this cart already ready to go, I can already have the cameras on, and now all I gotta do is press a button, cameras out, and my previous would have been zipper, you know what I mean. It's like it's terrible. At this point I'm just trying to just gain tiny efficiency gains. It's really hard to go that far. At the end of the day, all I'm doing is talking heads and b-roll 80 time. Now I do get to do some cool commercials and sometimes some indie movies, other stuff on the side which is more fun, I would say documentary. But most of corporate work is talking heads and um and some kind of b-roll to go with it, and you have to become and you'll usually be shoved in the ugliest room with the ugliest walls. So being able to make that look even remotely good is where the skills are.

Justin Markwalter: 1:30:42

I was going to say that's your problem solving and trying to make it look good, exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:30:45

And sometimes you have five minutes to discuss it, like okay, here we are. And you're like okay. And then sometimes you peek, oh, that looks good, could we do it here? And sometimes they'll say no. And then sometimes like, oh, the doctor's waiting or this CEO is waiting. It's like no, you got to do it in 10 minutes, or they're gone, like this is it so? Sometimes you can't even set up a light, You're just like, okay, camera go.

Vipul Bindra: 1:31:06

We're going to make it work Exactly Because, at the end the content trumps shot, you know, or the lighting, or whatever, but anyway, that's at least what I'm chasing right now is just how fast can I go to a location, set up a talking head and how fast can that I pack it and go to a next location, cause very rarely am I doing videos.

Vipul Bindra: 1:31:25

And I love those days. You know I'm paying myself. You know even whether I'm production company or helping somebody, I'm paying by day rate to myself. So whether it's 30 minutes or whether it's 10 hours, I'm getting paid the same. So I love those days where it's just one talking head. I've had that happen where it's like okay, 10 minutes interview, we're done, all right, that's it. So I love those days, but they're rare.

Vipul Bindra: 1:31:46

Usually you take 10 people in the video, so you got to go get 10 people and the only way you can get that is by getting two assistants me, that's my usual crew size for that type of video and then we're just rushing like in, out in, out in. Now we like we don't have time to, and then, while so while I'm packing up, I'll hand them like two gimbals with fx3, so two fx6s for like a and b camera, uh, and then while we're doing interview, I'll generally hand someone an fx3 on handheld I really like that third angle and I'll say, okay, that's my third angle, two sticks and then, as soon as that gets okay, I'm gonna pack all this while you guys grab these two fx3s on gimbals and get me whatever b-roll, some b-roll got it so while they're, my assistants are getting b-roll.

Vipul Bindra: 1:32:29

I'm, I'm packing up. Now we're in this next location.

Justin Markwalter: 1:32:32

Same thing, repeat, repeat, repeat I guess when they're done, you're done, let's roll.

Vipul Bindra: 1:32:36

Yeah, next one got it so now maybe if I can load up much faster, maybe I can also help with b-roll. Generally I'm so busy I'm saying these type of videos, not all, yeah, um, I just get to tell them, hey, this is the type of shots I want, and then they just go, have to get it for, especially with b-roll, I always take care of a-roll, um. But you know so, if I have more time maybe I can be more, more involved and stuff like that. We'll see. That's at least the. I hope that makes sense. What I'm trying to get to is, at this point I'm just trying to gain minutes. So it may sound crazy to someone else, but that's at least what I'm trying to do no, but you're also being efficient.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:15

Yeah, and I think if you're being efficient.

Justin Markwalter: 1:33:17

It's also going to become easier as well, and because that's what I like, everyone likes that yeah see, I'm the crazy idiot because everyone I meet it's funny.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:24

I just had this conversation yesterday with a buddy who's just hanging out not a podcast and he was just like you know, um, all I want to do is do corporate stuff so I can make money, so I can go make indie movies, right, or something like that. And I'm like I just want to make corporate. I like this, I live and breathe video production and if I can go make other people money and do filmmaking at the same time, why wouldn't I? Obviously, like we talked about, sure, a formula one documentary would be a great gig.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:55

Ideally, I'm happy where I'm at. I just need to just become more and more efficient at this and be able to scale this. And I'm happy where I'm at. I just need to just become more and more efficient at this and be able to scale this. And I I'm starting to figure out again. I need a mentor. I need to find people where. How do I now keep scaling this, because I feel like it's getting harder to scale what I'm doing, you know I'm already.

Justin Markwalter: 1:34:14

Do you have like a number one like go-to guy, like when? Uh, I guess maybe this depends on the job, but do you have someone that you call more than often to go back and forth with on things?

Vipul Bindra: 1:34:25

No, I'm always calling people that I know I've done a specific job like that with, because, to be honest, at this point, like I said, all I'm doing is talking head and be real. So sometimes literally the hardest thing is okay. So I need to do this in new york. I don't want to fly there like let me get somebody local to do it, but then who is my guy there that I trust to get what it should look like? I would right, yeah, so it's more like that. And then sometimes it's like, oh, I want to go there, okay, so then then it's fine, now what am I bringing with me? So it's like it's more like that. You have to just decide money. It's like something. It's like puppet masters, what you become when I'm producing. Uh, that's what I'm saying. The fun I have is on other people's gigs where you're like, hey, come on my set now I don't have stress.

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:10

All I'm doing is this is what I gotta do, and when I leave, whatever I get paid this profit, there's no cost per se. I Maybe gas a little bit, but usually if that's outside of Orlando they'll be paid too. But the point I'm trying to make is it's a pure profit. It may not be a lot, but it's still some money, good money. But on the other side I'm not stressed. Now I can be creative.

Justin Markwalter: 1:35:30

Which is a huge thing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:31

Yeah, exactly, and you need a balance of that. For Evile I only did first like I was freelancer, then I did only producer stuff and it quickly got boring. So last two years I've been doing now a healthy balance and I found, at least for me, this is what works like. As long as I can make money do my own gigs, then I can balance it with helping other people and being able to be creative and help them at the same time. I think I'm happy okay, yeah, so that's essentially kind of.

Justin Markwalter: 1:35:59

I love the helping part also because I feel very heavy into that as well.

Vipul Bindra: 1:36:02

Yeah, because I'm the stupid, like I said, because my advice to everyone is don't buy equipment because it doesn't have the ROI. Since now I'm the idiot who has bought all this. Anyone, at least I know, might as well use it and take advantage of it. Like, before you showed up, I literally had a friend here who's like, hey, I need an FX3. I got a gig showed up, can I get that? And a gimbal and an ND filter. I'm like, here you go, here's the cart.

Vipul Bindra: 1:36:24

There you go and he gets the thing, He'll return tomorrow. I get some rental money out of it, a couple hundred bucks. You know why am I going to complain.

Justin Markwalter: 1:36:33

You know I'm making money.

Vipul Bindra: 1:36:34

And it so might as well let other people benefit from it, that's what I'm saying.

Vipul Bindra: 1:36:38

So I've been doing this for two years now this new thing where I'm doing both and it's worked out great, so I'm not complaining. So I guess I'm going to just try and continue doing this and just get more efficient, get better. I want to work with more new people. Again, I love working with everyone I know already, but I want to again expand my eyes and be on different type of sets, see what else is there to explore and learn.

Vipul Bindra: 1:37:04

That's that's kind of what I'm trying to do now. It's just I found that that's kind of corporate limit, you know, uh, again talking hand b-roll, and then commercials get cool, but there's only so many commercials. Yeah, I get fit in the schedule. Uh, same thing with documentaries, uh let alone.

Justin Markwalter: 1:37:22

Is it even worth going? Yeah, profit, is it something fun? Yeah, it depends on set bill.

Vipul Bindra: 1:37:26

I mean I love uh. One thing I did dabble on a lot last past year was the and it was set building with these commercials. So, like you know, working with different set builders and building fancy sets and stuff, that's pretty cool, but again same thing. It's like I want to do it a balance of everything. I guess I don't want to do one thing over and over again yeah, it's boring.

Vipul Bindra: 1:37:47

That's why I love what I'm doing, because I'm yeah all different which is what I was going to ask you. So how do you make it different? Because if you know you're doing, let's say, power sports after a while, isn't this? And I know obviously there's nuance to each equipment, but to me that looks the same.

Justin Markwalter: 1:38:02

So how do you?

Justin Markwalter: 1:38:02

be creative and make it look different, or the power sports is actually pretty cookie cutter that one is on its own thing and that job in particular does get a little bit on the boring side, but I try to change it. And now it's actually become a new thing because I'm trying to do a YouTube thing myself. Like hey, like, not necessarily a content creator, but like look, I'm an average Joe. I picked up a camera, I learned how to do it. I'm making good money. Come watch me do this. So now that job specifically has turned into an opportunity to show other people like hey, I can do this, why can't you? The fun aspect of that job is I get to rip on the side-by-sides. We go out, or sometimes I take it out in the woods and there's a spot that I take it to shoot and then there's a trail out there. I can go ride around and have some fun. But that one is stale, especially summertime when it's 110 degrees outside and I'm outside taking videos or pictures of units. That is terrible.

Vipul Bindra: 1:39:04

Florida heat will get you.

Justin Markwalter: 1:39:06

Outside of that, it's a fun job. Grain of salt. My other jobs, though, so my gun manufacturer job. One day I'm shooting guns that haven't been released. I'm shooting models that they don't know if they're going to release it. I'm shooting someone else shooting it. It could blow up. It's a test model or prototype. We don't know what's going to happen. I'm there capturing it. If it does blow up, homie's hand's also blown up. What's going to happen? Yeah, I'm there capturing it. If it does blow up, homie's hands also blown up, I'm going to be there to capture it. I'll probably also be calling an ambulance for him because his hand's gone.

Justin Markwalter: 1:39:42

But uh, I get to do a bunch of really cool stuff. I was just with uh, I'm not I was going to say his name, but I probably shouldn't. I was just with a nine-year ranger sniper guy. He was telling some wild stories, um, the things he's done and the things I found out about him afterwards. It was kind of mind-blowing that I was with somebody like that I would have never known, and I mentioned his name to a buddy and he's like oh, dude, he's like you're with that guy. Like that's insane. Do you know the people he knows and the things he's done. I was like, no, tell me about it. And I was kind of shocked. And come to find out he does.

Justin Markwalter: 1:40:24

I'm not gonna say that he, uh, he wants me to come shoot some more stuff for him, so that is really cool. He's got a, a ranch essentially, where they shoot guns out of side-by-sides and out of helicopters and they. I don't know if I'm going to be one of his main media guys, but it seems like I could have potential to be that guy. That's pretty cool. I don't know where I'm going to puzzle that into my nine to five. Monday through Friday. That's not really nine to five, but I can promise you one thing If he says, hey, I need you here Saturday, I'm going to go work Saturday Cause if I can be in a helicopter while they're blasting whatever they're blasting targets pigs is that the word?

Justin Markwalter: 1:41:08

Say a 10, 10, 10.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:10

Yeah, what is this? Isn't that the thing that they use when they shoot dude?

Justin Markwalter: 1:41:17

that blows up um.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:17

They call it tannerite or oh, yeah, yeah, the targets, the target correct, yeah, yeah um, I'm pretty positive.

Justin Markwalter: 1:41:22

That's the name of it yeah they, they shoot I don't have access. They shoot a whole bunch of crazy stuff and while I was there I probably saw like 40 different guns and they're all shooting them. I did learn the hard way that your ear muffs. They don't work if they're up here.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:38

Yeah.

Justin Markwalter: 1:41:38

And when you're trying to listen to people talk, because you don't have the fancy ones that have the speakers in them and they only go quiet when you shoot. I learned real quick.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:47

Yeah, you don't want to lose your hearing.

Justin Markwalter: 1:41:49

If you're in a shooting range that's roughly five foot wide and six foot tall, just enough for you to stand in there and shoot. If that thing is not where it needs to be, your ears will be bleeding and it is the worst pain I've ever experienced. They weren't really bleeding, but they should have been. It was terrible, but I stuck to the shot.

Vipul Bindra: 1:42:09

No, that's why I don't do indoors, I only outdoors, because for me, like you said, the echo also is just I outdoors, because for me that, just like you said, the echo also is just I don't know, I don't know, this was just a test range, so and they're like hey let's.

Justin Markwalter: 1:42:17

We want some footage of us shooting this gun. I was like, all right, cool, I'm in. Uh, I'll never make that mistake again if that guy calls me, I'll either a quit, a retainer client yeah, or I will be there whatever hour he wants me to be there, because that was one of the cooler experiences I've ever experienced yeah, that's pretty cool.

Vipul Bindra: 1:42:35

Uh sounds a little unsafe, but hey, I mean, as long as they're there, they have some safety around that it will be they actually had.

Justin Markwalter: 1:42:43

They implemented a lot of things. Uh I, he turned around and looked at me. Uh, the other one, and he was like, hey, you're ready. And I was like, hey, I'm ready. And the other shots we shot he. He made sure I had them on. I guess he probably saw them on, but they just weren't on correct. And as soon as he realized I was not standing next to him anymore, he stopped. He apologized like a billion times, like you being new to guns, like that's on me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:08

Yeah, which I mean? But in the end, yeah, I mean they take the care, you know you learn.

Justin Markwalter: 1:43:14

Yeah, I mean, they care.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:14

You learn too. Yeah, you want to buy the good stuff. I'm going to buy my own.

Justin Markwalter: 1:43:18

Yeah, I'm going to buy my own just for future. And it's hard to kind of direct while having headphones on and also listening to them. I learned that too.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:27

Yeah, you got to put an earpiece in and then put it on top.

Justin Markwalter: 1:43:30

Yeah, A general contractor. It's something different Whether it's a house from a murder scene that just got burnt down and the family was just murdered in there the day before we got there, which that happened. That's interesting. Yeah, we see some crazy things to just mold, infestation hoarders and things that need to be completely ground leveled and brought back up, and he gets really cool stuff. Obviously, he gets boring jobs, like AC jobs, whatever we shoot that too, though, because people need to see that he also does that. It's just something new every day, and it's if we're not shooting, we're shopping for couches because his mom made a new couch and his mom's kind of elderly and she's like hey, where go?

Justin Markwalter: 1:44:17

and he's like dude, I forgot you were coming. And I was like all right, well, I guess we'll go shop for gouges together. So, hey, you're getting paid.

Vipul Bindra: 1:44:23

Yeah, exactly this sounds incredible, I mean and that's what I want people to know I mean, taking aside your opinion on guns, you're, you're out there, you're recording cool stuff, right, and you're getting paid for it. That's incredible, I'm having a blast.

Vipul Bindra: 1:44:38

People aren't like think outside the box, it's not just also corporate, like indirectly it's, I guess, corporate or influencer stuff. But the point is you can go shoot like, make videos about people shooting guns or testing guns or whatever, and make a living doing that. That's incredible. You're still a videographer. You're just doing that niche and I don't know. I find that very incredible that you found this and then you're doing good in that and you're doing such little equipment and you're doing such a good job at it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:45:16

I mean hats off to you they're eating it up, so I'm gonna keep doing it, yeah, and then I hope and I'm sure there's lots of other industries like that that we're not thinking about right now, where you, you, that is exactly what they need to.

Vipul Bindra: 1:45:28

They need someone to come in and and record whatever cool crap that they're doing there, so yeah so people you know think outside the box, like find your passion and then find you know another hobby that you like and see if you can combine that. So if your passion is to make videos and your hobby is to I don't know skateboard, right, how can you connect that? I mean, that may be too many people.

Vipul Bindra: 1:45:52

But there's so many other things like that that you may not even connect um and like, like said, like I'm thinking, like on my end, like, oh, formula one, and you never know like that may happen.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:02

So it's like it's true but but that's incredible that there's so many opportunities out there would you do uh like any car or anything like that, or would it, more specifically, need to be f1?

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:12

but I would, I've been, I would definitely it. I've done car stuff before.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:15

Okay, so like dealerships and stuff.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:18

So I would happily do car stuff. But I'm saying Formula One is Formula One, there's no Indy. I don't want to disappoint any.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:25

Indy fans. But Indy is not Formula One, let's not get.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:31

We'll start a controversy today. I mean, let's not get our head over ourselves.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:34

All your comments are going to be about F1 in India and not where it needs to be. Yeah, exactly, not about camera or sales or video production.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:42

But no, there's not even remote competition. I don't think so either.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:47

My neighbor is a big F1 guy, but there's one Indy race, indy 500.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:52

I don't know what it is. Yeah, Daytona race 8500.

Justin Markwalter: 1:46:57

I don't know what it is. Yeah, daytona. Yeah, he goes nuts about. It's a full day thing, like full cookout, everything.

Vipul Bindra: 1:47:00

He's like yep, really, I'm dedicating my day to this, but he also dedicates every f1 race to everyone, and that's what he does that happened to me a long time ago, when people found out like this something eight, nine years, whatever but they were like, oh, you're into car, at least we gotta go to daytona one time. You know, I was like no, no, no, I'm fine, it's not the same thing. Now I would love to go to Formula One event, but at the same time again you haven't been to one.

Vipul Bindra: 1:47:20

No, cause I don't want to be, say again, the way I want to go is different. If I't want to do that and maybe this is me, I'd rather now I will go happily if I am with you on that you know I can be part of the, and then they do sell tickets, but they're very expensive part of the paddock and all that. That is what I'm more intrigued by, because, you know, to me that's not but you could go do that, then go home and watch.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:00

Yeah, exactly or I'm, and then if I'm there, obviously I'll watch it. I mean because I'll have my phone, I can, or I'm sure they have screens there too what's something, so you can hear everything yeah, exactly, um, plus the thing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:10

The other thing is I'm biased because I grew up again watching the, the, the British uh presentation of it. I don't like the American commentary, so, uh, so I watch it on, uh, um, f1 TV or whatever it's called. Right, I've? I pay for subscription, and so you what? The only reason I do that is they give you option. You can watch the default, uh, the default option, and then you can go to international, which is the Sky Sports or BBC, whatever. Yeah, yeah yeah. And that's what I've been watching.

Justin Markwalter: 1:48:38

The Sky Box or whatever it's called.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:40

Yeah, since again, since I was a kid. So I just want to listen to those people. And that presentation. I don't want to listen to the F1 TV presentation, whatever.

Justin Markwalter: 1:48:49

Gotcha. So I'm pretty sure when in person they'll be doing that presentation which, when in person, they'll be doing that presentation, which is I mean, it's the same the presentation you don't want to hear.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:57

Yeah, it's just the commentary, and some graphics may be different. It's not a lot, but what I'm getting to is yes, I would love to go, but it would have to be more than just sit in a grandstand and watch the race. It would have to be bigger and those tickets tend to be typically expensive. But at some point One day I will stop spending money on vans and video equipment and I will have some extra cash to do that.

Justin Markwalter: 1:49:17

Flip side the van, rent it enough. Pay for that. Exactly, you get the full trip set up.

Vipul Bindra: 1:49:21

Go tell all your friends, hey, if they want it.

Justin Markwalter: 1:49:24

I'm free, let's do it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:49:28

Again, they have to have gigs, obviously, that are worth the need. I mean, forget the van. I mean just the talking head would be worth it. But and I mean, forget the van, I mean just the talking head would be worth it. But they would have to have where they need it and they have a budget with the client that expects that. Because if your client expects a pocket, you show up with this. That's also a negative experience. It's one thing they're expecting a good setup and you bring a better setup, that's a good experience. But if they're expecting no setup and you bring a big, huge setup, a big, huge setup, that's also yeah, you know. So we don't want to do that, so you would have to obviously have a set where they're expecting.

Justin Markwalter: 1:49:59

I will save for the record most, actually all jobs. Uh, I do show up with my a7s3 build out. It's a cineback setup. It looks very similar to an fx6. The normal person wouldn't know the difference they just see a big old camera set up.

Justin Markwalter: 1:50:14

The v-mount, the big monitor, handle everything. They're like man. That thing's incredible. It's just an a7s3, which not to discredit the camera, because it's incredible for what it is yeah, um. But as time goes on, I shoot and I shoot and then I pull the pocket out. I'm like, oh, what's that little thing? And I'm like just let me shoot for once and then I'll shoot with it. I'm like, dude, I, I couldn't tell a difference and I was like you're blind. First of all, yeah, um, but the turnaround time with it can be same day. I just bluetooth it right over my phone bada, bing, bada, boom. You can even throw it up in cap cut. I don't know if anyone's using cap cut, but for small, quick little edits. It's pretty gross how fast you can make something that will wow a client that thinks that you just did that and it's just a pre-made template and I I don't want to push cap cut yeah, but for some people that's it works, it works I

Vipul Bindra: 1:51:09

I've grown again. A few years ago you had met me. I was a little snobbish, or I was like no it has to be done this way. Now I'm like, I accept it. That the truth ever since. Like first, when tiktok came out, I was like to me it was blasphemy to make your phone vertical and now I will gladly do that.

Vipul Bindra: 1:51:24

So it took me a few years to get around it. The. The thing is you have to again like, say, you have to evolve, and that's where the short, the cell phone content, was going vertical and I just initially didn't want to accept it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:51:36

But hey, again the client makes you money, the client makes money, and that's the expectation on social media, which is why I try to aim for, you know, the, the stuff that needs to be higher quality, that they're sharing on you know, either commercials or on on their websites or wherever where it's not going to be lived for a few hours or a few days, you know at most. So you know, and if I do need social media content, which we do from time to time, I'll bring someone who's more you know akin to wanting to do that yeah, yeah and, and it's not like I couldn't do it, I just it's just not my thing not your thing.

Justin Markwalter: 1:52:10

yeah, and it's funny because I shoot all this fun stuff and I have the best day ever every time I go to work. I actually want to learn more of what you do, not necessarily.

Vipul Bindra: 1:52:19

you See, this is funny In one set I just said I wouldn't do it. But then I'm like testing a new gun where his hand could blow up. That sounds pretty gnarly but, pretty I don't know fun. So I'm saying it's a fun thing. In one way I'm like I'm gonna do it. But then on the other side I'm like if I have to hold a pocket three to get that, I don't know I would.

Vipul Bindra: 1:52:40

I mean you know, because, like I said, on one side my brain is like I would never, but then I'm like, if that's the client requires and that's where the cool shoot is, then I was gonna say next thing you know you're in a helicopter, hanging out of it with a little pocket three.

Vipul Bindra: 1:52:51

I'm in yeah, people get I. I am willing to do a lot, as long as look for the right shot, I I'm willing to go yeah, far far, you know, as long as you would be the one that they want the pocket three.

Justin Markwalter: 1:53:06

No, like listen, let me just. Let me just do it one time, just let me use my real stuff one time, you're like yeah, I'd be the opposite.

Vipul Bindra: 1:53:14

Yeah, one time we can, we can do a talking head. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but yeah, no, not for social media. I'm all. I completely agree with you, like it's overkill to be setting up lights and stuff. It's gonna live for 10 minutes you know, people's feed and they're gone. You know, because again too much content too much noise yeah, you don't want to spend hours and hours and hours making that that it makes sense, sense to get the content out now. Yeah, then Also when it's relevant.

Justin Markwalter: 1:53:37

Yeah, exactly when it's relevant, so no hats off to what you're doing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:53:40

Like I said, and what I love is that we're both making money and we're both doing similar but yet very different things. And you've kind of opened my eyes because I kind of knew what you were doing because we talked about it. Yeah, and you've kind of opened my eyes because I kind of knew what you were doing because we talked about it, but not to hear more in depth. I'm like this is so incredible, man, like you've built yourself a kind of tiny little empire where I think people need to hear about this. So I hope more people, a lot of people, will watch this and kind of alternate, alternate option.

Justin Markwalter: 1:54:11

Like hey here.

Vipul Bindra: 1:54:11

Here's what you can do, and you don't need any equipment. You don't need anything else. Uh, but before we wrap this up, I wanted to open this up again. Any other questions you had for me or anything else you want to add? Um?

Justin Markwalter: 1:54:24

I mean, honestly, my biggest thing was to uh see what you, what your dream thing was, Cause obviously you've worked with some high-end clients. I learned that, um, during the group or the whatever meeting, the network meeting, I just I didn't know. I also I never really knew of you outside of david's network thing and you don't see anything that you do on your social media. So I was like, oh, it's just a dude that has a video.

Vipul Bindra: 1:54:51

Has a?

Justin Markwalter: 1:54:51

van, now that I know about, and, uh, he does video like everybody else, I do the same thing, that's cool. But now that I'm here and, uh, he does video like everybody else, I do the same thing, that's cool. But now that I'm here and you randomly hit me up, I was like man, this guy doesn't know me. Like, yeah, I'm not the normal video. Yeah, no, that's.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:04

And we talked, so I kind of knew what you were doing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:06

That's why I was interested when we, you mentioned the, the whole gun thing. I was like, oh, that's different, right, uh, but I didn't know in this depth, like, uh, you know what exactly how you do it and what your, your process is, uh, but no, and that same thing. You know, I'm I'm so bad at it again. So when I initially started the production company, I was all about, you know, like trying everything like here's ads, here's social media, here's this. Then I quickly realized that the best way at least I was getting clients at the time was these people are not again. I don't know now, know now, but at that time, six, seven years ago, they were not on Instagram, they were not on Facebook. These people were on golf courses, rich people right so they're talking to each other.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:43

They're not going to Facebook or Instagram or Google to find the recommendation like their clients are. My clients were talking to each other. So my thing was I'm going to do a good job, I'm going to be honest and I'm gonna kill it. And generally I got referrals and I started to get more and more. So I was like, oh, so my sales strategy is very simple. I just have to do a good job, which I love anyway and rich people talk to rich.

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:05

Yeah, exactly, so I don't even have to tell anyone either. So I don't ask for reviews, I don't tell them, I just like, hey, I wow them. Like I said I told earlier, I'm okay, so we're going to do this project, this many people, this much, this, and then I'll always do more. I'll wow them. You know big lights, big setups. Then the video obviously needs to match what they were expecting and exceed their expectations. And I just found that people were like, oh, hey, my buddy or this person recommended you. So so many times people call me and they're like, oh, you know, we heard about you from this. I'm like, who? Oh, okay, that client, okay so, or that person I just met, maybe they're not even a client. I just met them at a networking event and they were so impressed that I guess they recommended me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:50

But the point is which ended up kind of hurting me avenues of advertising, because I'm like well, why do I need to post on social media? Plus, I'm busy and lazy at both at the same time. So ended up kind of just pigeonholing myself into just do good, more work. And obviously through David, like you said, where we met, he knew it because I've hired him a couple of times, so he's seen my gigs right, and I think he posted about it, which was also incredible. That's what got me on the idea that I should be on social media, because it was a very unique idea of hiring. I never thought about his blog when I hired him, but then when he posted it, I saw it and I was like this is a completely different perspective. Right, because I hired him, because I saw his vlog that he can handle a c70 or whatever at the time I needed him to handle.

Vipul Bindra: 1:57:40

But then on the other side of it I was like, oh, this is what he thought about my gig and this is how, on the secondary, it looks. And I was like, oh, this is a very unique perspective. So I value social media more now and I want to post more and hopefully maybe I'll bring in somebody in or personally try to be more active to to post more.

Vipul Bindra: 1:58:00

But that's kind of where my mindset has been and I don't know if it's correct, but at least I was like, oh, I'm getting work yeah, you know yeah none of these people are on Instagram, but now that I think about it, I'm sure there were some maybe not these that were on Instagram, that never approached me because they never knew about me, right? Yeah, so yeah, and seeing david's perspective, I'm like we, I need to do more. Um, at least put our work out there. But because a lot of the stuff is ndas, that's what annoys me a lot and I don't want to not get those jobs, because yeah that's.

Justin Markwalter: 1:58:33

I've got some cool stuff. I've actually really big story is I I don't know if it was really a thirty thousand dollar shot that I blew, oh really, oh yeah I remember you mentioning yeah, tell us that towards the end, but I want to hear that story again uh, a company sent me for their first uh launch.

Justin Markwalter: 1:58:53

Because I'm over there by space coast, I know a bunch of the engineers, rocket guys, and I happen to have a buddy that is high up in a company and he's like, hey, he's like, what are you doing on this day? And I was like I don't know why you're asking me that, but I will be free whatever day you give me, because I guarantee you it's going to be something badass. He's like, yeah it, so if you got anything, cancel it. Luckily it was a day I didn't have anything. And next thing I know he said hey, I need you at taiko airport. You're gonna go to the whatever jet it's called.

Justin Markwalter: 1:59:26

Two helicopters come and pick me up. Well, two helicopters came. Obviously I went one. There's another really big space photographer that was in the other one. He's listen, I want you to capture our first launch. I was like all right, sweet, easy. I shoot a lot of photos. It's a rocket, it can't be that hard, it doesn't go off Sweet. I've now been in a helicopter for three, four hours. I didn't realize how cold it is in a helicopter, flew back, went up again. It was like T minus 10, 9, 8, 8, and it gets to point like three uh, it starts to go and then it aborts last second I got some banging photos.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:02

Uh, I think I'm not the one you're talking about, like the smoke's going off.

Justin Markwalter: 2:00:06

It looks super sick, doesn't go off. They're like, hey, it's gonna go off on this date at midnight and I was like dude nighttime. I was like I don't do nighttime stuff, let alone helicopter nighttime stuff.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:17

You're doing this with what a7s3?

Justin Markwalter: 2:00:19

that was uh a7s4 or this was a7IV.

Justin Markwalter: 2:00:21

I'm sorry yeah, because I do a lot of photo stuff also. So this or it's essentially my b camera, but also hybrid shooter. So I got an a7IV and uh, I forgot I borrowed for this specific one. Uh, ace a seven, r four and I had a 200 to 600. Come to find out, those two combined the autofocus is atrocious. Um, I blew the shot A.

Justin Markwalter: 2:00:51

I have shot, shot uh, rockets before it's brighter than the sun. So I focus or I put my shutter at like 2,500, because usually when I'm shooting out in daylight, iso 100, shutter speed 2,500, I can adjust pretty quickly. You only have a couple seconds. But I was like, listen, this should be where it's at. This particular rocket puts out a blue fire and it is not bright. And so the helicopter pilots are like it's going, it's going, I don't see, I can't see anything. And by the time I got it locked in it was already too far up and I blew it and my buddy's like yo, like how'd it go? I was like, uh, yeah, we'll see if uh, topaz photo, try to fix it. Nah, it was done so wow, that's crazy.

Justin Markwalter: 2:01:36

So basically the autofocus screwed you over and that, that at least in my I was exposing for to be like daylight, bright, like a normal rocket would be, and that was not the case. And so I'm looking through the little ev and I'm five miles out in the air. I didn't mention that I had a new pilot. He was trying to learn how to whatever, and it was shaking me like crazy. The previous pilot he knew to. Once we got to the location, essentially just let it float, let the wind just carry it. We're only going to be there for a minute If we go away, if we go towards not a big deal. This pilot was trying to fight it and stay like gps locked manually. So the helicopter's going on crazy. I can't find what I'm trying to shoot and essentially I blew it and but thankfully I reported to my buddy. I was honest with him. He's like listen, he's like we're launching again 2026, maybe 25. He's like you'll be in that helicopter too and I was like all right, I'm here for it. So awesome.

Vipul Bindra: 2:02:36

So just so I make sure you were the only one, they were they had again in a helicopter. Yes, uh, so they had ground photographers, just not anyone in the helicopter okay.

Justin Markwalter: 2:02:47

So, uh, the first two attempts it was myself and another gentleman that anything space related, especially spacex that you see, like their main guy if you know who that is, that's who was in the other helicopter. When it came to the night one, he opted out. He said I'm not doing the helicopter, he knows, that's all he shoots. He shoots one thing, one thing only. He is a master wizard, whatever you want to call him. He still, to this day, is taking the coolest photos of that launch, but all from the ground. He knew better, I didn't, but they used his nighttime photos. He got some incredible photos. I almost actually got the calendar from him just because I thought it was cool and it was like kind of a memory thing for me, like, hey, I was there for that, mine didn't. They look like crap, it is what it is. He got his. He knew what he was doing. I didn't, but again, that's experience. If I had known better, I probably wouldn't win.

Vipul Bindra: 2:03:41

That's really awesome of them to say like, hey, you're gonna, you're gonna be back and we're gonna, we're gonna let you do yeah it's again, I mean that's, that's, I mean, I mean that's exactly it was. It's rare, but that's what you want to hear, right, you want another shot at it? Um, well, that's pretty cool, though. I mean rockets are cool. I was up in, uh, nasa too. Uh, just a few months ago up in the space center kennedy.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:02

Um yeah, yeah yeah, and that's before. I don't know if this is the same launch, but that's when they were going to launch the what is polaris done or what was the one is it 3d printed? Uh-huh, I don't know. There was some. It's been a while, six months ago for for my production I have like three, four projects going on a week.

Justin Markwalter: 2:04:20

It's too old for me to remember, yeah but.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:23

But there was a rocket, I'm saying that was going to launch. That was a big deal. So I don't know if that was the the one.

Justin Markwalter: 2:04:27

No, no, probably you're talking about the rocket lab one. Uh, it's a 3d printer, 3d printed rocket. It's the largest 3D printed rocket that's been produced.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:37

I don't keep up that much, but yeah, that was pretty cool though, being there and looking at the rockets that are about to be launched and the whole Artemis mission and all that location. It was pretty cool to be inside. It's been a few years since I've been in there.

Justin Markwalter: 2:04:54

It's pretty cool what they do out there. It's pretty cool, but that out there.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:56

It's pretty cool, but that's so cool that you got that opportunity. Obviously it's kind of blue, but that happens. Hopefully next time. Now you know you'll be capturing If it's a daytime launch.

Justin Markwalter: 2:05:08

I'll be golden If it's a nighttime launch. I'm still going to go for it again, going to use a little bit different setup, but you learn from your mistakes and you won't make it again or you shouldn't anyway.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:20

So that's pretty neat, man, I'm excited.

Justin Markwalter: 2:05:23

I'm happy with it.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:24

Again. Thank you, justin. I really appreciate you for coming out and talking and taking the time out of your day.

Justin Markwalter: 2:05:28

I know you came straight after the shoot, so I really appreciate it and I, I really appreciate it and I appreciate you inviting me.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:34

Of course you're welcome, man. This has been incredible. I've learned so much and hopefully some other people find value in this like I said that your journey is incredible. Um, I would recommend talk to a lawyer, get some contracts in but again, you don't have to.

Justin Markwalter: 2:05:46

If it works, I mean it works, but protect yourself. I have done contracts for other jobs, if I didn't mention that I no.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:52

No, no, you're fine, just my normal guys.

Justin Markwalter: 2:05:54

I don't but new guys, previous guys.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:57

When I used to shoot weddings, I did things like that yeah, but I think what you're doing in general is incredible, I mean I appreciate it. Uh, you, you found your alternate path and you've done it all by yourself. That's what, to me, is amazing yeah so again, thank you for coming. You're welcome to come back anytime, man. I really appreciate you. Yeah, thank you so much thank you.