Vipul Bindra: 0:05

David, finally we're making this happen. Thank you for coming. I'm excited to talk to you, Not that we haven't done this already. We just weren't recording it, so I'm excited. How have you been?

David Morefield: 0:18

Good, I have a bunch of catalogs of things that I want to talk to you about. When you said let's do an episode, I was like perfect, I can just get all this out.

Vipul Bindra: 0:28

That's so incredible. Yeah, no, like I said, that's what I love. Every time we've been on a flight or something, I find we are so both creative and business-focused that there's so much we always end up just talking about, and every time I'm like people need to hear this. This is so much valuable information over here. Plus. I like that. You know you think similar, but at the same time, you're going in your unique path. You know, to achieve what you want.

David Morefield: 0:54

I would say we actually it's weird because we think similar and very different at the same time. Exactly, I think we both have ideas of progression, but our ways to progress are so drastically different. Like just this studio is like a huge effort. It's a lot. Yeah, it's a big purchase list, but it's very impressive and it's very effective, whereas if I was going to do it I'd be like what's the most skeleton way? We can do this Because we're both prioritizing the value and the information, like you said, but it's two worlds apart.

Vipul Bindra: 1:38

Exactly. But you know, at the end of the day, I think, like you said, that's what makes people be able to get valuable information in two different ways. Because your method I love, because it's like in in the moment, it's real. It's like look this what I'm doing and this is from somebody who's actually making a living making video. You're not just a youtuber.

Vipul Bindra: 1:57

But on the other hand, I tried funny enough uh, I'm going on a tangent already last three, four shoots, since we've been using the van, I literally told mario, who's going to be on the podcast later, helped me and I told him I was like okay, so we need to be better on social media, can you get me a few clips? Right? And he hasn't worked with me that much, just him and me, and it was so amazing we would get done and I'd be like okay, so where's the social media clips? He's like we didn't have any time. So the way I work is so fast-paced and crazy that we could never do what you're doing. And I know how efficiently you do it. It's amazing. But point is, this was the best way I could inseminate the knowledge that I have. But at the end, like I said, the audience is winning right Because they get to hear the knowledge or the things that they want to hear, regardless of the format.

David Morefield: 2:46

I think both parties are winning. The audience might be getting some value, but obviously you're getting value. You're being able to one, have conversations with some people that you either want to have conversations with or you would already have conversations with. But two, it really helps putting yourself out there, you know, in their criticisms you're like, oh, I can see how that could help me. Okay, let me try to implement on the next one. And then someone else in the comments is saying, well, that video helped me and it's just this really nice back and forth. And then, after that happens, you just start getting really nice benefits of people say, oh, that's that guy in that market and I know of a job inquiry there. Let me connect those two because I already know he is there. So with this podcast I think it's going to bring a lot more awareness to what you do because you already have a successful business. But being more connected brings in so much more, many more benefits than I originally thought.

Vipul Bindra: 4:10

Yeah, so let's go into it. I want to know what made you start YouTube, because, funny enough, that's how I know you. Initially, right, we connected and then so many other people that I know and hired, having done 1099s, just, uh, you know, a few weeks back I'm telling you a lot of people made a lot of money that would have never found me, potentially, that wasn't for you. So what made you a start YouTube and at what point did you see, oh, this is working.

David Morefield: 4:39

I had that freelancer lull that a lot of people are afraid of when they're a freelancer. You know what if I don't get enough jobs? That's why I need to be a salaried employee. I'm afraid to do freelance. I was in one of those lulls, but I've always been freelance slash business owner for forever. I had one job as a dishwasher. I lasted three days when I found when I was taking a shower and I found like mashed potatoes behind my ears and I was like, oh, that's not for me. And then I worked at a skate park for a long time surf instructor. But the actual like career part has always been freelancing for my own clients. So I had already experienced tons of ups and downs, ups and downs and I know it's very cyclical. So I wasn't scared of oh, maybe I'll never work again. I was just oh, this is one of those months where not much is coming in. I have a lot of time.

David Morefield: 5:37

I like watching these other vlogs, like David Winters, the Cranky Cameraman. I think I could do that. It's just with my phone, it's so not resource intensive. I can do. I can make one of these. So I just made one on on a interview shoot that I did in Miami and it's very low energy, like not no frills, but I had fun making it and then just kept going and going and and there's so many points throughout this blogging youtube process where I can find areas to have fun. So it in itself is very fun and then all the benefits are very nice to have so when did you realize like oh, this is working.

David Morefield: 6:26

I think when people started connecting me to jobs that I had no connection to, One of the coolest ones was a guy in Alaska connected me to a feature length doc that was happening in Orlando. Wow, and I was like how do you know what's happening? Oh, I'm part of a newsletter which has these contacts and they're asking for operators doc that was happening in Orlando. Wow, and I was like how do you know what's happening? Oh, I'm part of a newsletter which has these contacts and they're asking for operators and and he's like, yeah, just tell them there, here's the contact info. And because I know you live there, I know you do this type of work, I've seen you do it and that was a really cool four day feature length doc segment that we did in Orlando and I it would have passed by.

David Morefield: 7:07

Yeah, I would have had no clue that it had happened.

Vipul Bindra: 7:09

That's so crazy that somebody in a different state knew about work that was happening in our backyard. But that happens, that happens. There's so much work going on. It's crazy. I mean, um, and then so many times you know it's who you know is how you get the job. So you're essentially automating your who you know, because all these people that are watching your vlog now technically know you Right. They have this parasocial relationship with you and when they're looking at a job that may be right up your alley, right, they're thinking of oh, david can do it Right.

David Morefield: 7:39

Yeah and and I think it's like that's a, that's a happy accident benefit. I think when you see the people who use it for that it's very obvious and you know they're reminding everybody hey, I live here and I do this work, so if you have work, get me work and it's just like this isn't that fun to watch. This is an ad. But if you just document what is happening and those are the observations that the audience is making, then it feels way more organic. Like they're like oh, I want to help you because you're just showing your stuff. Now I take that to the extreme and I document the dumbest, smallest micro problems, like I just put out a 30-minute video of me reorganizing my interview setup, stands, lights, all that stuff to be able to fit into Pelican 16.

Vipul Bindra: 8:35

I saw that and I love it. Those are the videos that I love.

David Morefield: 8:38

Like, I'm just in my living room, I have like socks on. You only care about it. If you are interested in that Actually, I'm going to go back on that. There was a guy who commented on that and he said I don't even know why I watch your vlogs. I'm not in the video industry, I'm in tech. I like watching someone work through problems, though and that's what initially drew me to watching other people's vlogs is I like seeing here's a hurdle and give me more context for it and then give me an attempt to get past it. It didn't work or it did work, and here's the end conclusions, and I think that's very fun to watch when you can see someone work through something.

Vipul Bindra: 9:23

And I like.

Vipul Bindra: 9:25

So the way I I, why I watch it is because for me and I'm sure other people are like me too is because, you know, we're in an industry where we think a certain way and we have a certain problem, so it's really neat to see someone else who's going through similar problems.

Vipul Bindra: 9:40

So, for example, currently, like I was showing you before we started my current issue is like maximizing the efficiency of this camera cart that I have and watching your vlog, even though I know you're doing the opposite, you're putting in a Pelican, I'm coming out of cases into a camera cart, but it's good because I'm like, oh, you're facing similar problems. Just in an opposite way, because I'm going through how can I um, you know, be more efficient? How can I grab things? Because I don't want to put something in a bag? Just to put in a bag, it has to have a reason why it goes where it goes right. And walking you through your problems giving is giving me ideas are making me also feel like that I'm not the only one who's having this problem right, or something like that. I don't know. I like who's having this problem right or something like that.

Vipul Bindra: 10:25

I don't know. I like it. People who are thinking similar in a similar field, going through similar things, because you never know what you learn out of it, or just purely for entertainment.

David Morefield: 10:33

Yeah, and I think that's a very common type of like search is you know how to make an interview or you know how to run a production, but a lot of the time like the actual time on set is eaten up by transporting, going back to the car.

David Morefield: 10:57

Where is that thing? You have to open up a bag within a bag to get there, and it's like I already know how to do the end thing. Why is this slowing me down? And I think that's why a lot of that's why I focus on it, because I'm like this shouldn't be a problem. How do I make this be the fastest, most efficient process possible?

Vipul Bindra: 11:15

Yeah, and it's amazing to, because at the end of the day, you know we're trying to make beautiful images. Anything that's not letting us do that is just a barrier, and you know we're just trying to remove barriers. But at the end day, like I said, I liked what you were doing and let's talk about how we initially met. So here's my perspective. I would love to hear your side of things, because you did it. I wasn't the only one hitting you up, so I was.

Vipul Bindra: 11:41

I had this project, we were going to live stream something and I really wanted to use a c70 on a gimbal, uh, as as a wireless operator, and I was like uh, normally, you know, I like to bring in, maybe I would say mid to low skill level people because I like to plan. So my style is, just for reference, very much like pre-production king, like I will go to the detail. I know like this is where it goes, this setting it goes like I don't want to have to. You know my operators uh, need to just hit record and it should work. But that position requires skill. It's not a one where you hit record, right, because I'm letting you go. Okay, I need you to make 500 angles out of this one camera. So you need to be able to think, you need to be able to be creative. So I needed somebody highly skilled, not the typical operator that I'm bringing on, because usually I'm like here's the camera, here's all the settings, just hit record.

Vipul Bindra: 12:31

Yeah, so, so I'm going. Uh, so, who, who am I going to hire? And I'm just scrolling through these groups on facebook because I'm just act, you know, like looking, you know bored or whatever. I don't remember exactly and I remember clearly you posting something about. This is how I set up my C70 at an event or whatever, something like that. And I'm like I see the word Orlando C70.

Vipul Bindra: 12:54

And I'm like, oh, this is like fate, right, and I click on it and it's just entertaining because, like you said, it was just all about you showing somewhere and figuring out a problem and solving it. And I was like, oh, this is perfect, because now, without me having ever met you, knowing you, you've demonstrated to me exactly, as a production company owner, what I was looking for Somebody who can be creative and somebody who can problem solve. Because when we're going live, I don't have time to come to you and solve whatever problems you're going to have. And guess what? We're going to have problems, right, that's just nature of life. So, anyway, I was like, oh, this is perfect, operator, so I go, okay.

Vipul Bindra: 13:30

So I got to reach out to him and, perfectly, in your vlogs. You had your email, your name, where are you from? So I was like, okay, david, hey, I have a project coming up, let's meet me for coffee. Uh, uh, you know, I don't know we do this group thing. So for for a minute to be real with you, I was like I'm trying to hire you. Why am I gonna go meet in the group like that? No, but then I was like no, no, no, hold on a minute. It's actually a perfect opportunity. Am I gonna meet the person I want to hire, plus who knows who else, who else? I was like no, and I had to fix myself. So that was my mental hurdle. I was like no, no, no. I got to say yes to that and I'm so glad I did, because I started this long what two-year journey or whatever of where we are over two years now. So, anyway, so that was my perspective and tell me what you were going through, because I'm sure a lot of people now started hitting you Right.

David Morefield: 14:24

Yeah, I had some people hit me up and I'm trying to think how can I make this work for me? So I had coffee with one person and I was like, oh, that was great, got to meet someone new, got to learn about them. They're here. And that was I think that was Adam Kalinowski and I was like that was a great experience, cool. I got to walk out of my downtown apartment and go to the cafe downstairs and very easy for me, yeah. And then, like six more people hit me up and I was like I'm not doing it. Yeah, I can't imagine.

Vipul Bindra: 14:57

I'm not doing that.

David Morefield: 14:58

Why don't we get all six people together and you can all meet me? So was that your cool influencer moment? Yeah, that was. People want to meet me. Yeah, it was pure laziness I was like I'm not doing, I'm not dedicating six hours towards people I don't know, yeah, and I don't have any um inkling of what. Will there be any benefit from?

David Morefield: 15:19

this so I was like let's just all meet up together and, like you said, maybe they can help each other out. Yeah, I'm not the the person who needs to receive all these benefits. And that was a really cool. And that was the first, uh, filmmaker meetup. I didn't know it was a filmmaker meetup. I was just like, yeah, let's just meet up for coffee. And then I talked about it on the vlog and, um, I got to hear you know how you found me just searching c70s70 on YouTube and then how the other people found it and why they wanted to meet up. And then that was probably one of the bigger turning points of seeing like I can bring people together Doesn't have to benefit me directly, it will, but I can by connecting these people, it will help everyone, like I had.

David Morefield: 16:09

Uh, someone say do you know how? Do you have any idea how much money your, your filmmaker meetups have generated, like grouping people together? Because I have an Instagram chat in Orlando for all of us. I started one in Dallas with Jared Phelps and then in San Francisco with Tommy Beal. Basically, I try to find a point man in every city where I'm going to go Atlanta as well and then I say I tell the point man hey, this is going to be your group, all these people who came, all these 30 to 40 people. You're kind of going to be the chapter head and just work on growing this community. And when I think about how much money has been transferred inside these groups, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 17:03

Like, literally, last night I generated $750 for. So, funny enough, like, literally, this is how it works. So a lot of times, you know, as a production company owner, people expect us to do everything. I am a video guy, right, but people expect us to do still.

Vipul Bindra: 17:19

So somebody a past client and this is how it is clients hit you up, you know, four years later it's like, hey, I'm in Boca, I need a photographer, you know, and I'm like, do I want to do this? But then, you know, the other part of me is like, why not get somebody some money? So I'm like, hey, I'm the group, can somebody do this? Oh, you can do it. How much is your rate? And I'll add, you know, 10, 15% on it. And I told the client and so, do I want to? You know, work for a couple hundred bucks? No, but at the end day, I'm like all I did was you want this, do you want this? Here's the bill, here's the transfer. So we just generated so much money because that money would have gone to who knows who, where my company generated revenue. And now I'm able to pass majority of that to somebody in your group that I wouldn't even know. And that's happening all the time.

David Morefield: 18:08

That's my favorite thing, when I open up one of these chats and I scroll back just a couple of messages and I see someone say looking for this person on this date, and then I go down and this person said I can do it.

David Morefield: 18:19

This person says I'm available and then within 10, 15 minutes they already found their guy and says I'm available, and then within 10, 15 minutes they already found their guy. It's already scheduled. I mean, what a resource. Because before I have like two or three guys that I go to and if they're booked I'm stretched. Now, exactly Now, I have to take someone that I don't trust. So that happens in all of those groups. Like every day, I need someone to cover for me or I forgot this item. Is anybody nearby that I can rent from? It's a huge resource. I think it has potential to be bigger. I just don't know how to bring the network together, because if I add Orlando people and Dallas people, it's a less functional tool.

David Morefield: 19:07

So I don't. There is some way where I can bring these people together. I'm just not sure what it is and I don't know anything about discord, but that's been a common yeah, Discord or even Facebook groups, I think can be very effective.

Vipul Bindra: 19:23

That's all. I use Facebook for I haven't you know, nobody really uses it for the old way.

Speaker 2: 19:29

I primarily you don't post that. No, no, I don't even know.

David Morefield: 19:32

the last time I did you don't check in after a storm to let people know you're alive, that I'm safe.

Vipul Bindra: 19:36

No, I should have at Hurricane, no, but yeah. No, nobody really uses Facebook anymore, but it is still very functional for groups. I actually love it. If I have a problem I will immediately go to you know, like the user group, and those are very active. So Facebook has a place and I think that may be one of the good places to have, like a you know, david Moorfield, I don't know filmmaker meetup group, something like that. Or Discord Discord is good too, but but regardless, there's so much money flowing in and to other people too. This is one way to make money. Look, facilitating people is money like. This client trusts me, so they wanted to come to me and I don't want to provide that service. But it didn't take me but a few minutes, a couple of phone calls and a message to go source someone to do that and at the end day, if I can make a couple hundred bucks, that's really good and sure it's not a lot, but at the end of the year it's going to add up plus it's padding the revenue did.

David Morefield: 20:37

Uh, did that job go through the other day where you were asking me do?

Vipul Bindra: 20:40

I know someone in miami yeah, I hired david and who's the first person called, by the way, because so this is boca, near miami. I called your guy, see, and that's how relationships are born. So the story that we're talking about. So we were in north carolina and I had a at a, I had to cover a gig in miami and then we needed a drone pilot, but because of lower budget whatever. We had budget to hire the drone pilot, but we didn't have budget to like take them with us.

Vipul Bindra: 21:06

Yes, so yeah all that travel days, exactly. So you, you recommended me the other, david. Yes, uh and uh, he worked out great. So now I have a connect in miami. So guess what first thing I do is I'm like, hey, david, uh, I need a photographer, do you do stills? And he's like, oh, I could, but maybe I'm not the right guy because you know, this is like an event photographer at a gig. So he's like, yeah, I can definitely check it out too.

Vipul Bindra: 21:32

So it's like resources that we're forming together that we wouldn't have otherwise, oh yeah, so yeah, no, it didn't work out. He got work, we reconnected, so that was really great. And what I liked was he was able to step up. So you know, like you plan ahead, so like we had planned, okay, so we'll have a drone going around the whole time, because it was like a street unveiling Point is, when we showed up the way the layout was, we weren't going to need drone for that much. So and I like people like that because he was immediately like, oh no, I'm not gonna like he was. He wasn't like oh, I'm a drone pilot, so I'll sit for three hours doing nothing. You know he was like, hey, let me grab one of your fx6s, I'm familiar with it and I can still capture your content. So he was very effective. He was able to be like the third camera op uh, for most of the ceremony because he didn't need a drone.

Vipul Bindra: 22:18

you know until the sign unveiling um so point is he was great. Yeah, and you want to know how I met him.

David Morefield: 22:25

Yeah, of course he. He saw some of the YouTube videos. That's how he knew who I was. And then I'm pretty sure he booked a consultation call and then we went through that and then I met him for breakfast in Miami when I was down there for some gig and I got to see in person what he's like, you know, because you can have a great reel but your demeanor on set, how you think, like you said, he didn't just sit by and just be like that's not my job, that's not what I was hired for. So I had confidence, recommending him even though I had never worked with him, just because of that small connection.

Vipul Bindra: 23:05

And's the to me, the trust. So I've known you. Now, while I've built this trust with you, I knew you wouldn't recommend me someone. So that's why, when um he called me, I and he was trying to share me real over I was like I don't need it, I don't care what you shot. David told me you're good, you're good, let's, let's come on board. And that had trust in me and I knew, like I said, like you said, he showed up, his demeanor was perfect. He was able to, you know, jump in and change roles or whatever was needed. You know, as, as the the situation demanded, and that was perfect. And if I ever go back to miami or if I need somebody in miami, I'd be happy to recommend him. You know, that's how you build, I think, a really good network.

David Morefield: 23:42

I want to ask you about that, about what you were hired to do, and then now what is being asked of you to do? So that that's a pretty um simple example, the the one where he is, where he pivoted and did whatever the production required, even though he wasn't, yeah, talked to about that. Um, what about for you when you're with a client and they throw something in last minute, maybe on site? Do you initially meet that with a little bit of like resistance and saying, hold on, I just need to express this is outside of our discussed scope. Or do you say I'm just going to attack it and I'll make up for it in the back end?

Vipul Bindra: 24:29

It depends on what it is, because guess what? Every client will throw something at you. Usually it's very rare for a client, especially most clients, that we work with our businesses. They're not video people, so they don't understand the scope in general. They just understand the final product, right, because that's what they're. Not video people, so they don't know, understand the scope, uh, in general. Uh, they just understand the final product, right, because that's what they're. They're looking. They don't know what it goes into making it. Now it's different. Now you call me and you know you asked me to pivot. It'd be different.

Vipul Bindra: 24:54

But at the same time, if I'm coming for you, I'm working for you, so my goal would be to make your life easier and if it's something like jumping between drone up and cam up or sound up, I I'm happy. I wouldn't care, like that happened with me. Talk about Adam. I remember he hired me to do this fertilizer thing and he hired me like to be this help, you know. But then I was able to think at some point he needed me to do camera. I was able to jump into camera. I didn't right. I'm not going to complain. Why not to do camera? I was able to jump into camera. I didn't right, I'm not gonna complain, why not? Like I know the skill, I'm there, he needs the help. Like jump up, you know we can hit record, it's not that hard.

Vipul Bindra: 25:32

But coming back to it, yeah, with clients it depends on the scope. So if they're like, hey, we, we need this angle, this way, or we need the camera here, or like with david, uh, I said david, sorry, adam, same talk about his dc project. We showed up to do a documentary. We had the whole thing planned out and the client goes well, I, the interviewer, wants to be on camera. Yeah, so it's like uh, now here's what we can do.

Vipul Bindra: 25:54

I know this is a high stakes project. Right, the stories were important. Uh, look, this is the way I approach the problem. The problem is the client wants to be on camera. Clearly, I know as a, as a director. So I'm not the director here, I'm more like DP. But as somebody who directs projects, I completely know and works with editing teams. I know none of that will be used. So I know anything we do here to solve this problem is a waste of time and energy. But in my quick brain I calculate is it worth the the hassle? So I have a backup camera. I always bring an extra camera.

Vipul Bindra: 26:30

It was a three camera shoot yes, so you had fourth camera yes I always bring an extra camera as a backup so this is not me, I don't know how somebody else and I would love to know your perspective on this in a second but mine was.

Vipul Bindra: 26:41

I have a backup camera. I have a backup lens, let me just throw it on there. So the way I presented to them because they thought they would be in the main shot, I was like no, no, no, here's what we can do. We'll put a camera on you, absolutely. So we just took a camera. We didn't even have tripod. We jerry-rigged the side table, put the camera on there make sure there was a camera on them showed it to them and I hit record for us. It was maybe between me and Emmanuel. We spent like three minutes on it. It was immediately like oh, so you want it. I texted Adam hey, this is what they want. He completely was like yeah, this is not in the scope. But at the same time I'm like the way I'm calculating is this is worth the hassle? They're very much into having the shot be in there, and that's okay, because they don't understand the editing phase. This having the shot be in there, and that's okay, because they don't understand the editing phase.

Vipul Bindra: 27:27

This is again a client that wants to tell a story. They don't know the process. So is it worth me explaining them, educating them? No, so at that time we care about more the story and what we want to capture. If that means me having to throw another camera hitting record is what makes them happy, then I will do it, and plus, I had the tools to make it happen. So I did. Now clients have asked like, can we, you know, do abc? Like can we, uh, make this video at the same time? No, no, we can't do that because that's out of the scope. So I will be like, hey, no, right now we are only prepped for this and we only have this much time. But I'd be happy to tackle this in the future. So I hope it hope it's a convoluted way of saying it depends on what they want.

Vipul Bindra: 28:10

And also if it's worth the hassle or not. Typically, clients are paying me a lot of money, so I don't want to be arguing or hassling for something simple.

David Morefield: 28:18

The part that I hear when you're saying that is you said yes to one of the requests, which was I want to be on camera, but you said no to them being in a two shot, like this yeah, and I think those types of decisions are are the hard parts where it's like I need to say yes to um, you know, solve the problem that you have right now to to this person, but I can't let it affect everything. I'm not going to ruin the interview shot by having an interviewer in there. Yeah, and that's. That's tough to navigate, where you you can't say yes and you can't say no.

Vipul Bindra: 28:57

You're just trying to devise the best I think that's where the leadership mindset comes in right. You have to. To me, that's what makes you a good director. Like I said, I wasn't the director in that moment, but I knew adam well enough and I knew in my skills enough that I could immediately. Like I said, I didn't even think about it, I knew that wasn't gonna make it into the final cut.

Vipul Bindra: 29:16

It's gonna ruin what we're trying to do here. We're trying to tell a very emotional story, right, we don't need an awkward interviewer sitting there. Even though though they don't understand that, that takes away from the emotion, the energy of a family trying to tell about their daughter's passing.

David Morefield: 29:32

Even how you said it, like I wasn't there. But I know some people might have been like we'll put a camera on you but we're not putting you in the shot, and that would completely put the person back on their heels.

Vipul Bindra: 29:42

Yeah, would never see and that comes down to again, uh, customer service, yeah, uh. And again, it's not like you need to have training, it's just being considerate. I don't know. I find that is not a common thread anymore, I don't know why. Uh, I don't know.

Vipul Bindra: 29:58

People are and I'm all about like customers not always right. I get that. Customers are all a lot of times wrong. So I don't have that old mindset of like you have to give them everything. But at the same time, to me it's like look, you're there to to tell a story. Right, that's my primary goal, right, this one. It's like we have to tell this story and the secondary goal is I have to make sure the client experience is great. So I I'm trying to tackle both in the best way and, like I said this, to be real, I I would. I don't want to take too much. I didn't take like five minutes to think about. This was a 30 second thing. It was like I genuinely just asked them so what do you want? And then they're like okay, so we want to be in the shot. So you know, because we, I may cry, they may want my emotions. It's important. I was like I get it the interviewer wanted their emotion.

Vipul Bindra: 30:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah because they're part of the you know story. So um their subject. But you know I get it not to go too deep. Have you seen the documentary trailer?

David Morefield: 30:55

yes, so you know, okay, you know yeah yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 30:59

So you know, kind of get the story so, but what I'm saying is like, at the end of the day, I'm just going look, here's the problem. Can I solve it? Yes, I can, let me solve it, but at the same time, I don't want to ruin what we're primarily here to do. So I'm like okay, so here's what we're gonna do, we're gonna have you sit there, they're gonna sit over here. Here's, this camera is gonna be for you, this camera is for them. There's no conflict here. Right, we solved, we solved it. They're happy.

Vipul Bindra: 31:24

And I know now Adam has what he needs, his editor has what he needs, plus, he has extra content. If he wants to use it, something really does. Great, come out of this extra camera, then absolutely great. If not, worst case, it's just a few extra ones and zeros that we have A few extra gigabytes that he has to deal with and to deal with, uh, and and I think, um, that's the way I solve problems. But remember, this is an easy one to solve. You don't have to always say yes, so I solve, based on what the problem is, because they will sometimes, like I said, they'll throw crazy things at you, like okay, I'll give you a recent example a few days ago I was at a gymnastics uh location locally and they wanted to do a commercial. I didn't know that, right, so they hired me like as a day thing. Right, you come, because they are an agency also, they can edit and everything. So I showed up and I don't know anything what we're doing. Right, this is one of those where you just show up, so I show up. They're like, okay, it's a commercial. So to do a commercial with just me and an assistant is like crazy already. But then two as soon. So they go.

Vipul Bindra: 32:25

First shot we want outside right away, you know, midday or florida sun, it's not gonna look pretty. So you go. The thing is now I have a van, I have 12 by 12s, eight bites. Technically I can do that shot correctly, but we don't have time. We have an hour to get the whole script done right there. Their students are gonna be in here. We can't. So it's like the. The solution is look, hey, this is how it's going to look. What do you think right? And uh, first we set up a boom and I was like, oh, they were like no, no, we want to really watch. I'm going to show how big the building is. So the story element is more important than the audio quality. That's the truth. The story is that they're trying to remember they did. The creative on this commercial is how big. Look how big. We have the largest facility in all of florida. So that is way more important than me being forced like no boom.

Vipul Bindra: 33:13

Audio is better, right so I don't, it doesn't matter, I have a three thousand dollar chef's mic. You know, okay, I told my uh mario, I was like, look, 86, the, the boom put the road mic on put, the put the lab on which, to be real, we had a Koss 11D, but still it wasn't.

Vipul Bindra: 33:28

You know, it's a really good lav mic, but not in comparison. Point is throw a lav mic on, go as wide as possible. She still has harsh sunlight on her, she still. You know, it is what it is, but that's the shot and that's what we can get in the five, ten minutes. We have to get the primary shot. And, uh, can I solve it better? Yes, well, am I going to know? Because by the time I'm done solving it, our whole day is over. The client's not going to be happy, so kind of like that.

Vipul Bindra: 33:55

So the best thing I was able to tell them was like, hey, yeah, this is how we're going to do. Since we want the shot to be so wide and her to be so far away, I cannot get a boom in there and I cannot get a um like a normal reflector to hover her the. The way I can do that is but like it's setting a 12 by 12 and we don't have a team for that right or time for that. And they were like yeah, absolutely, this is good. You know, I'm saying so. You have to, you have to solve um.

Vipul Bindra: 34:20

And then the other thing was they were like, oh, we want to do a walk and talk you, and I'm like, sure we can do it, we have a gimbal here, but they want a teleprompter. I was like, well, we're not set up. I could build a rig, but we're not set up for that. So I was like, here's what we can do. We can do a walk and talk and they will have to memorize the script, or we can do a shot with the teleprompter. That's what we were prepared for. You pick and then they pick what they wanted to do. Some lines we did where they memorized them, some lines they did where they didn't walk. So I hope that makes sense. The point is we're just trying to always problem solve and you do this all the time, as why I love your vlogs. You go into a shoot, you see something client throws something at you and then you're just going okay, how do I best capture?

David Morefield: 35:03

this Sometimes I make the problems myself.

Vipul Bindra: 35:06

I think your Sony thing was mostly you. But yes, we all do that. For example, I had a full working setup that I had mastered from my truck how to do interviews, and here I am fully unraveling it to make a whole new setup. Now I'm here sitting months and months planning how to perfect this cart setup when I had a setup that was working. But I think we do do that as filmmakers.

David Morefield: 35:30

Yeah, I've created a lot of problems in the last two weeks by trying to switch up workflows. The attempt is I'm going to improve it. Yeah, but the consequences of the transition, of learning the changes is uh, where is that? Oh, it's in the other thing, that it was always in that spot. But now that I've switched it it didn't carry over. Or you know, I'm still figuring it out and the last two, three weeks have been like that. Yeah, but my girlfriend now knows that when I leave, don't do anything, because in about 15 minutes she's gonna get a call that says can you go look for where the battery charger is? I forgot to switch it from this bag to another, like yeah, yeah, I know, I totally feel you.

Vipul Bindra: 36:20

No, I, this happened to me. Uh, so I learning because we're in a van. Now things shake off. So my audio bag I've used it for years now Mixed Basics 2, you know, fully rigged out audio bag. It works perfectly, never a problem. And then the other day I go in a shoot and it wouldn't turn on and I'm like this is very expensive here, first of all, so not to turn on Plus, and I'm like this is very expensive gear first of all, so not to turn off Plus.

Vipul Bindra: 36:45

I'm not used to, I don't like putting my microphone in the camera. So the good thing is FX6 has an XLR, so for time being I was able to just plug into the camera recording camera. We got the audio so fine. I come home and I realize, oh, because of the vibration the battery plays, so we have an NP style audio batteries that go in, and so we have an NP-style audio batteries that go in. The battery plate that plugs at the bottom had just come loose. So now I know for future what to check if that happens. But point is, I was like that problem that never happened for five years generated itself because I decided to change the whole setup from this to this. So, yes, I completely get you. Uh, it happens, um, but why so let's? Let's go back to your. I know why I'm doing it, right, uh, but why? What about you? Why change something that was already working?

David Morefield: 37:37

um, I can never be satisfied, and I'm. I have a on ongoing, always working brain it. It doesn't matter what the problem is, I just need to be tinkering with something.

Vipul Bindra: 37:50

Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing? Because once you have at some point let's say which I don't think it'll ever happen, because video production is changing all the time let's say you've hypothetically mastered and you have the perfect setup. I'm really close, yeah, but I'm saying I don't you think in six months you'll have something else that you'll want to change, right? No, I mean I, I will it's a flaw in our characters, it's a characteristic yeah um for sure, because my girlfriend has noticed it.

David Morefield: 38:21

She's like that's part of your personality. It's it's not that like, oh, you'll never be happy. It's just I always like to be figuring something out, um, but then I have the other side of me that's like oh, I want to fix this, so I don't have to do anything. So it's like it's both and it can be what type of stands am I using? It could be what's my power supply solution for a camera? Recently it's been.

David Morefield: 38:51

Can I get a rental property in Puerto Rico and use it as a cash-flowing vacation rental and a surf house that I can go to whenever I want? Before that it was maybe I should get a house here. You know. Before that it was what car do I get? And it's just hyper fixation on something and you get it's. I enjoy it because you get really deep and you learn about a certain subject and you have decent knowledge about whatever that is which can help later. But it's. You jump around a lot and for me, a lot of times I will get very close to figuring it out, like maybe like 75%, 80%, or I find a solution that is 80% close and then I'll oh, what's that?

David Morefield: 39:43

Oh, let me work on that yeah, you know it's add yeah, I've never been um gone in for like diagnosis or something. But it's very apparent that I I kind of like to hyper focus, hyper fixate on things and then go through that a lot and then quickly jump to another one.

Vipul Bindra: 40:05

Yeah, snorkeling, surfing, skating same thing never been diagnosed. I don't know if we're all just adding personally, like we have this, but no, I'm the same way, very obsessive. Personality like this is what we're gonna do and I will hyper fixate on that and I will know everything about it and then you know. Once you know everything about it, and then you know. Once you know everything about it, you go okay, now what?

Vipul Bindra: 40:26

And then you find something else right and then you hyperfixate on that. The good thing is, thank goodness. For me, one thing hasn't changed is video production in general, because otherwise it'd be very expensive. Tomorrow is like ah, I want to do something else.

David Morefield: 40:38

Hobby switching is very expensive.

Vipul Bindra: 40:39

Yeah, thank goodness it's a career, not a hobby, otherwise, yeah, it would be a nightmare to have to switch this. So tell me a little bit about how is your girlfriend dealing with this, because I can imagine somebody who's not into video, who doesn't have this obsession, and you're every you know, I don't know every day getting a call. Can you check this? Can you check this? And she's probably going. I have no idea what you're talking about. So how is she dealing with it? I don't know.

David Morefield: 41:07

Yeah, I think, as a let's loosely just say you're a business owner and freelancer, so I think that adds a completely different layer to any relationship, whether they're your girlfriend or your wife or whoever any relationship, whether they're your girlfriend or your wife or whoever. When, uh, we met during 2020, so we weren't doing much um, business wise, traveling wise and I was letting her know like, hey, I'm here right now, but normally I'm not here. I'm always on a flight, I'm always in a hotel at a state, moving around, moving around. So, like, once business picks back up again. That's what it's going to be like and that is what it's like. It's, I think, very tough for you to find a partner who is cool with you, always leaving, always jumping around. Like, especially if you are a business owner, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to travel a lot, but it means you're always going to be doing things like I just came back from uh, a trip I don't even remember where, and then yesterday I had a 6 30 am call time for a job that was connected to me through youtube.

David Morefield: 42:23

Some guy saw my stuff and was like, hey, I have a job that was connected to me through YouTube. Some guy saw my stuff and was like, hey, I have a job in Orlando, can you do it? Did it, and then last night I was like I'm finally going to be able to catch up on sleep and I was like, hold on, let me just check my calendar. I got a podcast with Fipple in the morning when 10. All right, all right, so I'll catch up a little bit on sleep.

Vipul Bindra: 42:48

And then I have the orlando filmmaker meet up after this. Yeah, and you have a job. Yeah, I have a shoot. So you have three things.

David Morefield: 42:51

Yeah this shoot and so I think it's. If you can find a partner who is cool with this chaotic lifestyle, um, then you're lucky and um it's, it's not like it's just a year of this, and then it goes to the easy street it's like it's this all the time.

David Morefield: 43:11

But that is where I start to think and and I want to know if you start to think of, do I always want to do this? How can I get more money from doing less? What other diversification can I have that can cash flow? And that's kind of what brought me into thinking of other things. The most recent one has just been the YouTube thing where I am noticing the more I put into that, the more it gives back and it's nice's. It's not like it. It's more fun than than, um, contributing to a stock account. Right, it's way more fun. Every vlog that I make has the same effect as that, but it's just way more fun because of the uh connection I get. Yeah to people.

Vipul Bindra: 44:02

Exactly, I think it depends on you have to have a certain type of personality, obviously to be a YouTuber, but as long as you're connecting with it, it's giving you your return, then why not follow it right? To me, the biggest thing is like have somebody who did have a job right, and how miserable I was while it paid well, the only thing I can tell in life is and I think you and I think alike on that is like I'd rather work more, but for myself than for someone else. You know, I don't want anyone to control, excuse me, my calendar or my life, or who can tell me when I can go on vacation or when I can spend time with my kids.

David Morefield: 44:42

And that drives me at least um to, you know, to do even better and to do more of what we do, but it's not um, all of roses at the same time either, you know I mean I, I definitely feel like I have a very privileged journey white dude growing up in Florida, america, born Like there's just so many things where it's like dude, you have a lot stacked in your favor, you shouldn't be struggling, and but I, so I understand that side of it. But the other side of it is I try to rationalize everything as like a game, like if I put this in here, what comes out of it, what's the equation here? Rather than I did this and it messed up, it's me. I'm horrible. No, no, it's just that equation didn't work. Switch it up.

Vipul Bindra: 45:42

See if something else changes and talk about this. It's just that equation didn't work. Yeah, switch it up, see if, see if something else changes and talk about this. I did have a conversation with you know a few people about this who are like you know, like, is race a factor or is you know this keeping me down or what?

Vipul Bindra: 45:55

Look, I'm not an expert. I'm a video person, video production expert. I'm not an expert on biases of people. I can tell you, yes, most of the people that I deal with are older white CEOs, right? So I'm pretty sure, if you're not white or if you're a female or whatever, you have a disadvantage.

Vipul Bindra: 46:12

But at the end of the day, look, you have privilege that you're white, or you're from Florida or you're from America. I maybe have privilege, or maybe don't have privilege that I'm not white or whatever. At the end of the day, we all have our privileges or we don't have our privileges. Like I got this gig with the IACC, the Indian community, because I'm Indian, you know. So everyone has their own privileges, or somebody may be black or whatever. At the end of the day, look, it's good to be, to have gratitude, like, hey, this is who I am and I know I have it easy because you want to be grounded, but at the same time, I feel like people need to stop, because a lot of people use it as a crutch, like, hey, I am this, so that's why I'm going to be. It's going to be hard for me. Look, it's easy or it's hard. It is what it is In business. You can sit here and complain.

Vipul Bindra: 47:02

I'm talking to people right, or you could just go out and do it. If somebody is not your client, they're not your client, you know. But most people I'll tell you one thing business owners speak one language and that's language of money. You know, if you show up, they may be biased, they may be like oh, I only work with white people. But as soon as you give them an offer that they cannot refuse, they will work with you. So at the end of the day, I think people need to also stop holding behind crutches like I am this or I'm that, or I'm that. That's why I won't find success, or this is what's holding me back?

Vipul Bindra: 47:35

At the end of the day, look, it's good to recognize that, like hey, that I have a hard time, or whatever. But I think next is just move on from that time or whatever. But I think next is just move on from that. Like, stop having race or marital status or economic status holding you back or gender, or whatever your, your mental biases. Uh, you know you need to just go out there and actually do business, because that's what you're here to do and I feel like as long as you go do business, it's not that hard to find your five, 10 clients, which is where I want to go next, because here's the truth Most of your money comes from majority of your small clients. Right, it's not? You don't need 500 clients to like you.

Vipul Bindra: 48:16

You only need a very small amount of clients to like you, right? So talk about how you discovered your retainer client, cause that's majority of your income now, right? Do you want to speak on that?

David Morefield: 48:27

Yeah, I do want to touch on the previous thing, which is, I think it just depends on how do you paint it, how do you see it in your head, because if you see it all as hurdles, it's going to be all hurdles, yeah. But if you see it like I, I have this delusion that I think is real, and my delusion is everything works out for David and like I say that all the time and then when?

David Morefield: 48:59

something doesn't work out, I'm like, oh, that doesn't, that wasn't part of it. So I proactively negate a lot of the things that could pull me back and I focus on the things that are pushing me forward and and it eventually it feels like, oh, the universe is like working together to help me, yeah, even though it's not yeah. But if I think like that, then it it's this like instrumentational, I don't know, just mindset that's just yeah, like you only acknowledge the good things to push you forward. Of course you have to acknowledge the things that are slowing you down, but those aren't going to hold you exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 49:42

Exactly. No, you said it very well. So essentially you know it's good to reflect, because if you're giving poor service and everyone doesn't, like you then you know you're better off not ignoring that and realizing where the flaw is. But at the same time, if somebody's holding you back because of things that don't matter, I think you're better off just being positive about it and, to be real, I'm human too. It affects me because I know sometimes I lose a gig where it's just because they went with somebody who's you know.

David Morefield: 50:15

just I don't know, whatever, whatever it is, it doesn't matter why they went with someone else.

Vipul Bindra: 50:18

Yeah it doesn't who cares. You know, you move on and you find, know your clients. At the end day, I'm running a very successful business and that's all that matters. I just need to find my clients who value what I bring to the table, right and and and. To be real, what I do is my, my strategy, that I recommend people.

Vipul Bindra: 50:35

Look, I'm very passionate about video, so if I'm feeling ever down because you know, and I'm not surrounded, my family doesn't care about video, I'll just call, I'll call uh, I'll call adam, or I'll call uh, you know man, or you or people. I just surround myself with people that think like me and that, um, you know, bring me joy. That means, uh, I can, uh, I can just get out of that. You know that rut or whatever. I start to feel if that ever happens, because then I, I know, like we can talk about business strategy or whatever and then be like, oh, that's what I'm thinking about. I don't need to focus on this one negative small thing that happened, but I think it also is a personal thing you have to. It is, you have to choose that.

Vipul Bindra: 51:13

Because, it's very easy to be negative. It's very hard to be positive. You have to make that effort, but I do think.

David Morefield: 51:19

tell me if I'm wrong when you think positive even if it's not like oh now, 60% good things are happening to me and 40% bad things. Even if it's 50-50, if you think like that, this 50% feels heavier. So yeah, it's just kind of thinking that this is another step, that's all it is.

David Morefield: 51:54

Yeah, it's not like the end. It's not, uh, crippling problems, it's not whatever, it's just. This is one step. Did I get bad feedback from it or did I get good feedback from it? Okay, I'll just take that and move forward, but I'm gonna. I'm gonna progress because I'm gonna try something exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 52:10

And here's one thing I'll tell take that and move forward. But I'm going to. I'm going to progress because I'm going to try something Exactly. And here's one thing I'll tell you, that's what motivated I think I've helped a few business owners with. Look, most businesses shut down in the first five years of business. So if you just make it past five years, you're more successful than most businesses that started. So if you look at it positively, like, look, I'm just trying to make it five years, I'm just trying to make it five years and don't give up, You're going to find success. Because as long as you don't focus on the negative, because you're just focused on hey, I got to make it past five years, You're going to focus on that long journey instead of the short term. Because most businesses shut down, because most businesses have hurdles and they give up. Just don't give up and keep doing it. Eventually you'll find success.

David Morefield: 52:54

I can't even think five years into the future. I am very microscopic. So I just think how do I make today's job go as well as I have the capability to make it go well? And you know, I think some other people are very more long-term oriented and they're saying well, I have today's job and then I have my goals for this year and the goals for five years and 10 years, and I need to, you know, to walk that, climb that ladder. But for me I don't think like that for better or for worse. I mean at, but for me I don't think like that for better or for worse.

Vipul Bindra: 53:28

I mean at the end of the day. That's why I want you to be here so people can hear both perspectives, because I'm saying, look long-term and make sure you make it past that five years, and you're saying, look at that microscopic level, which I completely get it, because if you do good today, your future will automatically be great. And I think, just pick if somebody's listening, even one person, we can help. Just pick what motivates you At the end of the day. I think you just have to look within right and pick what's motivating me today to go out and do it and whatever. That is just cling on to that.

David Morefield: 54:02

That sounds very fluffy Look within, but really it's just saying what are you drawn to? Are you drawn towards micro results? Are you drawn towards long-term results? Because, whichever one you're drawn to, that's what you're gonna do. Yeah, so focus on your strength and um, just like. That is how you will feel good about the progress if it's something that you already enjoy.

Vipul Bindra: 54:27

Yeah, and I'm very much a physical type of guy. I I hate like people who get so much in theory too, and and again this is going to so many tangents. But you know, like I'm all about sitting down, planning, I have a call, like a whole coffee with adam tomorrow where I'm gonna sit down and give him my whole plan.

Vipul Bindra: 54:43

So you're gonna talk to him tonight yeah yeah, yeah and then tomorrow but, like I have genuine like all things planned out, like hey, here's the, the, because you know I'm doing a lot of new things with this uh rebrand.

Vipul Bindra: 54:55

But the point is like, genuinely, we want to run by like ideas of. So what I'm saying is, at the same time, I can be theoretical, but I'm very much like, uh, like, I prefer people who like physically actually go do things, because you can sit and plan on paper everything like this, that, whatever, but if you don't actually go do it, you know like, like imagine reading a whole book on how to be a YouTuber versus actually going and doing the YouTube videos, like making them. I feel you would learn way more making the videos than reading a you know thick ass tech textbook textbook, no matter how knowledgeable it is. Nothing against books. But I'm also saying is I personally like people who just go do it, and if you don't know how to do it, surround yourself with people who know how to do it, and I don't think it's that complicated.

David Morefield: 55:45

That's one of my biggest flaws is inaction, because I want to have the most educated decision. I want to know why am I making this decision and I'm going to do this one because it has the highest probability of success. But that just leads to paralysis by analysis, just overthinking everything. And on one side it's good because you're not grabbing a hot pan and someone's like did you even think that the pan might be hot? And you're like, no, I just took action. And then it's like OK, well, I looked at what temperatures were and that temperature would give you a third degree burn, so I didn't do it. And both of them are right essentially.

Vipul Bindra: 56:32

Yeah, I think a good balance, right, a good balance yeah but, like I'll tell you so on my video business, I like the gear purchases. I know people think I buy a lot of gear, which I do, but I actually think like I, every time I add things to my list I'm like, okay, how is this going to help my business, how is this going to like overthinking it, like you said, to the point of solution. But then when I was building the studio, it would have never gotten built. We were literally at Home Depot looking at 500 floors. At some point I'm like this, this, this, this, this, this and let's just go. And the disadvantage to that was, yes, we ended up with things that we didn't use or that were extra. But guess what, you go to the home depot and you return it, but it to me, the only way the studio got done was because we were able to just buy, like, let's just get what we think we need and then we won't use it, then we'll return it.

Vipul Bindra: 57:21

Versus if I sit here and I perfectly find the exact same trim and this piece or that piece or whatever, then it would, it would never get done. So, having taken both you know ways, I could tell you they both have their, their flaws. At the end day, I think a good, healthy balance. And then I go like you said, it sounds like fluff is the best way to go. You have to take each individual decision like and and take that like is this worth me spending hours on it? Then sure, spend it like. If you're buying a camera, right, and you're investing five grand, I get it. Invest like the research, find the right tool. But if you're just buying I don't know a small memory card on it, I don't think you need to spend 10 hours or two hours sorry, two days researching the best memory card. Just buy a freaking memory card. Do you see what I'm saying?

David Morefield: 58:11

to me that yeah, I'm sorry, I hear you.

Vipul Bindra: 58:14

Yeah, can't do that, yeah and see something, but and that's okay, that's your flaw and as long as you're self-aware of it, that's okay.

David Morefield: 58:20

You know, you know it, you know yeah, it is what it is, you know. Yeah, it pretty much is. It is what it is, and and that that type of inaction, like said, has prevented me from a lot of things, but it's also prevented me from a lot of good things, but it's also prevented me from a lot of bad things, and it's just a thought process that I know I have to deal with. So let's just use that tool to hopefully get good results.

Vipul Bindra: 58:47

But, jumping back to the retainer question that you asked, yeah, because I think that's really cool for people to hear. So I remember this is my context of you very strongly telling me I don't know if it was in Vegas or somewhere I was having this conversation, but you started like, no, I am a DP.

David Morefield: 59:03

I think it was in Vegas airport.

Vipul Bindra: 59:04

Yeah, yeah, I think you were like no, I am a DP, I have perfected, you know, this is what I want to do and I have ADD or whatever, something like that. You remember saying that to me. Like I cannot, you know, do one thing over and over again. I have to do different jobs, so anyway.

Vipul Bindra: 59:22

So you were like very pro what you were doing, which was DP finding new gigs freelance you were doing, which was dp, finding new gigs, freelance and all of a sudden I find out like you've got this retainer client which obviously financially seems like it did really wonders for you. But I want to just know, is a? Uh, you know we can go in details, but I would right now just general want to know is how did that change come about? Because it was very not what I thought david would want, right it's not what I thought david would do do.

David Morefield: 59:49

It's not what I thought David would do. It's because it was a very organic evolution and technically it's not a retainer and I can get into that. But it was a referral from a contact that I've had for years and she was like hey, this company used to work under our agency. They left, they asked me for a recommendation, I recommended you. So already I was like wait, they were hiring an agency and now they want to hire a person. Like I don't know if that's going to meet their expectations. And it was. Yeah. The crew call was like I've never seen this. A director and two PAs. Like well, that doesn't really work, nothing's getting done.

Vipul Bindra: 1:00:38

Yeah, they're probably thinking swings, but they use the word PA, right yeah?

David Morefield: 1:00:42

So I was like all right.

David Morefield: 1:00:44

And I was the basically all the video production part of that. And then the other role was a PA and I just brought my girlfriend in. So I was like this is cool, a little bit of money for her, we get to hang out. It's a good rate, sure, and that was November of 2023. And we did good. It was just a couple of day rates for everybody Nice, and we did good. It was just, um, you know, a couple day rates for everybody nice. And then they called back in february of 24 march ish, and they said, hey, we want to do another shoot, okay, cool. And then we did another one, and then they said we would like to get a contract for a retainer status. And, yeah, the first thing I go is no, my time I have to commit to something.

David Morefield: 1:01:36

I don't want to commit to anything. And so I asked them why do you want a retainer? Why do you think you want a retainer? Is it because you want days on the calendar? Is it because you think there will be a discount for a bulk order? Is it? What is it? And they said, oh, it's just days on the calendar, because we have to pre-produce all these scripts and we want to know when they're going to get filmed. And if we can have days already designated with you, we can organize when our deliverables will come in.

David Morefield: 1:02:06

Okay, that makes sense.

David Morefield: 1:02:08

Yeah, it totally makes sense, our deliverables will come in.

David Morefield: 1:02:11

Okay, that makes sense. Yeah, it totally makes sense. And I think a lot of people think retainer contract is just this one thing and it's not. It's whatever is the best relationship for that client and you. So this one I was like. So I told them there's not going to be a contract and I know a lot of people would advise against that as just a business practice where you don't have any um uh, you don't have any recourse for cancellations, you don't have any. You know anything like that. Like I said, it was such an organic evolution that it it never really got brought in, but the relationship was so good with them, the communication was on point that we could talk about any problem.

David Morefield: 1:02:55

Hey, there was a cancellation. I know we haven't previously discussed this, but the crew members did block out these calendar dates, so those days need to be paid for. Luckily, they received it well and okay. Well, now that's that standard. So it went from getting a call every month or so to we want to do biweekly shoots. They're in South Florida, I'm in Orlando, so we need to travel in do the shoots. We're reducing it to just two day shoots and then travel back, and that is probably when I started asking you how do I charge for this? Because I am. I know I'm doing a lot of effort, I'm booking hotels, I'm traveling, I'm doing all this and I'm getting a day rate. And then they're getting a day rate.

David Morefield: 1:03:59

This is not great I could do this day rate, 20 minutes from my house, and now it's taking all this time and that's where I was very, very glad that you were transparent with some of the business. Well, that covers one. It could just be emergencies, it could be pure profit, it could be unexpected things. It just gives you padding and I was like I can't just say this line item is profit.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:45

Technically, there is a word for it, it's called production fee. Yes, but no, anyway.

David Morefield: 1:04:50

So yeah, and you let me know that. Yeah, I was like oh take notes. Let me see production fee and um. Eventually I worked into a um production company pricing which is very different than a freelancer pricing and that astronomically grew my finances last year to the point where I was like I don't want to do this all the time. I can do one retainer connection.

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:26

Yeah, because bi-weekly already is taking so much of your time. It's taking a lot of time.

David Morefield: 1:05:28

Yeah, because bi-weekly already is taking so much of your time. It's taking a lot of time, but it's been really nice to have had the insight from other people, because if I had this relationship without that type of pricing, I wouldn't have the same rose-colored glasses looking at it, I would just be. It's taking all my time, exactly, and that's very important.

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:49

Look, I would just be mistaken all my time, exactly, and that's very important. Look, you're committing so much of your time, plus, you're tailoring solutions to what they need exactly, which is why they want to work with you, right, because you're making sure this works for them. Then you deserve to be paid what you deserve to be paid, and I don't think you're unreasonable.

Speaker 2: 1:06:08

I think your costs are pretty, pretty fair they're probably under yeah, actually yeah, what you should be charging.

Vipul Bindra: 1:06:13

So let's, let's, uh, what I want to know here is the biggest thing is you upped your rates? How did you have that conversation and how did that go? Did you just send that in, or did you have to explain to them why the rates were going to be? I had to explain so, and so, by the way, you work with an agency, or directly with the client or somebody in between.

David Morefield: 1:06:31

I work with the end client and then they have an agency that they work with for reproducing all of the scripts and things that we're going to be doing that day. Okay, retainer relationship I think most people think it's we're going to be A to Z, we're going to devise everything, we're going to get the scripts, we're going to shoot, we're going to edit, we're going to deliver. It doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to be if you have the right clientele. So this one was end client agency and the agency is connecting with the end client and then they are saying, hey, this is our production leg. The agency is the pre-production and post-production. So my retainer relationship is shooting and handing off the exact same thing I do as a freelance videographer. That's the type of retainer relationship.

Vipul Bindra: 1:07:31

That's a pretty good retainer. So how did you have this conversation? And I'm guessing now that means you had this conversation directly with the end client, correct, right? So how did you handle that? Because I think this is a very important thing for people to know.

David Morefield: 1:07:43

I started to feeling like I'm getting the short end of the stick here, and how many weeks had you done it?

Vipul Bindra: 1:07:50

roughly?

David Morefield: 1:07:51

you'd say maybe two months, two months so so, yeah, a couple shoots, maybe a little more okay, maybe like five or six shoots okay. And then I was, and then just things kind of started to to to pull over to my side where they they said, hey, we were booking your hotels. We're a little busy. Can you book your hotels and invoice us? And. I was like, ah, do it this once. And then later I found out how valuable that could be when I started getting the right credit card which could be an excess of points and establish great credit for the business.

David Morefield: 1:08:24

I was just like all these problems actually could be benefits. It's like all these problems actually could be benefits, but essentially, a lot of the workload had changed from day one. This is another time where I had to put my foot down is they said they gave us all these scripts and I have my PA and me trying to run all of production. And I said, guys like I can't check if we said the right line, if we have to go back, we need a producer. And they were open to it. And they're like well, you know what does that look like? So I hired someone from my network that I had worked with previously, because I know they do great work and they care.

David Morefield: 1:09:09

It's kind of like what you were saying before about you were seeing me work through small problems. It's like, oh, he cares, yeah, I need someone who cares. And so I found someone, a great, great producer. And then I was booking her hotels and then, you know, dealing with her invoices, and I was like I'm a production company, why am I not getting paid like a production company? So I went to the client and I said, hey, all of these things are now at this point and I need to charge as a full service. It's not full service, but as a production company. And again, having the right clients can make all the difference in the world. They said the scope has greatly changed and we see that, so that can be reflected in the invoice. Oh, thank goodness.

David Morefield: 1:10:00

Yeah, I thought this was going to be a bad conversation, and that could be.

Vipul Bindra: 1:10:04

Guys, you have to take a risk, right. You have to stand up for what you think is right, as long as you're fair, what I think is right, as long as you're fair, what I think is you were fair. You were like, look, the scope has changed a lot, so, so we're gonna have to, you know, change the the cost right, or the yeah, the investment, yeah right and and it's.

David Morefield: 1:10:21

It was a very obvious thing. It didn't feel like, oh, david's trying to work in in this extra fee. It's like he's taking off a lot of the workload now so that cost has to go somewhere exactly. Somebody needs to pay for it and I just feel so blessed that I got such a understanding client and also that I was referred this client, because what was a one-off yeah turned into became like your majority work yeah.

David Morefield: 1:10:58

I want to say 70% of my income. Wow, which, which is? Which is don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:13

I have 10 eggs in one basket, and I understand that.

David Morefield: 1:11:18

I did have a situation in 2018 where I had one agency that I was freelancing for and their two to three biggest clients. Like you were saying, there's a few clients who provide the bulk of your income. That was the situation for this agency and they didn't renew contracts. And that agency told me, hey, I'm sorry, but there's going to be a lot less work, and I was left like, oh my gosh.

David Morefield: 1:11:48

I had a 40% reduction in income from that which is a huge reduction especially like when you're not making that much and you're like more learning, and so that taught me at that point the value of I need to have my own clients. Even if I'm a freelancer, I need to have my clients. It could even just be usual clients, but I can't depend solely on on a entity that is getting me work.

Vipul Bindra: 1:12:16

Yeah, that is um a recipe for risk which you are taking again now, though, because you have, like you said, 70 of your income, but at least there isn't a degree in between.

David Morefield: 1:12:29

There's no middleman so in this sense there's no agency who is trying to find me work. It's me and end client, so I can foster that relationship. You can control it, I can control it and I can mess it up. So if it goes wrong, I know why and I know I'm aware of everything that's happening, but it's such a good relationship that I'm okay with prioritizing it because it's very, very beneficial yeah, exactly to both parties seems like because you fully get it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:03

Having seen some of your vlogs, you fully get what they want. You're tailoring solutions to their needs, so I think that's why it's valuable to them. And then obviously, it's valuable to you because they're you're tailoring solutions to their needs, so I think that's why it's valuable to them. And then obviously it's valuable to you because they're giving you money in return. You know and good money. So talk about how you do the invoice. Do you just write one amount or are you still breaking it down?

David Morefield: 1:13:23

No, I'm not breaking it down anymore because I asked you about that. Yeah, so smart.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:26

So you're just putting what do you say?

David Morefield: 1:13:28

just fee or cost, or whatever, I am so used to line iteming as a freelance DP, which I think is the right way to go. You have to say this was my day rate, this was my fuel rate, this was additional rentals, this is my per diem. There needs to be no room for argument. The client wants to just see what are we being charged for? And as a freelancer that is the way to do it. There's no. You're not trying to hide costs, sneak things under, Because you have to show receipts a lot of times.

David Morefield: 1:14:10

So hold on, I got off track. You were saying line items. Yeah, so for this one I was doing that because that's how I had done it in the past, Like 25 line items. Wow Breakfast this day rate, blah, blah, blah, all that stuff, and then I slowly started to just consolidate lots of lines. That's all part of a production cost, so that includes all of our crew, all of the rentals all of that let's call that production costs.

David Morefield: 1:14:54

And then I just started grouping together all the travel costs, so all the hotels, fuel, travel, day rates, everything. That was another one, that was another one, and then that kind of padding is called the I think I call it production fee and that is a way of saying you could hire, you could get this travel if you wanted to. You could book that, you could hire these rates with other people, kind of like, this is the cost of working with this company and honestly, I think it could be one line item for all of those. You could combine it, you could just combine it, but it's still not bad.

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:43

It's not bad.

David Morefield: 1:15:43

Yeah, and I do want to give them just a little bit of delineation between what is what?

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:48

What was what? Okay, so that was all the production costs, and what?

David Morefield: 1:15:57

type of fee? Are you charging? 20, 40, what number did? Um, roughly and you don't have to give exact. Yeah, you told me to charge very high and I was so uncomfortable doing that. Um, you were saying you you separated pad and profit. Yeah, you said we need a $20 pad for contingencies and stuff and then $20 profit on that Las Vegas job. And I remember the reason you told me this is because we had to switch from Ubers to a rental car.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:22

Yeah, and I didn't bother the client once.

David Morefield: 1:16:25

And I was like okay, hold on. So I know that this rental car is going to be a different number, whether it's more or less, and it's 11 pm at night. We just got from the airport Do you have to call someone to approve this additional expense? And you were like oh David, we're not calling anybody. I am not going to be an annoying vendor. This is going to come out from a pad. What's a pad?

David Morefield: 1:16:54

like it's to cover things like this yeah, so I, um, I, I don't have the pad and the profit, it's just one one thing, and I did 15, 15 that's fair, because that's yeah that's.

Speaker 2: 1:17:07

That's actually low much confidence, as I yeah, I was like and that's okay, because that's as much confidence as I ever had. I was like dude, I can't do 40% and I'll tell you people why.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:12

Look, you can break it down and to be real on our hiring jobs, we have to do production fees separately. I give clients one number and I'll tell you why. Because then I get to decide what flight is good, what flight is bad. And if small things change hotels, I can change that. I don't have to go back and explain to the client. It's easier for them and easier for me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:37

So here, for example, they were like okay, we're going to do a hotel in the Strip, perfect, got it. It's right there by the airport. We can just take an Uber. End of story. That's what I accounted for. And then it's like, oh, we're going to go do this new resort, which is very nice, but it's like 15, 20 minutes off the strip. It's like, oh, we can't do that. Uber is going to be very expensive. But that also means we need to be able to travel back to the strip do whatever.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:01

Right Point is we need a rental car now. So that's an additional expense. Okay, how much is it? Like? $200 plus gas, plus other fees and insurance, whatever Point is. It sounds like a lot of money. But on the grand scheme of things, when I'm doing a $15, $20, $30k project, that's nothing and I don't want to go to my client and bother them or also just be adjusting costs and sending another separate invoice. It's just not worth it. I'd rather have the power to be able to make these small changes.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:30

Or, for example, the time you couldn't make it, I got Adam to come do your role. He had a flight that was delayed. That was very costly for me. I think we ended up having to like rebook him a flight. Southwest didn't give me a refund, but then they did. It was in points and all Point is it was like an almost $600, $700 loss and I still didn't go back to the client.

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:52

And to have that power now, yes, did I want to eat that cost? No, right. But at the end of the day, again, I had to value them. Like, look, am I going to go back to the client and be like look, there's a hurricane. I have to get this guy here. I need an additional $700. I was like, no, look, I told Adam the same thing. I was like, no, just do whatever. Get here, that's all that matters right now. You need to be here and we will deal with this situation once we account it. And then, once I got his invoice. I was like you know what, he's being fair with me because he had receipts, obviously. And I was like you know what, what I don't need to go back to the client, but I could have if I wanted to right the contract clearly what's the cost of you being annoying and going back to?

David Morefield: 1:19:34

the client and trying to get more money plus.

Vipul Bindra: 1:19:36

I'm like they're a repeat client. This is fine, this isn't. I can absorb that. I've made enough profit. That extra five, six hundred bucks isn't like gonna be a deal breaker. And, to be real, like I said, I did get some of it was just in points. So we had to fly with Southwest in the future, so it was offset. It wasn't that big of a deal. Point is that's the freedom that makes you a better vendor, that makes your life easier, that makes your client's life easier. Like with this, again, the idea isn't that you're going to always be spending this money, but I'm pretty sure if your car broke down or something random happened, now you can get a rental car or you can get a different meal or a different hotel. You're not bound by. You have to do this because that's what you put as a line.

David Morefield: 1:20:16

It gives you a lot more freedom. Yeah, sometimes it's a trap. You're putting around yourself by saying I'm submitting the quote right now and I'm looking up the prices right now for flights and they're $300 each. Sometimes it takes a week to get that proposal approved. Now flights are $450 each and your quote is inaccurate. So it's yeah, on one side, that is possible on this level of clientele. On a lower level of clientele, there is not room to move around like that. So I feel very fortunate to be like oh, I've got one client like this where they move at this speed, this level, yeah, um, and that is a, a goal now, or or a level. That's like I like operating with these in this type of circle yeah, I mean it's.

Vipul Bindra: 1:21:22

It's really nice as a production company, but you take a risk. For example, uh, I don't know. Let's hypothetically say you get sick, you're, you're, obviously it's your girlfriend, but your pa doesn't show, or whatever. Right, you're on the hook for it. Yeah, because you have to make sure you have to be there and everything you promise has to be there and the shoe has to go flawless. So it's good for the client to hire you as production, because you're fully responsible. But that's why you can charge more, because guess what? If somebody calls in or somebody doesn't show up, I'm still on the hook to make sure that shoot goes as planned and all the people I promised are there. So there's a cost basis for that too.

David Morefield: 1:22:00

Yeah, and that is usually what scares me out of wanting to be a production company. Like you said, where the client came to you the other day and said do you do photos? You said where the client came to you the other day and said, do you do photos? You said no, and then you said let me find someone. Well, that finding someone could ruin everything. For you.

David Morefield: 1:22:16

And I don't like that. I just I'm just not comfortable with it. Although I have done it to a couple people that I fully trust, they've knocked it out of the park every time, so it's a good relationship for them because they are getting jobs that they are not connected to. I am getting these jobs and handing it to them. It's great for both parties. But as a full production company, I don't like being on the hook for a lot of other people's liabilities, especially if I'm not going to be there. If I'm there, I'll figure it out, yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:22:54

But I'm telling you it's the best feeling. Now, yes, it's not for everyone, but I love it. Like, my favorite shoots are where I will literally plan everything. I love this whiteboard. I have to still do that in this studio but, like, I will literally plan out this person goes here, gear this, there, this, whatever. Plan out a whole gig. I'll hire a whole team and then I'm not there and when it's fully executed and I go see bts or some photos and it looks exactly how you planned it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:23:21

It's a different type of creative feeling when you are like a creative professional and you see the footage and it looks my footage because you remember everyone, everyone has their own style. So it's like so incredible where it's like I made that happen but I wasn't even physically there. But, like you said, you have to be very careful because you have to have the right people, because a million things can go wrong and if you don't have people there who can solve those problems and execute it how you told them to execute, you're on the hook, because my name is you know who the client is working with but I say those are some of my favorite gigs is where I'm somewhere else making money and the gigs are just happening and I don't know it just makes me happy.

Vipul Bindra: 1:23:59

It's a different type of fulfillment Exactly and it depends on who you are. Like I said, I'm a DP at heart. I love operating a camera, but when I get beat to be a director producer, it's a completely different type of fulfillment. It's a different opening hit, for me at least, and I like both. That was where I found out with you, which was what I was going through.

Vipul Bindra: 1:24:18

So 2022 was a very weird year for me where I was struggling with I was only a production company only. I was only directing producing for four years, which is so crazy to go from being a freelancer to a straight director producer. And then I, when I met you, I was like going through that, um, pretty much thing where I was like I can't do this anymore. I have to open myself up. And now I'm very happy because I've basically doing both. I'm basically being dp um, you know, and helping other people's projects, but also doing mine sure takes I have to work extra days. I'm working more, uh, you know, and helping other people's projects, but also doing mine sure takes I have to work extra days. I'm working more, you know, for less money, but at the end of the day, it makes me happy and I think that's very important to be able to find both those fulfillment. You cannot limit yourself to one, because, at least for me, it didn't work out.

David Morefield: 1:25:06

Yeah, and I think that that kind of opens up your brain to to just thinking of how can I capitalize on this, or what type of investments make more money, what type of efforts make more money. And I know you recently got your your house, you built out this studio and right before we were recording, you're showing me everything that you've done and you were saying, um, you know, a house isn't it's not a cash flowing type of asset the cash sucking.

David Morefield: 1:25:36

It's a cash yeah yeah um, but you know what? What type types of things are you looking in the future to generate more money? Is it more of the same? Is it something completely different? Where do you see anything?

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:54

So for me, you know, when I started this, like I said, I had this one sole goal of this certain revenue number. And then, when I finally reached it last year that's where I literally say that that's exactly what I went through I was like okay, now what's next for? Me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:06

And I think what was next for me is this this is exactly what I want to do next for me, and I think what was next for me is this this is exactly what I want to do. So the goal is now which was to be real, what I started in 2018. So, uh, when I started this company, you know things weren't as accessible. We didn't have such good equipment. Then point is, corporate video sucked. It's like either really high-end or cheap content. That was like cheap cameras. You know it wasn't good.

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:31

So I was like we're gonna bring hollywood to my clients and I felt like we did that. But now anyone can do that fx6s and these big lights that are. Aperture makes it very accessible. So equipment is no longer the factor right. So what I am basically going for is now we're trying to bring our clients success. I just had a client report to me that they made more money in their last Q4 of 2024 than they did the first three quarters, and they said videos were largely part of that and that's like a multi-billion dollar company. So you know that our videos generated a billion dollars plus for a client. It's an incredible feeling to have Now again what space.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:13

Are they in Finance, obviously, but the point I'm trying to make is people can make so much money from these videos. So at the end of the day, what I'm trying to do is use that. So the two formats that I want to be more efficient this year is A I want to do more collaborations, want to be a dp on more gigs. But my self-fulfillment I want to be dp, gaffer, sound, um, and that's for my extra days. Then I'm gonna now save on prep time because, as I showed you, I have no prep time. Usually used to be a whole day for prep, I would say hours. So just charge the batteries, roll the card in. So all those days then I'm gonna now save, let's say, 30 days extra that I have just was just lost in prep last year. Now I can go be and collaborate more in projects. That's extra revenue that I wouldn't have had. Plus, I'm helping other people because I've set my rates really low, like you couldn't even get my sound package, for you know for what I'm charging and I'm bringing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:28:06

You know for your rates don't make sense yeah, I know, but remember, this is only because I have my own clients, like where I charge the production company, and that's what part of the meetup, what I want to share with people, is like look, uh, I'm bringing you literally everything and you can either just use the grip, just use the lighting, just use cameras, just use sound, and it'll make financial sense, because I was charging that for myself. Anyway. You're getting the the gear for free, but if you use everything, this is like oh really killer late.

Vipul Bindra: 1:28:33

And now you can tell your clients you're a huge production company without zero investment. So that's that side of it. Obviously, the primary thing is more production company and what we're doing, which is what I want to discuss with Adam tomorrow. I'm trying to go. I've been very boutique company, right. A client comes to me. They tell my problem, like earlier, before we started the podcast, I'm building a quote, right, we're doing estimates based on the job, but I'm I'm planning to have some kind of um retainer models. So that's where I'm thinking about doing. This year is where its clients are going to be like okay, we want this many podcasts or do we want this many videos per month? And they could sign up with Bender Productions. So I ultimately bringing a full circle, making it bigger than me, and that was the part of rebrand.

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:16

Obviously, I haven't gotten a new shirt yet, but we're going to change the logo. You know, six years later, it's so crazy. You know how my logo was whipped up. I looked at Julia. I said, okay, I'm was whipped up. I looked at julia, said, okay, I'm starting this production company, throw me something together. She did in 30 seconds. We didn't even care what the red was. It's like I want red and white and black. Right, those are my colors. So we didn't even account. You know how you you have to record the, the pantone or whatever the color. We didn't care, we were just like. You know, it was such like startup mode and then we literally had to scramble a month later like what was the code, what's the color code, what's the standardized font?

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:50

we picked yeah but now it's like it's been such a process because it's like, oh, now we have a legacy, my logo is put next to companies like we're just about to do an event where we're going to be next to, like duke energy or whatever, or advent health it's like huge names locally, so you know so anyway. So it's a process, so that's's where I am. I've rebranded where Bindra is going to be huge, reducing the size of productions, because you know we don't want to focus on production.

Vipul Bindra: 1:30:16

We want to focus on Bindra. What do you get with Bindra? You get quality, you get reliability. If I say I'm going to be there, I'm going to be there. If I say there's going to be four people there know, I said three cameras, gonna be four cameras. So you know what I mean. We over deliver. Uh, we do a good job. You've seen our quality. I think we make good images for the price point that I charge at that price point. Plus, there's not that many production companies out there who can, tomorrow, shoot a big production with 50 people, with alexis and you know signature brands and whatever, but then on the other day you can do a talking head with two fx.

Vipul Bindra: 1:30:50

You see, I'm saying the scalability that I have, uh, and plus we specialize, we just do, you know, corporate. I hope that makes sense anyway. So the idea is to just bring it full circle back, make it, uh, more automated, hopefully, bring in more people, uh, anyway, that's at least my goal. Who knows what will happen, but last year's I achieved them. So I'm happy, because last year was to just build this production van and build a studio, buy this home.

Vipul Bindra: 1:31:17

So now that it's been done, I know I can do it, so we'll see, but at least that's what I'm trying. What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts on just retainer models and packages and and being able to just outreach plus with this van, I feel like we can also take on reality shows that are coming to town, because this is a standardized two-ton vehicle and there's not that many part-based two-ton vehicles out here, so it'll be easy for them to rent it to and implement into their production yeah, I think think the lower effort retainer clients aren't worth it because they still take up so much time.

David Morefield: 1:31:54

So I would personally prioritize retainer relationships only for the larger companies, just because they both take the same amount of time. That's kind of what I would say, um, that that's kind of what I would say, um, you know it's, there is something nice to have free time, just just to know that like my calendar isn't locked completely, like that is a very nice psychological thing and that that's what drew me to the whole I want to be a freelancer thing in general is like I don't want anybody to tell me you have to come in for work and you'll leave when I allow you, and that's my favorite thing about what I've been able to build is I only go to shoots.

Vipul Bindra: 1:32:40

I want to. You know why? Because I can always go. Do I want to do this? Technically, I could have gone to Boca and done the stills. Right, I can do stills and event photography is in that hard. I have flashes. Funny enough. Again, not a photographer, don't want to be one. And same thing. It was like I don't want to be a photographer, I don't want to go do still. So here you go, so being able to pass that off. So my calendar is always available. Like it's so funny, adam has. I helped him a ton. Last year. He said supposedly I made like 55 grand from him, which is great. Point is, but he was like I hope I'm not stopping your business. I'm like, no, my business is going, because if I'm here that doesn't mean I don't have shoots happening.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:19

I just hire people to go do that was so funny.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:22

And I'm like, yes, and that's the freedom of being able to be more than you, right, because it's not me. When they hire, it's like hiring my company. I can plan out a lighting diagram from anywhere. I can plan out the camera settings from anywhere. I already know what ISO, this aperture, this the look I'm going to get, so I can tell my people like I want this, this, this, this, and they can execute. You know a good DP, like you, if I told you this is the settings I want, this is the look I want, this is the frame. You can execute, anyone can execute. And it looked like mine because I gave you the reference.

David Morefield: 1:33:58

There's only a couple clients that I have where I feel set up for success. When I arrive and I'm the only person there and no one from the hiring company is there, there's only a couple of them. I remember when I did whatever the first job for you running live Gimble for one of those events, you were like I was like, oh, when do I need to be down there? Because we were in a hotel and you said we're going to be down there at this time, you can arrive at this time. I was like, great, you need me to do anything. You're like, nope, just arrive. So it felt so unnatural to walk down there.

David Morefield: 1:34:35

I think I had headphones, because it's like all right, I have headphones, walked in and I was like all right, let's start getting stuff going. And you're like everything's ready set up, we've already tested feeds, all the connections, everything is ready to go. And like nothing, like literally you don't have to do anything. And I was kind of asking myself. I was like, um, I, I didn't think does he not trust me at all.

David Morefield: 1:35:07

I didn't think that, yeah, but I was like, um, is this a new level of camera operating position? Is this how he operates?

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:15

I think that's how I operate, is he?

David Morefield: 1:35:18

wanting to remove a lot of issues. Yeah, because he already knows how it's done. I don't think you mind coming there two hours early. It's going to take longer if I have to set it up and I have to ask you where every piece of the gimbal is Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:32

Where it goes, why it goes, what settings I need all that, yeah.

David Morefield: 1:35:36

So that's kind of what we were talking about before was like leaning into the things that you are drawn to. You're drawn to, let me have it all set up and then you jump in. Yeah, that's a great system for you yeah, and it works for me.

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:51

Now it may not work for everyone, which is why, like, anyone asks me like, oh, what cameras do I buy? Like they want to copy me, and I'm like, hey, first of all, please, I'm telling, I'm literally start telling you on this vlog exactly what I do, or this podcast, please copy, because it's not that what doesn't make my productions anyone can buy equipment, especially now it's so cheap. Like you know what I mean. What, to me at least, felt like I tell me I'm wrong, because you know it's hard to internally reflect is because, to me, my image is my image, because the settings I'm choosing, the frame I'm choosing all that and the so if I've already chosen that, that's how it's mine, and so I'm very hyper, obsessed over that and the look, the feel, the storytelling, because at the end of the day, that's what we're doing, right. We're just telling a story or we're telling the message that the client wants to tell. So if, um, I want to tell it how I would tell it, which would be different than you. Telling it doesn't mean one is right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:36:47

But when they're hiring me, they've looked at my examples, they know this is what I can, I can do. They want that type of story told, right, like all these clients are like we love bender vendors, the best, hey, which put the hair, but they don't mean that we have the best images or we have the best camera or we have the best light or whatever. Literally anytime you ask them, I'm like, oh, perfect, thank you, I appreciate that. What do you mean by that? And they're always like oh, because the story, the messaging or the whatever, like we love the end result. Right, they're loving whatever story that we're telling and that story, being truth, is, at this point, is captured by me, told by julie. That is the final.

Vipul Bindra: 1:37:25

So no video goes out until I have, visually, you know, confirmed look and julie's confirmed the editing. It is what makes a bindra video. Bindra video. I've tried numerous other editors, numerous other shooters where I give them freedom and it doesn't look like my video and I think that's what clients are expecting. And, at the end of the day, it's easy for me because, like I said, it's very easy for me to just know at this point I don't have to think about it the look I want and I'm, I'm saying and now from your side, dp side, I think it's a lot easier when I'm like here's the package, here's what you need.

Vipul Bindra: 1:38:00

It makes it a lot easier for you to succeed in what you're succeeding in because at the end they, you know, you did what, what was expected of you, and if you had less work means you have more time to focus on what you needed to focus on, which was to be creative and get us the shots that we needed right those are where I think the effort should go into thinking of those things.

David Morefield: 1:38:22

Yeah, client perception is propaganda because, like you said, so much gear is accessible and it's usually not the difference maker. What is the difference maker is is not having a client who is on set walk up to the camera and say, oh, that's a big camera. The client perception starts way back from the initial outreach on the email. How well did you communicate? How effective were you to set up agreed upon expectations? Did you arrive on time? Were you wearing nice, presentable clothes? Was your load-in process easy for them? Did they have to keep unlocking doors to keep getting you back in because you had to loop back five times? And then, if we're talking about the actual products on set, the size of the camera is one piece of the puzzle. If I am, if you have this exact setup where you have a big key light right here, you have a hair light behind each of us on boom stands um tripod, you have the desk, you have the mics, I'm not gonna think this is not good.

Vipul Bindra: 1:39:37

If the camera was smaller, yeah, the whole thing is part of it exactly, you said it perfectly and the whole overall experience and and, and it goes beyond the products that you're using. It's also the people, because if your, your, your crew is talking about their girlfriends or boyfriends or the fight they had yeah, or the food they had. You know, I don't know, it just takes away from the experience. Uh, rather, instead you should be having fun with the client and and it's.

Vipul Bindra: 1:40:03

It's okay to talk, but it's you know, I don't know you should talk about them and their experience or their company or whatever I don't know. Oh yeah, I think that that's like conversational tactics.

David Morefield: 1:40:13

One-on-one is is like I'm not just going to talk about me, me, me, me, me. I want to involve you and I want you to know that your take is valid and it goes. The client perception is more so the client experience. That is where all the value is, from start to finish. And then, when you did finish the job, how quickly did you follow back up? How quickly did they get the deliverables? Or was the footage uploaded? Or did the invoice come later that week? Or did it come four months later? And now it's a huge issue for them to go back into accounting for jobs that had already been closed. That's client perception.

Vipul Bindra: 1:40:55

And at the end day, we want people to look good. So the gig that you did for me, clients loved you because we executed it so well and at the end day, you looking good to the client because you were up front. Remember, you're right there with the CEOs or whoever the main guys. We're in the back right. So your perception was my perception and you, looking good, made me look good right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:17

And then the client goes oh wow, this is pretty cool. We can like see live who's coming or what's happening or whatever on the screen. And, like I said, I think there's more to it. But client perception is important. Client experience is very important. There is nothing more important until the deliverable Obviously deliverable jumps everything, because that's why they hired you.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:39

But I'm saying, up until the point, you deliver the final video and that's if you even do zero dp. You may not always do that. Um, I think the client experience is everything and as a dp, that's like everything because, again, that's all they're judging you on. You're not doing the post, you're not doing anything.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:55

At least I have a way in post to make look good, because if a shot isn't good or whatever, we're shooting in log where, uh, you know we have enough dynamic range, we're using good lights, that we have the ability to, I'm saying, fix some mistakes that a cam op does. But you don't even have that. You're like what you're shooting is what you're being judged on. So, as a dp, I think you should focus even more on a client experience, because that's all they're judging you on. And to me it's very important when a camera operator shows up, they know what they're doing, they get on the job and they're not afraid to ask questions. That, to me, is actually a good trait, because I'd rather you ask me Vipul, are you sure I don't need to do anything else? Then just purposefully go and start changing things just because you're like I'll, I'm used to it versus I was.

Vipul Bindra: 1:42:43

I'm like no, no no, yeah, david, everything's that. Just go do your thing right. It's okay to ask questions because at the end day, we're all on the same team on the production company side and then on the client side. You need to come across as the expert and if you're asking 500 questions and they may go uh, who did I hire? Why am I paying this much? It doesn't matter how big the equipment is right so it's the overall thing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:06

I think big camera is could be a part of it, but it's not the most important part of it it's. It's maybe very, very tiny parts, so you could rather have a small camera.

David Morefield: 1:43:15

As long as everything else is good, then the camera size doesn't matter yeah, and I will have comments on the youtube videos that would say um, you know, an fx6 or something is not required for this. Uh, you could do it with this and this. And it's like, yeah, some of the decisions are made for my benefit. I don't want to screw, screw on ND filters because I'm losing time and they might be over in my bag over there and I don't have them with me, so some of it is for me, the other part of it Plus they always have a color cast.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:47

I don't care what this is, it's two polarizers. You cannot make it without color casting.

David Morefield: 1:43:52

With a yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So the difference is when the production requires a certain level of product. That's even better. I don't have to make any decisions. If you are freelancing, there will be so many times where your product choices are not included. The products have already been chosen by the pre-production. That was done earlier. You are being given this camera to operate Okay. So does that have anything to do with client perception? No, this was already a pre-discussed decision and it has nothing to do with someone from the client side coming over and saying, oh, that's pretty cool, that's impressive. Yeah, yeah, thank you. It's the level that this production scope required. So if you are in that level of job where the tools are being required, this tool is being required, this tool is being required, right? If you are below that, which I would say I typically am, then it's what works best for me. If I can charge for it, that would be great, but I'm going towards what makes my job easiest to complete, and a lot of times it's this tool or that tool.

Vipul Bindra: 1:45:16

And that is the perfect, I think, way to invest in gear or even just choose the tools that are right for the job, not because a certain YouTuber told you or a certain way you feel about it, because at the end day, you know we're just trying to. It's like you know. Let's say, you're building a house. You know you pick the best hammer. You don't pick a hammer because it's a certain brand. That would be silly. You know, just pick the best tool and as long as you pick the best tool, that will help you achieve that final result. I think that's all that matters.

David Morefield: 1:45:50

I have had an analogy that I've used like that before, where if the plumber was being called for a leak in the sink and he was spending all his time telling you about how this press it wrench is the strongest, yeah, and it's shiny, and it's plated and it's never going to break a rust, and the client's listening, watching the leak continue to leak and they're like I don't care. Yeah, just fix the leak. Watching the leak continue to leak and they're like I don't care.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:20

Yeah, just fix the leak, Just fix the leak.

David Morefield: 1:46:23

That's why you're here. No, no, no. There is still some client perception on that side, if, let's say, he pulled up in a junker van With a G arrested.

David Morefield: 1:46:32

Yeah, like a really I'd be like is your business not successful, meaning your work is not successful? Now I feel a little uneasy. Same reason a real estate agent would show up in a nice car part of the client perception but it's not make or break. And there are clients who will lean more to one side. They are saying, no, I want him to show up with the nice production van, I want it to do this and this and this because that's the level of operation that we are comfortable working with. And then there are others who are saying we are very deliverable focused. That's where our conversation starts and ends deliverable, focused um we are.

Vipul Bindra: 1:47:20

That's where our conversation starts and ends. That's why I pick your tools that help you deliver better deliverables and better client experience, because that's, I think, the key at the end of the day. I don't think nothing else matters. The rest is, I think, in our head. Uh. But also I want you to talk about the power of youtube because, in the end, here's what I'll tell you.

Vipul Bindra: 1:47:36

It changed my perspective, so you, so you know, having done that, like I said, I had done it what? Four or five years when you did my first job, and that was the first time somebody blogged per se on my gig, and it was so interesting to seeing it back, the first one. Now I'm kind of I've seen enough, but like the first time I saw it, it was such an interesting, interesting perspective I'd never seen and it changed my view. Before then I was like, oh, youtube is fine, everyone should make YouTube, but that's cool. But then I saw it and I was like, oh, this is because I was seeing the gig from my perspective right, like what I planned out, this is what I want, this is how I want to go. And then, when it did, perfect move okay, next, I'm already thinking next gig.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:15

But then when I saw your vlog, it put me in your perspective and you're seeing like, oh, this is how I need to make a transition, this is why I'm already thinking next gig. But then, when I saw your vlog, it put me in your perspective and you're seeing like, oh, this is how I need to make a transition, this is why I'm getting the shot and this is what I'm doing. And it just was like this is wonderful. I didn't even know this. All this thought process was going into making this so incredible. So it was great to see you know how you helped. You know make bring that event alive. But also, I was never out there, if you remember where we did the b-roll and everything. So to see what was even happening out there, I would have never known, right, I was just like, you know, here you go and man, oh, like, just go execute and you did great. But I wouldn't have known what was happening out there, how you guys were making decision, how you were getting the sound bites all of that went into. Uh, you know you executing how you did.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:59

But to be able to see that not only made me, like I said trust. The way we built trust is like that, because I was like, oh, I see how David made decisions and that is exactly how I want somebody to be making decisions. So, anyway, it opened my eyes. Like you know, everyone who's doing it, this high level should be making this content because how much more work they would get. Because, trust me, the amount of people I've had trouble with getting interviews bites simplest thing to get they struggle with because they don't know the questions or they get awkward or or the bites that we get are not right, versus with somebody like you, at your level. They're what we want right at the end date. That's. All that matters is that we get the content from a production company side that we want, and I could see those decisions. So how many people I'm like look, go, look david's vlog, learn what he was doing at the this gig so you can do the same thing, because you have to think that way.

David Morefield: 1:49:52

That was the coolest thing is you. You. You said, hey, we got another gig, uh, like to bring you in. And I said I'm booked. I really wish I could, and it was cool to hear later that you said so. I just sent the new guy your vlog and said this is exactly what you're gonna have to do. Prep yourself like they're not prep yourself, but you.

Vipul Bindra: 1:50:13

You are going to be able to see exactly what is going to be expected of you I don't need to be telling you like, go here here maybe once or twice, but, like in the two hour man, you, you got to be able to execute and to show your perspective on like oh, I'm tired, now let me put on the speaker. It's still a good angle so I can take a break, or whatever things like that. Somebody needs to be able to understand how they can take a break. Don't put the camera down right on the floor, like put it on an angle or something so we can still use it. And that was so cool because you know, I don't know, it was just a lot easier to some go somebody like watch this, yeah, this is what I'm expecting of you and made it a lot easier than having to explain that from scratch. And I may not even think of that, right, right, because I wasn't in your position. I was in my position at the back of the stage.

David Morefield: 1:50:56

So yeah, that is an unexpected benefit that is just added to the laundry list of unexpected benefits of doing.

David Morefield: 1:51:07

YouTube so I would recommend YouTube if you enjoy it. I have a lot of people who say I need to get on, that I'm trying to do some vlogs too, and blah, blah, blah. I'm just getting backlogged and I don't have time for it and I'm like if you wanted to do it, you would do it, or you're trying to make it way too difficult. So it's either one of the two. Either your expectations for this are you're like I got to do the perfect setup with the talking head in my YouTube and then I'm going to go through B-roll and then I'm going to edit this all together and it's going to be a beautiful piece, and that level of production is slowing you down because you don't have time for that.

David Morefield: 1:51:53

That's one, and then the other one is you're just not drawn to it. So I think both of those are wrong. If you might be drawn to doing the high-level production piece on YouTube, and that's fine, but you just have to understand where your level of wanting to do that is and what that means for how frequent you're going to upload. Just know that if I had to open up a computer and offload footage and then open up a timeline, I'm never doing it. I'm never getting to that, so you have to do it the way you do it on your cell phone. And I like it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:52:38

In the past. Like I said, uh, thanks for putting me to cranky camber man.

Vipul Bindra: 1:52:42

I had seen his videos because you know I looked up like production man or whatever I remember seeing him and then, uh, you know, like going back to now, following all these, I was like, oh, I know this guy thanks to your vlogs. I was like, well, let me follow him on a regular basis and it's so great to be able to see somebody else's thought process. And if that means the only way they can do that is with a cell phone, I don't mind, because I know how to make good images and I know this person knows how to make good images. I'm not judging you on the quality of the vlog. I'm judging you on what you're going through, what you're learning, or this whole thing about the retainer model, or or, um, you know how you're solving your your bag problem or whatever any of these random things, because I'm going through the same thing, you know, or it's just pure entertainment.

David Morefield: 1:53:27

I'm driving, you know, to miami, or whatever, and this is the perfect I I wouldn't expect the quality of your vlog to be as good as the quality of the work that you're producing on a job. That would make no sense. Yeah, because that means you're detracting from one side. So, as long as your job's fulfillments are getting satisfied, I don't care what the documentation looks like. Yeah, exactly, and I would hope that your documentation would not detract in any way from the job you're getting paid for. Now, if, if you are like I, I only want to put myself out on YouTube with polished looking pieces, it's, that's fine, that's fine. However, you are able to do that with whatever frequency you know. It's just the equation. Are you able to like? If you had it here, that actually would be very easy? Yeah, because it's already set up.

David Morefield: 1:54:27

Because it's automated. If you don't have this set up, it might take a long time to set up every time and that might deter you the next time from doing it, because you're like it's going to take an hour yeah, then I could actually do the thing and then I have to break down and then I have to edit.

Vipul Bindra: 1:54:43

Yeah, so it's like the tour video. So last I used to have a trailer set up right before the van, believe it or not. I filmed it and by the time I edited it and did the a-roll for it. It took me a year. Most of my trailer setup looked completely different when I did that video. So this time we just shot the video for the van. I literally gave it to someone. I was like, okay, you edited. Now does that make me uneasy because they're making me say and do things that you know I wouldn't probably choose because you know I'm the one on front of the camera. But I was like it'll never get done because if I have to sit here, do a roll, make sure everything is correct, because you know I'm sure I said in things incorrect in the moment, uh, it'll never get done.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:23

So I'd rather somebody just come in and edit it and get it out, and that works for me. So I think it's also picking what's best for you. Yeah, because for you works is being on your cell phone so you can, because you can then do it. You're not waiting to transfer this footage, putting on a timeline, and if that for me that means having somebody else edit it, I think at the end they just get the content out there.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:44

People want to see it and if you're not making it, people aren't seeing it so getting it made is the key then, uh, all this hyper focused things that we get on, uh, but to me, to be real at the end day, like I said, is the thing that opened me is perspective of, um, you know, seeing it because it makes you better and I think if you can help other people be better, then why not?

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:08

because, just the this. The another one that was really good for me to watch was the the one you did for jacksonville, because I do so many talking heads, literally sometimes, like I said, 10 in a day, one after the other. We haven't done a talking head outside of that one. I mean, I guess we did that one. But point is so I've so perfected this talking head setup but I never see it from the outside perspective. So going to Jacksonville and setting up a talking head, then seeing your perspective on how I was doing it Because I PA'd on it yeah.

David Morefield: 1:56:38

Yeah, just so they have context.

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:40

Yeah so you were there and it was for Adam at the Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium, right, and what I loved was funny enough. You were showing how my setup was and I'm just looking. Oh, I could change that.

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:51

Oh, I could change that, but I never saw it from that perspective because I'm so hyper, so hyper focused, so this works for me. But then I was like, oh, bigger picture, why did we do this? Why did we do that? Why? Why did we have that? So I'm saying that and that helped me improve my, and I was like I would have been able to do that sooner had I already been documenting that, or having somebody document me, because I do talking. It's literally all day. Every day I'm about to do one, like I said after this. Okay so, but I never got that perspective until I saw your vlog.

David Morefield: 1:57:18

I was like oh, yeah, you know there's okay. There's a couple things that I want to touch on, um. One was your original question was you know what is the benefit of doing youtube was the impact. And one it's very fun. I, I really, really enjoy putting up a video, making a fun title, putting up the thumbnail and just seeing the views go up or seeing the views go down and being like I wonder why. And then talking to a bunch of people. I have, like now, consistent conversations with the same people in the comments every now and then, or sometimes I feel like it's the same people in the comments every now and then, or sometimes I feel like it's the same people in the comments, but then, like, the views are going up, the subscribers are slowly going up and I'm like, oh, there's actually way more people who know about this now than a couple months ago.

David Morefield: 1:58:09

Um, there's a financial side to it. It's uh, it's not groundbreaking but it's welcomed. Yeah, like a couple extra hundred bucks a month from uh me doing something that I already enjoy doing. You know some uh, affiliate link money. Uh, amazon is like 175 a month. Bnh is like two to three hundred, um, and, and I think there's one more. But oh, youtube itself is about two to three hundred and it's like, yeah, that's, that's great yeah, put it in my bank account.

David Morefield: 1:58:46

That's great yeah, um.

Vipul Bindra: 1:58:48

So not only are you getting money from just gigs, you're also making other affiliate revenue yeah, sources yeah, and I don't do too many uh affiliates with like companies um yeah, no, I try to offer you, even though, like I said, there's no revenue in it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:59:04

I was like, okay, so I want to share this messaging with a lot more people because, like I said, my whole thing was I don't want to peddle anything here, so it doesn't really make sense, uh, to make roi from this. But I was like I want maximum amount of people to hear this. The podcast, yeah, the podcast, yeah. So I was like, oh, the best way would be your audience, because they're filmmakers and maybe they'll benefit from this. And I was like, oh, maybe I could sponsor you something. They're like oh, no, I don't need it.

David Morefield: 1:59:26

I was like this is incredible you're saying no to money because it's it's uh one. You're a buddy. I don't mind just showing some stuff. This is very organic. I'm coming here anyways. So, like I said, I would like to do some type of like tour studio with you, or or grip fan tour yeah.

David Morefield: 1:59:46

Studio tour or grip fan tour, or just mention it whatever. Just you know, once there's expectations from a client, which is what you would become Like, I don't like this. Yeah, I don't want any type of like oh, that's not what I was expecting and actually can we do changes? I thought you would be like that.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:09

I was just like do whatever, here's some money.

David Morefield: 2:00:11

Yeah, I'd rather just yeah, just do it for free, and it doesn't Just do it for free and it's not an ad for the person watching Because now, yeah, there's genuinely what you say.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:21

I want to see all the.

David Morefield: 2:00:22

You have tons of gear here and I would like to hear more info of. I chose this, I chose that. Why did I do this? So, yeah, it's just, it's very organic. And that is leading me to the next one, which is the connection and networking opportunities that come with YouTube.

David Morefield: 2:00:42

Unexpected as well, I didn't do it to be like this will be a network expanding proposition. I feel like that is the wrong way to do any of the social media platforms, Because now they're more so documentation. It's let me jump into your brain to see how you see this and that will give me insight for how I see it. And that's fun, it's organic, it's not a cell and um. The networking opportunities that come from it are also very welcome, and some people want to help out, Some people want to connect. I do the consultation calls and that was for people who were like can I get like a deep dive on my situation to get more of your insight? Because I see your insight on what you're doing Can I get your insight on what I'm doing? I didn't think I was going to have so much fun with those Going into people's situations and seeing you know how you would solve it.

Vipul Bindra: 2:01:47

How would I?

David Morefield: 2:01:47

solve it, Because what they're saying is these are my puzzle pieces. Like you're saying before, you might have things about you that could detract or help you in a situation.

David Morefield: 2:01:59

So what are your puzzle pieces? And a lot of times they're focusing on the wrong things. I'm not going to say that I know how to fix a solution for every person, but I can give the insight on what I see and, just like you were saying for me providing a vlog as an operator, you didn't have that perception before, and now that helps you hire the next guy. So for the consultation calls, it's like I can tell you how I see your situation and also I know quite a few people who have done it different ways. This is how it worked out for them, good or bad. The consultation calls are really fun and it's just it's growing more networking. And then the filmmaker meetups, yeah, where it was very organic um, but they've gone tremendously.

Vipul Bindra: 2:02:50

I mean, we're about to do one after this and it's going to be what? Like almost 40 people there yeah, um, and I had to cap it because I was like, because we can't yeah, sold out extremely fast.

David Morefield: 2:02:59

And then I have guys around the US who are like we've seen you do these meetups, can you do them over us, do them over near us? And I'm like, yeah, probably, maybe. So I have New York as a potential I want to do. I already have the guy lined up. I have San Diego as potential. I already got the guy lined up. I have San Diego as potential, I already got the guy lined up. And, um, chicago, uh, I have the guy lined up. He came from a consultation call, so it's nice Cause. I'm like, oh, I get to like see who you are. And then the other two people were because they were putting themselves out on YouTube and you are partnering with them or you can partner with them.

David Morefield: 2:03:37

I can yeah, because I am seeing how they present themselves on YouTube in a very you know, clear, not polished way. So I say, oh, that's who you are as a person, that's who you are, but no one would be connected if none of us put ourselves out there. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 2:03:56

And I'm so glad you did that because I'll tell you from an outside perspective how much your meetup helped me. So number one thing for me is I'm a very you know, like you said hyper-focused, hyper-video guy, and you know we think a certain way. But then a lot of part of being a filmmaker is you feel lonely because you go, oh, you know, people around me are business owners and they think about their problems and nobody's thinking about the problems that I'm having, or so sometimes you know, before in the past I'm saying in like 2022, for example, I was like nobody else is having these problems. Am I even legit to have these problems? You know, right, you get into your head and then so it's incredible to know 30, 40 other people locally in your area because now you can bounce off ideas and you go, oh, I'm not the only one, hundreds of other people, or at least tens of other people around me are having these similar issues or whatever. So and then so it gives you resource to bounce your ideas off of, but also makes you feel, you know, not alone. Because you're not alone. It's just we feel that way because my clients are other companies, not video people typically, so I'm not surrounding myself with video people and when I'm hiring them we come to do a collective task and we go away. We don't get to sit and strategize business strategies. But now, through your networking, I've been able to meet enough people who are doing at a similar level as me so we can sit and talk strategy. Or just in that North Carolina gig it was so fun that we were able to sit down and just talk and understand what your perspective was on the whole retainer thing.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:28

Yeah, we had a drink in front of the fireplace, exactly, I know, and it was so cool and I would have done that had I not been to your network, hadn't opened myself to come help adam because, like I said, he needed help with gear and then also, um, stills, which again, normally I wouldn't do it, but for adam I would. I was like, hey, this is a good opportunity for us to hang out and help him, why not? Even though I think you even asked me. You're like so how does it feel, uh, where you're not, you know either leading, or whatever and I was like weird, but in a way good, because I'm learning.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:59

I'm like, how would David solve this? And this is incredible to learn because if I just kept doing things my way, it may not always be right. So the point I'm trying to bring is your simple vlogs and meetup helped a lot. And now again, I don't want to say I'm giving lifetime income, but five, six grand for 10 people is 50 grand of additional revenue that I put into the group. Yeah, that I wouldn't have otherwise. That's a lot of money that just I'm putting. And then, uh, what I was able to make off, like I said, from adam, uh, because he's like the main one I helped from your group.

David Morefield: 2:06:35

Um, so, you know, point is the money flow towards me money flew out from me which wouldn't have happened had you not done what you did.

David Morefield: 2:06:45

It's a very cool activation of a community where I don't need to have my hands in everything, but I can activate it. I can have people like you who are hiring other people, people like Adam who are hiring people, and it's very cool from my perspective to know that I had a little bit to do with that. I did bring certain people together at certain meetups who created much longer, deeper relationships than I had with them and it's working great for them and I really like that networking aspect of it. So there's cities I want to do it in the US. There's cities I want to do it internationally, in Europe. There is a business retreat idea that I want to implement, maybe this year, where I bring you probably film these and I film these too, where you go film a mastermind somewhere. Yeah, business retreat, whatever you want to call it, I've been wanting to do that for so long.

Vipul Bindra: 2:07:45

Maybe I'll do because I'm lazy. I think about it, but I haven't done it so maybe I'll join yours.

David Morefield: 2:07:50

Well, we got to get you on a surfboard, like I told you.

Vipul Bindra: 2:07:59

Oh, I don't know, because that's how we're different. See, we're similar.

David Morefield: 2:08:00

But then I'm like water and me are not, not. So my, my idea is let me go towards the things I like. Yeah, right, that's where my action will be. Yeah, I will have inaction on the things I don't like. What do I want to do? I want to talk with my buddies who has businesses and get really into the weeds, just like we're doing now, um, and I want to have some conversations that spark new ideas that I haven't had before or I need more clarification on. But I want to do it in a smaller setting compared to the filmmaker meetups, um, so if I bring a couple of guys who like to surf and we can do it in a surf location and I can have these education sessions in the morning and then these breakout sessions later and maybe a couple surf sessions in between team building exercise, if you want to call it Like I film these things for other people, so I can do this myself. I need to ask my CPA.

Vipul Bindra: 2:09:00

What's the tax? How possible?

David Morefield: 2:09:02

is this. But, like I said, other companies are doing this and they are benefiting from it because they are circulating ideas by putting people together, and I would love to do the same thing. So that is another level up in the networking and connection that has come from YouTube that I would love to do the same thing. So that is another level up in the networking and connection that has come from YouTube that I would never have expected would have come from YouTube, because YouTube has actually made me more of an extroverted person in a cheat way, because my extrovertedness is actually me talking to a phone.

David Morefield: 2:09:42

So it happens to be seen by different people, but my comfortability is like I don't want too many people around. I don't want to feel like I have to direct the circus, which is why when I have these meetups like we're going to go to today, I did set it up, but you found the venue. John ruse is going to talk about how he uses automations to scale his company. We're going to have a 30 minute Q and a on that. You are demoing your grip van and a lot of people, I think, would like to see what is in a grip van. And then you're sponsoring the pizza. Yeah, people, I think, would like to see what is in a grip van and then you're sponsoring the pizza.

David Morefield: 2:10:21

Yeah, I think we should have beer there. We haven't confirmed yet. Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 2:10:24

But I think we should.

David Morefield: 2:10:25

We should. So I didn't have to do that much. Yeah, you just brought, I brought the people together, which has its own value. And if I can find other people like yourself, like John, like the studio owner, who are like, yeah, I would like to be involved in something happening and it takes a lot of the workload off of me and I can enjoy it too.

Vipul Bindra: 2:10:47

Yeah, by the way, we're going to have John for a two hour on the podcast, episode 19. I hate to be pitching it, but people need to listen full how to fully automate what he's going to talk about. We're going to have him also on the podcast talking two to listen full how to fully automate what he's going to talk about. We're going to have him also on the podcast talking two hours fully about how to scale your business.

David Morefield: 2:11:03

I think that's going to be a very valuable one because when I'm was moving to orlando I don't know how I connected with him, but I did and I was freelancing for him doing some real estate photo and video and drone and I was very impressed at how he was running his business. I think he's roughly my age and, um, he is going to. He's on the short list of people that I want to bring out to that.

David Morefield: 2:11:31

Yeah, this business, surfer tree oh, look at that and and, uh, I think he has a ton of knowledge, and there's so many people around me that I didn't know existed, that have this knowledge that now I'm getting access to in a reciprocal way, exactly because he's doing something different.

Vipul Bindra: 2:11:49

We're all trying to go to the same journey, but we're following different paths and I think it's important for people to hear from different ideas, from people who it worked for. You can find what works for you. And what's crazy, david, we're past our time and I can't believe it's already been two hours, because I could freaking keep talking to you for hours. We didn't even touch half the topics in my brain, but that's what happens, right, we can do this forever and ever. So, before we go, tell people where they can find you Anything.

David Morefield: 2:12:18

Last thoughts you want to add yeah, you can find me on YouTube, just search my name, david Moorfield. And yeah, last thoughts would just be I enjoy going towards the things that I'm already gravitating towards and I find that it inspires inspires me more, it makes me feel more productive because I like to do it, and there's a lot of unexpected benefits that come. So, whether that's for me, for you, for who, whoever is watching, um, if you lean that direction, I think you will get more progress and think.

Vipul Bindra: 2:12:57

For me, the biggest thing I want to tell people is if it's right for you, it's not for everyone. Like I said, I couldn't do a blog, so I'm doing podcasts. But put yourself out there, share your ideas, share your problems. You'd be amazed how it not only helps you, but it'll help other people around you. And the most important thing is networking, and this is one of the best way to reach other people. Um, I don't know. Like I said you're, you're just simple. Vlogs and meetups have facilitated so much indirectly, just for me, and I'm just one piece of that puzzle, you know. So I can only imagine the grand, grand impact that you've had from such a you know small thing that you've done.

Vipul Bindra: 2:13:41

That's part of your you know, because it's not what you do for work. So it's incredible. I just recommend people put themselves out there and reach out to other people, because you never know where it leads up.

David Morefield: 2:13:52

I agree. Yeah, my favorite quote that I've seen keep using more and more and more is just action brings action. The more things that happen, the more things that connect you to more things that are happening.

Vipul Bindra: 2:14:02

Well, David, I appreciate you. Sir, Thank you, we're going to definitely have you back in season two. Thank you for listening everyone. It was fun.