Welcome Back, Sean

Vipul Bindra 0:04

Welcome to another episode of Studio B Sessions. Uh, I am Bendra, the owner of Bendra Productions here in Orlando, and we got Mario again on the producer table. Say hi, Mario.

Mario Rangel 0:15

Mario. Hey guys, how are you today? It's Ami, Mario.

Vipul Bindra 0:19

And our guest today, favorite from season one, Sean is back. What's up? What's that? Very good DP director. Um, you know, killing it out there. How's it going?

SPEAKER_01 0:31

I'm just keep trying to kill it as much as possible. That's all I'm doing, man. One day at a time.

Vipul Bindra 0:35

No, I had such a good time. I think you were one of my favorite guests in season one. So we wanted to do a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Yo, they might be listening and be like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:43

But I was.

Vipul Bindra 0:45

No, but like uh, you know, the goal was um uh to bring, you know, a healthy mix of new guests, but then I wanted to bring some of my favorites. And and uh when I when I was thinking about who to bring back, trust me, I didn't even have to think twice about bringing you because you were one of my favorite guests on season one, just because not only are you very talented, but you're also very funny as a former stand-up comedian. Ah, yeah, former, former. Former, former.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah, I mean, I still stand up every now and then. Yeah, so no, not former.

Vipul Bindra 1:15

Maybe part-time.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Part-time, part-time.

Vipul Bindra 1:18

So, so you know, it's just fun. So, what's been going on? So, last we saw you was almost what, six, seven months ago.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

I was in January of this year, right? Yeah. Um, I mean, the biggest thing, I've just been, I guess, I'm not gonna say upgrading my clientele, but different types of clients have been coming in lately. So um recently I was filming for a like a private chef company that does food for private jets and stuff like that. Uh, got a cool commercial project coming up, a lot more traveling, you know. But it's always like it's the same thing, just an evolved version of it.

Vipul Bindra 1:51

Yeah, you know? So how did you so let's see what you do different? Because last I know you had started, right? Right. And you had gone to the six figures that everyone does. So you were already there. Right. But in the last, you know, six-ish months, what have you done to be able to upgrade your clientele? Anything particular that you did?

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Nah, I think the biggest thing for me is uh momentum. You know, so like when I hit the six figures last year, I was like, okay, this is crazy. Just keep doing the same thing, and of of eventually it'll get it'll grow to, you know, maybe 200,000, 300,000. Um, and the cool thing is, actually, right now, as of six months, I'm at I'm already at like 150. So I'm hoping by the end of the year I can hit like three to 250 three.

Hitting Six Figures And Momentum

SPEAKER_01 2:40

That would be a good trend, yeah. Right? You know, you know what I mean?

Vipul Bindra 2:43

And things tend to go better during the summer. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yeah. And as you know, and any other videographers listening, like you you already have you built up, let's say, let's say you only made 80,000, but you have all those clients from that year. If you did a good job, they're gonna reach out to you next year. Exactly. And if their friends reach out to them, hey, I need video, they're gonna reach out to you. So I think it's it's just natural that you'll keep making more and building more clientele.

Vipul Bindra 3:05

Exactly. So that is the smart move. And then and a lot of things, the best thing I like about it is the longer you do, the better work you do, right, the more clientele you have. That's more people to just dial your phone or email, and the more people who can call you for a giveaway. Yeah. And at the end of the day, that eventually you just don't even have to look for work coming in, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Right. And I I will say too, another thing, something I did change, I did um change my rates slightly. So, like, I I'm me personally, I don't like to just up my rate for no reason. I like to do something to up my rate, you know. So, as you know, I just bought some lenses, you know, first cinema set of lenses. So I'm like, that now that that's an option of what I can provide, my rate has to go up.

Vipul Bindra 3:47

Makes sense, you know what I mean. So, and and if anyone wants to check out, we did do a video comparing the because funny enough, both at the same time you bought the R. Yeah, exactly. I think it was like a day apart. Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I had a project that needed them. You uh you went to NAB, I think, and you saw the new Luster version. Yeah. And uh and funny enough, I don't think that many people have it. I know the Vespids are very popular, right? But not that many people have the R.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

There's only like one other person in Central Florida that has your set.

Vipul Bindra 4:15

Exactly. And and I don't think anyone else has uh the Lusters. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think it's incredible. So but but uh funny enough, uh, and and I will go back to that because I want to talk more about Chinese lenses, but um but yes, so you've been you know you've been upping your game, you've been adding to the to the thing. So what what have you been able to change your rates? So going back to it, yeah, what they were, yeah, let's say the end of the year to where they are now, right? And how are you justifying it to a client, let's say that's repeat because new, I think it's easier, right? Yes, easier with new, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Um, well, because for my race, it's always like a range. So before I was like anywhere from like a thousand to fifteen hundred. Yeah. Um, now I'm trying to stay within like eighteen hundred to like twenty-five per day. Um, and that's if I'm just bringing like camera and minimal gear. Um, and I think the biggest way I justify, I just kind of just show it's the quality of the work. Yeah, you know. So a lot of my old clients, I'll like say, hey, this is a cool project I've been working on, you know, or I just tested out my new lenses on this project. So I kind of just keep them in the loop with other client work that I'm doing, and then they're like, Oh, okay, cool, that's awesome. So when I slap that bill on your invoice, you you won't be surprised.

Vipul Bindra 5:24

Yeah, exactly. So it's mostly your experience, right? That you're adding. Obviously, you added cinema lens. Is there anything else you added?

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Um, nah, that's it. That's the biggest thing. I've I'm like, my FX6 is the job there, as you know, as you know.

Vipul Bindra 5:36

Yeah, it works. Funny enough, we just did a project in Chicago and Mari was there. Yeah. Uh our our our whole kit was, I think, three FX6s, FX3, and the main A cam was a Burano. And I'm still interested, but that like as soon as we turned them on, yeah. Dude, I was surprised. I was just like, Yeah, you know, an impressed is the word. Yeah. And I was impressed with 8K and all that, but I was just like, FX6 was looking about the same. Really? And I was like, this is crazy. So it's basically to me, the image looked now. Obviously, we weren't testing it, we weren't out of the colour. Of course, of course. It looked dynamically live in the moment. Yeah, live in a in a in a inside environment, at least, there was not that much difference, other than just a high resolution.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Because the the Burano just has like stabilization. Is that like the biggest difference?

Vipul Bindra 6:23

Yeah, I mean, no, it's also supposed to be closer to the Venice 2, yeah, 8K, but supposed to have a better sensor, better, you know, every built-in, you know, uh V mounts like NDV and all that. So it's supposed to be a better uh another Cinealta camera, like right? That's the the way that they're describing it. Uh, somewhere in between that

Raising Day Rates With Clear Value

Vipul Bindra 6:45

that FX9 that is and the Venice 2. Okay, that makes sense. Yeah, but it didn't feel like that. Uh like I said, I I was highly, let's say I was highly interested in picking one up right away. And uh, and so the the cameras I was eyeing were Barano to add is the ACAM, like you said, trying to up it to to where having that middle tier. Currently, I don't have it. Right. So, which is Tucky coming out of the R is why I added them. Basically, uh the way it works with me, at least, is agencies approach. And if they're high-end agencies, I already know what the rental costs on a R is or signature primes or whatever lenses we're using, cook lenses. So it's very easy. They're you know, you just fill them the rental, right? Yeah, here you go. Yeah, yeah. So so so so you don't need to own that type of stuff, but then the most of the local or l or I even say low corporate clients, they don't care either what you're using, or if they do, it's usually FX6s, FXCs, they're in that lower tier, right? Which is fine, which we can service ourselves, yeah, pull in that rental revenue ourselves, but there's no middle tier. If somebody's like, hey, I don't have the RA budget, but I want to do something better than the FX sixes. That's where I thought the Burano's.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Hey, but is that middle when it's like $25,000?

Vipul Bindra 7:56

Yeah, but it's not hundred thousand for an LF. I mean maybe sixty nowadays you can buy a useful one. I guess you're right. But but also the the codex, you know, it's easier to work with. Yeah, yeah. Around the camera to make it work. I hope that makes sense. So, anyway, at least that was the thought process that I can add a Burano, have a metal camera, and add coming now, coming back to the Chinese lenses part. Right. Basically, I was always against all these Chinese companies popping up, but the truth is it cannot be ignored. They are killing it. They're crashing. Even though I uh again, I don't know the length. Like, you know, the thing about cook lenses is that, for example, they're very expensive, right? Like your resale is gonna be there. Yeah, it's not like uh, you know, the glass is just gonna decrease in value or whatever. As long as you take care of it, you can keep making rental money, uh, it holds its value, there's a certain look that people want. My whole thing with these these Chinese companies was they a that's with I think any industry, every year they're coming out to three sets of lenses, they're upping their game, so you know that the set A, your the value is not held, the demand isn't there for rental. So I never wanted to invest in. Not that I'd never use it, like I used the Pictors a while back, like I'm talking five, six, whenever they came out on a project, we rented them, but they weren't like an investment great product to me. But I finally, after I looked at the I was like, this, you know, for the price.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yeah, for the price, I think for the price, especially, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 9:21

Exactly. And I was like, this this is not so originally we were gonna rent them, right? For this project. I had like you said, the one person who has them, yeah. Uh is where who I was thinking about renting them from. But then I was like, you know what? It makes just sense to just acquire them. Just get them. Uh uh, because uh I saw that middle tier that I can fulfill. So as in that's where they are. Now it's like, hey, corporate shoot, G Masters, right? Slightly bigger. Now we can bring the RL, and we have the rental market of cooks and signature brands and whatever lenses on Jinu. What are we gonna use on that higher tier market?

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Yeah, and I I think in my opinion, when it comes to like I was like, I could buy a new camera, I have the FX6, I could go to red, I could black magic, whatever. But I was like, or I could just level up my camera already have, and I got the R's, and I'm like, dude, this it's a different. You can tell immediately, as soon as you look at the monitor, it's like, oh, that's a big difference. Exactly, right? Yeah, so I'm like, okay, now I got a 10% bug.

Vipul Bindra 10:18

Huge upgrade. Every single person on set, Mario. What do you think about the lenses?

Mario Rangel 10:22

They were great. They were like, like everybody said, Netflix quality.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

Yeah, yeah. And that's on the FX6. Are you sure it wasn't the lighting? I mean, the lighting helps, it definitely helps. The lighting helps. Um, but yeah, yeah, they they're some they're sweet, man. And and that's that's the thing you have to do. It's either you can pay $25,000 for a new camera, or but the lenses, I get I guess if you got the 10 lens kit, it's about the same price. You know, but that's 10 lenses. Yeah. Because if you bought the $25,000 camera, you still don't have the lenses. Yeah. What are you gonna shoot photoglasses on a Burano? Exactly.

FX6 vs Burano: Image And Reality

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Which you can. You can.

Vipul Bindra 10:56

You can but you're right, absolutely. And then lenses is a typically again, I don't know the longer how long these will last. Right. Because they are again Chinese lenses. Yeah, these companies are known to every two years throw a new set out. Right. But it is a good investment because they are uh like I said, for the money, they are they're really good. This is the way I would describe it, all right, like I did in the video. I think, and again, I could be wrong, but this is just what my thought process is. Literally, the the DZU engineers in China went, okay, let's order a signature prime from RA, let's order a cook, uh, you know, as for and then they basically put their engineers in a room said, give us a combination of that. Yeah, yeah. Because if you feel it, uh, you know, it literally feels, I'm not even joking, in the hand, it feels like um um like a very heavy signature prime. So it's not as lightweight as it's but the feeling that you get in your hand, the build and everything is very similar. And then the colors that they're using, and then the look is warmer, very much like a cook look. Uh not exactly the same, but very close. Like so, I felt like it was giving me a combination of both, and which is a good look. It's very good look. It's a nice. I think they're a very good investment, they're very beautiful lenses for the price I paid them. And uh, like you said, it just is another tool in the bucket. I don't think it changes anything, but it's a little option, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

So when you're like when you're working with your clients, let's say um the job requires a cinema lens kit and you already have one now. Um, are you adding that on as an add-on to like your invoice or in the negotiation?

Vipul Bindra 12:34

If I'm billing Sean, then I'm adding it because it makes sense to justify it. Yeah, yeah. I don't know, it's hard, it's gonna be hard to tell Sean that hey, I'm just gonna charge, like you said, yeah, instead of 22,500 in the shoe. Right. And you're like, Right, because you you understand the lingo. Right. Where's this coming from? They're like, hey, we're gonna use this set of lenses, there's the extra cost coming from, makes absolute sense. But typical client that we talked about, my entire process has been that I've dialed it down now, it's just give them one price. Right. And and and there's obviously ways to many different ways that we discussed last season. But main thing is uh it works for me. And I find that gives me as a producer, now this is not as a director DP, I don't care what pre-production costs, post-production costs, right? As long as you have the budget. But as a producer, it's very important to have flexibility. What I find with my corporate clients, when I tell them, let's say this is gonna be $5,000, right? It's gonna be a $10,000 shoot. It's very easy then for me to go, hey, this project we need the Cinnet lenses. Let's put some of the allocate the budget here. Or hey, you know what? I can I can use two extra people on set. Let me see if who I can get else on the screen. Right? I have the freedom, but if I go in the the project and already coat, like we're gonna have three crew, this lenses, or this now, my freedom is gone. Right. Because I gotta provide that. Now it's gonna be hard. Technically, contractually speaking, I can't change my now. It's different as a DP because I'm just being brought in as a role. Yeah, I can fulfill that role, and then there is I don't mind like hey, here's the DP rate, here's the equipment rate, or whatever. And it's very common to do that anyway. Right, right, right. Uh so so it really depends on who the client is. Who you're working with. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

That makes sense. That makes sense. Yeah, kind of something I've been adding on. I'm like, I'm like, oh, now that I have them, I'm like, yeah, if you want my cinema lens, I have photo lenses, but if you want the quality that you saw in that video, exactly, it's an optional upgrade upgrade, right? Recommended and depends on the project too. Highly recommend it. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 14:26

If it's like a corporate project, I'm sure it's not necessary. Yeah, yeah, like a corporate event or something like that. Yeah, you're not you don't need artists. But if but if there's a project like like you said, you're doing a documentary or something, or even high-end corporate interview where you're like, oh, right, this lens isn't is is adds the value, right? That's where you go, hey, this is gonna add. Do you like Netflix? Then you'll like these. Exactly. There you go. Yeah, I wonder how many Netflix DPs are gonna have. Yeah, like uh no.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Yo, so have you uh have you been playing with any like AI stuff? I think since the last I talked, there's been a little bit, but like now it's like AI is AI is everything.

Vipul Bindra 15:04

No, we're integrating AI into everything. Yeah, Mario wants to use two AI to edit this uh podcast. Oh really? Okay, I feel like the real time cutting that he's doing is more cool, right? But uh but AI, no, I I can't live my life without AI anymore. Already, right? But something going back to simple what did exist six months ago, yes. But no, because here's the thing. Yeah, at least for me, now I can't speak for everyone, I am authentic because if I write an email, I wrote the email. Now I may go to Chat GP and say, make it look better, make it look better, fix my you know, errors or whatever, polish it. But it's not like I'm saying words that didn't come out, I'm not telling it to just write from straight personally. And it's it's speeding up my proposals, it's speeding up my email responses, it's helping me sometimes gather thoughts like hey, this meeting happened, here's some meeting notes and parse out valuable information, stuff like that, right? Where it can come in very handy. Yeah, now is it going to replace uh you know 100% of everything yet? Yeah, no, but there's some amazing tools, 11 Labs. We've been using AI websovers a lot from Artlist. Yeah, so there's a lot of cool tools out there, yeah, yeah, yeah. But nothing I think replaces me yet. Yeah. And the day that happens, we're fine. Yeah. You know, I'll I'll become an AI company. I guess we we operate the AI for a client, but right now it's not there yet, but it is a tool. So I think whoever is not gonna use is gonna be left behind. What do you think? Which what have been you'd using? Any cool AI?

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Um so I I've 11 Labs, same, all the artless AI, uh Google, VO3, all those. Um I've been using those on a few client projects too. Um, I think I when it comes to AI, my opinion is you have I guess you have the good and the bad. The good side is it lowers the barrier of entry for uh for upcoming videographers and stuff. So it's like before you had to pay for somebody to create your shot list or to create your storyboard. Um, you had to pay for somebody to narrate the video, you know, all this type of stuff to create like, oh, I didn't get that drone shot. You know, it's like I gotta find somebody to get that drone shot in New York or pay story blocks to get it. So it's like now I can just pay $10 a month and like I have access to what these people in the uh higher-ups and industry had access to. That's a good thing. I think the downside is people might be relying on it too much, you know. Like even for like an email, like I wrote an email the other day. I was like, okay, I'm gonna try to write one without AI. I've been writing it with AI for the last year. I was like, I mean, just write an email without AI. And I wrote it, I'm like, this sucks. Exactly, right?

Vipul Bindra 17:38

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 17:38

I'm like, but I used to write emails all the time before AI.

Vipul Bindra 17:41

But what's crazy to me is thinking six months later, is it gonna be just AI talking to

The Rise Of Chinese Cine Lenses

Vipul Bindra 17:45

AI? I send you an AI email. That's what I think so.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Email response back, then my rises it, you know, like, hey, what do you want to say? Like, say something, I don't care.

Vipul Bindra 17:52

Yeah, exactly. It's gonna be crazy. I think it's a dystopia. Yeah. Uh I uh I again I I can't predict the future. Right, for sure, of course. I think AI is here to stay. Yeah, definitely. At least in our industry, just need to adapt. Yeah. We have always been adapt or die, uh, the fast moving industry anyway. Because, you know, for example, just look at what happened to lighting.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra 18:15

For 20, 30 years, if 100 years actually, it was just all that hot light. Yeah, that happened. And then LEDs came immediately, and first you were like, oh, they're interesting. Interesting, cool, but they're not high quality. And look now, like, I don't own a single hot light, and I don't know that many people don't own a single hotlight. I was at uh full sale filming the last three days, which is a school here locally, right? Trains so many filmmakers. Guess what I saw? Everything aperture, everything aperture, not a single, not even a NAN Light, not even another LED brand. And it's slow. Yeah, exactly. For them to have everything aperture, I was like, this is what the next generation of students is gonna learn on.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

So they don't even know what a highlight is, they don't know anything, you know. So speaking of, I know earlier we're talking about Chinese companies. Um is Aperture Chinese or American? Yes, Chinese, yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 19:05

They're all that's why they're they they come so fast.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, so like uh when I went to NAB, there's a lot all the companies had their version of the aperture lights on the 1200, 600, all that stuff. And I will say, because aperture is the most pricey one, the competitors are coming in hot. Yeah, and the pricing is 10 times better. Exactly. And the quality is just as because with a once they got now that they got the science behind the light down, it's like yeah, the price doesn't really make sense for aperture right now, I think. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 19:34

But see, it depends on becoming the industry standard or not. Right. Here's the thing um the way I look at it is it's kind of like cook lenses, right? Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a reason people ask for cook, right? Does that mean there's not been innovation? No, right. Because look at our DZO lenses simple as that, because these companies have been able to come in, they have no legacy to maintain, they have no rules. Like I said, they don't care that they just Release ours. Oh, let's coat them differently. Let's tell them it's luster. Yeah. Right? They have nothing to protect, which is which can be bad as you investing into something. It's a risk. But as the as a brand goes, they can move so fast. Just like Aperture came in. They were like, oh, here's a monitor we sell. Here's a microphone we sell. Then there's a light we sell. Then they realize, oh, LED's moving faster than they. So we're gonna stick with that. Exactly. And then they you a lot of people don't even remember what they were selling when they launched. They weren't just a light.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

How much is the Aperture 6 uh uh 1200? X is 2990. 2990?

Vipul Bindra 20:34

Yeah, so $3,000, but then you need the the Fresnel, you need the barn doors, right? So you need to add a lot of things. It's probably like closer to 4,000 after everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

When we're at NAB, um newer, you know, newer, everybody, everybody, newer was like bottom of the barrel, worse of the worst back in the day. Aren't they still but they have come up, yes? They come up, yeah. Like I got a newer 600-watt light, and it's just like the Aperture 600, same look, same style, same power output. I think it's a little bit more. You know, and it's we gotta pull up the price.

Vipul Bindra 21:03

I've got a color meter. Okay, we can see actually what's coming out of it. Yeah, my clients can't tell though. See, and that that I totally agree with what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

See, the thing is you wouldn't use it for like a big commercial, like a big, big hundred thousand dollar budget commercial.

Vipul Bindra 21:18

Lighting is having the same thing, it's just yeah, uh what happened to lenses. You know, five years ago, ten years ago, how many choices did you have? Not that many. Yeah, not many. Yeah, you you had this the traditional uh companies, and I don't think this replaces them. Nah, of course not. Yeah, but this has brought us options, like I said, we can offer a low tier, we can offer because these are not the only lenses, they have vest bits, you know, they have zooms that are cheaper. So you have a class of product that now you can offer that wasn't there, right? And they are getting very close. They're getting close, 90-95% for a lot like a quarter of the price.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

Exactly. Yeah, and like the yeah, the the newer light that I saw NAB, so it's just like 1200, aperture 1200, but this one's fully waterproof, like they had it running under yeah, it was under a fountain of water, and the water's just draining on it for hours.

Vipul Bindra 22:05

I think you can do that on the 1200 X. 1200 too?

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Okay, so this is the same fully waterproof, same power output, but I think they're selling it for a thousand dollars.

Vipul Bindra 22:13

Yeah, which is really, really amazing. But here, and and I think that's renaissance has happened in lighting too. Right. I don't think again, I think it slowed down a little bit. Yeah, for sure. Because I think the biggest thing was first getting the brightness, yeah, the brightness. Now that the we're past the brightness barrier, positive quality, which RGB ACL, which Aperture calls Blair, has figured that out. Yeah, I think these brands are not that far, so they're still on LED, I believe, uh newer and stuff. But yeah, a year, give it them a year. They'll have RGB ACL lights, and then the accessibility becomes for everyone, right? Everybody, yeah. I don't think they replace it because here's what happened with Aperture. They became an industry standard for LED. Them and maybe Nan Lite or Nan Lux rather have become accepted. What do you see? Yeah, it's it's really hard to get into Hollywood, is what I'm saying. Yeah, not that it matters for us, but what I'm saying is they have been able to get past and they're actually being used on film sets, they're actually being put on a condor up in the air, like they are out there, they're being used. So now it's no longer considered like five years ago, you were the the like the DZO of lighting, right? If you were using aperture, you were like using something new, unique in what are you doing? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You wouldn't find it on that many Hollywood sets now. If you if I showed up with my van, it absolutely nobody would blink an eye. They'll be like, Oh, yeah, yeah, cool, yeah, we know that lighting has put the hair put a 12 or an X hair. You know what I mean? Like it's it's accepted. Will newer be that way? No, no, but give it three years, who knows? Who knows? Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 23:40

Yeah, it's crazy. It's it's moving fast, and which is why being a videographer is very easy now, but I think also very hard to be a filmmaker. Right, right. Because you're spoiled for choices, right? And the way I look at it is there's two ways to look at it. You're like, hey, I want to make film a stand-up comedy, or I want to make short films here, or now for some corporate package. It's fine. Go whatever camera you want, quite literally whatever camera, a couple of lights, a couple of good mics, right? You're done. It you're spoiled

Packaging Gear And Pricing For Clients

Vipul Bindra 24:10

for choice. It doesn't even matter you pick a new or new one, it'll be good enough. Right. But the the problem happens is now you're like, I want to now go in bigger stats, or I want to work on something bigger. Now it becomes harder because you have to buy again standard stuff. Right. But when standards are changing so fast, it's very hard to invest in equipment. Because right now, let's say FX6s are the standard, right? I find in corporate commercial, mid-tier work and lower quite literally the standard. They're even making movies on FX6 now. So but those are the cameras that have like penetrated the market. But what stops Sony from coming out the next one? They're four or five-year-old cameras, right? Yeah, could you do that? And then you invested in FX6. Today you could you have high resale on your camera, me too. Yeah. Good investments, but as soon as the next one comes out, you know, will it hold the value?

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Right, yeah. I think I I I hear what you're saying, but I feel like for a lot of people, the the biggest issue is people who don't invest at all. Yeah. You know, because like I know I think they're smarter. You think so?

Vipul Bindra 25:12

Yeah, because right now, look, okay, here's the way I look at it. You go to a client, and again, there's different ways to do it. Right. There's no right or wrong. Yeah. But nothing stops you from finding the company. Let's say you're actually talented and creative. Go to the client. Uh, let's talk about corporate filmmaking, right? You're like, hey, your website's old school, your photography is like trash. How about we come in, we replace with high-end photos, we get you a new website, we get your all video content, we make a plan for social media, right? The whole shebang. Right. You come in, you bring you a Sean in to do the video part, we bring a photographer to update the photos. Yeah. And sometimes you can even do both. Uh, you know, if you want to take on both sides of it, but one thing, yes, and then you hire a website designer. There you make majority of the profit, and not saying Sean, you wouldn't make money, right? You'll take your let's say two grand or 2500 rate that you want to. The photographer will take their thousand dollars, let's say they want to. Uh, but but point is you the person who's making most of the money, right? Who's gonna go sell this to the client and execute on it, now they have to be able to execute it. I guess they have to have zero investment.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Yeah, I think it depends on like what kind of clients you're working with. You know, if you're working all the time and you're constantly having to find somebody to rent your camera from, it probably gets a little complicated at some point, you know.

Vipul Bindra 26:25

Yeah, but I'm saying then you s you're you are you have so much freedom though. Right because if Sean says I'm not available, hey Bendra, yeah, you want to come shoot this project with me? You see what I'm saying? You're not limited, and then let's say if if Sony comes up with the FX2 mark, FX6 Mark II, and again, you could become the I'm saying the person who's selling the video to the client, you could become the budget option, and now you could go, let's say Sean, you decide not to upgrade. Yeah, yeah. So so now that he's like, hey, can you cut the rate a little bit? The camera's not value. You're like, sure, I'll do it for 2200. I don't know. Or whatever the rate is, and and versus I upgrade and I I get the new FX Mark II. So you'd be like, uh, oh, or so now you have two options to client. You're like, hey, we could do it at this price point, right? Uh, or we can do it at this price point. Right. You seem to say you're you didn't have to make a zero zero investment. So now you can use FXX Mar II or FX7, whatever the age, whatever they call it. Yeah. What I'm saying is that the both approaches are correct. It just depends on what's right. At the end of the day, I'm saying if you want to make money, gear is not the way. Right. Yeah. But if you love video, then you know you want your kid, you want to have something to be with.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

Because I haven't I haven't seen a lot of people do it that don't have gear. Like you, you're a good salesman, right? Like you know how to like kind of pitch yourself and like Yeah, but uh here's the thing.

Vipul Bindra 27:44

I'll tell you the recent plot project I closed not even a week ago, right? No. Uh and um guess what they they called me. They said, hey, let's get on a call. We want to make a c a few videos. Yeah. And uh here's the scope. They had the videos lined up. Rough idea. Obviously, they want my help. Right. But that but I was like, sounds good. They were and I was like, What's the budget? They were like, Well, we don't know. Like, well, you you've hired me a few times, you know what this type of things costs. Uh, are we gonna make something really good? Right. And what are we so what part of video we're looking at? They gave me a price. I said, You gave me a price times that by the number of videos, that's the total. Let's do it. And we're like, let's do it. I hope that makes sense. At no point did we talk about how many people on how many shoot days? But this is cameras. That's all it's yeah, but that's what I'm saying. But I didn't do any sales, yeah. I hope that makes sense. Yeah, but I have the relationship, right? Yeah, I have built that trust, right? But the sales is no sales. Like you called me, you were like, hey, dude, I'm I'm doing commercial, you want to help? I was like, absolutely cool. I don't have to sell you on anything because you have a trust. You know, if Bendra comes, he's coming with yeah, everything, and I'm gonna take care of you because that's what I do with my clients. The same thing as this client doesn't mean I won't take care of them, right? But we didn't have that discussion.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

So, what I'm saying is so I don't know, equipment doesn't sell anything. Let's use uh, because like you've been in the industry for a long time, everybody knows you, we know what you have, we know the quality that you bring and everything. But you have uh a newer guy on the scene who doesn't have anything, right? I don't think he'll be able to tackle that call the same, he probably won't even get the call in the first place. So it's like you gotta come to the table with something. Yes, you know, so you need some a way to build your portfolio, build relationships to know people. But like if you if you don't have anything, I honestly probably wouldn't hire you on my set. Yeah, you know what I mean?

Vipul Bindra 29:30

So it's yeah, but see, it's different. Though though that that'd be wrong approach, right? If somebody is new, let's say just start a full sale and they go, hey, I want to be a DP on the city. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What? Hold on a minute. Yeah, I think the approach is I think the the approach would be the the and again, every everyone has their own approach, but the way I would approach it is simply as just meeting you. Right. I think meeting you is a bigger value than being in your set first because you have so much novel of knowledge, you've been doing this a few years, you've figured out you've cracked the code, which is right, how do I make a livable income doing this? Doing this, yeah. This is fun. Let's be real. What we do is cool, right? So so being able to do this and make a living is is awesome, but so many people can't haven't been able to figure that out. Right. So I think just being able to tap into you and be asking you questions, what would you do now? Now, what would you do today? Because, like we said, industry moves so fast. And you in one coffee could give them good advice that I think is worth it. The second thing I would ask is, hey, let me come be on your set and do BTS. Something where you out of the way, yeah. And once you have got their vibes right, you think, yeah, they're not gonna bother my client. Yeah, yeah. And they can learn. Yeah, exactly, right? You gotta just observe. Uh I think that is where I would approach it, not straight to the client. You're right. But nothing stops you if you have enough knowledge. Let's say you've been on a few sets, you understand now how Sean approaches his client, and you approach a company and you sell them on a project, and you you know for sure you can execute it. Nothing stops that person now from coming to, hey Sean, I have a client that I need your help on. Right. Would you DP this project for me? The same person who is now asking you for coffee could now hire you, and then they could go,

AI As A Creative Power Tool

Vipul Bindra 31:10

hey, uh, what's your rate? What you gonna take on this, right? And then that's the negotiation that you would have. And now you can bring your years of experience, all the gear that you have without this person having to do anything. My entire point is the most successful filmmaker I know owns very little. They're using reds, but they're like 10-year-old cameras. You could buy the red for $1,500. Are they they're DP? No, they're production companies. Production company? Production company, three to four tables. Yeah, one of these states. Yeah, yeah. I don't want to say bad things, because you know, I let's be real, they make awesome videos, but the tools they use are very old tools. They're like very old red cameras, very small team, uh, but they're making seven figures, right? Right, right, right. They're doing they're killing it because the videos are fun to watch. Right, right. They're not cinematic videos, but the videos are fun to watch, they have good stories. Yeah. People videos that people want to share. I hope that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, I mean. And that makes them a million dollars using literally the most most rudimentary tools. Because like I said, it was it was good at one point when they bought it. Right. But now the company's 15 years old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's old school, and they never saw the need to upgrade because they're like, well, it's a job done.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Well, I I guess that's kind of what I was saying. Like, I they they're still invested in some way, yeah, but they're not they don't have the gear acquisition center where they're constantly buying the newest. I don't think it's necessarily the newest, but you gotta have you gotta be in the game in some way, shape, or form. You can't have nothing. Yeah, and like and I would love to collaborate.

Vipul Bindra 32:37

For example, with this person I'm talking about. I wouldn't hire them as my DP. Right. But I would love to bring them on as like a producer and be like, hey, how do we make how do we make something like you're doing, right? Like we got the technical side, and it could be the opposite. Not that I don't make creative videos, but uh, you know, a lot of people bring me on as the technical side, just because I'm so so into everything, where they're like, hey, I don't know what's the latest, the greatest. But we'll just come on set, you know, you take care of the equipment and the year, and I don't mind helping friends where they're good, they will focus about the client, the story, the all the you know, the creative side of it. And I'm happy to come in. And even then, a lot of times I'm solving problems because they're like, so we want the light here. Where do we put the light to get the light that we want, right? So it is creative and technical at the same time. But what I'm saying is they didn't invest in things, they don't know whether 1200x is the latest or have it or not. But I guess there's where do you fit in? I think that's where the the summary of this I see is like you are carving your own path.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Yeah, finding my own clients and stuff like that. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 33:39

And you're like, this is the value I bring. And having the right tools is a value, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

And a tool is knowing someone like Benja Productions, you know. I mean, like, like I know you, I have a couple other gaffers I know. I mean, DPs, everything is like your network is a is something you also provide to the county, right? Some people don't have that either.

Vipul Bindra 33:58

Yeah, and and and and even if you acquired gear, my entire thing, it's not always like for example, the shoot that we we did uh recently, and like I said, we were talking about with Esteban, it's like we needed pocket threes. I don't own those cheaper cameras, right? Makes me want to buy one, right? But I needed pocket threes. We found people who had pocket threes. So now having a pocket three was a value, right? The people in that set were because they had pocket three. I hope that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. He was like, I have an FX6, FX3. I was like, No, no, I don't need any of that. I got those two. Yeah, I need you to bring your pocket three. Yeah, uh, so sometimes you never know. I'm saying you're right. Here is a tool and it's an asset because yeah, you can get called for having specific things, and it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive things like my FPV pilot has an had a DJI action camera, and I was like, oh, perfect on his FPV because we were shooting now with Pocket 3s. I was like, oh, it'll match perfectly, right? Right, you fit right into the production, come on out, even though it's a $350 camera, I'm hiring him for his like extensive FPV skills, right? But the camera being able to match with the Pocket 3 was the selling factor. Right. So uh so you so you wouldn't be amazed, like a $350 camera can also be the factor where because he could have been like, no, I only have GoPro, yeah. And I'll be like, oh, let me hire this other FPV pilot with a matching camera. Not that there's that much different, it just for workflow made sense. Right.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

Um and it fits. Yeah, I guess too, like it it depending on uh it doesn't necessarily matter the the tools you have. I I know plenty of people who have FX6s that are hitting me up, like, oh, how do I do this? I didn't know you could do that at FX6. Oh, why does it look like that? I'm like, you got the same camera I got. It's more of like, like you said, the FPV pilot. How do you use those tools? You know what I mean? So if you can, if you got a 10-year-old camera, a Canon, whatever, but your quality is looking better than these guys who are doing it with the FX6, you can still, you know, you can still make some moves with that.

Vipul Bindra 35:52

No, you're absolutely right. Knowing your tool, it's like taking a very successful, let's say very experienced construction person and saying, hey, we're gonna take your D Walt or Milwaukee tools. Here's a hammer. Here's a here's here's cheaper Walmart tools. Will they struggle? Yes, but will they be able to make something beautiful? Yes, yeah, and strong, you know, because and I would hire him any day over the new guy who has Milwaukee and all the best tools. Now, the the right combination, and this is where people get it wrong, some people are like gear don't matter, or or you know, sk or or whatever, skills don't matter, yeah. The whole thing is the right is the right person with the right tools. Yeah. So so it's so the both arguments technically fall flat, but at the end of the day, the way I look at it, at least in corporate commercial filmmaking, here's the the truth. Can you do it sustainably? There's no point not having tools or having tools if you don't have clients. Right. If you don't have people who you who get value out of what you you do, right, and they're willing to pay for it. The truth is the most high-paying clients do not give a crap about the camera I have. Yeah. But they do have a trust factor that I will bring the right tools and the right people for the job, right? And and and that's what I think is more important. Building a network, building trust, yeah, finding those clients. Because I bet you your clients love you not because you have the Rls, but because what you create with the Rls. But having the R's helps to help you create. I hope that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's like both sword that way. It's weird.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, because my clients, they just I mean, I will say the goal, the goals on the lens is just like, oh my god, this is crazy. But they're not gonna pay me more just because they see the goal. That's more, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 37:31

But the way I look at it is very simple, being honest with you, Sean. I'm like, hey, if I need now Lester and you're that you're you have them available that day, guess what I'm doing? I'm calling you, I'm bringing them on set, and you get some rental money, and now I didn't have to spend 10 grand buying those lenses. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Yeah, yeah, it makes sense.

Vipul Bindra 37:48

So I think, and same thing, I'm sure you you're there's a project, you're like, hey, they wanna they don't want that that uh amber color. Yeah, exactly. They don't want the the the vintagey look. So I can I but I love the odds. Can I borrow uh your audio? I'm like, sure, you know, yeah, it's some extra money in my pocket, they were not being used of that day, right? And we both win but by having the right tools and then having the right network. I hope that makes sense. Yeah, it's so so I think, yeah, exactly. I think that that's why when when I heard, I was like, this is amazing because I wanted to buy the Luster,

LEDs, Aputure, And Lighting Standards

Vipul Bindra 38:20

yeah, and I made the decision to buy the non-luster ones just because they fit better in what I do, but that does not mean I won't have projects where I need this. And you never know. We could probably bring you uh in, you know, if we can afford you right as the DP on that project. Don't do that, I don't do that. Friends, your rates will be up another more in six months when I need it. For clients, but for friends, I got it. No, it's the same thing. Yeah, no, I I do the same thing helping friends out, but you get the point. We both win by knowing each other and having right, but also different tools, actually. Because if you both have the R lenses, it's a key, then who's winning?

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Uh you know, I think even like uh, I mean the FX6 is it is a popular camera, but that still kind of set me apart from a lot of people that I knew. I'm like, I only know like maybe 10 people that have FX6. Oh, really? I don't I know you probably know you probably know a lot.

Vipul Bindra 39:08

Everyone has an FX6, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

Well, I guess I know 10 people that I like that have the FX6. Yeah, the light. Yeah, yeah, you're one, you're one. You got two FX, you're two of them. Um uh yeah, so I I think like it kind of adds some value because like people like me, I like them. So it's like, oh, I want to hire somebody I like that has a camera that I need. Yeah, you know, versus if I had like a uh Z V E 10 or something like that, it's like I like you, but like I your camera isn't what I need, you know.

Vipul Bindra 39:40

So you got so it's no before I had two, funny enough, because when I was going through my Z V E 10? No, not Z V 10, the FX6 I'm talking about before I had two, because you know, I transitioned a couple years ago from Canon. So I had bought one and then took me a bit to say yes to the Sony ecosystem. Yeah. Point is I I actually hired someone just because I needed a B cam, and the only reason I Hired them, which they were a good person, but because they had the FX6. Right. I needed that camera and I needed someone who can operate that camera. And knows how to use it. Made it made it very easy to decision to get them, you know. Yeah. So so you're right. Gear will get you jobs.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

To an extent. Yeah, but if you showed up on it, you know.

Vipul Bindra 40:18

Yeah, but if you showed up and you didn't have uh the skills to operate that camera, I don't I don't think you you would think on the fly, you know. Because if I give somebody my, for example, like I'm like, here's the keys, take my van. I don't think most people will even know where to start. Right. If I uh if I'm making real sense. Not saying that uh it's something difficult, it's just it takes years of experience, right? Right. Uh of how to set up this specific thing with this specific thing, this accessory goes here. If you don't even know what you need to grab, yeah, you see what I'm saying? Like, yeah, even though it may just be a knuckle that you tighten here, yeah. But I have a grip, for example, milk crate, right? That has like 50 different grip things in there. If you have no idea which one you need, you'll be all day there just figuring out something that would take me five seconds to figure out, right? Yeah, yeah. And uh, so I think that gear, but if you also needed a certain knuckle and you didn't have it, it doesn't matter how much skill you have. You don't got it, you gotta find it.

SPEAKER_01 41:16

But like like I work with Oliver a lot, and like Oliver, he's he's not necessarily a he's more of a DP than a gaffer, but he knows a lot like on how to make things happen. So like we'll get on set, a shoe, and let's say we forgot that that knuckle that we need. He knows five other ways to make the same thing happen, right? You know, and that's that's super valuable, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 41:35

And same thing uh with me, that's how I ended up even being hired sometimes to do a gaffing job. Because I'm primarily a director, producer, DP, right? Right, but then somehow I've ended up on my friend set doing audio or gaffing. And it's because when you've been doing this so long, you've been in so many different you have I've been around some of the really, really talented gaffers throughout the country. You learn and you cut pick up things and you go, Oh, okay. I can do this. You can do that with that. Oh yeah, exactly. And I I and I can set up things and whatever. Yeah, and and and the reason that gives me funny enough a competitive advantage is because now I'm in a smaller market, right? And most gaffers here are you know working with tools that are let's say not industry standard because that's like you said, they they can just buy newer or whatever, that's what they have in in their arsenal because the rates are lower. Then I can come in if a production comes in from LA, they're like, hey, we're just looking for this, this, this, this, and oh, you're the only one who has all this. So you you can write plug and play, plus they don't have to describe to you what they want, how to to make it work, or whatever. They just say, Hey, I want this, I can go in, I already have the skills, set it up. They get value, and I get value, everyone wins. So that's everybody wins, yeah. Yeah, that's been a really nice thing since we deployed the van at the beginning of the year. We're I've been able to just plug into productions without uh you know, it being um uh a hassle to anyone. Yeah, but that doesn't mean that's replaced my primary income. Let's be real, of course, which is why I said people are like, I've had a few calls, they're like, hey, I want to build a van, or whatever. I'm like, absolutely. Yeah, I don't know. They're like, would you financially recommend it? No. Yeah, yeah. You know, the the the it's not. You already had all the stuff, yeah, exactly. Yeah, so makes sense. Yeah, so it made sense, but also it made sense because I had the clients and the jobs, right? Right? Uh to justify it, and the network. Yeah, so it it doesn't make sense to if you ask me business-wise, uh, for you to become uh to buy a rental, like a grip van or whatever in Orlando. No, plus also where the industry's going. The industry is compacting. People who can do shoots for l with less people and less gear, yeah, are who are gonna be successful, not people the other way around. Does that mean setups will go away? No. But you're doing a commercial, you're not gonna have 50 people on set. It just doesn't work that way anymore. You're like, hey, we have the same amount of work, but now it's gonna be done by five people, ten people, right? That's just how productions are moving, and people who fit in there is where who are gonna be successful. And the way at least what I'm doing is building that. Yeah, that's what I enjoy, and I want to be able to plug into those productions, and that's where I see the industry going now. You want to get neat? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 44:17

What do you oh my gosh?

SPEAKER_01 44:20

Uh I think I feel like society is moving like the the everything you just explained is moving towards a direction where we have more time, but we gotta feel that more time that we have, right? So, like, like those hot lights we were talking about earlier, super complicated setup, gotta wait 15 minutes for them to cool down, everything like that. So it's like everything is moving. We got more time because it's quicker to set up, quicker to use, easier to use, but now we need you to use that time more. So it's like like the the commercial that we're doing, it's a smaller crew, but like you're doing more stuff than somebody would have done uh 20 years ago, and then I just had to do one thing, I gotta manage this one light. Exactly. You know what I mean? So I feel like even with AI, everything is just like, oh yeah, we got we got more stuff on our plate now. Exactly. Now, is that good?

Vipul Bindra 45:11

I mean, you want to go deep society because you're like, hey, five years ago I would have paid you fifteen hundred dollars to just operate a camera. That's it. Now I will pay you fifteen hundred dollars, but you gotta operate the camera, you gotta bring the lens, you gotta set up audio, or you gotta set up set decoration, you gotta do so much more, and and

Gear Ownership vs Smart Renting

Vipul Bindra 45:30

the biggest thing, the 1500 now means way less than it did 10 years ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So technically you're working for in that terms, you're working for 500 bucks now, if that makes it the value of the money. Yeah. And you're doing four people's job. Yeah. So but so that's the the truth. That's the truth. We can also sit here and go, oh, that's not right. That's not, you know, but the truth is I feel like if you don't move, then you're the dinosaur. Like you don't change with the time. Yeah, yeah. That is what's expected of you. Now that's where the new tools come in. The AI, all these LED lights, or the cameras, or whatever. Everything's making your job. They didn't even have this much, like what dynamic range or FX6 has. They didn't even have in the first, you know, digital cameras they started using for movies. So people complain about equipment like Pixas 12K or this, and I'm like, we already have cameras that are good enough, yeah, for corporate and commercial video. They're easy to rent, they're everywhere, all over, yeah. Like, like you said, you want to use Pixas 12K as long as it's released, because I know finding it would be the harder thing just because of availability and other people don't want it. We might go 6k. Yeah, if not, they're everywhere, man. Yeah, all over, yeah. So so you you have choice. Like I said, if we wanted to use Burano, we use the Burano. Right. We didn't have to go, oh, where do we find this? It was like, oh, who has it? Okay, hey, let's make deals, and whoever gave us the best deal, let's get the Burano. So I feel like equipment has become way, way more accessible, which is why I'm like, I was saying, like, yes, equipment matters, but the coming back to it, the investment in it doesn't matter. Because in the past, you could have bought a camera, 10, 20 rentals later, it's paid for itself, right? Not anymore. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No. So rental income is not worth it anymore. Yeah. But if you have jobs where you can use rental. Right, that's different. That's where it comes in. Yeah. Because now what's happening is, which is why rental houses seem to be disappearing. What people are doing, and uh, and this is a very common thread, is making that money lost through any jobs you can bring equipment. Yeah. So what are you gonna do is like, hey, oh, you can't up my DP rate. How about we add these lenses, or we add this camera package, or we add whatever package you want to add. And sure, I won't you won't charge as much rental rate as like a rental house. Right. But you're still adding that to you, right? How that makes sense. That's how at least I see people in the industry offsetting uh the lost info, I guess, inflation or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 47:56

I was uh I was working with a production company out in Boston a while ago, and I I might have said the story last time, but for people who didn't listen, I'll say it again. Um, they were talking about how a lot of their jobs had to be like $50,000 and up, or they just were losing money because they have so much crew to pay for, equipment, they had a facility, all this stuff. And the people like myself who are kind of like more grassroots, independent, small team oriented, who can like I see $10,000. I'm like, that sounds great to me. Yeah, I'm I was winning over them because especially like you know, the economy wasn't the best last year. Um, and clients are like, yeah, $10,000 sounds way better than $40,000 and we're getting the same quality. And like I'm like, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna make three thousand dollars off of this. Sounds good to me. Yeah, you know, so he was like, it's for those bigger production company companies, it's kind of hard for them right now, yeah, to connect. And because they're not pivoting, yeah. They pivoting.

Vipul Bindra 48:51

They gotta pivot and they're they're and and that's just again, and some are. Let's not be real. Not uh it's not all that are going to go downhill, of course. But that happens when there's a then when there's a uh a change in the industry, and to be real, this isn't like overnight, this has been happening for years. Yeah, uh, it's people just need to see where it's going. Right. At the end of the day, you know, it's again giving value. Like come back to it. I am a video company, right? You can that doesn't mean I can't hire you. Even though you are a video company, right? Because as long as you come in and you can give me some value, I pay for it, right? Yeah so so I think people need to come back to the the lowest of lowest, it's just value, it's not that complicated. Yeah, it's somebody comes to you, and whether they have five hundred dollars or five thousand dollars, right? You need to give them the right value. And if you're there where you can in five, like you said, if you're in the career path where you can take 500 and you can give them huge value, yeah, you're the guy. And and if you can come in and take the five thousand dollars and give them the value, cool, then you're the guy. Because there's two ways you can approach this, Sean, right? Let's say you are now a few years into your career, 5,000 means nothing to you. Inflation's even worse. So, so right now you say, Oh, give me 10 grand or five grand, yeah, I'll make you sick video. Yeah, then they may call you and they may go, Hey, I've got five grand, can you do this? And you'll be like, uh, I'd love to, but unless you can up your budget of 15k or whatever, I can't. I can't at the minimum. Yeah. And then, but that could be one scrappy guy, then you know, student out, and they're like, hey, 5k, I got you. Oh, I make it, I'll do it. I get this FX6 Mark IV, I don't know, whatever the old school camera then is. And they're like, uh, for that you, that may be like too old, right? But it may be value enough for that client. So at the end day, that's why I say there's no competition because everyone's doing their own thing. You just have to give the right value.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

Yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 50:48

If a client picks me, you, or any other random person listening to this, it's not a competition. They found the right value. And if they if I didn't win, let's say the project, the way I do it is just go back and say, like, what could I have different different to give them more value? Yeah. Now that does not mean lower my rate. Of course. That's a completely different people think value means just do the it's like who can make the best video at that $5,000. Right, right. Yeah, that's that's all that is. And and it and it doesn't mean you have to be the guy at every price point. Of course. Right? There's a price point like you gotta have your mark your your threshold. You're like, hey, I'm at 10 grand, I can kill it over this 40k people. Yeah, and then you are the guy to get those jobs, right? Yeah. Five years later, who knows you'll be the guy for those jobs, you may be a guy for different jobs. Who knows where you, like you said, where your path is headed, and but that's where you want to be, you want to be the best at what you do, at what you do, yeah. Whatever that is, and that's where for you to define, I think, and your clients to define. Yeah, because it can't just be you, right? You can be like, I want 40 grand, doesn't mean people will pay it.

SPEAKER_01 51:50

Yeah, you know, uh a while ago I learned. I mean, this is kind of something I I live by in my business. I try not to leave money on the table. A lot of it depends. I have my threshold that I'm like, hey, look, I'm not doing nothing for $200. I'm sorry. Um, but if a client comes to me is like, hey man, I want X, Y, and Z, all this stuff, and I have $2,000. I'm like, well, you can't do that for $2,000, but with your $2,000, we have we can do this, you know. And I I've seen people turn away clients because the number is too low. I was like, no, like if the number is nice, it's decent, try to find a way to make rich, give them less. Exactly. But give them the quality, but it's like I can't give I can't give you five videos, I can do one. You know, but the quality is gonna be crazy, you know.

Vipul Bindra 52:30

I totally agree. You've got to find the the and then that's the negotiation part, right? You figure out what's the best you can do for them. And I'm sure most new clients is different. If it's a repeat client, usually they just come to you. Yeah, but if it's a if it's a repeat client uh a new client, I'm sure they're talking to a couple other people, but if your bit is the most strong, you'll win it.

SPEAKER_04 52:49

Right.

Vipul Bindra 52:49

It doesn't have to people a lot of times are afraid. They're like, no, I have to say yes to five videos or I'm gonna lose. It's like, no, you do the best for them that you can do because at the end of the day, you know, it's it's it's the right fit, is what I'm saying. Because like sometimes I need people,

Skills, Tools, And Real-World Problem Solving

Vipul Bindra 53:05

right, where the rate is lower, but it's like if you don't have, let's say, somebody who doesn't have the equipment, I'm like, I need an FX6 operator. I'm just giving an example, and uh, but they don't even own an FX6, now they could be an FX6 operator because I have the camera, right? And I'm like, hey, this is the rate. Uh you can come operate my FX6, gives me value, gives you value because you don't even have to buy it and have zero investment. 100% is your profit. Now that will that the rate be the same if you're somebody's bringing. So I've had, like I said, people have to bring an FX6 node, then it's like, hey, here's your rate, here's your equipment rate, right? You make more money, but then you had to spend six plus a couple thousand upfitting it. So let's say a grand to get your camera package ready. Then you deserve that extra money for for being an operator. Now the same camera they could go to a direct client and make 10x the money because now they're not labor or equipment rental. Right. They are the production company. That's where none of that matters. You just go, hey, I'll make you this, that's what you win this, and that's where you win. So that's where the highest income always comes. But, you know, it's it's if you want to be. We have friends, you know, who don't want to do that. They're just like, Yeah, I just want to be my DP and I'm done. In and out, I'm happy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want to deal with the clients and all that, you know, the mess that comes with it. So it's not for everyone.

SPEAKER_01 54:21

Can I ask you a question? Yeah. When you um could you're I I did uh when I first met you, we did a call with uh uh guy who owned a restaurant. I don't know if you remember that.

Vipul Bindra 54:30

Oh, yes, yes, I remember.

SPEAKER_01 54:32

Um I was like, man, this guy's really good at like sales and stuff. Okay. Oh, thank you. I thought you I thought the call wasn't it. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nah, nah, you crushed it. Um, but like outside of film, where did you learn like those skills? Is it like just childhood? I mean, could you are you Indian? Yes. Yeah, I mean Indian, they they can sell. Let me tell you something. Hey, they can sell.

SPEAKER_00 54:55

Let me answer my own question.

Vipul Bindra 54:57

Yeah, no, no, but let me ask Mario, you remember we were working recently with an Indian client. What happened with them? I was asking something. Do you remember the what did he say it?

Mario Rangel 55:06

He said, I don't work with Indians. Oh, he doesn't work with it.

Vipul Bindra 55:09

So we were working with an Indian guy who said, so typically, to be honest, I'm very rarely working with Indian people either. And and to be honest, Indian people, there's a reason most tech CEOs tend to be Indian. Yeah. Of most companies. I think Apple is the only one that has a white CEO. Like they're all usually of Indian origin. Let's try to say Indian. The reason being is yes, Indians are very not all, again, it's 1.2 billion people. But yes, in in America, at least they tend to be really good businessmen. Right. And they are known to say, Oh, hey, Sean, I need video. And you're like, what is it? What's about before 20,000, right? You present then they look at 20,000, they divide it by, they're like, okay, 100 bucks.

SPEAKER_01 55:46

The prices are crazy. I like the confidence you gotta have to say that number.

Vipul Bindra 55:51

But dude, okay, so you want to hear the story. Yeah. Then I got embarrassed. Uh-huh. I was I still remember this to the day. My mom and I wanted some jeans. I was a kid. I'm done. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wanted jeans or whatever. And uh, so she took me shopping, right? I found the jeans I liked. I was like, okay, this is the one. And uh, so she literally uh was like, how much? And let's say he said 2,000 rupees or whatever, right? Dude, I am not kidding. If kid of me embarrassed, she literally said 50. Oh, I was I just turned my eyes and turned out. I was embarrassed for the guy. Yeah, yeah. And and and and here's the thing: here's the lesson learned. I was like, no, I would have said, okay, haggling, bargaining is the thing in India. So 2000, you could I would probably pay 1800, be happy with it, right? Yeah, that's what I would have done. But lesson learned. So she said 50. I'm not joking, and with so much confidence, yeah. And uh I was embarrassed, I was just ready to get out. I was like, I don't need no jeans, I'll wear my old jeans. Yeah, yeah, I got jeans at home, but I'm talking, I was so young that I still knew that that was embarrassing. So I turned around. Like, even he was like, So he felt he's he said it at least. Look, wait, wait, let me finish this. Yeah, so he was like, Hey, I'm uh yeah, that's what you're yeah, humiliating me now. Like that that there's yeah, 2,000 to 50 rupees. So she was like, Okay, she's very confident, she turned around. She said, Okay, we don't need it. We don't need it yet. I'm not joking. Five seconds, he was like, Okay, how about hundred? And I was like, What just happened? So we bought the jeans for and I'm like, that makes no sense. That's like it's like one percent of the price. Yeah, decrease. So yes, Indians are crazy. It's it's it's uh but I'm not like that, to be honest. I do but you better business have a little bit of a lot of things. Like, for example, I'm always like talk about buying gear, like I'm working with my reps, I'm like trying to get them the lowest. This company's giving me this price. You know, you you I do do that, but I don't go crazy, you know. I I can't do the typical Indian thing, but which is why, funny enough, I don't have that many Indian clients for that reason. Because and and that's fine. Again, if it works for them, it works for them. Yeah, but I think coming back to your question, yeah. I think it's just um uh I think it just comes down to again finding your your value. Here's what I learned. I grew up with an entrepreneurial, you know, family. We had business that we owned. Oh, really? So I so you know, I I saw how he and my dad interacted with like customers or whatever, right? When they would come into a store or whatever. Yeah. And and that just you just watch that. But you don't have to have an entrepreneurial dad to do that. Yeah, you can go to a store and see. That's good customer service or that's bad customer service. Yeah, exactly. You just pick up these things and you can choose. I I've seen there's people who are like, Look, I I know some videographers that are just rude, plain rude to their clients, and they still have clients. Yeah, who'll get a client, let's say, who's like, hey, I can't do it for 10 grand. Can you do eight? And they go, Are you fucking kidding me? And I'm talking like that. They will talk to their clients like that. And I'm like, How? How are you still in business? Yeah. So clearly, you have to find your avenue. At least for me, I the way I've always done in life, which is why I I hated having a job, because I want to be treated, uh, I treat people how I want to be treated, which is and it doesn't work with everyone. Let me be real. Like, my style is like where I'm like, I will have people call me, like friends who are like, hey, can I just borrow this gear? Is it financially viable for me? No, because the time to to take it, usually we're gonna talk. No, but but I'm generally like, yeah, sure, you know, here's what I would normally charge, sell me whatever. Yeah, whatever. Right? Yeah, and I genuinely mean it. You know why? Because sure, I spent a lot of time. If I started not perceived the real value in it, I'm in a negative. But here's where I'm positive because I know what I do, it'll come back around. When I need that guy to come on my set, and I can I can Indian thing him and pay $100 less or whatever than I was gonna pay, then he would say yes. And and and that's why everyone wins, because uh they get um access to something they wouldn't have, and I get give them access to what they wouldn't have. But at the end, it's just working with people, man. Yeah, so I I I don't take it to heart. I I treat people how I want to be treated, and and worst case, you can say no. I just said no to an editing it for a friend. Like I'm I'm always down to help. We've got a team we can edit, and I'm always down to help, but it was just like, yeah, this is not the right fit. Yeah, the timeline, the budget doesn't work. Is what it is. That doesn't mean I wouldn't help him the other way.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:03

Yeah, you're not cut off for life or nothing like that.

Vipul Bindra 1:00:05

Yeah, so it works. At the end of you, it's a business, but my business isn't run solely for business. Then I wouldn't be in video anyway. There's 10 things I could do where I we can make more money. I I do this because I love it and I'm down to help people. And I think when you do that, it just comes because if you approach it right with the idea of helping, let's say somebody calls you, right? And they're like, I need this, this, this. And you genuinely are like curious. You're like, sure, but what do you need? What do you want? Like you're trying to figure out the person what they need, and you're like, oh, I get it now. I can do, like you said, for this price, I could do this, this, and this, right? You give them the best you can. And if as long as it works, you work together, you build that relationship. It's it's not complicated. I think people overcomplicate this. Like, I need to go learn these skills, I need to watch Gary V, you know, all these business gurus and whatever. I mean, yeah, not saying you shouldn't self-improve, but a lot of times things are simpler. Yeah. If if any videographers listening to me, I think it's just treat people how you want to be treated, uh, and uh just just be nice. Yeah, and say no when you don't think it's the right fit. Because the worst thing is let's say you you take a gig, but you're not into it, people will notice and nobody will be happy. Same thing. You you overtake advantage

Smaller Crews, Bigger Expectations

Vipul Bindra 1:01:20

of the client where they give you 10 grand, now you're like, oh, I'm making nine grand profit on the and you spend very little. Same thing, they'll notice the video, they'll be like, this doesn't feel like it's 10 grand, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the point I'm trying to make is it's a balance, right? And then you have to strike. You're like, if I gave someone 10 grand, what would I want them to do? Right. And if you do that, you'll always win. Because you're you're doing what you how you want to be treated, and usually most people want to be treated nice. Right. So so I think it makes it very simple because I've had people like, I don't know what my day rate should be. And and it's a good valid question to ask, but I'm like, what would you pay for? It's always fluctuating. Yeah. No, but I'll say, what would you pay yourself? Right now, be real. Like, what would you pay yourself? How much you need to make in a day? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Really what day do you want to do it? And then tell people that rate. And if they say no, then yeah, maybe try a different rate.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:04

You gotta listen to the market. The market will tell you what, and that's what that's the thing, too. Like, when I say my rate went up, it's really the market kind of told me my rate because uh I was saying 1200. Like, yep, you're yep, that's sound that sounds great. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Vipul Bindra 1:02:18

When that happens, you're like, hold on.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:19

How about 15? Yep, sounds good. I'm like, 2000. Uh, we got let me talk to the boss. Okay, I'm like, okay, now I'm around that range.

Vipul Bindra 1:02:26

Yeah, so you're like, let me try 1800.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:28

Yeah, yeah, you just kind of gotta play it, but you gotta risk saying get hearing a no. You know, you gotta risk saying a number and then be like, nah.

Vipul Bindra 1:02:35

But people also, I think in our industry don't like work like a typical business. So typical business, you go, I bought this laptop for this much, then I need to make this much for the rent, right? And this is what I need for utilities, this is for my employees, this is what I need to sell it for. Right. Makes it very easy for a Best Buy to operate. I think videographers don't think of themselves as that way because guess what? You got electric bills, you got laptop bills, you got internet bills, all that is for business, your cell phone bills, the hours you spend on the phone, yeah, or calls, or anything that accounts. Like if I spend, let's say I did a day rate thing for someone for $1,500, but I spent 10 hours on a phone call. That's different. Yeah, that's a 20-hour job now, not a 10-hour job, right? So so it's it's people don't uh account for that. I find that in our industry, it's common to not charge for that, and that's why they end up shortchanging themselves or not charge for it.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:25

And if you don't charge for it, you still charge for it. Indirectly, yeah, exactly. You know, so it's like okay, your your day rate's 1200, but then you work spent three days, now you divide that by three, now you really made like 500 a day or like 300 a day.

Vipul Bindra 1:03:38

And that's why I'm like, I I only do day rate stuff for friends. I don't, that's why I go to the clients because it there's just not value in it. Yeah, it's because uh and again, no offense, it's just of course uh because what I'm bringing on said would be 10x the price, right? You know, like I I worked with a sound guy recently, and I'm like amazing kid, amazing guy. But then I was like, I am bringing better equipment than him for about the same money, plus I'm bringing cameras, yeah, lighting, grip, I'm bringing everything. If I was to do I'm saying a day-based thing, I'm like, dude, I'm basically charging sound guy rate, and I'm bringing not only better sound, but I'm bringing all the whole rest of the production, which costs even more because you know, like lighting camera is also expensive. But what I'm saying is like, I'm like, huh. Yeah, I mean, not that that guy was doing wrong. I'm not saying at all that what the sound guy's charging or or bringing is wrong. It's just like saying the value that you're giving at some point is is incorrect. Yeah, right? But then I'm like, oh, I helped a friend. Uh, but to to be real, there's the other side of it. Uh, I had a gig where a friend recently tapped me in. He was like, hey, uh, you want to come help me baby this camera? And I'm like, Oh, let me recommend you a few people, right? Because that's not what I want to do. Right. But then he's like, hey, I'll give you uh, you know, X number rate. And then I go, you know what? You're telling me I don't have to bring anything. I clarified. I was like, you're telling me I will get up, I will show up, nothing in my because no, that's not normal for me. He was like, Yeah, I was like, okay, you know what? I'll do it. Because if you're telling me I have no expenses, then a lower rate makes more sense. Because guess what? I have no prep time, I have no call time. Yeah, uh, you he's already done all that. All I'm doing is just going up on set, making sure I bring my skill, and that's still value for them because I can help them put a light somewhere or whatever. There's something you know that they need help with. Yeah. Point is it's value for them, but it's value for me because um I had zero investment in it. So even though it's a lower number, so that's why I might also tell people like be flexible because if it it depends on what you're doing, is your worth. Now, not every job is that 10 grand job, right? Of course, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, uh, but but for my clients, I'm gonna do way more for 10 grand. Yeah, but it would be silly for me to be like, yeah, give me 10 grand for being a camera operator, where I would have to do that. Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. So you just have to plug in and play, and then that's where the network comes in, right? You plug each other into each other's jobs and you all grow together and you all work together. And I think that's this the the right way to move in this industry, especially what we do, because the narrative world is very different than what we do. But what we do, corporate and commercial video, yeah, you can make a very healthy living. You're a prime example of that. You came in completely different. I mean, not that you didn't know anything about video being as a stand-up comedian.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:24

Yeah, yeah, I know a little bit, but yeah, not nowhere near what I know now.

Vipul Bindra 1:06:27

Yeah, exactly. But within a couple of years you've been able to scale your business to where you're trending to hit 300k. Yeah. Right? Which is and you're making what 2K you would say average day rate would be where you're trying to aim for. Look at that. And that's doable because and I know you're not gonna maybe like this, yeah, not because of your uh filmmaking skills, but because of your smarts in business. Because you know what how to approach people, yeah, how to sell them on projects, and then how to execute them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The execution part is there, not to cut that the skill. You've been on my sets. I love uh yeah, you I know what you're capable of, but what I'm saying is, but you got there because you knew how to execute, right, how to learn, how to get all that done. Yeah, and I think that's the most valuable skill people can have. It's how to get those clients, how to close those clients, how to treat them right, how to how to uh get them what they want, whatever that is. Whatever that is, yeah, exactly. Help them find what they want, and then you don't know, and then I think the skills follow. Like you said, you didn't know what you know now, yeah, right? That you you can acquire, like right, you acquired, or I can find somebody who knows it. Exactly, right? Uh and I think that is a very doable thing. That's where people focus on, and that's where I'm like, we have I'm not selling no courses, we're not trying to, you know, make any money from this, it's just a passion project because I want people to listen from people who are in the ground, we make money from making videos, not making YouTube videos. And uh the goal being is to just to let people know, like, hey, operating a camera and all those skills matter, but people value them too much. They go straight into let me uh buy this course and I will somehow make a living. Can you have a conversation with somebody? You know, yeah, I think you're better off going and meeting people who are actually making a living, having coffee, meeting industry people. And I think uh David introduced me to Tommy Beal. Have you heard of him? Yeah, I've heard of it. So he was a guy uh who was who tracked his journey through one year on YouTube, um, and David um Morfield he recommended

How To Price, Say No, And Win Trust

Vipul Bindra 1:08:30

you know his YouTube channel, whatever. And what I liked about uh, you know, I didn't follow every video, but what I watched was uh uh he did it for a year, it you know, made his business improve. But his last video was like he he kind of quit almost YouTube because he was like, I got 20% business from YouTube, and obviously there was indirect benefits, but most of his, I think 30-40 percent, whatever the the numbers are, income came from quite literally uh meeting networking events. So three networking events gave him more value than 45, 50 YouTube videos. So it's like why not do 10? Why don't you go out? And that's what he said. What am I gonna do? I'm gonna go network more and meet people. So I think that was really cool to see for some people. I'm saying whoever was following him, because it's like the value in meeting people who they can either hire you or connect with other people who can hire you, or just teach you these skills. Because if you know how to talk to a client, you know how to find their need and fulfill their need, you will be successful.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:29

Yeah, right. You know, uh a quote that I've been working on, kind of like my my mission statement for my business is and for any business, is say what you're supposed to say, be where you're supposed to be, and do what you're supposed to do. Right. And uh the reason I picked those three is because like when I say say what you're supposed to say, like you have to be a good communicator. If you want to be in business, you gotta be able to understand what somebody's saying and communicate effectively that you're gonna execute on their idea, right? Be where you're supposed to be. The biggest reason clients come to me is that I'm everywhere. Like my business is on every platform, my SEO is optimized, my website looks nice, I'm in the circles networking with people. I know a lot of people. So I'm in a I have a lot of opportunities for people to find me. A lot of people, they're just like, oh yeah, I just like I post it on Facebook and that's it. You gotta be wherever you're if you're a plumber, get on Google. If you're uh a dancer, you gotta be talking to the dancing schools or something like that. And then um do what you're supposed to do. Be good at your work. If you're good at your work and you know how to um how to use your equipment, your tools effectively, you have all three of those. Yeah, I think there's it's inevitable that you're you're successful.

Vipul Bindra 1:10:42

Yeah, or find people. And if you're not there, then find the people who are there, yeah. And talk to them, hang out with them, right? Get in those circles. Yeah, exactly. I think that's so much more valuable than anything else. And at the end of the day, I think also just have fun. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:56

Definitely have fun.

Vipul Bindra 1:10:57

Yeah, because a lot of people get you might as well work as an accountant if you're not gonna have fun. Exactly. It's like what what we do is kind of fun and creative and just and in general, just be around, you know, cool people. So be a cool person, like you said last season. No, don't be a weirdo. Don't be a weirdo. That's that's the quote.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:13

Do not be weird. There's a lot of people I I have not hired because I'm like, you're weird.

Vipul Bindra 1:11:17

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:17

We don't want that on set. At least hold it in until the shoot's over. Yeah. Hold it weird in. Yeah, keep the weird in until like until we say that's a wrap.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:26

Jeez. Yeah, man.

Vipul Bindra 1:11:30

But I think also uh uh focusing on other people's, you know, uh like businesses too. There's a lot, sure, apertures, you know, shuttering or whatever, all that matters, but when you're helping someone, they're most likely need wanting you because you're they want to sell, I don't know, more more of their food or their product or service, whatever that that you're promoting through these videos is. A lot of people just listen and then they go straight into it'll be cool to do a shot of smoke away or punch in or whatever. And you're like, for a minute, you have to slow down and go, what is it that they're selling? Who is gonna buy it? Do they care about a punch-in or a smoke in? Yeah, it's like how is that telling a better story? Now that could be important if it's part of the story. I think that's what a lot of people miss. They're like, uh, what is the story element? Right, why would they buy it? And if you can solve that, if you could just stop and listen for a second, I think it's so much easier to do what we do. Yeah, I think just most people just listen five words and then just run for it. Just run for it, yeah. And then the other thing is just I think being able to say no, because it's not a bad thing to say or hear no. Some people just get butt hurt about hearing no. I don't I I don't know why, because you're not gonna get every client. Right. So I don't know. And I get it, it's a human nature to not not like being rejected. But at the end of the day, I'm like, I if I listen to someone, I give them a solution, and um, and I know you say sales, but I genuinely like if I'm saying something that's what I believe in, it then it's not sales to me. But they may think, oh, they just want to sell me five because you know if they're a new client, they don't know me yet, right? Um so so they may say, Oh no, I'm I'm I'm gonna go with this other option. And it's like it's okay, yeah. Awesome, good luck. Yeah, that's what I do. I'm like, that's that's fine with me. Because uh at the end of the day, I'm happy that they're getting what they want. Yeah, either they're gonna get what they want and they're gonna be very happy, which is good for me because I want nothing but success for them. Uh obviously, ideally through me, but if not, and then the th the other thing would be they don't get what they wanted, and then they call me right back and say, Hey, maybe we made a mistake. Let's do it. And I'm like, let's do it. I don't have that hypowery feeling because some people will go, Oh, you rejected me first time.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:45

I'm not working with you now, you know. No, I don't think it's that deep. The way I look at no and yes, yes is uh it's weird, like yes is more of an isolationist word because once you say yes to something, that's that you're locked into that that world, versus when you say no, you leave your possibilities open, you know. That's kind of how I look at yes and no, so that I don't that way my feelings don't get hurt. Somebody's like, no, you suck. And I'm like, okay, that means I have infinite options to to play with, you know?

Vipul Bindra 1:14:11

Yeah, no, but but I want to come back to so let's let's switch gears. I really like what you said a few minutes back, that you are where your clients, so everyone can find you. Right. How did you achieve that? What you do to to make sure people can find you?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:23

Um, I mean, it's it's been a long process. I think um, I mean, one, I I know a lot of people, that's probably the biggest thing, you know. So, like, I went to the filmmaker. I remember the first filmmaker meetup that they had. I was like, um, I'm kind of tired, I don't want to go, but I'm like, you don't know anybody. You gotta go. Yeah. So I went, and I think that's where I met you, Emmanuel, David. Like, I met like the core people that I know, and then that network kind of spread. Um, I designed a dope, dope ass website. Website's fire. Can we pull his website up, Martin? Oh, okay. Snap.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:56

Hey, hey, hey, oh, snap. We're getting crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:00

Uh badashfilms.com. Uh I was gonna say ash because people like uh yeah, built a nice website. Uh I paid to get it at SEO optimized. Um, I'm like anywhere that all the freelancer platforms, I'm I'm all all of those. They don't really get me as much, but I think because I'm the way uh the internet works is you have to you have to build a trust factor with your brand. So the more places you are, if you're on blogs, you're on websites, your SEO is optimized, you have an Instagram, Facebook, everything, now your brand has more trust on the internet, so it ranks higher on SEO. You know, so right.

Mario Rangel 1:15:40

Look at that. Let's see. I haven't looked at my website.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:43

I haven't looked at my website. Sheeshboard shoes, jeans. Yeah, no, nothing crazy, nothing crazy.

Vipul Bindra 1:15:54

Is this anything with R's yet? Or no? This is our a year ago.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:58

Yeah, yeah. You know, clean cut website. Yeah, you know what I mean, you know?

Vipul Bindra 1:16:06

Yeah. So who did you hire? Did you go to like Fiverr or some other SEO? I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:11

My brother's a web developer. So yeah. So he did the SEO for you. Yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:16:14

How much

Networking That Actually Brings Work

Vipul Bindra 1:16:15

do you think it would cost for someone if they wanted to do SEO?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:18

Um, it depends. It depends on like how complicated you want to go. Because like he he was gonna add like a bunch of blogs and stuff to my website. I didn't want to do all that. Um, and he gave it to me for free because he loves me. Um but yeah, it just depends on how how big your website is.

Vipul Bindra 1:16:32

So have you tested it? Do you actually go into the analytics of it? What number do you come up with? If somebody googles video production in Orlando.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:38

I haven't test so on that front, I haven't tested it.

Vipul Bindra 1:16:41

Google it. Google video production in Orlando. Don't change it to it. Yeah. Because they have ads and stuff. But see if badass films come on the first page.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:49

Because a lot of my clients who I've talked to recently, they they say they found me on online. Yeah. Yeah, either found me on Google or like different search engines and stuff like that. So, like majority right now, like about 50% has been.

Vipul Bindra 1:17:02

So, how do you approach that? So, that's a very good thing. So, let's say they found you in Google, they call you. What's an average call look like for you? What do they average call?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:10

Yeah. Um, usually, like, hey, how's uh usually they send me an email? It's usually through email first. Hey, I'm looking for this. Yeah, okay, uh, you're free for a call. I try to I try to get a call within the next 24 hours. If you wait too long, they can think, they can look at more people. Honestly, what I really do is I call them as soon as they send me the email.

Vipul Bindra 1:17:27

Yeah, you're like getting on the phone.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:29

Because that's the thing I realized, like speed matters more than anything. So it's like if you give them too much time to think, the price might go down, or they'll find somebody else. So they'll give me an email, hey Sean, uh I saw your website, I love this project. I'm looking for something just like that. Um, I want and they're always like, What's the rate? And I'm like, I'm not about to just give you a rate over the city. Yeah, exactly. So how do you answer that?

Vipul Bindra 1:17:47

Because that'd be a biggest a lot of people will have that. Because a lot of people just think, you know, it's like buying another thing, which is not. It's not, it's like buying art, which is complicated. It's complicated. Yeah. So how do you tackle that question? Like, what's your rate?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:59

Yeah, usually I'm like, well, I like to get on a call first and figure out what exactly you're looking for because this project, it took me a few days, different camera equipment. I gotta figure out what your needs are. So are you free within the next couple hours for a quick phone call?

Vipul Bindra 1:18:13

If you're sending me an email, let's say you're on the phone call.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:15

I'm on the phone.

Vipul Bindra 1:18:15

They say what's your rate, but you have no idea yet, right? Yeah. So how are you gonna answer them?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:20

What are you looking for?

Vipul Bindra 1:18:21

So do you say like the rates depend on what you're looking for?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:24

I just ask, like, what do you I I don't even say it depends on what you're doing?

Vipul Bindra 1:18:27

I wanna I want a three-minute video for my company website.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:30

You want a three-minute video? How much is that gonna cost? Are we am I filming it or you just want us to edit your video? No, you're you're filming it.

Vipul Bindra 1:18:37

You do everything. I don't know anything.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:38

So, what's the project? What do you what do you uh what's the what are we filming? I don't know. I don't know anything about video. So what's I guess what's your industry? Yeah, I'm a real estate agent. You're a real estate agent? Okay, so you're looking for like um like a highlight video for a home, a brand piece for your brand. Yeah, that a highlight video for a home? No, for for me. Oh, for you, yeah. Have you ever done anything like that before? No, no, no. No idea. No idea at all. Okay, and you want a three-minute video. Um, you have any examples of other people? You have nothing at all. Yeah, so why are you looking for the video?

SPEAKER_00 1:19:09

Where is this coming from? I know I'm thinking on Instagram before you call me.

Vipul Bindra 1:19:14

I'm making I'm making it too difficult on you. But no, I get the idea. Yeah, yeah, yeah. See, I I like what you're doing. I I think the point of this was people will panic and they give a number. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, I can't give it a number. Yeah, but the thing is, you that's arbitrary. I feel like my advice to my clients is if somebody just gives you a number, you run. It's the opposite of other things. Like, you know, if I go to buy a product, I want a price immediately. Yeah. Because otherwise I'm like something shady. It's the opposite here. If somebody gives you a price, because they're like, what is the price for? Right, right, right. You know what you're making, how many days or hours, or whatever you need.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:48

And I've been on some like the call, like the fake call we just did. I've been on some calls like that where like they just do not want to give me any details, but they they want a number more than anything. And I physically cannot give you a number. Yeah. You know, I feel like a liar if I just like, oh yeah, okay. Because I I have in the past where I've given a number and then I shoot myself in the foot in the long run, or I'm like, damn, I shouldn't have said I didn't know it was gonna be this complicated. So I really the the biggest thing on the calls is like, what are you looking for? Trying to figure out what the day is gonna look like. How cinematic of a video are you looking for? Is it something real simple? Social media, do you want 10 videos? Is it one three-minute or 10 30-second videos? Like, what are we trying to do? And get them to come up with the answer that way. I can say, You said I put that all in the contract, I have the scope of work, and like you said that this is what you're looking for, and this is what I'm gonna do. Exactly. Now here's a number.

Vipul Bindra 1:20:40

So let's talk. Uh, any recent projects that you did, you don't have to give the exact project, but I would love for you to break down on I charge and it doesn't have to be exact number, like I charge them 10 grand. Right. This is what the breakdown, let's how first you presented to the client, and then how you actually broke down as a producer, you know, the budget.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:56

Um, well, I had a uh uh recent the commercial project that the client reached out to me for. He um originally his budget was like I think like a couple thousand dollars, and but then he showed me an example. So I I love getting examples, examples are the best. Um, once he showed me an example, I was like, I'm like, oh yeah, you need a way higher budget than that. He's like, okay, yeah, well, let me know what the budget looks like. So I went through, uh, calculated the budget and then put together like what the team looks like. So that's kind of how I use that to calculate the budget. So I'm like, okay, I need a half a day for the um shot list, director, gaffer, producer, assistant director, AC, um, lighting, all this type of stuff. But I knew like because his original budget was only a couple thousand, I can't hit him with a $50,000 album.

Vipul Bindra 1:21:43

That wouldn't make sense.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:43

That wouldn't make sense, you know. Like I already know you probably can't afford nothing like that, but maybe you can afford around 10 to 15, you know. Uh, so I tried to keep everyone's race with within that range. Um, and then I pitched it to him basically, hey, like um looked at everything. If you want something of that quality, which I think you deserve because of the product that you're pushing out, you would want to have something of that quality. You don't want to cheap out on it. Um, this is what the price looks like. And he was like, Oh, okay, yeah, it makes sense.

Vipul Bindra 1:22:10

So, what would that price be? And then how would you break it down? And your so to the customer, uh client, whatever, what sort of rough price point you'd say on this commercial would be?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:20

On this one, um, so right now it's around around 12. So let's say 12. Okay. Yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:22:24

So now let's see the internal side of it. I want people to see the producer brain. Yeah. You've given 12 clients says yes. How would you roughly break it down? Right. And what kind of uh profit are you looking for? Um obviously it's not your rate. Yeah, you have your rate, and then the company. Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:40

I all of them, it's all on my Excel spreadsheet, but I think the biggest thing was like we have the pre-production side, which was like probably I I'll do it in percentages. Yeah. Um, pre-production was probably about 10 to 15% of the entire time to plan it, plan, everything calls, everything. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, all of that. And then the production side was

Sales Without Sleaze: Discovery First

SPEAKER_01 1:23:00

like around 70%. Makes sense. It's the most expensive side. I guess the most expensive side. And then the last part was an additional 15% for the for the edit.

Vipul Bindra 1:23:08

For the post. And then now what can you pull in? Because uh, you know, obviously the more you do, the more you can pull in for yourself. Are you gonna do the edit yourself? Are you gonna put it to the stuff?

SPEAKER_01 1:23:18

I'm gonna edit, but I'm gonna have someone else do the color color grade.

Vipul Bindra 1:23:21

You're gonna pull that that you're gonna off offset, but you can keep that post wrap because you're gonna edit yourself, right? Yeah, what about the production? Are you gonna be able to do anything in household?

SPEAKER_01 1:23:31

I just have my uh director's rate and then all of the um like the ins because I have insurances and stuff built in. I pay for that, but it's kind of like coming to me in a way. Um and then the pre-production rate. Okay, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:23:45

That's pretty good healthy margin. So you'd say what? What would be uh percent wise that you think you could for me? Uh about you in the end, you can get it.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:52

Uh probably about 15, 15. Yeah, that's pretty good.

Vipul Bindra 1:23:55

And that's not accounting for post, right? Right. So once you add post and the pre-production, you're looking at what a healthy 45% margin, you'd say?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:02

Um, no, I probably want to say maybe 40? I think like 30. 30. Yeah, yeah. Because right now, the thing I'm running into, um, as I so I the way I have the I have the budget, I have my Excel spreadsheet, I have the budget lined up, um, what I budgeted for, what the client expects, and then I have my total spent category for like what each category actually costs. So, like, let's say I have uh a DP and like I budgeted for $1,200, but he's like, hey, I'm 18. So now I gotta add him to the total spent 18. So now I gotta find somewhere else to take off $300 to bring it to make it all add up to $12,400. So I think that's what I'm running into now is like and it's at the end of the day, my budget is the least important, my pay. So like, like hey, if I gotta pay this guy an extra $300 to get a better quality DP, I'll take $300 out of my rate and add it to theirs. You know, so like it brings my percentage down from $40 down to 30. So I'm probably gonna end up with around 20, 20, 20 to 30, which is fine.

Vipul Bindra 1:25:02

20 to 40 is the standard, right? So that that's that's pretty good. And I the reason is I want people to hear because like people think 10 grand, they think, oh, 10 grand. Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's like not actually 10 grand once you, you know, and to make a good video, that's why it costs money. You know, you need people, you need groups.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:18

Oh, dude, I I've done a couple 10 10,000 projects where I'm like, I only made like a thousand.

Vipul Bindra 1:25:22

Yeah, you know, I mean, uh, that may be a little on the low side, but yeah, but I guess.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:26

That's when I first started, you know. So it's like, okay, $10,000 project. I'm like, oh, I got a chance to make something super crazy. See, that, yeah, if you're doing a portfolio piece, it's okay sometimes.

Vipul Bindra 1:25:35

Right. I know our friends who'll even uh take a loss, but but it was worth it because if you got 50 grand in projects from it, right, and you haven't done anything like that, then be worth it. Now you don't tell the client. Of course, of course. You know, you you book it, but now you go over, right? You're like, hey, let me just bring in that happen, a little sauce on it too that you wouldn't you don't have the budget for, right? But to take it to the next level, right? No, I I think that's very smart. Um now uh coming to the other side of it, how how's things at at home, personal life? How are you managing with family with all this extra workload that you added? Honestly, I don't work that much.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:12

Yeah, yeah, I'd be chilling, man. Lazy shit. I am lazy. Um, so when I first started, I was working all the time, which I think was good. When you're when you're getting your your uh your gas going, your engine going, you gotta really just hit the ground running. Uh so I was working all the time. I'm working any job I can get. If it's a $200 job, $500 job, if it's free, like I was just doing everything, so I was busy. Um, now a big reason why I I've also wanted to increase my rate is because I kind of like hearing no now, because no means I have my time, you know. But if I get a yes, I only need one yes to compensate for seven yeses two years ago. So back in the day, I need seven $500 jobs versus I only need like two $2,000 jobs and I'm good. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 1:26:57

Yeah, especially the smaller jobs, I'm sure. Obviously $10,000, you gotta spend more, but on those few thousand dollar carpet type of job, yeah, uh you can make more profit because I can make more you, right? Right. Are you doing any jobs like that in a still that where it's just you?

SPEAKER_01 1:27:11

You're doing all of it, like you know, sounds like not really what's your minimum that you aim for nowadays? Oh, like a total budget for a client? Uh minimum, usually probably like around 35 to 4,000. Yeah. That way I can at least have one other person to help out. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 1:27:27

You and an assistant, and then you can get healthy profit up once you take their money.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:31

I mean, but a lot of times, like if I'm being real, I like working with my friends. So like I work at Oliver a lot. So I'm just like, all right, cool, I'm I'm gonna get Oliver on this shoe. Even if I'm making less money, at least I get my friend working with me.

Vipul Bindra 1:27:42

And that's the networking side of it, right? And I'm sure then he does a repeat, right? He's gonna be saying, exactly. Yeah, be able to bring you on instead. But yeah, it may not justify, but then you're like, hey, right, it makes sense because he's gonna bring me. You know, again, yeah, you're helping each other, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:56

Yeah, so I'm like, any sh any shoe that happens, like, well, like I'll just it has to be two people. Yeah, no, I don't like working by myself.

Vipul Bindra 1:28:02

Yeah, no, it's it's very difficult. So that but that's a pretty good range that you have there. What's the highest project you've done so far?

SPEAKER_01 1:28:08

Highest, I think, was I think by the end of it, like 15, 15,000. Yeah, that's pretty good.

Vipul Bindra 1:28:14

That's pretty good for one video, or is that for multiple? One video, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:18

$15,000 video. That's pretty good. Not too bad. And you've been traveling a lot too, right? Yeah, a little bit of travel. Um lately. I'm going to next week, two weeks from now, I'm going to Ohio. Then I'm going to a shoot in Las Vegas, and then I have another shoot in Ohio again in August. How'd you get these jobs? These are just networking. Just networking? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So these are old clients that I work with that they just want to find me out. Look at that. Look at that.

Vipul Bindra 1:28:44

All right. Anything else uh that you learned in the last six months?

SPEAKER_01 1:28:47

In the last six months since I want to talk about NAB, but yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:28:51

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:51

But let's in the last six months, not really. I'm always I'm always learning. So it's like I'm I'm just constantly trying to build my skill level up. So like like right now, I've been leaning more into the director side of things. I know Orlando isn't the best place to grow as a director, um, but it's something I've it's my passion more than being a DP. Um, especially coming from a comedy background, sketch comedy. I love storytelling. I'm always writing. Um, so right now I've been, I guess that's the biggest thing I'm learning, like trying to learn how to be a better director. So with the commercial that we're shooting in a few weeks, uh, I'll be directing it. I've already the casting is pretty much done for the most part. Uh just got a location. So now I'm like, all right, cool. I gotta sit and direct the team. And you know, that's it.

Vipul Bindra 1:29:38

You gotta figure out which is the the main thing, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:29:40

You're you're like the puppet master, right? And even now, like with the cast we have, I'm like, I got their auditions and like some of their acting is okay, some some is really good, but it's like, all right, I gotta, I gotta figure out how to get you where I need you to go. And that's what excites me more than anything.

Vipul Bindra 1:29:56

So let's talk about uh NAB. So I know you went this year, uh, because that's where you've you said you got your or talked to DZ about your R's, right? Yeah. So what made you wanna go? It was that your first industry conference? Yes, first time. So what made you want to go to NAB? My friends were there? Makes it easier. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So uh what would you say you got because you know you you you weren't sponsored or anything, right? You went with your own money, yeah. Yeah, own money. So would you say you got the value out of it?

SPEAKER_01 1:30:23

And then what would that value be? Um, I did get I did get some value out of it. I mean, it wasn't that much money to go. So how many did you people were were you guys? I was like 12 of them. 12. Wow, so big group, big group. So the Airbnb was cheap. Yeah, um, the tickets, I think we got them for free. Yeah, um, yeah. So biggest thing I got would I would say, I mean, I never put my hands on an Ari camera. So I guess, oh okay, I get to play with an Ari, you know, or I get to see, I saw the DZO lenses. Um, and I met a lot of really cool people of from lots of different backgrounds, whether it's DP, Gaffer, Grips, people from all over the country. Uh,

Budget Anatomy Of A $12K Commercial

SPEAKER_01 1:31:00

I met someone who he's a professional musician and he does like music scoring for videos and stuff like that. And he's like probably one of the best that I've ever seen. He's he's good, you know. So, like, to I think the networking was the biggest thing I gained from it to know people from all over the country. That's that's invaluable.

Vipul Bindra 1:31:18

So, would you recommend to someone who's like maybe new or or you know been in the industry a few years to visit an industry conference? It doesn't have to be NAB. Yeah, they're sitting here. There's there's a lot of conferences, but would you would you recommend it? And what would you say would be the right approach?

SPEAKER_01 1:31:32

I think I'd recommend it if you know how to connect with people. If you don't know how to connect with people, figure that out here first and then go. Um, I I network all the time and I don't look at it like a job networking, but like, hey, how you doing? What's up, man? Like try to get to know people. Uh, if you're like that kind of person or you can figure out how to be that kind of person, yeah, go shake hands. Well, we met um, you know, Shane Halbert. Yeah. Um, so we're standing there and Oliver just asking for a quick photo. And he's like, he just started talking to us for an hour and just talking to us about like different projects he's working on, his uh his course and everything. And then he invites us to his private party after NAV. Yeah, so that we're hanging out with like him, his family, other people inside of his course. He like he took a picture, gave me a hug and stuff. I was like, oh, this is crazy.

Vipul Bindra 1:32:17

Yeah, and this is the good thing about our industry. So even though you may go, you know, this DP, yeah, or this the thing is, we're not that famous, we're not like we, I'm saying people in our industry are not like even the famous people are not like celebrities, right? So it's not a factor you can approach famous DPs and directors, and usually you can have a conversation and they're really chill. He approached us for most of the things exactly. Yeah, I was like, yeah, they love because we they love what they do and they want to talk about it, right? They don't have that typical celebrity factor where they're like, oh yeah, get away from me. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, which is so cool because you now you can talk to industry experts and leaders without having that that you know pushback.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:55

Yeah, and that's why I I think for anybody that wanted to go, I would say go because you never know. You might bump so because like we just mainly had a conversation, we hung out with him afterwards, but it could have turned into like a oh, we became tight. Yeah, you know, and then next and you never know next time when you go. He's up here again. What's going on, man? Like, yo, you want to come to the house for dinner? I'm like, ah, yeah. I'm kind of hungry.

Vipul Bindra 1:33:16

What are you feeding?

SPEAKER_00 1:33:18

What do you guys have? You guys make a steak.

Vipul Bindra 1:33:21

So uh what about brands? Was there any value in meeting any brands or anything?

SPEAKER_01 1:33:25

Um, I mean, I I have a connection at DZio now, so you know that was pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Yeah, and I think they give you a discount on the lenses too, just for that. Yeah, but I can't talk about that. Yeah, okay, it's delete that. Oh yeah. Um yeah, you know, like I I I met the DZO people, but I noticed a lot of the people around um at NAB, they know a lot of they know other industry leaders. So like the CEO of Black Magic. I have a friend that knows him, and people know the the uh executives at um at Aperture, you know. So it's like, and I think that's from going all the time. You meet people and you buy stuff there. Yeah, you farm relationships, yeah, get a business card, and let's keep connected with people, and you never know what that kind of is.

Vipul Bindra 1:34:07

So, did you buy your lenses there or you you bought them later?

SPEAKER_01 1:34:10

I bought them, I bought them, I had the conversation there, but I think like I guess it was that like that night, yeah, yeah. I didn't buy at any be, but I bought them that night.

Vipul Bindra 1:34:19

Yeah, yeah. Look at that, and then obviously it took them a while to ship them, right? Yeah, or did they have them? Did they give you the test set they had?

SPEAKER_01 1:34:25

No, I they shipped them out to me.

Vipul Bindra 1:34:28

I think those were very new. They just showed them off, right? Brand new, yeah, yeah, yeah. Special. Look at that, look at that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So uh so going back to the lenses a little bit, so uh, I know like we talked in the YouTube video, but what I really want to know is what made you go with the lesser, and I know they were the hot topic, right? Obviously, but like so as a DP, here's what what I looked at, right? When I was looking at both lenses, I was like, hey, they both look amazing. Because again, the same lens, right? They definitely craftsmanship-wise, amazing for price that you're paying for a lens. It's it's incredible. Main thing for me was like, oh, here's a lens I get that's one four, beautiful, warm look, you know, fits in most projects, and I can and and you know, very detailed is what I would explain it, but still have that nice fall-off. I really love the fall-off on them. But then I can quickly throw like an Hollywood black magic filter on it, or or some other kind of diopter, something on it to give it that vintage or some kind of character that people are looking for, right? Yeah, I wouldn't call them character less, but they're they're they don't have that much character. Versus when I looked at Luster, I was like, ooh, same thing, but a lot more character. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot more vintage looking, a lot more flaring, you know, a lot of that cool stuff. Same look, but a lot more character, but I cannot remove it. Right, that's at least my thought process going in. I was like, okay, so I can add it, but I can't remove it, even though this looks beautiful, right? But what if a project says, Oh, I don't want that look, right? I don't remove it. So, what made how because you know you could have bought either with them, I'm sure they would have been happy to help you with either. What made you justify that I want the look there all the time?

SPEAKER_01 1:36:08

I think um we had the same mindset when buying them, it's just in reverse. So, like, I was like, Okay, I want my videos to have a look to them, and the luster provided that. Yeah, so like I'm gonna get those. And if I don't want to look, I'm like, I'm like, most likely all my videos, I'm gonna like the look with these luster lenses. If I don't want to look, I'll just rent the R's.

Vipul Bindra 1:36:32

Makes absolute sense. You know what I mean? And see, I have the exact reward stuff. It's like, oh, and I've on the look, I'll just rent the Luster. Yeah. So this is so amazing and this is why why I want people to hear this conversation, is because neither of us are wrong. Right. It's just the thought process, and it's the same thought process, technically. You're like, hey, I want the look.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:52

I want the look, but if I don't want it, but if I don't want it, I can yeah, or I can just shoot my photo glass. Like I'd be okay.

Vipul Bindra 1:36:57

Yeah, you you have options, it's not like you're limited. I mean, there's so many cheaper uh clinical or nicer lenses out there, like Nisi Athena's and right, you know, uh Aureus, I think they just came out of it. So I'm saying you you have a lot of options, right? So it justifies the same thing for me. I was like, if I want the look, yeah, they make they themselves make like vest bids, and there's so many options that have the look, so I can get the look, or you could just add filtration to give Arles a look. Uh so it it totally justifies. I don't think the approach is at all technically, I think it's the same approach, it's just the same approach. Which first approach you want to go with?

SPEAKER_01 1:37:31

I mean, because like you said, like your clientele, you probably don't want to have a look on majority of your shoes, it's very clean, you know.

Vipul Bindra 1:37:37

Yeah, for me, I mean or we want to do it, but we do it in post.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:40

In post, yeah, yeah. But like posts don't look the same.

Vipul Bindra 1:37:43

Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's not gonna have that vintage character. Yeah, it's not gonna have it. I try to avoid vintage character unless we're doing like a documentary. That's where it's perfect. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:51

Well, so like the lenses don't really have it's not necessarily vintage unless you have like the the flaring is the biggest thing with the lenses. Like it looks pretty much exactly the same as the R's except for the flaring. Yeah, yeah, the amber that and the flares, have you seen the flare? Yeah, I don't know. They look nice, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:38:08

Ah, exactly. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The look is amazing, yeah, yeah. It's just how they flare up. Even the R's flare up really nice, but they're they're not amber, right? They're not amber, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:17

Um, yeah, so like for my clients, I'm like, like we we just shot uh a corporate like web banner piece with the with the Arls Lester the other day, and I'm like, the client's like, whoa, this is in like she kept saying Netflix, Netflix, Netflix, you know what I mean? So it's like okay, my clients like it. It's it has if you see stuff on my page, it's gonna have a specific style and tone to it. So it's like, okay, I can stand out from the competition in a lot of ways in the aspect.

Vipul Bindra 1:38:44

No, that's that's a very good way to think about it. And I think, and I think that's mainly what it is. I think people should hear the approach, right? And there's no right or wrong as well, it's just your approach. Yeah, exactly. And I think at the end of the day, your clients will be happy if you give them a good way to do it. Yeah, that's all that really matters. I don't even know they diff know the difference between them like, oh, you have the luster, not the uh you have the rescue, you know, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:08

And I and I do do a lot of documentary style shooting too, so I think that's a big thing. So like a lot of my stuff is like running gun, or I wouldn't use these for corporate events, um, but for like a brand story piece where it can have

Directing Ambition And Casting Choices

SPEAKER_01 1:39:20

like a nice, unique look for for uh for a brand. I'm like, can't beat it.

Vipul Bindra 1:39:24

Have you put it on your B cam yet? What's your B cam again? Uh A7S3, A7S3. Yeah, yeah. Pretty much like an FX3. So how has that uh been comparing for UA and B? It's beautiful. Beautiful, yeah, yeah. What adapters did you go for?

SPEAKER_01 1:39:36

Uh uh PL and PL Map.

Vipul Bindra 1:39:38

But is there a specific brand you went with or no?

SPEAKER_01 1:39:40

Um I got them on B and H. They're a little pricey, but I don't think there's a a specific brand. Okay. Yeah. I don't remember. Yeah, no, that's right.

Vipul Bindra 1:39:48

And and if anyone wants to see the difference, we we did do a YouTube video so they can go compare the check it out. The two, yeah, and see what which one they like better. But I think either way, you can't go wrong. And like I said, it definitely changed my mind on these. Chinese lenses. I was like, this is incredible. They've come far since I used the Pictor Zoom. Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy. And I'm even thinking about the Vespa 2 now because I was like, with the cook, it has a cook technology in there. Yeah, it also has that uh the eye data. Yeah, the data, which uh I've been thinking about them for my 8K uh Ronin because they're smaller. That's where I was like, you can't put the RLs on that. Yeah, you can. So I was like, if we can go put those on there uh for the time we wanted.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:26

I actually just bought another cinema set, um, the Typok Typox. Oh, Type, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:40:31

What made you go for them? So you have a clinical set now then. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:35

They're clinical. Yeah, they're yeah, they're more like yeah, they they're just like basic cinema lenses. They look they look clean, uh, nothing really special except for like the edges.

Vipul Bindra 1:40:44

Um I saw them, but I I I wasn't that impressed. So what made you go with them?

SPEAKER_01 1:40:48

Well, I wanted a smaller set.

Vipul Bindra 1:40:50

Same thing, something for gimbal. Something for gimbal, you know. Why would why did you not go for Vespeit 2s? Because they were Vespeit even ones, they would match way better with I like how the Typog look more.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:59

Okay. Yeah, if I had more of a commercial look when I was looking at it. I think the Vespid, I mean when I was looking at my kind of has a little bit of like a retro feel, yeah, and a lot of stuff I was seeing. And also when I was at uh that's a reason, big reason I wanted to go to NAB, I want to play with all these cinema lenses. To see what you like. You see these YouTubers, but it's like they're not you're not showing me what I want to see.

Vipul Bindra 1:41:18

How much, how much is this set?

SPEAKER_01 1:41:19

Sorry, uh um, I think like 3500 for the five lens kit.

Vipul Bindra 1:41:23

Wow, that's so changing. Yeah, with the price.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:27

Yeah, it's insane. It's insane. So DZO actually owns Typok, that's like a subsidiary company. So kind of like talking to my connection.

Vipul Bindra 1:41:35

So same thing, you could probably uh get a deal on that. Yeah, but you can't talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:39

You can't talk about it, delete that, delete that. Oh man. Um yeah, so like I just talked to her. I was like, hey, like you guys had can I can you throw these in with my uh lesser set? She was like, Yeah, I got you. Yeah, that's a good deal, right? You know, and well it wasn't the same price, but yeah, yeah, no, no, I know what you mean.

Vipul Bindra 1:41:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they they they did a deal with you, obviously, which is which is fair, because you know you're you're buying this much, you know, right buying a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:04

It's like, all right, cool. Because I I knew I'm like, I can't, my A7S can put use the RLs, but like if I'm on a gimbal, if I'm on handheld all day, you know.

Vipul Bindra 1:42:13

That's the only thing I realized, which is not that we were doing gimbal, we were doing handheld, poor manual. His arms must have been tired because we we did this, you know, about three days, two and a half days, uh roughly, right, Mario?

Mario Rangel 1:42:23

Yeah, yeah, two and a half days, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:42:25

So it was it was pretty pretty long days. Um so for manual to be handholding, and you know, for but I think he did great. But yeah, right. Those are those lenses are amazing. I mean, on on sticks and even handheld, I think they work great, but I wouldn't put an R on again both. Yeah, and that's what's like my my Ronan AK wouldn't even handle it. Yeah, yeah. So I need to set now uh where I'm using R to go with it, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:42:48

So Vespa'll probably be perfect for that.

Vipul Bindra 1:42:50

Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. But again, like you said, I need to go to one of these industry conferences. Maybe I'll wait till next NAB. Um, or um what's the one that happens in September? Um Sinegar or something like that. So Cynegar just happened. Ugh. Look up uh what's the conference, like video video production conference in September, October? Resident New York or here? Not here. Infocom just happened too. That's the infocom is here, right? Yeah, yeah, that already happened. There's one that happens. Uh yeah, you know, it's there's so many. I'm forgetting. Hopefully, Mario can find out. Yeah. Uh but I'm saying, yeah, I need to go to, like you said, one of these conferences and just test them out.

Mario Rangel 1:43:26

And see which one uh uh post-production world? No. Las Vegas?

SPEAKER_01 1:43:32

No. Yeah, when I when I was at NAB, we played with uh we had the Nisi, the Blazor, there were some other brands I've never heard of. Dzio, uh Surey. So many. Yeah, and I got to play all of them. I'm like, okay.

Vipul Bindra 1:43:46

And then what's the one that I like? Uh to be honest, uh Lawa. Yeah. I own their Pro Blends, they're also killing it. Yeah, I I need to upgrade my Pro Blends, and I was just like, now I'm debating because I'm like DZO came out with one too. So I'm like, do I go with Lawa, the one I have in the past? Yeah, or do I go with DZio? So this is where where I think an industry conference is perfect. Makes sense. You can go test it out, see which one you like better before you commit.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:09

And after playing, I played with like the Nisi, the Nisi, new, the new, I forgot the Athena or Aureus is the new one.

Vipul Bindra 1:44:15

Aureus, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:15

Yeah, those are nice, but it was like too perfect.

Vipul Bindra 1:44:19

Yeah, it was no character, which is why I'm like, I I was I was very close to buying those. Yeah, then I'm like, I don't know where to fit them. I might as well just use it.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:26

We had we were doing like the flare test, and it was honestly like no flare. I'm like, oh my, this is weird. Yeah um and then uh the blazer, I'm like that's too much. Sure, they had some cool lenses, but they it just it didn't really speak to me. But when I played, when I picked up the luster and we had it on, they put it on, I think it was like a red Komodo or something like that. I was like, oh, this is immediately I'm like, I ain't never I've never seen something so beautiful.

Vipul Bindra 1:44:48

So how would you compare that to the Typock Samara C, I think?

SPEAKER_01 1:44:52

Um Typock, I feel like that's just a a little bit higher jump than a photoglass, like a G Master. It just has a little bit more of that cinematic quality. Yeah, the fall-off basically.

NAB Takeaways And Real Connections

SPEAKER_01 1:45:06

Right, yeah. So it's like probably like a 15% jump over uh over a G Master lens versus like the ROs are like a 50% jump. Yeah, that's a complete big jump. Yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:45:17

But it's also a certain look. You know, you are buying into the way I would say is emulating cook look, right? Both of them are warmer, right? They have that you know thing where the skin tone, you know, yeah, yeah, it's giving you that look. So it is a look that you're buying into, right? But it's cleaner than their let's say vest bids, right? Which are like you said, they're they're straight up vintage, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, like modern vintage, yeah. Uh the these uh but like I said, I was surprised. I'm glad I'm I've made a good choice. I I genuinely was like not sure. Yeah, my thing is again, I buy things I'm gonna use, yeah, and we're about to use them again on Tuesday, so they're they're gonna get used. So uh so I'm like, okay, that means it's a good investment. They're gonna get used, they're gonna get rented out, they're gonna pay for themselves. Because initially I was worried. I was like, who's gonna, you know, are we gonna use them again? Um, and then uh so what's next for investments? It seems like you've been investing in here. You think you're done? Are you sure? I think I believe it.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:11

I think I I I think I'm done.

Vipul Bindra 1:46:13

So if you could add anything, let's only make it hypothetical.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:16

If you could add anything to your kit, what would it be? The only two things I could see in the next five years would possibly be uh 1200 watt light. Um I don't like I I don't like renting gear a lot of times because I'm like sometimes like hey, I get a shoot tomorrow and I gotta find this gear, I gotta find this light. I'm like, I I have everything I need, so I'm good. Um so it'll probably a 1200 watt light because that's something that I I've needed a few times. And and I feel like it rents pretty well if you have a 1200. Um, and then possibly another camera.

Vipul Bindra 1:46:48

Camera? Yeah, what camera are you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 1:46:50

Anything in mind? I mean, I black magic is nice. The 12k? No, I like this. The Cine is nice too. Um, but I'm waiting to see if one of my friends guesses I can just use it, use theirs.

SPEAKER_00 1:47:00

Seriously.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:02

I don't have anything like because like you look at like the red, the red has something special. It's like the filmic quality about like the red cameras. All right, here we go. I mean, uh yeah, it's it's nice. It's nice. Yeah, no, no, no, the red camera doesn't. Yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:47:16

But I feel like for me, at least they're not limited to just virtual production. Right. I am not I haven't used them outside of virtual production. Now again, yeah, Nikon bought them, they're doing they may hopefully do something really cool. I I have nothing against red. I love red cameras. I used to own multiples, I just know that they never paid for themselves.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:33

Right. That's all I know. Yeah, so that's why I wouldn't buy one. Um if I was going for like quality, it sound might sound crazy, but some of the videos I've seen on like the Lumix cameras.

Vipul Bindra 1:47:44

Oh, they're the new ones are killing.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:45

I'm like, yo, I wish you didn't have that Lumix logo on your camera.

Vipul Bindra 1:47:50

I mean, they could come back. I don't know why they killed their cinema division, which I mean, I guess we all know. Oh, is that what they got rid of their cinema division? So so they had they had the last one was uh I mean they had the yeah, they they had really crazy. I think uh they were used, I mean, for movie making. But I'm saying the last one they released that was like more like FX6 style was the Eva one or whatever. How long ago was that? Five, six years ago. Wow, yeah, it just didn't work. It didn't work for them. So they killed the division. There, but they are not coming back with a bang. Like I said, I used to have Lumix cameras back in the day. Nice. And uh they are um, I think coming back with the uh, you know, and also in my school, actually, when I went to school, that's the the cameras they were using. So they the Panasonic's been in the in the industry, but uh let's underrated very underrated. Here's the thing yeah, they have stiff competition. Hey, if they if they even decide to bring cinema division, they don't have to. But you know, the the the thing with Sony and uh uh Ari and all these cams, like they have is like you can upgrade, like with Sony, you can literally go up to the Burano, but then to the Venice 2, and you can go make a Hollywood movie, right? Right? There's no like oh yeah, what do I use? Like you can look go be like making your next movie and you can have a FX3 Crash Cram, FX2 Cash Cram, FX6, you know, as your C cam, whatever. Point is there's a whole ecosystem, which is how they've been it. Not that the cameras are better or whatever, right? Venice 2 is now fully accepted in all per all levels of production. I'm talking top in movies. I mean, what uh Top Gun was shot on a Venice or Venice 2, right? Point is like that the the they're somehow they've broken through that REST, you know, they still have the full grip, but they're like they're another indication standard you can change. Yes, but Sony's now fully accepted. Like if you're like, I'm making my movie in Venice 2, yeah, nobody's gonna blink an eye on you. Sounds good. So that and then that the advantage to you you get is like, hey, I know an FX3 that you can now grow into full uh uh movie without like making a full movie without uh you know changing brands or whatever, which Panasonic doesn't have. I think they're currently targeting content creator market, right? Yeah, which is good, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:53

Yeah, and the cameras are cheap, they're shooting. They look so good, bro. Like Oliver has uh I forgot which Lumix he has on G8, some whatever, Mark II. Um, but like we shot we shot a video for KFC, and like I shot my FX6, he's trying to Lumix, and I'm going through and editing. I'm like, why do these shots just look creamy? Yeah, it looked like I had a cinema lens on it.

Vipul Bindra 1:50:13

And I think now you can even buy the Log C R E Log C on my click and upgrade. Uh again, not doesn't make it Ari, but you can get that straight log out of it. You don't have to go do the conversion and right.

SPEAKER_01 1:50:24

So I wouldn't I wouldn't buy it, but I think um in the next few years, and this is like five years, that's probably really the only two things I need.

Vipul Bindra 1:50:31

But have you been paying attention to guess who's making a film camera? Fuji. Yeah, we call it Sarna.

SPEAKER_01 1:50:37

Yeah. They didn't let us play it was in like a glass box where we looked at them like that thing looks sick. Fuji that'd be insane.

Vipul Bindra 1:50:44

Yeah, dude, they Fuji knows how to do it. They got the branding. I know uh people have talked about like co the sounds of canon and red and all this, but Fuji knows how to they they they've been in the game too long, yeah. So again, not saying I don't have interested the camera, right? I don't know if it'll be accepted by the industry, but there's a high chance of Fuji making a camera in it being accepted than Panasonic. Right, yeah, it's just the case and they are already making it, yeah. And it's also a medium format sensor, so which is gonna be crazy to have uh that huge of a sensor. Yeah, industry is already struggling because you know movies are still made on Super 35, yeah. So there's still uh obviously a lot of movies are being made on large format, but I wonder who's gonna make a movie on medium format. That's yeah, that's gonna be crazy. Like uh, I mean IMAX movies. Or no one, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:31

That should be coming out like next yeah next year, right?

Vipul Bindra 1:51:33

Yeah, it's supposed to come out this year, supposed to come. But they have very little information.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:38

Yeah, they just had a box and then they were like, this is the camera.

Vipul Bindra 1:51:40

Yeah, they don't have to do much, is what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:42

So they oh and their booth was hot at NAB, so they're good.

Vipul Bindra 1:51:45

Yeah, so they're they're they're then but the thing is that they're not uh they know how to make lenses, they know how to make cameras. It's just they're forced for it into like a cinema world. Yeah, and not that they're doing anything different. What's crazy is I think it's the same sensor as this in the GFX Mark II or whatever. So it's not like we haven't seen this sensor, right? It's just I don't know that many cameras that have that giant sensor. Yeah, yeah. So it may be something to look out for. Not that it matters again,

DZO Lenses: R vs Luster In Practice

Vipul Bindra 1:52:10

right? Just like Pixis 12K. Could I buy one? Yes, I could have bought three Pixis 12Ks for the I paid for my drone in 8k because you know you have to add accessories and all the stuff to make it basically work. And I was like, I could have easily bought three Pixas 12Ks. So I think it just comes down, at least for me, is just demand. If if you know you start calling me, you're like, Whipple, if you buy, you know, I I need a 12k operator or whatever, right, right. I'm like, okay, it makes sense. But until that happens, you know, it just doesn't make sense. Because the camera may be beautiful, the sensor may be beautiful, but so is like you said, a Lumix. So is the 8K, so is FX6. Cameras are just so good now. So good now. I don't think it matters. It just matters is what you get hired.

SPEAKER_01 1:52:50

I think if I I was looking at the Ronin a while ago, and I'm like, if I did buy a camera, I probably would have got that one too. Because like I'm like, it has something that none of the other cameras have.

Vipul Bindra 1:53:01

What it can and and here's my thing. So like I said, I was looking at Burano, here's my the way I justified it. I was looking at Burano and Ronin was always in my back of my mind. The thing is, I would have bought 6K a long time ago when it came out. The thing was, every video I saw that it had that uh Moire issue or Moire, you know, basically patterns. And I try to tell my clients not to wear pattern shirts, you know, but in series, I can't guarantee it. They may have some employee, and uh, you know, and I and obviously I know you could diffuse it, you could try to take it out. I just didn't want to deal with that. Yeah, plus, you know, I the whole point of that camera would be run and gun. Yeah, I'm not gonna have patterns of wide balance. So the 6k looked incredible, I just could never justify it. But the sensor was not the best. So what I hate though is you can get a 6k for 5k and it doubles your price just to upgrade the sensor to 10k. Yeah, I think the price they're asking for 8k is a little too much. I know you get the one terabyte card and a lens in it, so it's not but I'm just saying still a one terabyte card, a lens, and an 8k from 6k should not double the price of the camera. I still think they charge too much, but that's why I got it because the 8k has the OLPF. So, which means no more Mario, plus skin tones look nicer, the sensors better, and the and then it can do shots than my FX6 can. Right. I'm not replacing my FX6s or any other cameras from FX3s.

SPEAKER_01 1:54:19

But if you need a specific kind of shot, it can do it.

Vipul Bindra 1:54:21

Exactly, especially uh events and conferences or yeah, fast run and gun stuff. I love the tracking part. Yeah, like with a normal gimbal, not that we can't, we've all learned the ninja walk, right? This just saves you from having to do the ninja walk. Yeah, so you just track, you move the camera, it automatically tracks, you get the shot. So again, uh I think it's very unique. And now I think it's being accepted, which it took three years to get accepted, but now it's been on Civil War, it's on adolescence, so it's being accepted by Hollywood finally. I think there was another movie that Mel Gibson directed, uh Flight Risk, I think. They also used it there. So multiple movies now have used the Ronan and TV show. That's so I think it's finally getting accepted, and I think it's for that reason. It's just so unique, it doesn't replace any camera. It's just it's its own thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:55:10

It's something that no other camera can do. It has.

Vipul Bindra 1:55:13

And so far, in my limited time, so we've only had it for a little bit. Yeah, so I don't want to full review comment. I'll I'll probably drop a YouTube video at some point. But the main thing for me was just the weight. Uh, I don't know why the camera is so heavy because it's actually a very small body. Small, yeah. All it is is a gimbal, a four-axis gimbal with a very and I'm talking the native glass too, so it's very lightweight plastic essentially, and then a small body. I don't understand where the weight is. Yeah, why is it dense? And I even tried the V mount, the small V mount battery.

SPEAKER_01 1:55:43

Is it the body that's really heavy?

Vipul Bindra 1:55:45

Yeah, I mean, again, it's not the heaviest. If you compare it to FX2, three, I'm sorry, FX6 on a gimbal, it's probably lighter. But if they compare it to like FX3 on a gimbal, it's it's very heavy, and uh to go all day would require obviously some strong muscle. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that would be the way easy. I would probably have to get back. So I basically sold my easy rig. Yeah, I went to Cine, uh the not Cine Saddle, Cine Saddle sets up, it's called a sack right there. I don't know if you see it. And it's great for FX6 and FX2 because you know you can rest it, yeah, it gives you that handheld look, but it won't work because the sensors are at the bottom for the Ronin. So I have to buy an easy rig again. So that's more expensive for a camera.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:23

I will say the only downside from you with the Ronin, it's the ugly camera. Yes, that's the ugliest camera of all time. See, this is why I would never show up just with that.

Vipul Bindra 1:56:31

You show up with these, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:33

And then you're like, Yeah, because like your client will probably be like, oh wow, look at the buttons on the FX. That's so cool. What kind of camera? Ronin's like, ooh.

Vipul Bindra 1:56:40

Yeah, and and that's crazy, is that two uh I would say with accessories, you can buy two FX6s for the price of one of those. So it does not look its price like a blue. Yeah, yeah, it definitely doesn't. But it does not look like anything else on the market. Yeah, too. And the shots that you can get, that's what I'm saying. I don't think it's a sole camera. Yeah, I I wouldn't just go buy it as your only camera. No, no, no. But I do think it's a very good B or C camera where you're like, I need this. I need my interview or my whatever A roll, and now I need moving shots, walk and talks, where B roll tracking shots. I think that's where it fits in. That's where at least we're gonna try and fit in, and hopefully it'll it'll work great. Um and uh but yeah, I'm excited. Like I said, like I said on my last episode, the lineup, I I did some thought process too. Where do I see Bender production? And and to be honest, having used reds, having used Aries, having used Lumix, I've used I don't know any camera. I I really was like, this is what makes most sense and makes money. I am still going to invest in a Burano, I think. That'll become the primary, like I said, that'd be the offer for the the medium-sized shoots, right? With the all's or maybe a couple more lens senses sets, and then so Burano, two FX6s, two FX3s, uh, and FX2 for photography. Mainly, I know people don't like that camera, but I think it's gonna fit well. I'm gonna get rid of my FX30s because they're just sitting brand new there. I I just don't use Super 35. Yeah, it's really good camera, but it's not for me. And then uh Ronin 48K, it will be our like run and gun style, you know, camera. And I think that's a very good lineup as a production company. What do you think, Mario? Any uh about the lineup?

Mario Rangel 1:58:18

I think it's great. Wait, wait a second. Here, okay. Yeah. No, I think uh I think it's great. If you're selling the FX30, maybe I can buy it from you. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:30

Yeah, no, I think one dollar.

Vipul Bindra 1:58:33

Yeah, you learned the sales lessons. No, I'll tell you why. Uh my initial investment to FX30 was it made no it made absolute sense. You're telling me FX3, I think one of the most I don't like mirror-less cameras, and I was like, wow, this is this is perfect. I know some people have complaints about it. I like the way FX3 buttons are laid out. So I was like, you're telling me I can have the exact same body, but for like less than half the price, yeah, and I could fit in and it'll deploy with the same line, the same. You see what I'm saying? It just was a perfect fit. The problem is I I don't like mixing formats. I have nothing against Super 35 or APSC, whatever you can call it. But the thing is, I just don't like mixing the look. Right. And so I bought them brand new, they're literally matching serial numbers, like you know, one's like a two with the other three, like yeah, they came out of the same box. So they were bought at the same time, and they have been used one camera like once and one twice. Yeah, so they and the reason is wherever I try to deploy them, I have an amazing camera, really good look. Even photos, 33 megapixel, the look wouldn't match. The photo doesn't match to a full frame look, right? So if you're in the two if you own two FX30s, I think you're good as a production company. But and because the lenses would be cheaper with the Sigmas new and I don't know if you saw the 17 to what 40 millimeter one point. That lens would be incredible. I used to have the original, the 1835 1.8. So I'm thinking they have great lenses that are cheaper, that are nicer. Uh but it only works, I think, at least for.

Building A Practical Camera Lineup

Vipul Bindra 2:00:00

Me if you're you know all the cameras match. I don't like mixing a super 30 with full frame. Somebody may and good for them. But yeah, that's basically where I bad is even though it's incredible cameras, they don't fit in my workflow. And I'd rather not have two things sit. I'd rather be go and deploy it and somebody else get a really good use out of it. So yeah, I'm gonna get rid of them basically sitting brand new. I heard that. Yeah, yeah. And I get the FX too, because I think for me, even though it's a terrible thing from Sony, the way they're doing it, I think it fits better because it's um it can do photo and video at the same time. So I can deploy in more for those four shoots where we're we're just yeah, can you get a photo real quick? Yeah, or can you do headshots? Yeah, I got headshots, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Awesome, man. Can't believe it's been two hours. Yes, already. Oh second time. What do you think? So before we go, I'm gonna ask you, what do you think about so you are one of the few people who are in season one is gonna be on season two? How would you compare to the two?

SPEAKER_01 2:00:57

Um, I like it. I like the setup. I love the setup a lot more. I feel like it's it's cozy. Um, I mean, I gotta see the final product before I can.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:05

You can see it right there.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The head is still shining. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I think we got it. Yeah, I love it. I love it, man.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:14

I think you're on the right track, bro. Yeah, and you what do you think about Mario? Should we keep him or should we fire him?

SPEAKER_01 2:01:19

Mario, Mario can always Mario's always welcome, man. Mario's a vibe. If it wasn't for Mario, I wouldn't be here right now. You hear that, Mario? I can't judge.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:27

I really wanted to do that Joe Rogan thing where you know we can pull up things, we can see. Yeah, I don't know, just make it more interactive. That's cool. Uh plus I like Mario, you know, he's a good one. Yeah, Mario's a vibe. Maybe I'll tell you. All right, this has been fun. So again, uh, thank you, Sean, for coming. Before we go, please tell people your, even though I know we pulled your website up.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:46

Tell people your website, your Instagram, where they can find you. Uh, just type in badass films on Google and you'll find me. And that's Ash A S H don't type badass films at what I don't know who that is.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:59

But it's always a pleasure talking to you, man. I I like I really like uh the conversations that we have, they're so fun. And uh it's it just I don't know, it just brings that energy of why I love what I do. Yeah, it's because uh I get to talk to people like you and have you in my network, it's just incredible. And now with the the asset that you purchase of like lenses, I know I also have a a person that I can approach to rent equipment from or whatever. I think it's just incredible. So again, it's been a pleasure. Yeah, uh, yeah, yeah. So uh, but no, uh thank you for coming and uh keep up, uh keep watching. Uh see you next Thursday. See you next time.