New Studio, New Season, Same Mission

Vipul Bindra 0:04

Welcome to another episode of Studio B Sessions with me, Bendra, owner of Bendra Productions here in Orlando. And just like every other episode the season, we got Mario on the producer table. Say hi, Mario.

Mario Rangel 0:16

Hey guys, how are you today? Welcome for our next episode.

Vipul Bindra 0:20

And good. Look, uh the most viewed episode guest is back from season one, David Morfield. David, thank you for coming. Yeah, man. You already changed everything. Yeah, I know, right? It's the same. That wasn't like technically the lighting is the same, right? Uh, but um, but yeah, we did change everything. This is what I wanted to do, if that doesn't tell you. This was the intention, but then you know that podcast was kind of just thrown together.

David Morefield 0:43

Well, I do like how you were like, Oh, I want to do a podcast, and then you're like, All right, I'm already done. Yeah, and I'm like, Oh, you can do things that fast. And then you got the basis for, but I wanted to do this, which is a very, very cool setup, right?

Vipul Bindra 0:58

And this so this was the intention. We finally have achieved it, and like I said, I want to thank Mario so much for helping me this season because you know it it takes I can't do everything, right? Last season was just one camera, me recording, doing ATEM, everything at the same time, while managing a conversation. Guests were awkwardly closed, you know, because because of the angle that we had to have. So I feel like this is more relaxed. This is uh, you know, and and the whole point of this is just unfiltered, raw conversations, uh not unedited, you know, from real industry professionals that make a living doing this, uh, you know, instead of I don't know, some brand shows or whatever.

David Morefield 1:35

I like the couches. I would like to have an L couch in my life, and uh so I'm I'm scanning the couch. Yeah, look at that.

Vipul Bindra 1:43

No, it's pretty fun. The amount of people have come. Obviously, this blue one was a new edition, uh, but we've had uh, you know, that couch, and the amount of people that have come in and the conversations we've had, the monies that's been made is crazy. Uh, talk about that. We just made a YouTube video about showing the studio before and after uh that was done before this new change. But that's literally what I was saying in there. It's like the the what's this given me is not like you think, oh, you're doing a lot of shoots here or whatever. No, it's given me access

Why A Studio Creates Opportunity

Vipul Bindra 2:10

to A, somewhere to prep the equipment, and B, even though we did do a couple shoots, but mostly uh be able to have friends over, be able to have other industry people over, and we can have these conversations where we can talk about projects, we can just uh you know transfer data, or we can just chat or catch up, and it's led to other opportunities that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

David Morefield 2:30

Yeah, you're making an an environment that has the option for an opportunity to randomly pop up, and like I get that request so much where people hit me up and say, Hey, I'm new in a town, or I just started, or I'm whatever. Uh, let me know if I can jump on one of your shoots for free, paid, whatever. And I just don't have those options to provide for people, like it's I don't have it. Yeah, and I also don't have that many of them. But I ask them, Well, what what are you doing? Like, are you making anything? Are you creating anything where there's an option where maybe you could bring someone else in, or and a lot of them say no, and it's like well, from my little experience with vlogging, it's created a bunch of opportunities like that I didn't foresee. So as long as I'm creating something myself, you're creating this podcast, I'm creating my vlogs, the people who are reaching out to me, you have to have something going too. Yeah, like you it can't snowball unless you start something, even if it's just super small and minimal.

Vipul Bindra 3:39

Exactly. No, you have to put in the effort for it to go somewhere, and and like I said, your your vlogs inspire me. That's that's essentially how we met. And and funny enough, even though I know cranky cameraman's been doing this longer than you have, I found out him because you told me about him, right? And you showed him on his channel and you mentioned it on the meetups, and and I watched these people. I'm like, this is the type of content I want to watch. YouTube is a great platform as long as you know the people that that are producing the content that you want to watch. And for me, it was like, sure, I'll watch a Gerald Undone video when I want to know certain camera, like just by the Ronin 8K. Like, okay, I want to know what's the dynamic range. Quick scan episode, great, but it's not where I go to look for uh you know what's happening every day because we make our living making video, right? That's where I want to listen to people like you and cranky cameraman and other people. Uh, I think Tommy Beal was one that you, you know, you were sharing. And and so people like that, I know he was he's not doing YouTube as uh anymore or as much anymore. So it was kind of like that. So and and that's what what I love about YouTube is you can see these uh again, people who are in the field doing it day in, day out, and what they learn from it, like your rant series about the client, the the client from hell or or the the whole Sony fiasco, right? Uh you know, you would think that'd be boring content, but that's amazing and very interesting for people who are in the weeds.

David Morefield 5:02

Those actually the equipment, yeah, very well, and and it is surprising because I'm I'm passionately passionately talking to my camera with no one around, and I'm like, but that's his tone and the way he that email was sent, like no, you and I'm nerding out about it and enjoying it, and it is very surprising when I see a bunch of other people who are now oh, what happened next? What happened in part two? What happened in part three? Because they're they're they're intrigued, right?

Vipul Bindra 5:31

They're they're they're hooked to the to the story, and that has helped me.

David Morefield 5:36

I'm not creating full story-driven videos right now. I've created a a short documentary, it was very fun, made a couple festival runs, but doing the YouTube videos has taught me so much more about storylines, like how to bring people in, how to set up something later. You know, my one of my personal faults is in normal conversation, I give too much context. Yeah, and I'm losing the person. I need to get to the point. Yeah, and on YouTube, you have to get to the point. Yeah, so it's it's been very nice to like learn how to how to tell stories, even if they're not, you know, a narrative, it's it's like a narrative film, or it's just very bite-sized storytelling, which is fun.

Vipul Bindra 6:24

Yeah, and I I like uh, like you said, it's it's what I to me what's amazing is again it's that raw, unfiltered feeling to it because it's you with your phone, editing on your phone. We know it's real. This is right, uh, you know, this is it. And that's what I'm saying. First, first I found out. I know we talked about this last season. Uh, I was looking for somebody and you had shared one of your videos, and I watched it, and I was just watching it anyway. After I was done, I was like, okay, he knows how to use a C70. That was,

Vlogging As An Opportunity Engine

Vipul Bindra 6:50

I think, my initial look. But then I watched your video and I was like, this is fun to see somebody going to a conference and how you're setting up, how you're figuring out solutions, even though you do this on a daily basis, and show so do you know, like other people who are let's say shooting conferences, being able to know that your thought process, I don't know, A is good for me as a professional, like seeing, oh, that's how he thinks, that's how he's approaching a problem. But then for clients, if they end up on your videos, because I know I worked for a client who uh, you know, I think you passed to Adam who told us because we were talking one day, we're like, How did you find and then he's like, Oh no, because I was looking for C70 operator in Orlando or something, and you came up, and then you know, he was like, Oh, he must know what he's doing because he's doing it, right? So you're showing people what you're doing, and then you were like not available. So, like, Adam, why don't you uh, you know, uh go get that? And then uh that one time Adam need an extra person, and hey Ripple, why don't you jump in, right? It's like your vlog led to opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, and that was just you demonstrating what you were gonna do anyway.

David Morefield 7:53

Yeah, I would like to actually quantify the amount of income generated from my vlog because I would almost think it's it's like close to a million. Probably, yeah. Because you know, I have my income, which was gonna happen actually, not regardless. It a lot of it happened because of the vlog. And then I meet you, and then you have your own uh clients who were unique contractors. Adam has clients where he brings you in, and then I started the the chat in Instagram, the amount of jobs being thrown around in there, contracts being taken, I can't do this, can you do this? Um, does anybody know anyone in Milwaukee? Yeah, I know a guy. It's and then I have the Orlando chat, I have the San Francisco chat, the Dallas chat. It's easily a million.

Vipul Bindra 8:43

Easily, if not more.

David Morefield 8:45

And it's not because of me, yeah, but it's it intertwined in this web of money got passed around because of personal connections.

Vipul Bindra 8:53

And and it's it's also things you wouldn't even think about. Like, for example, other people who bought their networks into your networks. So, for example, when we did the uh the meetup together where I did the the Kia Center, right? I brought in my network. So people like Alex Miner, Ben, uh Quentin, you know, all those were not in your network. But when they came in, right, I just invited them to a cool meetup. And then years later, now I'm talking to someone who's like, hey, uh, hey, I'm talking to this person, like, oh yeah, I worked with that guy because on the group. So they were able to tap into your network and also find other people from you know, maybe your side of the network or somebody else who brought them to that networking event. Point is it, you know, the cross connections that are happening where you know, people uh, you know, may I have may have known and you may have known, and now they have they're not interacting with us directly, they're in you know, just just having a collaboration, which is awesome, yeah. Which is what you want to happen, right?

David Morefield 9:45

Yeah, it all these all these other opportunities start popping off outside of your effort now. Yeah, like I'm not even connecting people anymore. The people I connected are connecting others, and that's cool for me to see because I'm like, you know, there there's times where people come to the meetups and they're like, Who are you? I don't know you, and I'm like, Oh, that's great. Like, if you don't know me, you're not here because of a YouTube vlog. You're here because someone connected you to someone else, and and you heard about this, and like that, that's great. One thing I'm and I'm really glad you you had me here because there's like a million things I want to talk about. We'll try to get to as much as we can. As much as we can. But one of them, I was talking to Tommy Beal uh the other day, and uh his story is is so cool of how he used YouTube as a way to increase his network when he went to a new location, a new market. I think he went from like Mississippi to San Francisco, and he's like, I have no connections, I have um you know, I'm starting at scratch. Like that's tough when you have a a wife and an infant. So I was like, there's a lot more stakes on your play than than for me. He has to get the ball rolling extremely fast, and he started vlogging, and honestly, I think he's one of the best vloggers, but he got out of it what he needed to. He was able to establish a network, connect himself with others, have other people connect around him, um, show his level of competence, and he kind of was like, Now the vlogging is is a very big time commitment that I don't have because I'm working so much.

Vipul Bindra 11:25

Yeah, great, exactly, and he got what he wanted, and and and to be real, those connections were made because of vlogging, but I do like how he broke down where it was like in-person versus vlogging, yeah, because for example, I was just like said with Adam uh for a few days, and he was telling me how he's doing a project where he tapped me into going to Missouri with him, but then he had he tapped into Tommy Beal to do the San Francisco element with him. You know what I mean? It's like all these connections, so everyone's getting work uh because of you know him starting to vlog and you starting to vlog, then you guys connecting and you connecting Adam to him because of your uh your event, I think your networking event you did in San Francisco, right? In the Bay Area. So so essentially, uh, you know, it's it's a spiral, uh spider web, rather, of web that grows uh from making just that initial investment into uh, I don't know, trying to tell share your story, right? Um and I'm sure I don't want to diminish what you do because there is a lot more to making a good YouTube video. But what I'm saying is it's it has to start with the intention of let me do it and then doing it, and then you can improve over time. I feel like more and more people should share their story or what they're doing.

David Morefield 12:37

I enjoy it because it's fun for me to um have an idea that comes in my head either if

Storytelling Lessons From YouTube

David Morefield 12:45

it's right in front of me or if it's something that I'm thinking of and I can film it right then, and then um I like preserve that thought, right? I filmed it, I talked about it, and then when I need to edit, I'm like, oh yeah, that was that thought. Okay, throw it in there. Someone else might think it's interesting.

Vipul Bindra 13:01

Yeah.

David Morefield 13:01

Um but I I wanted to uh maybe pivot a little bit because you have a ton of nice gear here. So when I was talking to Tommy um this week, he was renting a very nice um Fujinon Cabrio 19 and 90 Cine zoom, and he has the Fujinon MK zooms, the 17 of the 50 to 135, somewhere around there. And um I was like, man, I really like how you you I always feel like I see you with premium gear. Like when he moved out there, he had he got the FX9, um, which is a very, very capable camera, higher level than the FX6, FX3s, you know, it's it's for people who are in this level of production, you know, you might need multiple SDIs, you might need a little bit extra, extra, extra with that you don't need. So I was like, oh, that's cool, it's heavier, bigger, more power hungry. And then he had the cine zooms, which just look beautiful, they're nice to operate, no autofocus, you know, like he's making a lot of decisions that are like it may be a little harder, but kind of these are all considered higher tier options. And then uh he had uh has a Sackler low-tech tripod. You have a couple here. I finally joined the club.

Vipul Bindra 14:30

I saw that because I got the right handles. Finally spent some money on sticks. Talk about uh sticks. I just bought another stick. Uh funny enough, I have two socklers, but I just added the the tribacks from small rig into the the handle one. Yeah, looks great, yeah.

David Morefield 14:44

And and then he so I I told him, I was like, Man, I feel like you always have premium gear, and I I really like that. Yeah, and he goes, That's by design. I want to be associated with those things, I want to be synonymous with that tier of production because I get that tier of network, I get everything is at that level. And this is nothing new, but I it was a light bulb moment where I was like, oh man, like I am normally looking for justification in I don't need to get that when I could get this. Like, I don't need to get this if I could get this. I can get the same results, you know. And when I heard him intentionally say I'm spending more money to be at that level, to be at that that kind of have that face going forward, premium gear, um more polished type crews, dedicated roles, you know, I was like, that makes so much sense. What is the what is the negative cost of me going for a a lower tier item that can get the job done just as well? But how does that hurt my branding? Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 16:04

No, you you've hit the uh and funny enough, uh a lot of that is perception, because believe it or not, you right now you can buy a used uh probably not when he bought it, but you can buy a used FX9 usually if you look for deals cheaper than a used FX6. Yeah, they're gonna be able to do that. Because they're discontinued because they're discontinued and the demand for FX6 is so high because they've been you know adopted by reality shows and everything. Uh so you can find and an FX9 is being dropped more and more, um, you know, outside of broadcasts. So essentially, you can find an FX9 cheaper. However, there there is obviously negative XQD cards. Do you need a whole extra quarter? That it's heavier, it's bigger, the image is a greenish tint, you know. Taking all that into account, guess what does it do bring to you? Perceived higher value. You have a nine instead of a six, it looks bigger, it looks uh, you know, it gets six K, right? There's those are perceived values and and uh not real values, but it does matter. You're right. You're you're now connected to a higher tier um uh network. You can be uh, like you say, you have flow text. You're like, oh, these are the sticks. This is what's used by pretty much uh, you know, uh, I don't want I don't like industry standard for sticks, but you know, they're used heavily uh by top-tier people, so so you like you said, there is that that perceived value, but at least on the sticks side, I'm like, hey, at least these nice sticks, those have a use, you know. Like I love using my flow text because they are good. Uh, but like camera, uh to me, an FX9 would be a bigger challenge for the type of stuff we do than an FX6, but that perceived value may be worth having an FX9. Yeah. Uh because technically his zooms, I'm hoping I think he has other lenses, but like like you said, the zooms are technically super

Premium Gear, Perception, And Branding

Vipul Bindra 17:45

35. So he has to, he's not even getting the full image circle off his out of his camera if using those lenses.

David Morefield 17:50

But he has 4K super 35, something that the FX6 doesn't have. Um, and and I just remember he had the the aperture 600 light, and I remember being like, dang, this light is so big, it's taking up all the space in your trunk. Don't you know there's so many other options where you could go smaller, have the same amount of output? But then when I I just did a job recently in Nashville, and I was working with a photographer, I was video photographer was local, and um we connected over the phone, and and he was like, Yeah, do you need me to bring some lighting? Like I do video as well. And I was like, Oh, sure. Like, what do you have? And he's like, I have a couple 600s, I have a this, that, and I was like, Ah, you know, it's so nice just to hear um like these kind of industry standards, little like it's this. Yeah, there's not like, oh, it's this obscure company that just started three years ago, and they have one option, but it's 500 watts, but only for an hour, and then it overheats. Yeah, it's just nice to say, I have this level, and we all know what that level is.

Vipul Bindra 18:54

Yeah, and and that's the advantage of like aperture lights. Now, to be real, they were the fringe company five, seven years ago where it was like who like like go to zune. So you never know. Today's uh, you know, some fringe company may become standard, but currently, uh, the shoot that we did at full sale, I was surprised. I'm not kidding. Every single light in there was aperture from cobs to panels to spotlights. And here's the thing, you have to think about all these next generation filmmakers that are studying at full sale. Guess what? They're gonna end up using aperture. So it's become the standard. So for me as a business owner, why I do I own majority of my lights, or if not all, are aperture, is because uh it's easier for me to say to any other filmmaker, like, oh yeah, we got a 1200x, 12, 600x, 600 D's here. They know how they set up, how do they need to attach a modifier, you know, how how to so it it makes I there's no training involved because they if not my set, they've used it on 10 other sets. So it versus if I have some uh you know unique light to me, you know, then I have to like show them, like, yeah, this has a mini bow Bowens, you gotta attach an adapter, you gotta sure it it's not that big of a deal if you're using it, but it adds that few extra seconds uh to training somebody on set, and then like you know, efficiency, it adds up, every little thing adds up to make you inefficient on set.

David Morefield 20:14

Yeah, and and that's an interesting business decision. Um, because now that I'm a business, I always look at how other businesses run their business. So let's take Aperture, for example. They started out with low-entry type of units, right? And then they built up the technology and then made bigger fixtures and are now trying to replace the typical Hollywood setups of you know, much more powerful lights, but it's taking them a while to get up that product line. But what's happening is their customers are graduating up that product line, and they are able to start them at the beginning of their career back when there was a 120D tungsten, like Aperture 120T used to have those. And then now then they offer the Lightning Light Storm Series, whatever it is, um, and then they offer the Amaran product line, and everybody can grow up as they increase their product lines. And you look at the other side of like the industry standard brands who are only doing massive lighting, they're only serving the people at the top. Yeah, and now those people are aging out, yeah, and the people coming up are like, Well, we have we have Aperture 1200s now. We have what what is the new one? The 1200X and the even more powerful one that they just whatever equivalent that is to the old picture, they're eventually just gonna be like, We all know how to use these, yeah. And it works the same, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 21:51

What's crazy to me is a 5200 watt light that a partisan can lift. It's it's have you used it, by the way. Talk about innovation. Uh uh, you gotta see the 12. I love the pro uh lock. It's like a PL mount essentially. So my biggest thing I hated with lights with Bond's mount, I love because it's universal. But the issue is a lot of times if you want to change a dome on a light or whatever, especially with the bigger domes, you have to take the head down because it's just it's really hard to take it off. Um versus um, you know, with the 1200X and now and even the ADCs that added to the kit of the 1000C or the XT52, they have uh something called a Pro Lock mount, which is essentially like a peel mount. You just spin it and the the uh the modifier just comes out, and it's such a time saver. Now I'm like, oh, you're telling me I can actually swap out a modifier without having to take the head down, and it's these little things I'm sure it'll eventually come to the 600 watt lights. So the innovation that's happening in something as simple as lighting or the color quality, you throw a spectrum in front of this new 1200X with their Blair engine, which is just RGB ACL, um, uh, versus you do that in, you know, I don't know, these 600Xs, it's just a massive difference um in light quality to go from one generation. It's not like they've discontinued the 600x we're using here, but the new ones are just so much better. It's just like, like you said, I can graduate. I'm like, oh, I can go higher tier, I can get this better product. And also, this is kind of a lesson in what happens if you don't innovate. Like, if I remember correctly, 10 years ago, I couldn't go to a single set without having keynophs on set. That was the standard, right? Who has Kinoflows? I don't even know if the branding exists because I haven't looked at Kinoflows. I know they were doing some stuff with LED, but it was just like kind of like Kinoflow, who, right? It's it's just kind of disappeared. Um transporting those, yeah. The break and you have to have the big cakes. Yeah, and then the whole the barn doors, yeah, you had to uh you had to gel them, yeah, they were hot, you know. It's it's come a long way, is what I'm saying. And then that's one of the examples of where it's like if they didn't innovate fast enough or innovate to where the industry is going, then you kind of you know are lost um in time, essentially.

David Morefield 23:59

Yeah, so I mean I I also play the other side of the argument where the first side was, you know, if you get premium gear, it it's a it's kind of a signal to to everybody you're working with the level that you're hopefully at. Yeah, you're not just buying a bunch of expensive gear you don't know how to use. But there it does get to a point where I'm like, does everything need to be premium and expensive? Because that's a lot of money. And you know, maybe I could go a little lower here and offset that and try to save costs because I can achieve the same result with some of the cheaper gear. Exactly. So it's it's now very interesting for me to to kind of pick and choose which items I want to go premium with. Some of them are a much better user experience. If like the h the higher price product a lot of times can be a much better experience because you're paying for a lot of the things, a lot of the conveniences. But on the other side, there's other things where it's this isn't really client-facing, a client-facing product. No one's really gonna see this, and I and it does the same thing. So it's a battle of of how much do I want to put in for my the visual marketing of myself, and then how much for workflow, how much do I keep for costs, I like profit.

Vipul Bindra 25:22

Yeah, do I have to spend all it? Yeah, all the money. I mean, hey, it depends on what your your rules are, but I do like running uh, you know, the way you run it, it's it's gotta be lean because you're right, there is a lot of expenses, and which I guess you don't have to worry about if you're not a production company. But for example, like last year when I upgraded my um my storage system, that was a huge cost. It was like almost 10 grand. So to justify, you know, as a business owner, you have to go like, I'm justifying 10 grand for something that no client of mine ever will see, mine will ever see. They have no idea that exists, how much money we're spending on it. And uh, but it's a cost, it's a cost that have to do because it's like, hey, we regenerates of data every other day. We need to store it somewhere, we need to be able to edit off of it, we need 10 gig, so so Julie can work on it. The point is, uh, but then when you spend it, it it hurts. I was like, how much marketing? How much how much more could I do with this money on the front end? But I need to spend this because without this, we can't do what we need to do as as the work goes. So there's a lot of these type expenses where I always go, why am I spending this? Do I really want to spend it? Is it justified? So I have to think 10 times about spending it because it can be sometimes a huge amount of money so no nobody will ever see. Um, and and talk about going back a little to gear, same thing. Most of my projects where gear matters is helping other production companies or other filmmakers where they're like, hey, can you bring an FX6 or can you bring a 12 or an X or I need a Dolly or whatever, right? Those are where we we even talk about gears. My highest paid clients do not ever mention any gear or any level of gear, do not care, do not care um if we have socklers or if we have fx sixes or if we have FX3s or RE's or whatever. What my typical clients, I'm talking clients that pay 50 grand, 100 grand, 200 grand per project. These type of clients have never in

Standards, Workflows, And Client Needs

Vipul Bindra 27:20

once said, uh uh funny enough, the only camera brand I've heard named by them is GoPro. Because you know that's the one they know. Like, are you gonna bring a bunch of GoPros? It's like uh no, yeah, but you know, you get my idea. Like, they don't know camera brands, they don't know or the word DSLR. Yeah, and clients don't know, and clients don't know, and that's where most of the majority of the income comes from. And so I could bring whatever. Now we, as Binder Productions, that's just my style. We bring the right gear to do the job, so it's not only efficient for us, it's the best for the client. Uh, so if the client pays me 50 grand, I'm gonna make sure they have the highest quality, latest gen aperture 1200x light or whatever on the side.

David Morefield 27:59

Because it's a system you trust and you know will get you those.

Vipul Bindra 28:02

Exactly, not because the client cares. Nothing would stop me from putting, let's say, two of the 600xs, I'm saying the on the shoot that are coming up, to light the the 8x8. It's the same, let's say, close enough real uh result. And most indoors we're lighting these at 1 to 2% anyway nowadays, lights. So it's not like we need the the high brightness, it's just the quality, right? But that's the that's the thing I choose, is what I'm saying. Like the client doesn't make me buy the socklers or the or the latest lights or the latest cameras or whatever. Um, so I'm saying it depends on who you're serving to. If your goal is to go work with end clients, gear may not be the most important factor, but for yourself, right? Right. But now you're trying to work with fit into other productions. Like I saw a really cool thing you did with Wall Street Journal, right? That's where gear could matter because they could come and say, hey, we'd like this format. We need MP4, we need MXF, we need it to be 4K, we need it to be FX6 or FX9 or whatever the requirements are, right? The client can lay it down and then it's up to you how you're gonna fulfill it, either directly or renting gear through your friends. But I'm saying that's only typically like where the gear matters, yeah, not in clients, and that's where I charge the most, right?

David Morefield 29:16

Yeah, I have um a lot of you know, a lot of people ask, um, should I get this camera to get to get more demand, you know, for myself as a freelancer? Um typically what I see is workflow demand. Uh we operate off of a S log workflow. We operate off of a Cinytone workflow or an MP4 workflow. We need to fit that. Uh and typically it is uh the the most common request I get is Sony, S log 3 workflow uh or Cinytone. And just because they're familiar with these terms, it's it's not a reflection of how good they are. Yeah, it's a workflow. We have everything done this way. Please don't rock the boat. Like that's it. So you know, when when I I I really want an FX6 Mark II just to have MP4 that would make a huge difference for some of my lower tier clients who look at MXF and they can't even preview it without having the Apple Pro formats, you know, update. Yeah. So they're like, oh, it doesn't work. I'm like, uh, you gotta put it into an NLE.

Vipul Bindra 30:23

What's an NL? Yeah, then you gotta, yeah, the and so it says that's the same conversation. So sometimes funny enough, the opposite happens. N clients want the raw footage, which A don't they don't understand the word raw. When they're saying raw, they mean unedited footage. Right. But but uh uh but they like I have to explain to them, like, hey, we're recording in log, in MXF formats, in the you know, it it's uh in their highest codec basically on our cameras possible. You're not gonna even be able to open these files. Right. If you want to pay for this, I I don't care. You know, here's a price. Obviously, there's a price to get the raw footage. Uh I can give you a price, but I am being I'm being real with you. You you cannot handle these files. So save yourself the funds because I don't want to create a negative experience where they get the files and they go, Oh, now what do now what do we do with these, right? Because they can't open them, they can't edit them, they can't process them or whatever. Um, because they're used to, like you said, smaller file sizes, formats like H264 or 265 that they can handle. Uh so uh so yeah, that can be a that can be a factor even with end clients where they want it, but they have no idea that it's inaccessible.

David Morefield 31:30

Yeah, and and I really do like being able to choose the gear that works best for me. Sometimes you do do that. Um one situation that that went from you to Adam was I think Adam hired you uh to go to DC or something, and you were there, and you had you know, the shoot had been designed, it's a whatever three camera shoot, we're doing this, this, and this. And then once you're there, this is not your client, this is Adam's client. And they said, Um, the the producer said kind of something like this, yeah, but I want a camera on me. Yeah, and when Adam was telling me this, I was like, oh, like just bells going off. Is there even another camera to do this? Um do you politely say that's not the scope that was agreed to by my client? Maybe we don't need this. And so when he was telling me the story, I was like, Oh, I I cannot wait to hear how Vipple handled this. And he said, Vipple pulled out another camera, which I'm like, I don't even own that many cameras. Yeah, so you pulled it out and said, sure, we're gonna put this on you, yeah, on your side table because you have sticks, you know, and and it made them feel good. They're like, good, I want an angle on me, full well knowing that angle is not gonna get used. The light, I don't even think you turned the lights, yeah, exactly. But it made them feel good, exactly. That's what they wanted. Um, you didn't even need to put a memory card in there, you know. It doesn't matter.

Vipul Bindra 33:00

But we did, we did record. We we were because I'm like, hey, you never know because she does get emotional or something happens. I don't want to be like, oh yeah, we weren't recording again. That's not my style. I will not so, but yeah, you're right. The way to handle that would be like, hey, we can create conflict, conflict, conflict, or let me pull out my backup camera because you always gotta have a backup camera. To me, that's what makes me a pro than than just any other videographer, anyway. So I just pulled out a backup camera, but here's how I resolve it. I don't I I know the problems in my head. I already know I have the memory cards obviously in the camera, but I'm saying I don't have I don't have sticks, I don't have a V mount set up for it, I don't have a lot of because you know, so it may die uh and you could voice all this to them, yeah. They're like, I don't yeah, can you do it or not? Yeah, exactly. So it's like, hey, any manual's there helping me. Great get second camera assistant, whatever. I was like, hey, can you give me that side table? So it's like, oh, let's get a couple of books. We lined it up and we we showed them. We're like, okay, so this camera is for you, these cameras are for them. So we're still a rolling how we want to, yeah, but we have this and we started rolling it, and uh, and and at the end of the day, I was like, okay, we have an angle that they wanted, we are rolling if we ever get any good footage out of this, but most likely, because I handle running a production company helps us. I can see from the post side, I'm like, there's high likelihood Adam's not using any of this footage, but we have it, you know, and and that that was just the the easiest resolution possible with no conflicts. Uh now that doesn't mean, and I know we talked about it last time, but it's like if that doesn't mean if they they put a request out that we couldn't solve, I wouldn't say no. You know what I mean? Because at the end of the day, that wasn't scope of the uh, you know, the scope of the project. Uh, but at the but if I can resolve it, I'd rather resolve it than create a conflict. That's why they hired me, you know. Even though you're right, technically there should be an extra charge for an extra camera, extra lens, more footage, more time to upload. You know what I mean? It does add cost, you know.

David Morefield 34:55

Rocked the flow of the ship. Yeah, exactly. We have to set up this other thing. Yeah, we were ready to go, now we gotta do this. But so you saying you always have backup cameras. I mean, first of all, that's just a lot of cameras to have in general, and then having bike backups that you you flew there, so you brought more than that, like it's a lot, it's a lot of extra batteries.

Vipul Bindra 35:17

Yeah, and then yeah, it was a lot of stuff to fly with, you're right.

David Morefield 35:19

Yeah, um, but you but like you said, that's how you do your job. Yeah, that's if that was your client, that's how you would have done it. You would have to do that. That's how you treat my friends, yeah. Exactly. And then and then I was talking to Adam, and he was saying that when a when a end client comes in and says, we want to do this, this, and this. He goes, I don't ask them like how many cameras do you want? How you know, which would all be questions that I would ask as a freelance camera guy. Yeah. That those are the questions I would definitely ask. And he goes, No, I see it differently. I see it as in you telling me the scope, I'll filter it through my brain and then create the scenario of what works best.

Vipul Bindra 36:03

Yeah.

David Morefield 36:03

Instead of saying, Would you like the one camera option or the two-camera option? Um, because

Scope Creep, Backup Plans, Professionalism

David Morefield 36:10

there's just so many times where you get there and they go, Can we get another camera up? You know? Yeah. And they're like, And you're like, oh, the you you ordered the one camera option. So either I didn't bring the second one or the second one's gonna take some time to put together.

Vipul Bindra 36:24

To be uh to be real, I wouldn't expect that off you anyway, because you're a freelancer. So if I hired you, David, as a camp, I'm only expecting you to bring one camera because that's what I hired you to do. That is literally the scope of the city. But but that's what he hired you to do. But you brought extras. Yeah, but that's just me. You don't yeah, so and that's why tell people do as uh you know, as I say, not as I do, because you're right. Financially, it's not a viable thing. But remember, I am also just uh able to justify that expense because I have a production company, I can go charge my client 50 grand. But if I'm making thousand bucks, two thousand bucks, three thousand bucks, it wouldn't make sense to own five cameras, for example, right? Uh I don't know. I I don't know how you justify that.

David Morefield 37:06

Push back a little bit because you were able to save that shoot. You didn't charge for the fourth camera. Yeah, you saved Adam from having his client have like, oh, we we didn't really like that guy you sent. He didn't give me the fourth camera that we didn't pay for. Yeah, you know. No, it was a great, great experience. And then that will make Adam be like, oh, let me just hire him again.

Vipul Bindra 37:29

Yeah.

David Morefield 37:30

So oh, I didn't get the extra, whatever, 200 bucks for the fourth camera. But the the like way you get paid back is in in future contracts, future connections. So I I can see that side, which is different than what I normally do. I I I my initial reaction is to go, hey, you know, with that that wasn't what we agreed to. Maybe we can work something out. I think I need to get approval from you guys if you want to do an additional uh change in scope. Then it just like kind of muddies the water. Yeah, and it just creates the negative experience. Yeah, never negative experience, it waste time, but um you are bringing in your experience as a production company, whereas I'm thinking like a freelancer, and I think that it is very good when you can have both sides of the coin in your head. Yes, because you are you are thinking more long-term rather than that line item wasn't on the invoice, I'm not giving it to you. That's crazy. It's a little bit better to to kind of think cohesively, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 38:35

And see, and and that's not my style because I am the premium option. I don't want to be, you know, I would get it if you know you're you're a lower tier option, you're not expected to have it. But but talking about uh, you know, the other side of it, I think you have to be reasonable as in depending on the scope of jobs. So for example, I have a bare minimum, like you're you know, I need to get this to get out of bed, type of thing. Um, and and to be real, I think it's very low for what I bring. But uh the other day, Adam reached out and he's like, Hey, I I may need somebody to babysit a camera, and you know, it's it's a low rate, but blah blah blah. You know, uh and then you know, I was like, So do I need to bring any equipment? He's like, No. I was like, okay, I'll do it. You know, hey would a client have reached out to me, would have ever said yes, no, but it's a Adam, like you said, we have that relationship whereas he's brought me on shoots, I brought him on shoots, so it's like absolutely, I can make the schedule work. Can I come babyset a camera for you? Absolutely, right? And and and so I was willing to take a late rate that I haven't taken like in I don't know, 10 years or whatever, right? But to be honest, when I was done, at first I was like hesitant, but I showed up, I was like, this was totally worth it. Because I literally spent all day there, there, maybe fixing a couple of lights, maybe moving the sticks a little bit. And I was like, This is how my freelancers feel because I was like, I you it felt so weird leaving the house with nothing. I even had to text him, I was like, Are you sure? Yeah, I am bringing nothing. And then it was the same thing with shoot. He was like, uh, still packing up, and I was like, Do you need any help? So I helped him whatever he needed, but he was like, No, you go. And I felt so weird leaving the set while people are still, you know. And I was like, What is happening? Is this the life? So I see your perspective. Like, there's a dream to it. Uh, to the other side, where I'm like, huh, sure, the money may not be as good, but um, I had no expenses. You know, the brain was empty. My brain was empty. I was genuinely like, This is a lifestyle. Now, will I take this forever? No, I really love the conflict resolution, the problem solving, all the stuff that comes as a production company. But from time to time, it opened my brain. I was like, hey, if I have days available, I was not keeping myself away from this opportunity. Because even with Adam, I've been the guy, right, who brings the gear, who brings everything. I I literally turned to Adam day three, I was like, Oh, so this is what you do, you lazy son. I was like, Oh, so here you go. Uh, if you need any other time, you know, let's revisit these rates. I will come more to, you know, like uh you very as long as I don't have to bring anything, we can we can renegotiate because I'm like, this is this is amazing.

David Morefield 41:08

Yeah, he uh he will frequently contract me to be the DP, and he'll just bring his gear just because like it's just workflow, he knows everything works, everything's in there, yeah, it fits in his pelican.

Vipul Bindra 41:20

I was telling him how do how did David get the better deal? How is the U2 go? He brings all the gear. How come he and I go and then I bring all the gear? I was like, this is not the the what do you call the the best deal of the century or anyway?

David Morefield 41:33

The better deal for sure, and uh and then we were at the airport, and he he's like you know, going to oversize check-in and you know, doing that annoying line, and then I got my backpack, and then I'm going like holding my backpack, taking a picture like this, and he goes, I know what you're doing. Like you're taking a uh photo for your story saying traveling, one backpack, this is all I got, and I was like, Yeah, this is great, dude. Like, I appreciate this, and I'm only getting the labor rate, I'm not getting the labor plus gear, but taking out the gear rate, how much I get back, yeah, is I um I told you my brain's empty.

Vipul Bindra 42:13

Because also remember the prep time, the packing time, the unpacking time, putting it back to where it belongs or whatever. That's a time element that you're saving. And that means either more time with your family or doing things you love, or uh more time to work. So there is a benefit. Now, I'm not saying uh I at least for me, and this is again, it's it's it's a good to experience both sides just so you can see what you like better. But I'm saying I would hate on anyone who's like that's the lifestyle. That's why I'm like, I've been paying Mario too much because he's been just coming and helping me a lot. I'm like, oh, so you're telling me you get up and you just show up, or a lot of time I've even been picking up him up because you know he's lucky now uh I say not lucky, but he's but he just lives a couple minutes from here, so it makes no sense a lot of time to just have him drive here because it's on the way. So I've even been picking up, I'm like, so you're I'm giving you taxi service, yeah. The van shows up.

Mario Rangel 43:05

I go, yeah, you pick me up for every shoot, so yeah, it's like a premium premium uh service.

Vipul Bindra 43:13

And then he gets on, it helps with the van. No, uh not to get no, there's there's value on my side too, because it's like he knows the gear, he's worked with this new setup, he knows where to put everything. So, but I'm just saying the the the funny side on the other side, I'm like, you're telling me, yeah, you know, you you get out of your home, there's a van waiting for you, get in, you you know, you get out of the shoot, you do your shoot, you get dropped off at home, and you're done.

David Morefield 43:34

There's a there's a lot of times so I'll show up to a gear with earbuds. Yeah. And I'm like, I was only told to bring headphones. Quite literally. Everything else, I think I've done that for you. Yeah, because that's all a lot of um contracting jobs. Is they're like, the gear will be there. I there was even one where I went to a conference in Chicago and and I could only take the late flight, so the and I was filling in for a crew member that had to leave. One man band type of thing. So the so that guy had to set up the gear for me because there wouldn't be time for when my late flight arrived. And then I walked in with headphones and I just like looked at the lights and I'm like, yeah, this is good.

Vipul Bindra 44:15

Yeah. The perfect life, right?

David Morefield 44:16

You just and then I just plugged in my headphones and I was like, name. Okay, audio's good. Yeah, we're ready.

Vipul Bindra 44:23

Like this is this is perfect. Yeah. So and I that's why I I think this conversation need to happen so people can hear. Like,

Freelancing Without Owning Gear

Vipul Bindra 44:30

it's not just one avenue to pursue this career. There's multiples. You could do a mix of them. You could pick the lane that you want to be in. And there's there's very much a way to make a living without owning any gear. Mario, do you own any gear for real? Any cinema camera?

Mario Rangel 44:45

No cinema camera. Just hybrid.

Vipul Bindra 44:48

Okay. So one hybrid camera, is that all you own?

Mario Rangel 44:50

Yes.

Vipul Bindra 44:50

How many shoots have you done for me this year?

Mario Rangel 44:53

For you? Uh-huh.

Vipul Bindra 44:54

At least for me.

Mario Rangel 44:55

I know you've worked with For you, maybe 10 already? Yeah. Sounds like he's on the stand. Yeah. No cameras, Your Honor.

Vipul Bindra 45:02

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's crazy. So what I'm saying is that there's an opportunity. You can actually be a freelancer where you can have no equipment or let's say very limited equipment because you don't need it. Production companies or other freelancers or other people may own the equipment. They just need an operator in your network.

David Morefield 45:19

Yes. If you didn't invest in your network, you're not working at all. And you're not getting the jobs where all they needed was a simple lighting kit. So it's like, like you're saying, it's both. You can but you have to network anyway. Yeah, you can be the freelancer with no gear. Like I'll play all of these roles. Sometimes I'm the freelancer with no gear. Sometimes I'm the freelancer with all the gear, and the clients not even showing up. It's just me. And then other times I'm the production company owner who's bringing in crew. Um, I'm I'm doing that next week. I it's not my favorite role to be in.

Vipul Bindra 45:55

So let's switch to that then. I want to talk about because last time we talked, you're doing incredibly well uh because you had found this amazing retainer client uh who didn't have high demands as far as gear goes, but they wanted you, right? Because of your technical knowledge or whatever, but you were also a production company. So now you're bringing crew, you're helping them with scripting and all the other stuff. Point is so you kind of saw the my side of things where you're like, oh, I gotta price this. You know, correctly. What I thought you were enjoying it. I am so sorry.

David Morefield 46:23

Is that conversation uh is that relationship still ongoing? Yeah, so we're a year and a half in, and um it has if I wasn't paying attention, I don't think it would be around because I would have been like, no, this is how we do production. And this client is in a position where they go, like you said, uh you said like a second ago, you said um it was because my technical knowledge, it's not that at all. I thought it was that and it's the vibe, it's you work well with us, and we want that because we're in Orlando, they're in Palm Beach, two and a half hour drive, and I take it twice a month before we we do travel, work, work, travel. So that means travel days, gas mileage, hotels, per diemes. I'm like, you could find someone in South Florida. Yeah, because it's technically four days of work, it becomes eight days because it's travel. Yeah, yeah. So I'm like, I you know, in the beginning, I was like, are you are you working with us just because we're working right now and it's just easier to to keep going? Because I know a lot of people in South Florida who could crush this job and not have to pay hotels, and and just the obvious answer after months and months of work that I just kept hearing is like, no, no, we like working with you. Kind of like we could afford other people, we could make it less you know, make the expenses lower, but we like working with you, and that's what we're prioritizing because when we work with you, you give the person on camera the comfortability to to fully execute, and that is what we want. You're just helping that. So keep it going. Do you have what availability do you have the next six months? Let's start putting those in, penciling those in. So I, you know, I've never had a retainer. I didn't even want a retainer, I just kind of fell backwards into this one, and the pay has been substantial to do eight days contracted every single month for 18 months. Like I I've never had this much money before. I'm able to save so much, and it's a great working relationship, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 48:50

And plus now you don't have the desire to, um, or maybe you do, you crack correct me, to then go, I need to buy this, this, this, because you already have the client dialed in, right? Yeah, they are they are yeah, you know what they want, they know what to expect of you. The the you know, at this point, you know, it's it's so dialed in that I I don't it it it'll help you probably lower your expenses because you're like, oh, you know, if you were just a freelancer, you're like, let me buy this, let me buy this, let me buy this. But now you're like, I don't need anything unless you just

Retainers, Freedom, And Focus

Vipul Bindra 49:20

want it. It's there's no need because they're happy with what you have. Yeah, yeah.

David Morefield 49:23

Last year I made a video called The Trap, yeah, the freelancer trap. And it was the trap is what so many people fall into. Oh, this job could really benefit from this piece of gear, and I could use it on other shoots. All right, let me get that piece of gear. Oh, it's great, and then the same thing happens for the next one, and then the next one, and the next one. And you're like, have all this gear. That one takes up a lot of room, costs a lot of money. You might not use as much as you thought, but you are thinking, but I'm trying to invest in my business. I'm trying to invest in providing the best service possible, and it's really slowing you down financially. You're not even using all this gear. You could have made it work, and I don't think anybody would have noticed if you didn't have that piece of gear. So for this one, I think you'll you'll enjoy this. I had this was last week for the retainer client. I had my FX6 and my doctor bag. I have it rigged out just the way I want. Pull it out, throw it on my Sackler. I'm like, this is so great. I achieved like optimum efficiency, great workflow. And it stayed in the bag the entire shoot. We shot everything on this, um, with mics, like little Wi-Fi mics, and I and I was like, I didn't even like touch that camera. It's very, it's a very specific client. They're creating Facebook ads, so a lot of times they want to lean into the UGC side, they want it to look less professional. So you know it's it's it's a very different than the situation I gave earlier, like with Tommy Beal, who's who's in more complex, higher level shoots, yeah, where that gear is needed. For this specific client, they they want to go through the path of least resistance, and sometimes they intentionally want to degrade the quality of the footage to get more authenticity when they make their Facebook ad. So for me, that's led me down to this rabbit hole of like different social media mics and HollyLand Lart 2S, whatever with the clip-on.

Vipul Bindra 51:26

Yeah, I got the Max 2s now. They they have a new version, they'll always come out and new stuff.

David Morefield 51:30

Yeah, and and then like I have like four cheap mics. Like I have the DJI mic twos, the Holly Land, what is it?

Vipul Bindra 51:38

Uh they have the M2, the M2S, and now Mark.

David Morefield 51:43

Okay, M2S, and then I also got these like super cheap Amazon clunker mics that are um have four transmitters into one receiver that can plug into a phone. And then uh I have the the higher quality Sony UWP system, which I thought I was gonna use all the time, right? Thanks to your last problem. And but they all serve a purpose for this. So kind of all in all to say is like you you were saying I found my workflow. I definitely found my workflow, and it was not what I thought. Yeah, it was gonna be better key.

Vipul Bindra 52:20

The good thing is you still have it though, you could still plug into other productions. It's not like you have eight days committed. That does not mean there's 22 days in the month that you know you can't go work other jobs, which you are. And that's to me, see, the way I look there's two ways to look at this, right? Because having talked to you enough, I know what you like. You you don't want to be booked, right? You want to be available to take all the opportunities. But there's two ways you can look at it. Hey, I have 30 days available to fill in the calendar, but I have the uncertainty of will I have enough money or what do I need to buy, or all this other uncertainties. But here now you have sure you have eight days are booked roughly per month, but now you have 22 days of freedom where you're like, you have no worries, as in like if you don't take a job, you can say no if you don't want to. You only take the jobs that you want to because you really want to, right? And and I uh to me, that's the ultimate freedom. It's better than a nine to five, it's still kind of like a job, but it's like I don't know, the best kind because you're only committing eight.

David Morefield 53:18

A specific situation that relates to that. Last week, um I I had a contact, and whenever this guy calls, I'm like, oh man, this is gonna be something big. Like he does very big um projects with UFC fighters, and I was lucky enough to get onto one of his um docuseries shoots as like camera six. Like I was like way down the line. Yeah, the last one. And um, but I know whenever he calls, it's gonna be some really cool access, very cool project. And he called and said, uh, one of our we're doing a f a feature-length dock. This fighter is gonna fight in the UFC this weekend on Saturday, and then on Sunday, someone needs to receive him when he flies into his airport in in Miami or wherever down south. Um, and we need to get that scene of him coming in, and then he's gonna like see his daughter for like his newborn daughter. Okay. Like that this sounds yeah, really intense.

Vipul Bindra 54:21

Like, you have a run chance to get it, right? Yeah, seems like, yeah. Right, yeah.

David Morefield 54:25

Never met this person. Like, you gotta be on your P's and Q's to be able to jump into that highly emotional situation, not fumble around and you know it's pretty interesting. Um I had a point to this story.

Vipul Bindra 54:41

So fighter lost. Yeah, okay. So you were able to jump in. Uh, did you were you able to jump into this one, or did you have to say no? Got it. I know that's where we're leaning going towards yeah, yeah. Um, so thank you.

David Morefield 54:54

So um I had a flight the next morning to leave Florida at like 9 a.m. And I knew this shoot, he flew in at 6 p.m. the night before, and it's in Miami, three and a half hours away. I was like, I'm gonna get home at like 3 a.m. and then have to be at the airport at 5. Like this is just gonna be way too insane. And the the guy was like, nope, that's fine. We're sending our other guy over who also had a crazy schedule. Sometimes the sleep schedules in this industry are insane.

Vipul Bindra 55:31

Exactly. Yeah, tell me about it. Like, I did the last few podcasts, it was only a couple hours of sleep because that's what you could do.

David Morefield 55:37

I would go into this gig and then you know, prepping for this, and then yeah, it's just yeah, and so I was like, Hey, like he the producer was like, Oh yeah, I don't think this is gonna be the right fit. And I was like, I agree, it's it's just it's too tight, and he goes, No problem, we'll send the other guy. And talking to my now fiance, she's not my girlfriend anymore, and and Giselle said, You know, if if if you had a a lifestyle with much more overhead mortgage and blah blah blah, you'd be like, Well, I do need that extra couple grand. That would make this month a lot easier. But because you don't have that overhead, you're able to say, Oh, what works best for me? I think that'd be a little too intense. Nah, let's let's hand it off to someone else. So as someone, like you said, eight days of of retainer work allows me the freedom to say yes or no to these other opportunities. That one was really cool, but I I do think it it would have hurt that the next day of travel, that job, and it might not have been the smartest thing for me to do to jeopardize that client. Me showing up tired, nobody wins in that. Nobody wins, yeah. And but I had the ability to say no, yeah. And that freedom to me is just everything. Yeah, I don't know many people who have that, and I'm not saying it's the right way to be because I I I look at other people who are um really productive and they are keeping their expenses high, but they are in motion forward, and that is a very admirable thing for me to witness. I'm like, wow, they're really pushing forward, and they're they don't know the exact ROI of everything that they're doing, but they're not stagnant, they're not sitting around. Um but that can lead to burnout as well, that can lead to so much stress of like, how do I cover this these monthly costs? And so for you, me, Adam, Dalton, there's so many people who have different lifestyles. We're all in the a very similar level of the industry, and our our brain space, our our wake up times, our daily routines couldn't be more different. And and I like that there's there's aspects for me to look at for you and say, that's that's pretty cool. And then there's the same thing, aspects for you to look at me and say, I wonder what that's like.

Vipul Bindra 58:13

Yeah, jumping back to you know what what I did recently. So Chicago, you know, we went on a shoot recently, and we decided to send the van with all the equipment 1200 miles away. But what's crazy for me is literally the only thing I flew with was a Burano, but that was just in my carry-on. So it was

Meetups That Multiply Networks

Vipul Bindra 58:30

so weird for me to fly with like nothing basically, or one camera. And I was like, this is what freedom looks like. I wake up on time because you know, they left a whole day before together in time, Mario and Jared. And we, you know, just literally me and a man all chill. Like, I met his girlfriend too. Uh, you know, we we basically came, he came here and we both just you know went to the airport. We're chill there. We're like, oh he has a backpack, I just have a carry-on. I'm like, this is life, you know, for us. I don't have to worry about, you know, usually also I'm tired to worry about getting pre-board or early check-in or whatever. I'm like, I have no stress. Yeah, I I'm quite literally like, this couldn't be uh easier, even though we're technically bringing half a million dollars worth of equipment. It's just all already on its way, right? And and and that was just incredible to me, the freedom uh to be able to tell my client who's also a friend, like, hey, no, I am flying, I am not driving this van, but we can get Mario and Jared to drive it, and that means you have easy access to everything, and it's cheaper to bring the whole van than you know, rent individually items in Chicago. Uh, and so he gets an advantage, and uh, we and plus it's all the gear everyone's familiar with, so we're not just getting some unknown quantity or whatever. Um, and he's not running around, you know, like a chicken everywhere in Chicago collecting gear, so it was easy for everyone. We were just able to fly in, so go to our location, yeah. Mario, you had a fun road trip?

Mario Rangel 59:55

Yeah, it was fun. Yeah, the only thing next time, no well, well, the way there we we got a hotel, uh-huh. But driving there like without rest, yeah, it's uh yeah, it's uh it's a lot. So yeah, it's like 20 hours for me. Yeah, 20 hours with all the stops and everything was 20 yeah, 20 hours. But for me it was really fun because it was my first road trip here in the US. So I had a lot of fun. I'm from Peru. Peru. And how long have you been here? Um I've been here already three years. Three. Yeah, I came here to uh to do my master's in film, and yeah, two two years already. Well, two and a half years already, like working here.

David Morefield 1:00:40

How how old are you?

Mario Rangel 1:00:41

Twenty nine.

David Morefield 1:00:42

Twenty nine. Yeah, and I I obviously the relationship you have with Vipple is is pretty unique. Um, I had a a version of that with my buddy Dalton Smith. He owns a production company in Koke.

Vipul Bindra 1:00:55

He's gonna be here in a few weeks. Is he? Yeah.

David Morefield 1:00:58

Would would love to hear him brain dump. Yeah, I'm surprised you got him.

Vipul Bindra 1:01:02

Yeah, because uh hey, uh me too. He he he wanted to be, so that's awesome. So no, I'm excited to talk to him because uh, like you said, he brings in his experience, and I feel like it would be really cool for people to listen to. Um, because you know, he's been able to tap into clients and things too.

David Morefield 1:01:17

But well, and and I can kind of alley oop that episode is um in 2016 or so, 2015. Um man, it it was a it's not even a professional connection, it was a surfing connection. We both knew this, had a mutual friend who's a surfer, and I was telling him, like, man, I'm going to Puerto Rico, I love surfing there. And he he was a skater too, this guy in the middle. So he would see me at the skate park, and then he see Dalton surfing at the beach, and he goes, Uh, I think you guys might want to connect. Like, you guys are both doing video, skateboarding, surfing, and this is like back when I had like one DSLR, you know, one crappy tripod, like didn't have anything. Yeah, and um, that connection started a uh working relationship from then until now where Dalton got to grow and I got to kind of be his right hand man, and the benefits of that were I definitely wasn't qualified to be in the positions that he was able to achieve a needed crew for. And I would say even in a certain sense, he wasn't qualified. Yeah, but because he was so aggressive to we can figure out how to make this work, right? We can we can figure out how this industry works, how these clients works. He was able to get massive, massive clients like like uh I mean the the World Surf League asked him to do a qualifying series in Barbados twice. So he hired me and and we were getting extremely low day rates. I don't I can't even get that position now. Yeah, I would love that that cheap day rate. Yeah, we had a week in Barbados, me, him, Tristan, uh like the squad of people, and we're like, hey, the the the swell isn't working today, so we got a late day. We're just hanging out in Barbados. That's cool though. Yeah, you get paid to go to Barbados. He's worked for massive airline contracts, he's worked for governments, he's worked for like like boards of tourism in in different countries. Um there's so many massive clients that he's worked for because he was able to just like kind of figure it out and use his business brain, even though he's this blonde hair, blue eye, surfer bro. Um, but he's he's a good yeah, uh he's a good people person where his stoke comes off to other people and they go, Oh, you're invested.

Vipul Bindra 1:03:57

Funny enough, that he was he was coming here for to pick up some equipment or whatever, and Julie asked, Who is this guy? I was like, just look for a surfer bro. Yeah.

David Morefield 1:04:05

So so I was able to to kind of grow with him and learn all these things and work at at these the the day rates were small, but the opportunities were huge.

Vipul Bindra 1:04:19

And that's that shows to his tenacity too, right? Uh, and and that's uh hopefully my idea with this podcast is just again entertainment, but hopefully it can help people listen from these industry pros or or people in the industry to kind of find their own path. But that is the the whole point. You don't have to know everything, you can just go do it and figure it out. And if you can't figure it out, just hire the pro. Who knows how to do that? I I I'm all about like it's all about getting the opportunity because the thing is the the main thing about this industry is who you know, right? Your projects are because you knew those were because you knew Dalton, and now you're there because you know you're retired. Yeah, or someone's like, I didn't even know him, and it wasn't even a professional contact, but they introduced you, right? It's the connection who you know got you to him. Then from there on, you knew him, and there's it can apply to any number of projects, or it's your YouTube plugging you in. Point is they have to know you exist, and they have to know you, whether directly or indirectly. And to me, networking and building your network is the most important thing, no matter whether you're gonna be a freelancer, a production company, or whoever, because if people don't know you, it doesn't matter how talented you are.

David Morefield 1:05:31

Yeah, and but the the the the level beyond that is people go, Okay, I need to I need to know people. How do I know people? The only reason that guy in the middle knew me and knew Dalton is because we were both creating things. I was doing stuff in skateboarding, filming my friend's skateboard, filming the skateboard contest, and I that's how I was um making myself make making other people be aware of myself. Dalton was doing the same thing self funded surf projects, uh films. Like very, very um projects that are in his realm. That's what he knows. So that's what he's gonna create. And if I had just been sitting there being like, I need a network, I need a network. How how do you network? You have to be creating something that's gonna cr uh get attention from other people because those people can sometimes connect your dots. Because even if I was creating those skateboard videos, I still don't know Dalton. Yeah, I still don't know it. So the other people can help. So when when a lot of people are like, oh, I you know, how do I network? Like I I get so nervous about like staring people in the eye, and I don't want to push a business card. That's that's not networking. Networking is is giving other people a reason to share your name. How do you do that? You create your own things that you enjoy. Yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:06:53

And and to be real, uh again, to give you credit, it's it's not easy. Like we were talking about before we started. So um, you know, Mario's been able to help me on a decent number of projects this year. So I've been like, I initially I was like, hey Mario, uh, you gotta help me um, you know, film some BTS or uh let's get some vlog, but you know, we get hectic and so that he couldn't do it, I I wasn't able to do it, right? Which is why I was asking for assistance. And when we would get done, it'd be funny to ask him, I was like, hey, did you get anything? He'd be like, no. And it wasn't because he wasn't trying, because you know, when you're working in a fast-paced environment, so I give you uh huge credits for being able to do it because having worked with you myself, it's it's seamless. I, you know, you the way you do it, uh, but anyway, we tried. So the only way we were able to get some YouTube videos done is like literally, I was in my office, Josh LeClaire. He was on last season, he had to come get his data from me. And he's like, Hey, I gotta come copy this data or whatever, but I'm free. Let me because I was telling about the YouTube thing that I've been trying, haven't been able to put together. He's like, No, I'm coming, and we're gonna make YouTube videos. And so it needed that, another creator to go, no, and and then we shot the video about the studio and the the cart and the the sound kit or whatever, and Mario edited them, and that's how I was able to get it done. And I was like, it took me at least two other people to get it done, these simple YouTube

Community Building Beyond Instagram

Vipul Bindra 1:08:10

videos, nothing crazy. I'm not talking something fancy. So hats off to you. I like the way you do it, shooting from your phone, editing from your phone, being able to just post them by yourself. Yeah, uh, it is a massive effort, uh, but you make it look seamless.

David Morefield 1:08:24

Thanks. I I feel like I've gotten some workflow improvements as it as I've gone through it. And um, I just enjoy being able to talk to uh an ether of like-minded or non-like-minded individuals. Either way, it's it's good bounce board. And uh yeah, using my phone super easy. The the the little Holly Lics clip them on, like like for the third part, the final part of that series of of that nightmare client who just had red flags everywhere. Adam and I were talking in the Salt Lake City airport at a layover. We had three hours, and he was like, Yeah, man, that that client you were talking about, like I I would have handled it this way. And I'm like, Well, you know, I don't know, based on the information. Actually, put a mic on. Yeah, and then I put my phone, yeah, like leaned it against my backpack, and I said, Like, do you mind just continuing the conversation? He's like, No, I don't mind. So that was just a YouTube video. I pressed start, and then at the end of 20 minutes, I pressed stop, and then I uploaded it to YouTube. And I was like, that was a way more valuable convers conversation than me trying to devise some vlog.

Vipul Bindra 1:09:33

See, that's for good for me to learn because all I was trying to get the last three days uh was Adam just not working. I was like, this vlog is gonna be funny because it's gonna be clips of Adam not working for three days. I'm like, look, this is how hard we work. Because every time he'd get uh get on his phone, because you know, it's it was easy, we're just babysitting the cameras. Um so no, I don't want to discount it. Obviously, we did set them up, it required experience. But you know, once they're set up, you just have to hit record, make sure it's in focus. So, but anyway, every time he'd get on his phone, a phone, I would pull out the phone. I was like on that tensile. Yeah, I was like, and then I was like, the entire vlog is just gonna be look three days, he just was on his phone and charged the cloud massive. But anyway, but yeah, I was like, but but to be real, that's there's no value in it, that's just entertainment. I do like that what you were able to do though with him over what I did is like, hey, let me put a mic. Let this is a this is a really good conversation. Other people need to hear it, right?

David Morefield 1:10:29

Yeah, at least resistance, phone. Um, you know, I have I have people who reach out to me saying, Hey, I'd love to edit your vlogs, like you know, uh like a working relationship. You pay me edit your vlogs, I'll offload all of that. And I'm like, no, that's that's work oversight that I need to have now. I don't want to do that. I do not want to go through drafts and and approve v2. Like I'm not doing that. You just want to get it done. I can just go click click clip on Cap Cut and export, upload a YouTube and try to find a thumbnail somewhere in there. Yeah, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:11:08

That no, that's that like I said, what you're doing is is uh really inspirational. I'll get there. Obviously, I'm trying to. My goal isn't to do, you know, the the thing is uh for years I've been doing this and and never shared any content because I didn't see the value in it. But having talked to you, you know, now for years, I do see the value in it. And you're absolutely right in doing it. And it's not direct value, it's not like I'm going, oh, I'll share this and a brand's gonna look at this video about some equipment or some set I'm sharing and gonna be like, oh, you're the guy. I mean, it could happen, but that's not the goal or what I see happening. But I think even uh just sharing what you're doing, helping other people see the problems you're solving. I don't know. I I feel like um it's something everyone needs to be doing. You need to be creating your own content because, like you said, it may not lead directly to a client, it could lead indirectly to something because somebody could be watching be like, hey, let's collaborate or let's meet or whatever. Who knows that it could reach one other person that doesn't know what I'm doing out here, right?

David Morefield 1:12:07

Yeah, and and it's it's an opportunity creator, and that's not how I I look at it, but that is an effect of it. Like I I had an open afternoon last whatever a couple weeks ago, and um I was like, I'm gonna go, I can be on my phone for the next like it's it's 5 p.m. right now. Yeah, I could be on my phone until I go to sleep in my living room. I'm like, uh like is there anything I could I I think I would enjoy if I actually put a little effort in? Like, I have an open evening. So I just put on my story. Uh hey, I'm going to uh lazy moon, gonna grab a big slice of pizza this big. If anybody wants to come by and talk shop, nerd out, like I'll be there on my phone. I actually I tried.

Vipul Bindra 1:12:54

Yeah, no, that's pretty cool. I wish I had seen it, I would have so come because you know, I'm I'm not funny enough for being a techie guy. I'm not on my phone that much. Yeah, by the time I saw it, you were with uh Josh, right? Josh showed up, yeah.

David Morefield 1:13:05

So I I was like, you know, it's I can't organize a filmmaker meetup, but that is the purpose of those. It's to get people together and talk and have fun. And I'm like, well, I want to do it right now in 20 minutes. So let me just put out that that call onto my Instagram. And so I got there, and Josh immediately was like, Hey, I have the evening open. I would love to come by. And I'll be here. Yeah, we scroll on Instagram until you get here. Yeah, so he came by and he got a pizza, I got a pizza, and we were just talking and hanging out. Um, I think it might have been a little too impromptu for other people to kind of work it into their evening. So it's just me and him, or people just not seeing it at that time, or people not seeing it, and uh he was like, Oh, I just dropped off a bunch of gear at Fipple's house.

Vipul Bindra 1:13:50

Yeah, this was like he was here that morning.

David Morefield 1:13:52

I was like, Oh, yeah, so but he kind of was like, I have the afternoon open as well. Like he could he could easily fill up that time.

Vipul Bindra 1:14:02

I think it's literally the day before we shot the YouTube videos the next morning. That's yeah, yeah, you guys meant.

David Morefield 1:14:08

And uh, and I was like, Yeah, like let's just hang out and talk. Like, you're in a town 30 minutes this way, like I don't know you that well. Let's just hang out. Like, we're there's there's I'm not trying to get anything out of you. You're not trying to get anything out of me, we're just connecting, and so that that is kind of nice in between the filmmaker meetup, so I can just be like, anybody else want to chat? Yeah, and if it was nice, if it was no one, if no one came, okay, no one came, whatever.

Vipul Bindra 1:14:35

And I'm so glad you guys were able to connect and like you said, learn more about each other because I worked with you, I worked with them. It's good to know, and uh uh that you guys were now able to meet and connect.

David Morefield 1:14:43

We really we didn't even talk about filmmaking. We were talking about buying houses and and the market and yeah, you know, saving money versus spending it, and it was just a really, really interesting conversation that I would not have had. I would have just been on my phone. Um, but he knows me because of the vlog, he's been to some of my meetups. So, you know, I I I want to do more more and more meetups. They're they're very fun. Sometimes they're a little bit of a you know, a strain to put together and getting the right. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 1:15:15

I would love for another one to be there, but I get it how much time it takes of yours. But no, uh funny enough, how I met Josh was through your your meetup. No, no, not through your meetup. I met Josh through your uh your group. So I was looking for a drone photographer, and I was like, hey, I uh, you know, again, I limit myself to only doing video, even though I'm part one of seven. Like, I I want to do video. Point is the client wanted photos, which is fine. I don't want to do them. So I'm like, hey, who who wants to do drone photos? And Josh popped up, so I hired him. And it was funny, I didn't meet him until a meetup later in person, and and uh and I was like, Oh, he's like, You've hired me. I was like, Oh, you're trying. So it was funny that you know, have already so I basically hired him. He went and did the job, sent me the deliverables, I paid him without us ever actually meeting, right? So even though we're in the same, same certain, you know, Orlando larger Orlando area. Point is um, so when I met him at the next meetup, I was like, I, you know, I'm Josh. I was like, Oh yeah, I remember hiring you, did great work. And then uh, you know, so so we essentially connected through your group, met through a meetup, and then we were able to uh no, he able to was uh able to hire me on a job. So he was like he needed something where he wanted to bring out the cart and you know uh the fancy stuff. Uh so and I was like happy, yeah, absolutely, happy to jump in. And it was literally one of those ones that I do all the time. So it's very easy plug and play for me too. Uh so again, then he was able to hire me, right? So it's like it yes, it goes everywhere.

David Morefield 1:16:39

It can it help it can circle back, it can spider web out. It makes me super happy uh to to know that I have every place that I've done a filmmaker meetup, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and then a bunch here um that we create an Instagram chat once I leave. Everybody who was attending gets into this chat and it preserves that connection after I leave. And I find a point man in Dallas, it's uh Jared Phillips in San Francisco, it's Tommy Beal. And then I I stay in these chats, but I kind of like let them run it. This is your thing because you already put in work with your vlog channel, and and people kind of know who you are, and then it just spreads like wildfire over there. And I see so many jobs being passed around. Does anybody know a studio? Yeah, my buddy has a studio. Does anybody have uh part 107 certified pilot? Does anybody have what's your thoughts on DD versus Rode? Like there's so much value being passed around. Yeah, and it was because I did a small action before that that allowed all these opportunities to to create themselves. Now it's not even it's not even me being directly intertwined.

Vipul Bindra 1:17:58

And funny enough, it helps me too. Because again, not that I'm doing something great, but to out to an outsider, it looks like, oh, he's got he's doing so great. I want to meet him. And a lot of times I'm just like able to deflect him like, hey, here's the guy you need to follow. Like they'll be like, I need to meet him. I'm like, no, no, no. The guy you want to follow is David Morfield, and look out for his post about a meetup. That's where you want to come. So I've been able to do that and help a lot, and not to like deflect them, but I'm just saying that is the place. I'm like, if you meet me, that's one. Yeah, right. But if you meet a group of people, that's 40, 50 opportunities. That's what I told again, Mario the last meetup was like, hey, you gotta come and you never know uh, you know, who you're gonna meet, and other freelancers, like, yes, I like working with you, but you know, you can get a lot more opportunities,

Teaching, Paywalls, And Doing The Thing

Vipul Bindra 1:18:40

I'm saying, being around so many other people. And and funny enough, that it did happen. So recently, uh uh Natalia, a friend of mine, she came over and she was like, uh, funny enough, she came up, she was like, I was working for Adam, and then Adam texting me other Natalia. So they were able to meet, and then Adam was able to bring her on as an assistant. So that connection wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for uh the networking event that we went to, right? And and or just this meetups in general. Uh uh, so so it's like you never know where the connections are happening and who's hiring who I use it as a deflection as well, just because the the ability to meet me versus the ability to meet the group, it's not even comparable.

David Morefield 1:19:19

Meet the group, exactly. So much more opportunity. So much more opportunity than what I can provide. I can't provide a lot, so but I can provide you a network. Yeah. So, you know, you use it that way, I use it that way. Then the the meetups are are fun. They're a little bit of a of a you know an effort to put together. I I I have one that I'm gonna plan in in New York, maybe I guess it, I guess August. It's coming up really soon. Um, so John Waldman will be the guy for that one because he's already put in the effort. Um, I want to do San Diego. Actually, I might I'm going to San Diego with Adam. I could plan it around that. Um Albert Mendoza, Alberto Mendoza will be the um the guy there because he's the one vlogging and putting himself out there. So it's like I want to align with people who are who are trying to make their own way, not the people who are like, hey, can you give me all of your resources? No, let me team up with someone who's also trying to run and then because I know they'll take it further. They'll they'll do what Tommy Beal did, they'll do what uh Jared Phelps did, and they'll just push, push, push. Because you can get that, and then you can let it die because you're not trying to water that situation. So yeah, there there's there's a a lot of a lot more meetups that I want to do, and and it kind of brings me into the the issue of like how do I do I want to make this a bigger thing? Do I want to put more structure into it? Because there is obviously so much value. Do I I had ideas of being like maybe I'll do a five city tour in 2025? We're already halfway through. Yeah. I don't know if that's happening.

Vipul Bindra 1:21:01

I mean, you could do it.

David Morefield 1:21:02

I could do it, but but yeah, do I want to have uh the the most common question I get is hey, how how do I find out when the next meetup is? I want to join. What city is it in? And so well, a newsletter would be great for that. It takes a little bit of work to do, not too much. Um, and then I would need to line up with venues and and do I want to have some type of community discussion outside of the Instagram chats? Because those are free, those are good, but they're very specific to that city right there. So, how much structure do I want to give this thing? How much time do I want to invest? I I feel like if I invested this much time, I would get this much out of it. But where where is that? What what is it? Is it a forum? Is it it's gotta be something that people are on, yeah. You know, uh where they get that that information because same thing, they need to know where it's happening when it's yeah, because right now I just say, hey, watch the vlog and eventually I'll say something about it. It'd be much easier if I say, Oh, sign up for the newsletter. It's it's once a month, and it's only information about the next meetup or like something very specific that maybe this is a this is an excerpt of the of the vlog I put out this month. Yeah, and then you know, just just I hate getting emails.

Vipul Bindra 1:22:26

Yeah, I me too. But at the same time, I think there's value in it. Value, yeah. Like, have you heard of Syndicate list? Yes, yeah. So I love getting their email because it's usually something good. It's it's very cut and dry. Yeah, it's like that's what I like. I don't want, you know, a bunch of BS about, yeah, like uh like to be honest, production hub, unsubscribe to that newsletter very fast. Uh all the stuff there was, I was like, I don't want to know any of this. I'm not sure, I'm sure it's relevant to someone, but I was just like, I don't want this. I I find that when they just send you a lead or whatever, that's good, but I don't want their newsletter. But at the same time, Snykitless. I love that newsletter because I'm like, every time they're sending me, it's funny enough. Somehow they know I'm like, oh, I need that. Like, let me jump on that. Or even it's like not, then I'm like, oh, I wish I had jumped on that, you know, yeah, six months ago or whatever. So uh either way, I love getting that email. Same thing. If you had a newsletter like that, that's just about meetups or something relevant, yeah, just something by it. Yeah, exactly. And I I wouldn't mind it because, like you said, nobody wants email, but if the email is relevant, who minds it?

David Morefield 1:23:26

Yeah, I mean, yeah, and it'd be voluntary sign-ups.

Vipul Bindra 1:23:28

Exactly. So you can just um subscribe if it's not relevant to you anymore.

David Morefield 1:23:32

Yeah, um, and and I don't think that's a lot of effort. I've asked a f a few people of like, hey, how do I do uh how do I do a email or list? And there's a I've I've been signing up for a bunch of YouTubers newsletters because I'm like, what do you put in there? Like, is it fluff? Is it is it bite-size? Like I I subscribe to Luke Forse newsletter. He kind of gives more of like an expansive thought, a lot of text. Yeah, um, there's another guy, Gary Scafe or something, um, British guy, and and he's offering kind of like I'm gonna talk about this, and it's a lead into the video that you can go check out. Also, you can pick up my course, and I just did a a guide about this camera and stuff like that. And and that's very interesting for me to see as well. Like, are you able to make money off this? Like, if you actually are providing value, then to me, that's not cringy to have a course or something. I have subscribed to courses like the Art of Documentary, and I've got a ton of value out of it. Yeah, so I wouldn't be like, Oh, they just offer a course. It's like, well, I got way more out of it than what I paid. So I got the better deal, actually. But some other people have courses that are just a couple of PDFs, and you're like, What did I pay for?

Vipul Bindra 1:24:51

Exactly. I think it depends, you know. Kind of like, uh, for example, I'll tell you, like, I hate when every YouTuber has their LED pack and they're gonna push you their LED packs, and they're just the tra trash. I mean, you could do a way better job on resolve in 10 minutes of learning. Uh, but then at the same time, there's value. Like, I personally have bought uh those phantom LUTs. I forget the name of the guy. Can you find out uh Joe Joel, yeah.

David Morefield 1:25:14

Famaro.

Vipul Bindra 1:25:15

Yeah, can you find out his page? But the guy who makes the the Phantom LUTs, and the reason is as soon as I switched to Sony, uh, I've quickly realized oh, FX6 and FX3 don't look the same. Uh, you know, some there's some differences.

Mario Rangel 1:25:29

But his can you show us Joe Famularo?

Vipul Bindra 1:25:32

Okay, but Phantom Luts. Personally, I have bought them, so thank you, Mario. Uh the reason being is uh being able to put his conversion light on my cameras made sure the image that I was sending to the production monitor, they they match very closely, and it solves the problem on set. Because I don't want a client to go, hey, why are they because even though in post, you know, we could tweak it or whatever, but using his conversion LETs on the cameras to see the image is beneficial to me. So those LETs were worth it. So kind of like that. Not everything in the same category is good or bad, it's just you have to find the good stuff. Same thing with courses. Like, I I hate courses from people who don't do this for a living. You know, they're like, I'll show you how to make 20 grand a month, guaranteed, or whatever. And then they're like, they don't run a video company, they don't know any of this, they're just selling you a course because that is their business. That's different than somebody's like, hey, I do this for a living. Here's something condensed I learn that gives you value, and I'm gonna continue working in the industry. I'm not gonna now become a full-time course salesman. To me, that is huge value where I'd be like, Oh yeah, let me, I'm I'm intrigued, let me see if I find value.

David Morefield 1:26:35

Yeah, I I I love to learn about those things because if there is a value exchange, if my money gave me this value, everybody's happy. Yeah, it's just when it's lopsided that people are like, I paid a lot and I didn't I didn't get much back. And now now I think of you as someone who's just trying to take money from your audience, and then you you kind of ruin the whole thing. Yeah, so like for Joel who's doing the Phantom LUTs, which by the way, I love that monitor. Um, that's so nice to have that camera feeds and then computer. Um like I don't think anybody's being like, oh, he's just trying to sit uh get money with his LUT. It's like, have you tried them? They're great, yeah, they work very well for the purpose that you need. So that's a that's a very equal value exchange. Like, yeah, I'm not mad at that.

Vipul Bindra 1:27:28

Funny how we'll even buy them one time. So we used the Burano on this recent job, and obviously I didn't have them. And again, just like his, he had one for uh the Burano. So immediately I told the director, I was like, you gotta buy it. It's a production expense. So we bought one immediately. So it was like, you know, good for him to make extra $50 or whatever the LUTs are. But you know, for me, it was immediate. I was like, hey, we're using FX6 and FX2, they already have the Phantom LUT. We want it to match. Yeah, especially when you're looking at the monitor, it's an instant buy. Uh so there's the you know, I don't know, like you said, I I could justify that value in an instant.

David Morefield 1:28:00

Uh versus a lot of LUTs and stuff I've seen online where I'm like, Yeah, and and yeah, so I want I I think there's a value that I can provide in in network in community. I don't know exactly what that is. It and I have to I have to filter it through what would I be on? Am I gonna go onto another website? I don't I don't think I will. Like I'm on the Art of Documentaries Facebook page, and you know,

Being Generative And Compounding Value

David Morefield 1:28:25

Facebook is for me is primarily used for groups. So I could maybe do I see I see that platform. Is it another one? You know, Jared in Dallas has mentioned quite a few times in uh he was thinking about Discord. That's just not in my world. So if I'm not gonna use the platform, how can I expect other people to use it?

Vipul Bindra 1:28:45

I mean, Discord has its uses to be real, and maybe where you offload from Instagram one point, because you know I think they have a limit in how many people you can add. But my whole thing is here, Tommy Bulligan put it the last video that I watched of his put it correctly. Like he broke it down how much he gained from YouTube versus how much, and majority of his income came from the two, three or what however many networking events either he attended or posted. And that's just the truth. Uh, the value is in networking events, and the reason is not that the net networking events are special, it's just it's a limited crowd, right? It's a limited crowd, so there's high opportunity to talk to enough people uh where you guys can actually connect and get to know each other. Not saying you couldn't do that on the internet or Discord or chat, but it's filters out. It's it's it's limiting because you know, if I have hundred people, like if I like sometimes I've had where I'm like, I need this, and I'm like 50 messages in my inbox, and then people hate me for it because I'm like, it's gone, guys. You're too fast. So it's like, you know, I didn't not everyone got that opportunity. The only one who won is usually who's able to respond the fastest. Whereas in a networking event, now I get to know these people. I'm like, oh, that's who you're about, or this is what you do, this is what you like. Now I can filter the the uh the offer to the right person. I'm like, hey, you do this better, let me send that to you if that makes sense.

David Morefield 1:30:02

When I when I did the meetup in San Francisco with Tommy, um he asked me, Hey, I have a guy who's working in the industry. I let him know about your meetup, and he says, What does the the $15 admission fee get me? And I was like, Well, it's it's a bar, so like you have to order your own drinks and your own stuff, and all and I was like, Yeah, what does it get you? Um, and then it was that. I was like, Oh, it's the exclusivity because that I think there would be a lot of people who would attend if they were just saying, Oh, I get to meet the um David, I see him on YouTube. Yeah, let's come over and say hi. Oh, 15 bucks. Yeah, I don't, he's not worth that. And I'm like, okay, Taylor Swift. Yeah. So I told him, I was like, I'm I'm trying to filter out the people who are just coming off of YouTube and instead putting a little bit of a paywall to show the people who are like, I would like to meet other people, and that is worth 15 bucks for me. And honestly, a lot of times uh there it like there is a ticket price, it's usually for food or the venue or something. When I do it in Orlando, I haven't charged just because it's been the home base experiment lab. Let me figure out how this works.

Vipul Bindra 1:31:17

So far, we haven't had that many people who just came, you know, right to be but yeah, you're right.

David Morefield 1:31:21

I do see the point of the body. Just like uh David here, you know, if I'm going somewhere else, they're like, oh, he's in this town for one you know, one event. Um, so over there, it was great. There was a bunch of people who were like, I I would like to spend 15 bucks to to be with other people who think it might be worth to connect with.

Vipul Bindra 1:31:40

Exactly.

David Morefield 1:31:41

And and I just need to, or I I'm willing to explore that and be like, okay, so how do I take that out of the physical experience and connect so many more people digitally? I don't know what it is. Um, I know there's value there. I'm not I'm not trying to rush to to just put something together, but I do know there that is the the value that I can provide. It's it's not really let me tell you how to do everything. Uh I don't have that. But as someone who's an introvert, it's very, very weird to be like, I'm the connection guy now, or I'm able to connect people who can connect other people. So I would I would like to keep doing that because it's fun. Yeah, a lot of my friends get opportunities out of it.

Vipul Bindra 1:32:27

I see so much more money being made from other people, and uh also I like traveling, I like like meeting new people to travel, or even if you're spending if you're just going there for a meetup, there's huge value because you know you are the guy who's putting this together and you're creating this value. So I don't know. I like your meetups, I've met great people, and funny enough, sometimes it took a couple of meetups to build that connection. So that's why I like them going to them all the time. Because, for example, Adam and I met on the first one, and I remember not having you know, like that deep conversation with them because you know, even though there was a six of us, I was like, oh, so he does veterinary videography. Okay, sounds good. You know, I'm like, all right, that's it, that's all I knew. And then, you know, a couple of meetups later, and you recommending me hire him or whatever. I was like, oh, this guy does so much more than veterinary videography, right? It's like that slow connection build that you can do over the course of, let's say, I don't know, two, three meetups. And I'm like, oh, and now we've worked so much with each other. That wouldn't have happened had that opportunity not, I don't know, precide itself. And then him saying, Hey, I need somebody. Do you do you know someone or do you want to come? And I was like, sure. You know, but that wouldn't have happened um had he not been connected through your networking band or you recommending him to me, or or vice versa. I I don't know. I just find huge value in it. Now, talking about paywalls, I don't know how you could price it, or or that that's obviously for you to figure out because I've been struggling with the same thing. So here's something I want to do. Even though I'm a DP uh director, DP producer, I've really learned very fast in the industry that what separates a good DP from a bad DP or not such good DP is lighting. Because you're technically in charge of the light, the the lighting department, even though I know on a bigger set a Gaffer would do it, but on smaller sets, it's just the same group of people doing everything. And I've been able to, I think, learn enough about lighting. I wanted to, I've been wanting to do like an advanced lighting course, you know. Like I'm talking, it's it's it's for people who want to really learn, like getting into the Vids of it and getting into the to like spectrum, showing a color meter, light meter, like, and not that people need to go buy it, but like what's the spectrum difference between this light, this like why would I pull this light over this light? And actually showing the science behind it, showing actual frames from videos um and lighting breakdowns, whatever. I want to do like an intense four-hour lighting course that I feel like people could really benefit from and up their level. So it'd be like for really DPs who are like, I want to go to the next level, or people are like, I want to be a gaffer or I want to go to the next level of gaffing or whatever, right? That's that would be the target group. It wouldn't be for beginners. And so I'm like, and I want to do it very exclusively. I'm talking like five people, ten at most. Like that would be like is this a high ticket? No, and that's what I'm saying. I don't want to put paywall. I'm all about giving free education, but here's the thing I'm like, if I say free, yes, any and everyone can sign up. And I hate to say this, but if they don't know basics about lighting, how to put a light on a stand, this course isn't for you. We're gonna go straight into types of light. Why where to use a car, where to use a panel, why would I use this specific brand over this specific brand? Blah, blah, blah. Here's how you can use something pro on CITUS app or whatever. Uh you get my point. It's supposed to be for, hey, I I already knew the beginning thing. I know how to do a three-point, I know how to set up a light. Now, how do I take it to the next level, right? Where do I use frames? What rags? You know, stuff like that. And and I was like, I would really love to just help people, right? I feel like this could level up so many people. Uh, and I have this knowledge to share, but at the same time, I cannot do this in a big classroom setting. Then it's it wouldn't work. It has to be hands-on. Yeah. So at most, I like I said, I would do 10 people, and even that to me seems high, right? Five would be ideal because then we can all be hands-on. But then I was like, if I do this for free, which is what how I'd like to do it, then I'm gonna get people that may not be interested in doing this. So I'm like, how do I get the right people? Because my time is worth something too. Like, I'm not talking monetarily, but I don't want to waste my time. So that's where I've been going back and forth, where I'm like, do I put it behind a paywall? And if I do, then what paywall? And then what do I do with that money? Do I spend that money on food? Do I keep that money? You know, I hope that makes sense. That's the internal debate recently I've been going through. And what's happened is I meant to do this last month, and now a month later, having made no decision. And in the end, what's happening is nobody's gonna get this thing because I have this internal debate on paywalls and what to price at or whatever, right?

David Morefield 1:36:48

Yeah, I mean, that's I'm in the exact same thing, except instead of a month later, it's like a year later for me. And I'm like, Mike, I was talking about a newsletter like last year.

Vipul Bindra 1:36:58

Exactly. Um, and there's costs of that for you. You have to at least get the account, right? It's MailChimp, but whatever whatever platform you're gonna use, it's gonna have costs.

David Morefield 1:37:07

I don't think it's much, but it's more so it's it's not the cost, it's it's it's me committing to a future structure. It's like, well, you probably would put one out every month, maybe even not. It maybe it's whenever there's news. Yeah, sure. But like you you are committing yourself to that type of structure. And as someone who is extremely non-committal, like yeah, I that is probably the biggest deterrent. Yeah, is I'm like, do I know do I want to set up for something that I know I have to do in the future? Obviously, you can make it work for you. You do it at your speed rather than signing yourself up for what you think would be the highest um the highest value output. That's how people get burnt out. I have never got burnt out

Work-Life Design And Energy Management

David Morefield 1:38:00

because I am in situations where I have the autonomy to choose do I want to do it or not. Now, I have been extremely overworked and like, oh, I'm gonna take a week off, but I can take the week off.

Vipul Bindra 1:38:12

Yes, you have that freedom. And I think it's the same thing with this newsletter. Like I learned, I said it for years. I want to start a conversation with people, you know. I want to post it because I love watching, you know, like I said, Joe Rogan would be the perfect example. But for filmmakers, and I was like, I can't find something uh, you know, where where it's it's fun like that, where it's like new guests and you're talking about podcasts, yeah, podcast. And I'm like, I had to just do it, right? I had to literally, if you remember, the way it happened was here's the dates, we're just gonna do it. And it just happened. And same thing, I think, with the newsletter. If you just think about it, then you're gonna procrastinate, you're gonna come up with so many reasons to do it to not to do it. And uh, I think you should just do it. Simple as that. And then and I think that that's the thing I've learned since this lighting course. Uh now I've been procrastinating because I'm like, what do I do? What do I price it at? Do I price it at free or 99? Or should it be a high-ticket item because high value information? And and because of that, it's not happening. So I feel like I just need to pick a price and do it, and then I don't know, just you know, I feel like the value is already there. And since it's not there for my me to have income, I could just spend that money on food or whatever for people to have or something like that. Yeah. Uh, but but I think the summary of it is you just gotta do it, otherwise, you'll always find reasons to postpone it or make it grander or whatever, right?

David Morefield 1:39:27

Not only do I agree, I um they're one of my favorite podcasts is called My First Million. Have you ever seen it? It's about uh these two guys um who uh have made a ton of money, tens, if not hundreds, of millions from buying and selling businesses, but they are so casual in in their podcast because they are curious minds, and that's how they've been able to find opportunities. And they they will just they're they're one of the recent podcasts, they were saying um our new word is uh genered generative. We are we we like generative people, and they said, What does that mean? That means someone who is generating things, like it's not just being a productive person, it's like I'm creating things that are going out and doing more. So I uh you generated this podcast, right? And this I a hundred percent believe will create something beyond the episode. It will go further, it will connect, it will catch the eyes of someone maybe five years down the road, who knows? What yeah, it because you generated this, you made this out of nothing, put it into the ether, it's the same thing that I do with my vlog, just things just pop out.

Vipul Bindra 1:40:52

Yeah.

David Morefield 1:40:53

And and I think that that is the difference of the people who have good ideas, a lot of people have good ideas. I feel like I have great ideas. It's just the ability to take the next step to actually create it and put it out, whether it's in a good phase, whether it's fully formed, whether it's polished, whatever.

Vipul Bindra 1:41:18

And remember, you never get good at it from day one. You have to first do it because a lot of people are like, oh, I'm gonna do it, great. Thing is, you can't like uh again, I I hate to give keep giving podcast examples, but like season one, I'm like, I wanted to do this, and uh, we weren't able to. So then it was like, do I cancel? No, we're gonna do how I'm able to. And I'm pretty sure season three, four, whatever, if I do it, I'll be like, oh, this was nothing. Like, you know, we're doing this or whatever. And you're it's always, you know, you're trying to go to the next level, but you'll never go to the next level if you don't start from the level one, right? Uh, same thing with your vlogs. I'm sure if you go back to the first one, you're like, oh, so cringe. You're fantastic. Right? And you're you're like, uh, what am I doing? Uh I mean, maybe you don't have the feeling. I do. If I look in my video even from six months ago, I'm like, what was I thinking? Because you're always evolving, I feel like. My goal is like today, if I make a video for my client, it's gonna be the best video that I can make today at that price point. Okay. That's a factor. Um, but that does not mean six months later that was the best video I can make at that day. Right, it will be something different, whatever the market needs or wants, or my process has evolved, right? So I just try to do the best that I can do today. It may not be the best thing ever, because uh, you know, at least for me, when I look back, I'm like, oh, what was I doing? You know, it's it's it's because you're evolving as a partisan.

David Morefield 1:42:37

Well, one of the biggest takeaways I've had from doing YouTube is I realize I have my job, my career, and I now always want something in parallel. I want something else growing. So for me, it's the the vlogging channel. And then from that, that has branched out into Instagram chats, physical meetups, um, a ton of work being contracted my way, uh, so many more connections and and just meeting people around the US, everywhere. So it's just so obvious in my face that I'm like, if I had just sunk all my time into my career, I would have been severely stifled. I would never have had all of the opportunities from this side. And I I want to have even more pillars. That's two, but I would love to have a third one that is growing in and you know, kind of like a stock. It's compounding over time, and I'm able to maybe not see a lot in the beginning, but it might it might be a long play and it might go nowhere.

Vipul Bindra 1:43:50

Yeah, I never know, but you don't. I think you like you said, you're just doing it, and if you don't have an agenda, you're just creating what you want to create. Maybe you have an outline, but things will come because you never know where that leads to, right?

David Morefield 1:44:04

Or you're creating an environment where things can come. Where things can come. It might not, but you are not creating an environment where things can happen if you're just stagnant here.

Vipul Bindra 1:44:16

Yeah, exactly. Plus, it's like again, be what we do, we people need to find us, people need to know what we do, and you need to show them that, whether that's through in-person networking events, whether that's through YouTube, whether that's through Instagram, whatever format people, TikTok. I mean, I find it cringe, but you know, you can do TikToks. I mean, whatever platform works for people, I think they should just do it. I think that's the summary of this, right? Just go create content, be generative, yeah, and then I think things, things at least create an environment around you where opportunities will follow. And usually, in my opinion, if you keep at it, keep at it, just don't give up. Things will automatically line up, you know. You just gotta keep doing better.

David Morefield 1:44:57

Yeah, and and I wouldn't bank on anything returning. Like, I I uh had a consultation caller, it's an older guy in Denmark, and he's like in his 50s, and he has like kids who might have had their own kid. And I was on a consultation call with him, and I'm like, how am I gonna help this guy? Like, he's he's lived so much longer than I have. He's has so many more wide views, experiences of the world. Like, how can uh I don't know if you know it felt a little uncomfortable being like, oh, let me try to con consult you on how how you can improve. And you know, a lot of times the value in the consultation calls is is just having the conversation for people to bounce off their ideas, it to hit me, me to redirect it. And eventually I was very happy because in the the last stretch of the call, we we did find some some really cool trajectories that he could take, but it took like 95% of the time to just dig and dig and dig and find what could work. And a lot of times it's it's not gear focused, these calls. It's more so his was very my personality is like this, and I am I'm crisscrossed, I'm I'm wide, I'm sporadic, I and and it's hard for me to focus in and do this. You know, do I need to have my website up? Do I need to have my vlog? Do I need to have a vlog channel like you? Do I need to start doing Facebook ads on Meta? Like, and he's like, I have all these ideas that I want to do, and and and then when we wrapped up, he was like, Oh, I thought you were gonna come in here and say, This is the plan that you need to do. You need to scope in and like really do XYZ. But he said, But that's not what you're telling me. You're telling me that I have a much higher chance of success if I follow the things that I enjoy. I was like, Yeah, you because you're gonna do it more than the thing that you're tasked with. Because when you want to do it, it's not a task. It's like, oh, I got to do that. I get to so I was like, yeah, absolutely. Go explore that route. Like, you know, I have no guru abilities in my head. I am just following the thing that I want to do, and because of that, I will do it more. So if you do that, if you have if that allows you to be generative, that allows

Personal Milestones And Evolving Priorities

David Morefield 1:47:30

you to to create something, that is uh the the high producing path.

Vipul Bindra 1:47:34

Yeah. And that's the key to to, you know, because you can make money doing so many things. Yeah, literally so many things. So if you just want to make money, go make money. But the the idea that I'm trying to at least share is like you can make good money doing what we do, but if you want to do it, right? I would really recommend people who are really passionate about it because there will be days when things are tough, right? People come here and we can tell them, you know, how awesome it is to have a really nice retainer that goes on for over 18 months, or I have projects that are like 50 grand, 100 grand, 150 grand all the time. So it's like, oh, this is amazing, but it's like they don't see the downtime, the bad times, or the times, you know, things are not going great that we, you know, maybe at least you're sharing on on somewhat on on your channel about your board not working on your camera, but I don't put any of that out there. So people don't see the sleepless nights, the extra time where you know you have to do things that you're not having fun or dealing with a bag full of receipts, you know, just because it needs to go in QuickBooks. Uh, point is like there's a lot of it, and I'm saying so if but if you love it, it will all flow. But if you don't love it, then it's just another job on top of another job, then it's just you might as well go do a better job that's not this complicated and technical and creative, where you can make good living.

David Morefield 1:48:53

You know what funny is my my retainer is like golden handcuffs, just like uh 2.3% interest rate on a mortgage that people got in 2020. Like, um it is it is a fantastic situation. And kind of before I would be like, well, maybe I'll move here, maybe I'll move there. And it's kind of like, well, if you do that, you're not gonna have this. And this is great. Yeah, this is great for my income. This is great for uh it's like every time is a an experiment to to to get creative, to kind of figure something out. So I I love it. Is it the the most fulfilling type of work? No, but it's if I can satisfy my clients' needs, that's very fulfilling.

Vipul Bindra 1:49:40

Yeah, no, absolutely. You know, I've I've always debated because like I tell people like I don't have uh retainer clients, I have repeat clients. I really love what I do, right? But the reason I love it is because every day we're some doing something different. Like you said, last three days I was doing a course video, we're gonna be doing like a car shoot on Tuesday and then And uh, you know, uh, I was in uh San Diego earlier doing a conference, right? We're basically going, uh uh, then we're helping like uh the company that we helped does the same thing with they help sell other companies. So what I'm saying is I'm going from one cool thing to another cool thing, and it's like everything's different, and you know, it just keeps it fun because I'm like, oh, you do this, and you know, you get to learn about so many different industries. And I'm like, if I get stuck with one industry the whole time, then it'll get uh, you know, I don't know, boring to me, but at the same time, let me say the other side of it. Having seen you, I'm like, but I do like the idea that if I had a retainer like you do, then it's like, hey, eight days, like you said, it's like that the golden goose, right? Or not the golden goose, but like gold gold interest rate. Yeah, what do you call it? I called the golden handcuffs. Golden handcuffs, there you go. Because then it's like, hey, now I have 24 days every month or 22 days every month where I can now go do all that stuff, where I can say no to a certain industry just because I don't want to keep doing the same thing over and over again. So I completely have changed my mindset on retainers, having seen you and the freedom that is brought for you, uh, because uh, like you said, it it lets you then have that freedom to choose what you want to do. And for somebody like me who doesn't want to be stuck doing the same thing over and over again, and I'm not talking the same thing as in video, I'm talking same industry. Um, it would give that freedom where it's like, hey, nah, we haven't we've done that, so this may not be the right fit, so I can then pick the next industry. Because what I love is uh, you know, doing different things over and over again. Um, so we'll see. Uh, but I'm definitely more open to retainers now than I was in the past. So you never know. No, because I'm loving right now the shoot that we did on the track. Everyone I had on the shoot with me that day, they were literally like, This is the most fun I've ever had on a shoot. And I was like, that wouldn't have happened had I taken, you know, booked my whole month with repeat like retainer work or whatever. But it was from a repeat client. So I was like, this is incredible that we get to do this. Like we're literally on a track doing FPV drone stunts with this car that's unreleased, you know, stuff you wouldn't get to do. Yes. But uh, you know, and then the next day, like I said, I'm working with the CEO, we're like, you know, selling their that them selling other people's businesses, so it can just vary so much, and that that to me is fun. Like, you know, technically we're operating too.

David Morefield 1:52:19

I am surprised you don't have a retainer because you are someone who is so ingrained and let me find a workflow. Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't aligned with a company who's I have, but that's what I'm saying.

Vipul Bindra 1:52:28

The way it works is they call like this company that I'm talking about, they just call. They were like, hey, so we're gonna now do 12 C's or 12 ADs. Okay, there you go. That the retainer or retainer, I say, uh the project is done, but it's project-based. I haven't done where it's like, oh no, every month you're gonna come make two videos for me or five videos for me, whatever. I haven't done that type of retainer, and but now I'm saying I'm starting to open more for it because like I said, I love repeat clients. Yes, I don't like being stuck that hey, every Monday is mine or every four days is mine. But now I'm like, if that meant that I could have the other days to pick and choose or whatever, have that freedom, I would be open to it.

David Morefield 1:53:03

Well, that that is my situation because for the retainer that I have, we book out about three to six months in advance. It's not every Monday, it's like the client has these dates available. Can you tell us which dates work for you? So I have certain dates throughout the months coming up that I know are blocked off. But for some reason, that's better to me than being like it's Tuesday through Wednesday every you know, every second week or something. For some reason, I like that more, even though it's it's the same, it's blocked off time in the future. But because I had the ability to choose, it makes me feel better. And uh I Adam was asking me, Um, hey, I got a San Diego job coming up. Um, can you put a tentative week for me? And then he says, I'm gonna be getting the quotes, um, likely two days of production. Do you what days do you have available between uh October, this and this, November, this and this? And he goes, you know what? Who are we kidding? I'm your other retainer. Like and I was like, and then I said, I don't need gear for either retainer. Perfect. Yeah, there you go.

Vipul Bindra 1:54:14

That's what I'm saying. Uh, you've got the good end of the deal. I like working with him, but I'm like, yeah, I want the the other option where I just show up. But no, that's an incredible.

David Morefield 1:54:23

Well, it's it's a testament to your workflows.

Vipul Bindra 1:54:25

Yeah, I know.

David Morefield 1:54:26

He knows your workflows, yeah. So he's like, Yeah, just have him do it. I don't know what that says about my workflows, but um, he knows his workflow works and your workflow works.

Vipul Bindra 1:54:37

Yeah, I mean, hey, I'm happy. That's why I say I've built this for my clients, but if that means it works, no, I'm now thinking about fitting you in my workflow. So if you remember the thing, gigs that you've done for me where the live stream where we want to, you know, make it mobile and be able to flow. And I was like, that now I've been literally thinking because this Ronin 8K that I've acquired actually does wireless signal, and uh you can it has a much better wireless signal. Uh and I was like, plus it's all integrated instead of this big thing. I was like, that it'd be so cool to deploy this at one of the uh live stream situations, and and I was like thinking, oh, would David like operating this? So maybe I I want to still use the tiltering. Yeah, the tiltering with the gimbal with the FX3. This is all just integrated. One battery makes it easy. It's a little heavier, but I don't know if it's heavier once you add all that up. It may actually be about the same weight or a little less because it's heavy, but it's not as heavy, I think. I need to explain it. Yeah, plus the manual being able to quickly go manual focus if it loses focus or whatever, and the the ability to track because if they're walking fast, you can select the face and then it'll just track. I don't know. I see it being deployed, so maybe that we we may we may try that. Uh, I'm I'm seeing the possibilities, like I said, just come in, we need to play with it more. Uh, but that would be really cool to to deploy with you there. But I know we're running towards the tail end of our time, so I want to go go back and touch on what I really want to ask about. You are a committed man now. What made you pop the question? And you also put it on the vlog.

David Morefield 1:56:04

So yeah, I I rarely do personal stuff on the vlog, maybe like a loop of her face or something. Um, just because I don't know, that that's um kind of a side where I'm like, it's it's not really relevant to this, but like I do show a lot of personal stuff, so you know, you know, it's I'm not gonna make an episode about it, yeah, but like a little a little thing.

Housing, Money Choices, And Autonomy

David Morefield 1:56:30

Um it's honestly because the vlogs are are I they're catalogs of like memories. So I'm able to have a video diary, and I'm like, well, it's not really work-related, but because I insert so much of my life into my vlogs, I'm like, I kind of I want that cataloged in there. And it was just like a 15-20 second sequence of of proposing. I went to um Gloucester, Massachusetts, a coastal town uh right near Boston, and and the Airbnb was looking out over the the ocean, and um yeah, it was it was a really cool opportunity, but man, I I didn't know so many things going into it. I didn't know that you have your engagement ring, and then there's also a wedding ring. Yeah, didn't know that.

Vipul Bindra 1:57:24

So did you have already bought the ring or did you buy it there?

David Morefield 1:57:27

Um, I thought you could just go there and get a ring. And the the saleswoman at Tiffany's was like, how how long do you have before you go? I was like, five days. She's like, Oh my gosh. Like, we we need to like do this now to get, you know, you need to look through what which ones you want, send them out, or or have them sent in the right sizes and carrot, and then going down. I'm actually glad I waited to the last minute because I would have gone down the rabbit hole of diamonds, clarity and cuts, and I'm like, I would sink so much time into this, but because I had to like kind of make fast actions, I was like, I I like that clarity. I like that. And then I remember these are the the styles that she likes. Let's do it and move on. So shout out to that lady for helping me because she really saved that situation.

Vipul Bindra 1:58:26

Yeah.

David Morefield 1:58:26

Um and uh I like I said before, I'm a very non-committed person. I hate knowing that my decisions are tied up for me in the future. Yeah, so that really relates to me in freelancing.

Vipul Bindra 1:58:43

You're literally saying right now, hear yourself. You said I'm a non-committal person who just committed to marrying this woman. Yes.

David Morefield 1:58:50

And and part of me is is in that side where I don't like retainers. You're telling me my Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for the next foreseeable future is taken up. Like, I don't like that. I don't like not being able to say no. I don't like having the autonomy to decide. And um and then like obviously there's a big difference between choosing those things and work versus the personal side where you get to expand on this experience that you have with someone else. And that is like the part that pushes down the non-committed to being like, well, this this is great, right? You like this relationship with this person? Yeah. First of all, do you want to preserve it? Because they don't just sit next to you forever without, you know, any anything uh in the foreseeable future. Okay, well, what if it could grow into something bigger? I'm like, uh I know. I didn't see myself being like, yeah, I want to do that, but hearing her perspective of it and then seeing Did she knew you were gonna do it or no? Was it an actual surprise? Surprised her. She knew we were in that realm.

Vipul Bindra 2:00:04

Okay.

David Morefield 2:00:05

Um, but the actual event was a surprise, and that's all I that was the main important thing. I just didn't want her to be like, oh, it's happening right now. Like I wanted the kind of a little bit of magic and to be like, I want to surprise you. And and funny enough, I I filmed it on a A7S3 with a disposable DIY lens that I made. So I kind of gave it this nice little blooming, stretching, um really, really cool look um with just the disposable lens cap. Um you can buy them from dispo lens, but I I made one myself and um it it's uh it's like oh wow, this is like a big milestone like to go over. It's intense.

Vipul Bindra 2:00:56

Yeah. Are you are you you feel good now that it's done, you're committed, you know, you're yeah.

David Morefield 2:01:01

Um it it's it's exciting to to kind of see myself change a little bit, to be so adamant to being like, I don't know, I don't I don't know.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:11

That's yeah, dude. The guy I met, and I I've only known you a few years. I was like the guy I met what three years ago or whatever, two years ago, yeah, it was almost two years ago, uh was basically like would have never like you were like no no retainers, no commitment, no nothing. I'm a free bird to like yeah, you were you're engaged, you have a retainer that you've been doing for a year and a half, you know, you've left your downtown lifestyle that you were so happy about. Like you're you're you're kind of very different, yeah.

David Morefield 2:01:39

Yeah, and I I would say like I like the free bird type of feeling, and then now it just feels like it's too free. Yeah, there you go.

Vipul Bindra 2:01:46

See that's the that's the the mushy gooshy way to look at it. Uh but before we wrap this up, this is incredible, by the way. I'm so happy for you. Feel like you're doing great. Love watching your vlogs, love keeping up um with what you're doing and hearing about you, like I said, even indirectly when I'm working with Adam or other people that you you know you're you've worked with. Um, like so Josh, like when he came and he was telling me about the dinner that you guys had because we filmed the YouTube videos. So things like that. Um uh but before we wrap this up, anything else you wanted to touch on? I know there's so many topics, man. This could go on too.

David Morefield 2:02:19

Um You know, uh I feel like we've talked about a lot of like the good things. Uh I would I'm trying to think of like what what bad things are going on. Because those those are oftentimes more interesting. I'm trying to think of any issues that I have. I I think you know, staying staying organized schedule-wise, and and trying to monitor what is gonna be my energy level if I do job, job, job, job. You know, that doesn't show in the invoices. The invoices look great, but kind of are you know that that is a a factor as well, is are you are you are you lining up your calendar if if you have the the ability to do so, where you're saying I'll I can do that, and then I can come home and charge batteries, and then I will be able to pack for the morning flight. Um is there any margin for error there? Like what happens if you miss if if your flight doesn't take off completely out of your control? I don't know. There there's there's a lot of times where when you slam things together in the calendar and you get through like I don't know, maybe like 14 days, and you're like, oh my gosh, like that worked, but like that could have been a nightmare.

Vipul Bindra 2:03:39

And here's the negative of of what what I at least I love this. So what happens with me is if somebody reaches out and with us having so much freedom, I can move things around and fit a job in, and then a job here and job here. What ends up happening that I'm like morning till evening, I'm doing a job, then I'm sending emails or responding to clients or reviewing edits, and then you know, I'm up till 3 a.m., then waking up again, 6 a.m. to get ready for the next day of the job, and then you do it again, then and then I've realized uh the most recently I'm like uh this is summer. I should be spending time with my family. And because it's our busy time, because there's so many jobs, and because what I love, uh, you know, what I do, I committed my calendar to so many jobs, and I'm like, oh, I gotta, I gotta make sure I carve out a few days, I gotta spend time with my family and my kids and stuff. The other side of what I enjoy, it shouldn't suffer because I am, you know, enjoying doing video production a lot. So it's it's it can be very negative when you're, you know, at least for me when I come home, like, I missed you, it's very rewarding. But then you're like, oh, I'm so freaking tired. I have so many things on my agenda that I want to do. But at the same time, these kids deserve all the time in the world with their dad, right? And that to me is the biggest struggle that I have, which is very similar to your like in time management. It's like there is no window for any errors because I have committed, like the next day, to go to this job, and I have all these clients that need me to respond. I have these editors who need me to watch video, and this guy probably will tell you the truth. He hates me. He's been asking me, review this website, review this edit, review this, and I'm like, Mario, tomorrow for sure, tomorrow for sure. And he knows, and I'm like, he's gonna realize it's like one of those relationships that tomorrow never comes. He's been like for two weeks already. Yeah, tell the truth though. Have you uh did have you been hating on me for doing that? Where you asked me to review something and I haven't a little bit but I don't know.

Mario Rangel 2:05:34

But but I I under I understand, so it's okay. Just what I would like to to uh to help you with like uh like be on top of things, like be more organized, so and get it together. But I know that you're full uh okay, so I understand.

Vipul Bindra 2:05:52

He's about to he's about to have that, you know, it's like choosing between do I spend hours with my kids that I have versus you know reviewing a video, even though the video is important, like I said, I want to post these uh YouTube videos and things like that that we're creating, but at the same time, I go, Oh, I gotta really spend a couple of hours with my kids. Yeah, I gotta really sit down, and then and that's all I have. And then, you know, you gotta back to the to the regularly scheduled thing. And that is, at least for me, currently the biggest nightmare where it's like I was where you were last year, right? Where I had no expenses, so I was like, ah, I can do whatever. And now this year I've committed so much. Yeah, a house, a van, you know, this whole shebang. And it's like, oh, I have to do, you know, so much work, which I mean we end up doing anyway, but I'm just saying when you are you've that that thing behind you, right? Like you talked about, then it's like, oh, I have to do all this, and it's like, oh, now I don't have time for other things.

Mario Rangel 2:06:46

Some well, sometimes not like always you do too much at the same time. Yes. So I'm trying like to help you is out that all the stress. Thank you, Mario.

David Morefield 2:06:57

This is the guy I needed.

Vipul Bindra 2:06:58

Yeah, there's my stress, yeah.

David Morefield 2:07:01

Um, you know, I I think there is uh a lot of us who are looking at the production side and saying, How do I workflow optimize this? And then like neglecting workflow optimizing their life. Yeah. And and Adam said this to me when we were leaving Washington state. We just did a job there, and he goes, you know, I feel like you and I are pretty even-tempered. We kind of like do some act similar act outdoor activities and and we're like generally have a similar personality. I was like, Yeah, I mean, I'd I'd say so, we get along well. And he goes, When we get home and we split, our lives couldn't be more different. He goes, I am on my way to um a new uh, you know, a fairly new wife who is a fairly new mom who has been taking care of a new baby, and and I have to jump into that role. Yeah, you know, I can't just come home from a work trip and say, Don't talk to me for two days. Like he's gotta go into that. Yeah, he's gotta mow the yard. He's gotta mow the yard, he's gotta give her a break, he's you know. Um, and then he goes, But you, yeah, you're gonna go into your uh and he's got a nice beautiful home. He's like, You're gonna go into your one-bedroom apartment. Your girlfriend may or may not be there. You have a cat and you're in the forest, and we are living extremely different lives. And he didn't put it in a way of like your life is better, my life is better. It's just different. Yeah, it was just we have very different lives. Oddly enough, we're in the same type of work, and we have chosen the things that we want. Um, but man, are they different mindsets when you return home? And uh, I was like, yeah, like I I I think you pick the situation. Adam picked the situation that gives him exactly what he wanted, and I think I picked the situation that gives me exactly what I wanted, and I like that you can do that.

Vipul Bindra 2:09:15

Yeah, no, absolutely, and like I said, this is what I wanted. I have nothing to complain because for years, uh, and I'm sure I talked to you a bunch of times, and I know I talked to Adam, but like, I want a place where we can, you know, do this. So finally having that place is awesome. Yeah, right. I wanted the van, I wanted the studio, I wanted the podcast, I wanted this. So I I have to remember that I chose this. Yeah, like you said, it's it's a choice, it's not somebody forcing me to do it. Uh, and uh, but it's it's a uh it's a very different path. Like you said, you chose that quaint lifestyle, you know, you you enjoy being around the forest or whatever, being able to go to the spring, you know. I think everyone uh like we're doing very similar things as far as work goes, but then when we go to our personal lives, we're we're choosing to do different things, and that's okay. You know, we're carving our outer, I think, our own path, and that's awesome. Yeah, yeah.

David Morefield 2:10:05

Um, but I will say I'm I'm I am getting a little itchy. I'm like, this is this is okay, but you know, I'll see some other people who have different experiences, and I'm like, well, I don't want all of that, but like not, I'm hearing like above me, like is that the dog walking above me? Is that the neighbor? They're moving furniture at 8 a.m. or vacuuming, and I'm like, okay. So on one hand, I have my expenses exactly where I want them. These low expenses allow me to profit at very high margins and save for the future. And I'm like, check, check, check, love all that. On the other hand, you have shared walls, um, you can hear conversations from neighbors, you can hear music, you can hear them moving the couch, and I'm like, I don't like that. So, what what do I have to do if I want to switch out of that? It's like, well, with current interest rates, you're gonna pay about double.

Vipul Bindra 2:11:10

So then you gotta mow the yard, you gotta take care of the house. If anything grows wrong, it's all on you. But it's not all negative. I do want to say, like, there's pros positive too. Like you say, none of that. You're it's your home, you don't you have that freedom. Yeah, you walk it to like this. Exactly.

David Morefield 2:11:24

This is essentially a man cave. Yeah. This is your this is your excuse of a man cave, it's a it's a production studio, but this is your space. Exactly. And I like that type of scenario you created for yourself. And I I would like something similar in just the general home sense, where it's like um when I pull into the driveway and I close my car off in into the garage, and then I close that door, the outside world is now outside, and there's no interference from any anyone else. Um it's Just uh unfortunate with the current market situations, how much that costs.

Vipul Bindra 2:12:05

Exactly.

David Morefield 2:12:06

Because it could be five years ago, or it could be 15 years ago, where it'd be like, I I I know buddies who pay what I pay for a 1-1 for their mortgage because they bought a long time ago.

Vipul Bindra 2:12:18

But that's but that's I think with the real estate. Now, again, I'm not I can't predict real estate, but as far as I know, having been in Orlando since 15 years ago, it's always just goes up. So you're better to buy whenever because it's always goes up. You sound like the YouTube people. Yeah, no, I'm like no, but dude, I waited. So you know what happened with me, right? And I know we're past two hours, so uh I'll wrap this up quick. But essentially, uh, you know, I I was in Orlando, I saw homes that now I can't afford for like I'm talking one fifth, one eighth of their price. And I could have afforded them having a regular job and freelance video on the side. Easily, it was just me saying yes, and us saying, eh, we can buy a much nicer house somewhere else, and we decide to move, biggest mistake ever, because the same houses here are now worth, like you say, 8x, 10x, but the house that we bought there maybe 1.5x. Or it's the the way the Orlando real estate market has grown is just absurd. I mean, it is the truth because uh the homes that are meant for a normal family, a normal family can't afford it anymore. Uh, but anyway, so I left and when I came back, I was like, oh, okay, I'm gonna buy a house. But as soon as I looked at it, the rates were crazy, right? This is right after COVID, and I was like, oh, it has to come down. It's a bubble, it's a bubble. But you know what happened. Three years waiting, it's like it's only going up. I should have just bought one. So hence why I committed to it. You're right. The interest rates are crazy. The price I paid is crazy for what I bought. Um, but at the end of the day, the way I look at it is I'm in a nice neighborhood. My neighbors are nice, my kids are going to good school. Uh, I have a place now where we can do this. I wouldn't have been able to do this. And hopefully, hopefully, the market trends the way it has trended, and then in five years, this would have been a good financial decision, and people will say the opposite to me. Like, I wish you my my 1x bar bedroom costs more than your house does, right? It's the the perspective change uh of where we are. You know, I hope that's the that's the way I would at least say it. That this could be how you look at it in a five years down the road to my situation. It could be or it could be a good idea.

David Morefield 2:14:20

The common thing that I hear is like, oh, you know, when you were when it was 2007, right before the crash, and you bought a house, everybody was like, idiot. You paid the highest overpriced. But if you had bought in 2007 and you look now, you'd go, How are you so smart? Yeah, how did how did you know that it was the right time to buy compared when you compare that house price now versus now, and it's like yeah, you know, I I kind of have to think of it that way too, but it just sucks that there are eras in between where it's like 50% less. Yeah, I'm like and can I line up for that one?

Vipul Bindra 2:14:55

Yeah, and you never know. I mean, to be real, the only one that's happened was 2008. You know, in Orlando, outside of that, prices have never come really down.

David Morefield 2:15:03

I know buddies who bought in 2020, they got their 2.3% interest rate.

Vipul Bindra 2:15:08

Yeah, but that's just interest rate. You can always refinance though. What I'm saying is price for a house versus interest rate are two different things, as in uh interest rate always come down and low. And to be real, 2.83 interest rate was the lowest ever in history, right? Uh for a house. So it's not like uh that was normal either. I mean, no people who got it. That's it. I had it. I the house I sold, our interest was the three something, and uh, and and that's before COVID, because you know they were really low during that time. I'm saying even before then, I had a really good interest rate. So, and I wasn't doing something spectacular, you know, is what I'm saying. So, but we're not in that environment anymore. And my thing is yes, you can wait. I'm not an expert on real estate, but after me having waited years, I was just like, what it achieved for me is more important than the cost. Yes, is the cost absurd if I break it down? Absolutely, it makes no sense. Like, so I my mother is visiting and she can't even comprehend what I'm paying for. Because this is to me, I mean, obviously it was renovated, it was nice, but all I have is a regular four-bedroom house, right? This isn't some spectacular thing, whatever, is my opinion. It's a decent area, but that's about it. But what I'm paying for, it makes no sense because of not only the price, then you add the in the high interest rate on it. But then my the way I look at it is look, I live here, everyone is benefit from it, my friends can visit, I can have people come in, we can collaborate, and then hopefully, hopefully, prices keep going up, and then B, when the interest rates ever come down, and if they do, I can always refinance and get the lower interest rate. So I'm not stuck or I'm not married to this interest interest rate for that forever. And if I make right financial decisions, I can pay it off much sooner anyway.

David Morefield 2:16:54

And and I'll say the the this is my last thought that that I've kind of had over the last six months. It's just um I'm fortunately in a situation where I can save now. So I I'm just often thinking, is that savings going towards a down payment, or is that savings going towards building up um stocks for future cash out? Um, you know, just something very simple, just an index, SP 500. You know, let's let's say I have 30 grand that I'm putting towards a down payment, it'd be like, okay, that's a sizable uh amount, it's a healthy amount. Um what if you put 30k into the SP 500 today and that was like um like just just one big step on that side? It would probably be great. Yeah, absolutely.

Vipul Bindra 2:17:45

Especially if rents don't climb as they they did because you know they got really high for a little bit. Uh, but I know they're trending down now because again, it has to can go up so like you know, but oh yeah, because people can only afford so much. That's the whole thing. It doesn't

Final Thoughts And Where To Find David

Vipul Bindra 2:18:00

matter you know what you charge. Uh, but anyway, so I know rents are coming down, but as long as rents don't go too high, that could be beneficial. Because again, historically speaking, not again uh an expert on stocks, SP 500 has grown roughly about 10%, you know, year uh like over the decades or whatever, uh over the time, basically. So as long as you do a long-term bet, it's a good bet. Short term, you never know. It's a gamble. But long term, it's a it's a sensible investment, and and compound interest is a bitch. Like compound interest is awesome. Like, you know, yeah, essentially, you know, it it just basically you're gonna the longer you put it, the bigger you put it, the the you the more return you're gonna have.

David Morefield 2:18:41

It's it's amazing, is what yeah, and and that that's the yeah, the decision tree I'm in right now. That's the fork is is um which one do I invest in? I am more um inclined to just go into stocks. I have my Roth maxed out every year. I have enough now to have an additional account. Um and and like I I just want to let the compounding work and just be annoyed by hearing the neighbors' conversations and just knowing that this is what that money is is going towards.

Vipul Bindra 2:19:17

But you know what you can do? See again, not a financial channel, but quadplex. If you buy a fourplex, I'm not doing that. No, because you can rent out the three and you can live in one. Why not? Because that's a good financial decision. I'm not managing tenants, yeah. I mean, true. But if you if you get good tenants, I mean, no, you don't want to? I'm not doing it. But that I'm saying financially speaking, though, that seems like a better option because not only do you eliminate your rent from your expenses, yeah, you can actually finance that FHA because up to four units can be financed, so you only have to put three and a half percent down, so the rest can be financed, and the other people are paying for your and I know a really good property manager, so you don't have to manage nothing. We can get him to handle all the management, repairs, whatever's needed. You can do really well, is what I'm saying. You don't manage that.

David Morefield 2:20:09

You know, when people say like, oh, I'm built different, yeah. Yeah, I'm built different than the other way. Yeah, not built for that.

Vipul Bindra 2:20:15

No, I mean that's why you have multiple options, but I'm saying you don't have to be. There's great property managers that will handle everything, collect rent. I know somebody even guarantees rent. So if like for some reason they don't pay, like there's some kind of insurance, you will get rent. Obviously, you pay a little 10%. It's a but it's it's it's more of the mindset. Right? It's it's like you have multiple options, and obviously you're gonna pick the best one for you. Is SP 500 awesome? Yes. Is eliminating your rent through a quadplex or fourplex awesome? Yes, is just continuing to rent awesome. Yeah, you I think because if the rent is low, it is then yeah, because it it's it's usually with high interest rate, it's cheaper to rent than to buy. So I think I guess uh again, weigh the options and make the best decision because nobody can predict the future, but you can look at historically what's happened and make at least a smart decision.

David Morefield 2:21:12

Well, they these are the conversations I love having. So um, I'm sure it won't be the last.

Vipul Bindra 2:21:17

I know. I I love them too. So we went past our time, but David, I could talk hours and hours about you, about everything finance, business, video production, life in general. So thank you again for coming. Can't wait to do this again. And uh please tell people where they can find you, follow you, all that good stuff.

David Morefield 2:21:36

Yeah, I would say I'm most active on um YouTube, David Moorefield, and I post blogs with my phone, just try to show people the perspective that I have, someone at my level, not not necessarily teaching, but just sharing, just sharing what my perspective is, my journey is, how I think of things, and it's completely different how someone else thinks of things, and then randomly I'll post on Instagram. I post a lot of polls on my Instagram stories because I I go, I think like this, how does everybody else think? So um, that's where I'm most active, YouTube.

Vipul Bindra 2:22:11

Yeah, it's really awesome content. I mean, I don't know how many people don't already follow you, but if for some reason you're watching this and not following David, I highly recommend it. Really great content, and like I said, real content, not made up YouTube content. And so I really love following it, a lot of value in it, and thank you, Mario, again, for being on the on the production desk for us.

Mario Rangel 2:22:30

Um thank you guys, it was a great conversation.

Vipul Bindra 2:22:33

All right, I agree. Yeah, me too me too. I had such a good time. So thank you for watching until next episode.