Welcome And Thesis Film Wrap

Vipul Bindra 0:04

Welcome to another episode of Studio B sessions. This is Bindra. I'm the owner of uh Bindra Productions here in Orlando, and these are raw unediting edit unedited conversations with other filmmakers. And this week I've got a great friend of mine, Luis Pereira. He's a first AD, uh, also student from Full Sale. He's doing incredible work. So thank you for coming. Thank you very much, Bindra. The pleasure is all mine. So, how's your day been, bro?

Luis Pereira 0:30

Uh, it's been good. It's been good. Uh last couple weeks I've been uh I've been busy. I was just um, as you mentioned, uh I'm studying at full sale right now. I'm getting my MFA in film production, and as part of our academic journey, you gotta produce, write, and direct a thesis film, a short film. And I was just in the month where I was just rolling. So I we just wrapped uh principal photography this Sunday, and now we're gonna go to post. And I'm excited.

Directing For The First Time

Vipul Bindra 1:01

How did it feel? So you like it's a normally try to act in a producer, assistant director role. How did how was it like being the because you know you had to direct, right? And so how how was it like being the director?

Luis Pereira 1:12

It it was an experience that uh I never had it before. Uh, usually when I had uh creative endeavors of my own, I was again on my own. I didn't have to uh rely on uh other professionals to in order for my creative vision to come to life. So it it it was it was something interesting because when you're in the writing process, uh you you're already trying to think the movie in your head, and then you go over and start developing the shot list, and you're sort of like editing the movie in your head. And sometimes you you line your script in uh in a way that like as soon as you get into set and you talk with your director of photography, with your script supervisor, you say, like, hey, let's extend this coverage over here, and then you go to the casting process too. And again, you have these characters that you sort of built in your mind, and you create a like your Utah Hagen questions, which are which are the uh sort of the um I would say the cornerstone of developing characters uh as in what do they want, what are their their backgrounds, what would they feel about about, for instance, like Current America. And you just like you go over the casting process, and because it's a student film, you don't have thousands and thousands of dollars and connections with agents to get like experienced actors, so you gotta you gotta go through um uh like uh the amateur side uh of it and you struggle because again the character that you had in your head is not the one that you see the the best actor uh in your front in the casting process um performing it, and you sh sort of have to shape him. But uh yeah, I've I've had the um the pleasure of working with film for the past two and a half, three years, and I never was um I never was appointed as a director, so I never had to work with cast ever. So it was sort of a challenge for me because um yeah, the the the film only works if the director's vision is um is obtained, right?

Vipul Bindra 3:17

So yeah, no, that can be a challenge, like I said, with not only just student films, I think I mean even on large-scale productions, because the thing is uh you know, filmmaking is a collaborative art form, so you have a vision, and like you said, that vision you're trying to make sure it comes to life, but then you also start to now collaborate with like your DP. Now your your director of photography is gonna bring their skill set and their vision into it, right? I was so thinking and build that look, right? And now same thing with actors, you hire actors and they start to build that character right in their head, and then they start to bring something extra. And hopefully, like you said, if you've good actors, they can bring more in depth to the character than even you imagined. So it evolves into something bigger and better, or it can go the other way around too. You know, if you have actors who can do that, they're 100% relying on your direction and your experience, it can uh you know it can it can backfire on you, which which which can happen on student films, but that's why you do them. So you learn, yeah.

Luis Pereira 4:13

Yeah, and I'll say it's not only uh a problem uh only related to student films, as you said, it's everything from a corporate shoe to a reality show. Um it was just a new experience for me because again, I never directed before, and for the past uh three years, ever since I got here in America and decided to start my journey uh with filmmaking, I always took part in the production department side. So I was always an assistant director, uh KPA, a UPM, a production coordinator. So all the skills that I've honed for the past three years, they were destined for crew, for time management, for uh the logistics of securing the permits, uh budgets, the post-production uh workflow. And I had to to get out of this comfort zone in order to direct. For a moment, I actually sat with the chair uh with the board of uh chairmen from Full Sale, the instructors, and I I tried to plead a case of like, hey, I can I have someone else directing it. And just because uh not that I didn't feel that I knew what my project was, I knew that, but because I've spent so much time and resources, um again, uh developing the the this production skills, and then sim I had to be taken aside of a a project that it is a passion project to be in a role that I wasn't comfortable with in the first place. That would be that that was a challenge. And and um I I was learning as we went through the the shoot and getting feedback from uh my actors later, getting feedback from my crew. I think it that that's always good. And I I can say that I feel comfortable directing now a new project, but do I want to? No, I

Comfort Zones And Learning On Set

Luis Pereira 6:03

don't know.

Vipul Bindra 6:03

No, that's actually good though. Like you said, sometimes you do have to put your in comfort uh put yourself out of your comfort zone. That's what you learn, and that's what I like talk about, like my story of learning about audio. You know, I've always been on the camera side, whether in front or behind, and audio is a little, especially before you know these DJI on tiny mics got popular. Audio is complex. So we as you know filmmakers just run away from it. So my option was always just hire an audio guy because I had no clue how to do anything audio, it just sounded so foreign until you know one day I had to just be like, you know, F that, I'm gonna learn. And was it a you know hole that I didn't want to get into? No, once you started learning about game staging and frequencies and all that crap, I was like, what am I doing? But that helped me get past that, and now so many projects have been like an audio on my friend's project, and and that's crazy to think about because a few years ago I was running away from it, right? And and that's you know, you never know, I'm saying what comes of it. Like you said, exactly now you're you're gonna be able to direct, you're gonna be able to take that challenge on, and and you never know where that could lead you, or it was just an experience and you stick to what you what you know and like and love, you

Why Real Sets Beat Class

Vipul Bindra 7:09

know. So I want to talk about because what makes unique why I wanted you here was you know, obviously full sale, they have hundreds and hundreds of students that come every year, but you know, the biggest thing that I tell people like school can have some benefit, you can learn networking and some basic skills, but it's not where you really learn filmmaking. What enables you is the resources and the talent pool around you, so now you can collaborate and become a better filmmaker. But you're always on set. Like I've never been with you, I don't think, on any student films because I don't do those. I'm always with you on like a shoot that's paid, you know, it's like a legit set. So you're clearly, you know, obviously you're a student, but you've been putting yourself out there doing shoots after shoots after shoots, like getting on real sets. So you're more experienced than a lot of people, you know, who do this professionally, and that makes you stand out, right? So tell me your your whole experience and why, you know, uh how how are you able to do that? Because most students are not like you, they're not on so many sets and putting their 100% out.

Luis Pereira 8:07

So, like uh I I'll take this opportunity then to go back uh two decades ago for uh the moment that I I was born. Oh my god, I'm thinking of start the day. This is the day I was conceived. Oh my goodness. So, like three minutes ago, uh 20 years ago, I came out of my mom's womb.

Growing Up In Brazil With Movies

Luis Pereira 8:26

Okay.

Vipul Bindra 8:26

I'm just kidding, we're about to get uh R-rated on this podcast.

Luis Pereira 8:30

No, but I I would say that uh growing up in Brazil, I had um fantastic parents who who taught me um most importantly what how to do and what to do when like the the right thing. Um speech. Yeah, in preparation. Um they they both came from um dot doctor degrees, so they they came from nothing and they were able to build their their portfolio, their curriculum, and their professional career um again out of nothing and creating and raising uh me and my my sister. And they like growing up, it it was a bit hard for me because I always saw myself as someone creative. I remember that like growing up, my my parents would give me as like birthday gifts, those DVDs that now they're like resurfacing, like retro conception is is getting big now. But um I I I I can distinctively remember uh getting the Incredibles, the Pixar movie, Bradbird uh DVD. And when I put in the DVD player, I got to the to the special scenes, like uh you had like the scene selection where you could choose the chapters, watch the movie, change like the subtitles. And I saw that you had like the behind the scenes. And when I saw that you could like work with that, immediately my brain was like focusing on like I want to create, I want to be part of this. And the reason why I was I was talking about my parents is even though they were very supportive, I would say that because of their background, because I had pair like I didn't have anyone uh from my family side that worked in uh the cre something creative in any department that would be like marketing or being like an actor. So I was sort of like the the black swan, like uh nobody could sort of relate to what to what I wanted. And my parents, again, they were supportive, but something inside me, sort of like an imposter syndrome, even though I don't think it was an imposter syndrome, say like, are you sure you want to do that? Because uh they came out of nothing and they and they got everything that uh you can ask for. And now you're trying to go like the other way because I could benefit from their connections, I could benefit from what they could uh pass me um like in the in the medical world if I were to be a doctor. And not only that, but also Brazil is known to be uh a country where you have a poor infrastructure in regards to entertainment media. I would say that uh the only thing that even though we are always in the in the top uh countries of um social media consumption, uh we we all we consume a lot of games, we're loud in social media, like I mean Brazil is huge, it is huge, yeah, yeah. 200 and uh I think 230 uh million people, if I'm not wrong. Yeah, but um our industry itself, it's not uh it's really underdeveloped. I would say that television is our highlight, but in order for you to be part of television, you need you needed to surrender your skills to working on either a late night show or a reality TV or I would say just news and broadcasting in general, or soap soap operas, they're huge in Brazil. But again, I I I wanted movies, uh I I loved it. And I remember when I was nine years old, we were uh I was born in the countryside of São Paulo in a little town called uh São José dos Campos, Jacari, that they're like small cities, and we went to a trip to the capital, and when we got there, I remember that Full Sale had a production office there, and they and they were always sourcing different people from from Brazil and from Latin America in general, actually all around the country. They have a pretty international, like they're a pretty good international uh student association. And I saw um a lecture from one of the instructors that now I forgot completely, but I remember that they brought in a guy who had worked in uh a Call of Duty, and it was one that I played. I don't remember it was like Modern Warfare 2 or the Call of Duty 4. Uh, anyways, and then I saw that it was possible and that they offered uh scholarships, and I mean my again, my parents they were supportive, but every once in a while they would sort of ask, like, are you sure that this is what you want? Uh, because it and I get I get it, it was new for them. Like, well, how how can you come with out of nothing and then raise a son and then just going into nothing?

Vipul Bindra 13:10

Let's be real. Filmmaking is not a art inform you go to the problem. So they're like, hey, we made it. Now we're doctors, which is a lucrative career, no matter which country you're in, to filmmaking, which is yeah, typically not a lucrative career. So that's good.

Luis Pereira 13:23

At least they were, you know, supportive of yeah, not only that, but also they had to literally like I don't know if dispatch is the right word, but like they need to get their son out of their reach, you know, like to United States where they don't have any relatives, any friends there to look over their son, look after them. So, and also pay uh a school that I mean universities in the United States is expensive, especially full sale in general. In in Brazil, compared to uh the the dollar currency-wise, uh at one dollar equals, I think, uh, as of today, like five Brazilian reais, which is our like main currency. So it is a um uh like a dispro a disproportion of one to five, yeah, the one to five ratio. But um, anyways, they uh they were sold in what I wanted because I I said that I I like I sort of like stepped my foot and said I I want to work with that, like give me the chance. Uh but and we sort of made a deal where I would go to full sale, but instead of going directly to film, I would go to entertainment business. So I still would I would be able to learn skills that if filmmaking went wrong, I could go and work on uh like a standard, like a law office or something like that.

Vipul Bindra 14:32

I know what you mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's smart. I mean, to be real, like you said, you go to film school to and and again, maybe people will disagree, and that's the whole point of this podcast and conversation. I don't think you go to film school to learn film, you go to school for networking, which you would get with any degree. So you're at full sale, you're meeting everyone, and you know, let's be real 80-90% of those people aren't gonna make it, but the 10% that do, they actually do make it, and that's what you need. You need your network because people hire people who they know, like, and trust, right? And the the best way to form those connections is during college. So that's great, man. We're happy to have you in America, and I'm glad you came. But also, like then I guess is that what drives you because you know what promise you made to go on sets? Because because like I said, I know a lot of students who don't are not active, who are not on real sets, you know, like they're just you know doing some student indie stuff, and then that's it, and then they go, they have no idea what to do when they got out of school. You on the other hand, like I said, are on a legit set, actually working with pros. So, you know, you you learn I'm saying things that you only learn on real sets. What's your perspective on that? Yeah, like um again. Am I saying true? Because you have the experience.

Luis Pereira 15:37

Be speak from you know your school to real sites. Absolutely, absolutely.

Networking Through LinkedIn And OPT

Luis Pereira 15:40

I would say that like the first year uh that after I got into full sale, I I considered that I wasted it because I again from a per I had a different mindset on which if I'm now uh on board on full sale, I would get uh all the productions like uh given to me on like a silver platter, and I I I should go only to classes and that's it. And now looking back, I see that one of the things that changed is after this first year, I started networking with different people that weren't in my degree because as entertainment business working in partnership with different uh students from the film program, you could either do pre-production so you can help them with the budget if they needed help with a permit, uh crew members, crop contracts, you know. And in on post-production, we would do a lot of distribution and I mean distribution plans for students, they are basically like they are like, oh, we have a hundred bucks, uh many festivals can we got this movie into? Yeah, good luck. And we had to like create a uh a concise plan where uh a feasible plan. So you're not gonna waste your 100 bucks trying to go to Florida Film Festival before first, short. You need like let's try um other smaller scale ones, but uh some that has the have student categories for you to enter. And and also the post-production workflow, as you were gonna oversee uh the uh what the editor was doing that moment, uh, if we needed reshoots, but it was still too limited for what I wanted because yeah, I wanted to beyond set. And after I graduated, I actually reached uh Gustavo. So you know uh Guga Carvalho. Yeah, yeah, he's gonna be here next week. Yeah. And we I I I reached out for him on LinkedIn. I like Oh, so you just met him on LinkedIn?

Vipul Bindra 17:25

Yeah, that's great. Because I met him through you, which we'll get into in a second. So you just l reached out of Guga because he was Brazilian and I was like, Exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Luis Pereira 17:33

And it was crazy because uh as an international student, in order for you to stay in the United States to work after you graduate, you apply for uh an extension to your F1 visa, which is called an OPT. I think it stands for optical practical training, something like that. And for people who graduate on technology uh like technology, I I don't know how to say it, but like if you do like computer science, you go to STEM, and if you go go with something else like business, you apply for an OPT or for arts. And I remember that I needed to have a sponsor. As soon as I graduated, I started reaching out to different people. I would say like two months before graduating. And on LinkedIn, I I put the filters like full sale grad, Brazilian, and then I found him. And I'm in uh among the people. So is this your sponsor? No, not my sponsor, but um what we did is we met first. Uh we went for a coffee, I got to know him. Uh he told about his his experience. He just left LA uh because he was also on OPT there. And then uh he invited me for a shoot. There was this production company that was shooting a reality show for Amazon Prime, and they needed something for they needed uh help on the office part. And I said, I I I have the experience, even though I don't know how to set up a camera or uh a sound kit, I I can I can go and go over the contracts to the the waivers, and that's what I did. Like um he he gave me the contact of the director and the producer. I was able to schedule a meeting with them, and then I was on board. And it it wasn't paid, it was of a voluntary work, but I would say that the most important thing about this industry, uh uh, especially here in Florida, which is where I have the experience, is that you don't uh if you're starting, you don't expect to be earning the big bucks, you don't expect to be to have like a uh uh an easy route because there's no such thing. And especially for me who didn't have the the experience, I I just gotta go and learn. And uh they usually give they usually teach you that as at school. So oh yeah, be there uh on time. If you're 15 minutes early, you're late. Um uh try to try not to speak and listen first, uh be proactive. And the it it is sort of um it is sort of cheesy uh to to listen that when you're paying like thousands and thousands of dollars in school. But in the same way, when you get into set with uh different students, you see those who are just there and they I don't know, they they didn't figure out what they want yet, and those who really, really want to work with that. And I think that this is one of the reasons why I was able to stand out because whenever and whenever Gustavo needed me, I was volunteering to be there. And after volunteering a couple times, I was able to get a couple of pay gigs, and we did another project with that director who later sponsored my my visas production company. And I I mean we we kept on working, and then on May of last year, we were we were at the we we met at a commercial.

Vipul Bindra 20:39

Yeah, so I uh was talking about that, and I think I told that story through Fernando because I knew Fernando through Emmanuel who's a good friend of mine. And um, so I guess he recommended me to Google or something like that. Point is Google reached out and and uh he wanted me to come uh gaff on that set or something like that. So I brought the van down and me and Fernando drove down there, and that's where you were. And what was crazy from my perspective, just so you know, uh, you know, I felt a little out of place first because I realized, oh, it's an all-Brazilian crew, including the agency, even though the client was uh from Panama, right? Paraguay. So Paraguay, yeah. So she was like the client is from Paraguay, but the agency is Brazilian, and so is the crew. I was the only non, I would say, Brazilian person there outside of the talent, but even then she's you know Paraguayan point is so you know, normally sets like that would be weird, but you guys made me feel like home. I almost felt like a Brazilian, you know, for a moment. And that's what I enjoyed, which is why we've all become great friends and we've worked so many times because you that's what matters. Not only that people are talented, that you know, you you gel well and set you have fun. So anyway, when I showed up, I had a great time with you guys. Oh, yeah, it was so much fun. It was probably one of the best projects I've worked in. Yeah, and I I just uh remembered because how enjoyable it was. I was just like, you know, these people are friendly, they're fun, they're not making me feel like you know, I don't belong here. Because you know, you guys could have just kept speaking Portuguese and just gone about. Your day. What I'm saying is it takes a certain level of uh personality to want to bring somebody in, is what I'm saying. So and I really appreciate that. Plus, we had such a great time, man. That was such a fun shoot. So yeah, uh, so that's what you were doing. That's how you met Guga.

Luis Pereira 22:15

Yeah, and uh sort of like piggybacking on what you said about us Brazilians being uh like we we had this the sense of like accommodating everyone that's around us, I would say that is also what drives us. Because uh again, as I said, we don't have the uh such a strong industry uh entertainment-wise in Brazil. So that means that up until like five, six years ago, if you had uh, I don't know, I may be wrong, but like if the FX3 released five, six years ago, I would say that uh before that in Brazil it would take like uh a couple more years so you could get there. And unfortunately, you don't have that much independent projects going on there and uh equipment is very like scattered and you have a strong monopoly there of the broadcasting companies. So I remember that when I got here to full sale and I was and I met a couple of different um the friends, and I I usually befriended those who were uh immigrants too, because we we we have the the the culture shock, we have the the homesick kind of aspect and um in full sale, for instance, you could uh check out gear like every month for you to shoot a project. It doesn't have to be school related as long as you checked out and um by the end of uh the fourth week of the month you got it back, that was good. And I would say that 80% didn't do that. And for us, I was like, I like in Brazil, I know people that like would go kill. Yeah, yeah, exactly. With kill for uh to hold one of the code lines that they had. So it it's crazy because I would say that we need to fight a lot in order to touch a piece of gear of film equipment in Brazil. Uh whereas uh here, uh, and this is one of the like the wonders of capitalism, uh, of you have a pretty well-structured country where uh independent projects they are able to get Oscar nominated. So you don't I I would feel uh on some of the students uh the a lack of like eagerness to learn, eagerness to do something, because how are you gonna be able to learn and to improve if you're not actually using it, you know? Because when when I started working, um like again, it's a really, really it is a striking contrast of working on pre-production and post-production as part of like an uh an office for a project, and then you are on set being AD, being a KPA, where you literally have to organize and orchestrate different departments in order to get the shoot done. And whenever I now I mean I have three years of experiment, it's not that much, but I I've learned so so much. And now there are people who approach me wanting to shadow me. Oh, yeah, I want to be a first aid, uh, want to be an AD. So uh, can I follow you on set? And I was like, Yeah, you know what? That that's the attitude. Like, you don't expect to get money, just drive there, I'm gonna teach you. And then I remember I did a shoot uh two weeks ago. Uh we were doing this music video, and when we rapped, uh of the the the two people that were shadowing me, they were like, Man, I cannot believe that we that the call time was nine and we left at 3 p.m. Like, how how'd you do that? Like, how do you know that uh sound um you you gotta rely on the the the talent too in order to uh the director to be satisfied with what uh the talent delivered performance-wise. And I'm I I said to them, like, for every good call sheet that I do now and for every good rep, uh, there were five, six times, like I would say hundreds of times where uh we got uh we rapped late, crew had uh crew wasn't satisfied because they were in empty stomachs, and so and that's you come to the experience, exactly.

What Makes A Great First AD

Vipul Bindra 25:49

Yeah, and you only get that by being on set, yeah.

Luis Pereira 25:51

And believe me, every time we were in the production and I saw that things weren't going out as planned, it hurt me. Cause again, that that that that's my job. And it happens, but it gave me uh an eagerness and a drive to continue to enhance my skills, uh to to better know people. Because part of being in an AD is your interpersonal like communication skills. Cause I mean, now because we are in such a strong uh core of production professionals here in Central Florida, we usually work with each other. So the best part is that once I know your workflow, now we've working on at least like I'd say like 20 projects together. Uh I know that I I I sort of know how much time you take if you're just like in charge of light or if you are driving your event. So I I gotta keep in mind that you're gonna be bringing like big guns to set. And uh I I know uh your dietary restrictions, I know your preferences, and it this helps me. And nowadays, when I approach a new set where I don't know people, first thing I do is you you take the time to talk to them, you take the time to talk about them all that, right? Yeah, the sort of the pre-production stuff would be like do do a meeting with them, uh send the forms. Um I would say like at least one week on uh in advance. So you can start like knowing them without actually saying hi to them face to face. And it's sort of like it comes out kind of creepy in a way like you need to stall and like analyze people. But if that's what it takes for us to have like a great time on set, like we had on uh on the commercial, then I'm like I'm fulfilled. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 27:34

No, that's such an uh you know incredible thing that you're saying because uh coming back to it, you're right. Look, you set a very good point. Like in Brazil, you don't have access to gear in here, you do, and that's the the truth. I think I'm uh what you're saying is so incredible. And I hope people who are students are listening to this, like, look, you're paying way too much money to go to these schools, not just full sale, there's hundreds of film schools. So take advantage of them if they have a place to you know get gear or resources or other people, because otherwise, if you just wait on life to happen, you're not gonna get anywhere. You have to take advantage of it. And I don't want to get into the debate because you know, there's two camps, people go, gear is not important, or gear is important, you know, and it doesn't matter what you believe in, but here's the truth you don't have to own gear, but you knew how need to know how to operate gear. Yes, because at the end of the day, you have a you know, you're your skilled uh person, I'm saying on set, like that could be a producer, a director, a DP, AC, AD, whatever your tool is, it could just be an iPad, I'm saying, but you need to know how to operate your tool to get the freaking contracts done. If you don't know how to use your tools, nobody's gonna hire you. You don't need to own the tools. Uh so what I'm saying is whether you get it through school, those tools to play around with and run them on real set, or you borrow them, find other local-minded people on LinkedIn and collaborate with them, go make short films, go make commer spec commercial something. You cannot just wait for somebody just come and be like, hey, I'm gonna teach you. You know, you have to make an effort, which is what you did, which is why you're able to stand out because you're still technically a student. And but if I have to have an AD locally, guess who I'm thinking of? Which we're gonna come to because you were an AD for me technically. Um, yeah, and the reason I felt confident in you because I worked with you, I see your skill set, I know you're thinking about because here's the thing what makes me a great producer is the amount of, like you said, hands-on experience I have on every freaking role. I can think first thing, you know, where's people gonna park? Where are people gonna go bathroom? That's literally your skill set. I know it sounds crazy, like you're you know, it's it's it's basic thing. We're gonna park, uh, where are we gonna eat? Where are we gonna uh think, people's dietary restrictions, you know, time pursue time for company moves, you know, things like that. And you can only know that be if you've been on set enough, uh, and you know, you know kind of how long it takes when people are going over, you know, what can you manage, and then setting right expectations to whoever the client is, you know, things like that. Point is you learned that because you did it exactly so many

Operate Gear Before You Buy

Vipul Bindra 30:01

times.

Luis Pereira 30:01

Yeah, and I and I uh adding to that, I I feel that in the in the first like six months after I graduated and I started working, I I felt it's weird because you're you're uh entering like the debate of uh whether you should own gear or not own gear. And I'm saying don't yeah, it doesn't matter like go going to set and then seeing people like bringing their own gear, and I knew that this could uh like aggregate the value of their work, of uh of their labor onto set. And many times I kept thinking like shouldn't I be investing in that? Should shouldn't I be trying like to open my mind? Because uh again, going over uh through Films Code, you're you learn how to operate these things. And if you're getting like a new gear, but if you know like the con the primary concepts of audio, even though you never uh handled uh a new mixer before, that's the benefits of like arriving early to set, you're able to get it. Or if someone else is bringing it, you can try to talk to them so you can uh get like a session of uh experimentation before set, like sort of like what you do on pre-light day. And I was I I was struggling with because I thought that my my job was useless in a way or another. Um shooting corporate here and being and not having like the big crew, you don't really need to to be always uh on the uh on the top of your game, trying to orchestrate everything because as soon as you set up and then interview goes, you break down, you load out. And there was this shoot where this chemop guy he brought in um I don't remember, I think it was a Venice, and it was from a friend, and then people were like, Oh, let's go, that that's so cool. And I again I was trying to to oversee everything that was happening on set, uh trying to get everyone on schedule for us to get like the first take of the day, the first shot of the day. And he didn't know how to set up. And I mean, I I don't have a problem with that, but I have a problem with the fact that because we're not able to set uh to set up that, we're not gonna be able to set up that shot and we're gonna be late. Exactly.

Vipul Bindra 32:01

So and that makes it look worse than by not, you know, it's not about having the best camera. Exactly.

Luis Pereira 32:06

Uh it's about knowing the tool. And then like uh getting the experience, like using the experience that I've learned in the in in the past years, and being able to pivot and saying, like, hey, okay, so uh the BTS photography guy by uh miracle he o he has a fx3 on his car. Okay, perfect. Let's get it. Uh let's get the specific that uh again. I'm not a camera guy, but you have a specific ring so you can uh adapt the the lenses that the the the guy who had the Venice brought. Yeah, and we we were able to pivot everything in order to get that shot done. And in the end, we were able to get done uh done like so funny.

Vipul Bindra 32:43

So you had the Venice on set, but you ended up getting the shot on VenfX3, right? Isn't that crazy? But but here's the thing, and I I don't want to talk bad about the guy, it's it's that's literally what I was trying to say. Uh, people's debate immediately is buying the gear or not buying the gear. I'm saying that debate is not even a debate because it doesn't matter if you buy the gear or not, you need to know how to operate the gear. That's the only thing that actually matters. And guess what? I know very few operators that own a Venice 2 or Mini LF. That doesn't mean they don't operate those cameras, it's just not worth buying those cameras and generally go through a rental house. That is just a process. However, that doesn't know mean you don't need to know how to operate it. Now, that could be go on set, be a first AC for someone, you know, and and learn. Or just go find a rental house near you, offer, like you know, can I come check out the camera or something like that? Most rental houses I find are friendly because they know eventually you'll become their customer. I'm saying you have to be resourceful to go play with the equipment you want to. People's brain immediately goes for some reason, and it just may be a human thing, like you have to buy that gear. Like, oh, I have to know how to get an FX3, I have to buy an FX3, or I need to know have an FX5, I need to buy an FX. I'm like, why? First operate the camera, see the jobs you're getting, and um, and then figure out if this camera is even right for you, right? Otherwise, what's the point? You know, why are we harping on buying something that may not even be right for you? So I hope that makes sense.

Luis Pereira 34:14

Yeah, and it was an interesting experience for me because when you were in film school, everyone wants to be a director, everyone wants to uh there's like one or two who wants to go to sound or a gaffer um and being a producer, but you rarely see someone saying that they want to be an AD or they want to be part of like the being a UPM uh or a production coordinator. And I would say that I I was having a bad day when that happened, and because I got experience shadowing uh DPs, shadowing came ups, and I was able to pivot the whole set in order to for us to to rap during the day, see it showing like uh it was sort of like a message to the guys like you don't have to bring in like the the top gear if you're not not only A, you're not not able to set it up for us to get the shot, which is sort of like pathetic, but um B if if we have the the the FX3 which people uh like pretentious 20-year-olds who are in film school, they sort of they they overlook like this is not like cinema quality enough, and you're not able and you're not able to get the shoot done, you're wasting everyone's time, you're waiting the producer's money, you were waiting the uh you're wasting the cast. So um I was very proud of me that day because I I was having like a tough time on whether I should I be going into uh production more or start like buying gear or renting gear to see if I was able to like uh increase my value in this book.

Vipul Bindra 35:37

I think your value is already there, but also you have to remember uh I again and first of all, I love the path that you're taking because like you said, not a lot of people do, but being a first lady is very important, or UPM or whatever on a production because guess what? Somebody needs to keep people in line. Yeah, and on a small shoot, now let's be real, a lot of shoots that I am part of are like three to five people. You can't have a dedicated Fars AD, so I am doing all those roles. Uh, but I'm saying on a bigger shoot, like uh, you know, I should have been there, but the commercial that you helped me with, uh, I need a Farsady. I don't have time or energy to keep 20 people in line. And that's where what I'm saying is there's a difference between a skilled Fars AD and a non-skilled Fars AD because when a Fars AD walks into set, people listen. And that's primarily the skill set. You have to be able to command respect because at the end of the day, if you go and you're like, hey guys, let's wrap it up or let's set up the shot and they're not listening to you, it doesn't matter how skilled you are, how many sets you've been on. So I'm saying biggest thing I find at least you need in that role is a command of set. And like you said, being able to take control and being able to, you know, have people want to listen to you. And after you do that, it becomes a very easy job because as long as you have enough experience, you know how to move the puzzle pieces. But point is as a director at that point or a producer or whatever, I need a first AD that will command, you know, on set. Because I've been on sets, I've hired first ADs who may be on paper very skilled. But you show on set, you're like, hey, can we get this done? Ain't getting none. And at that point, I'm like, no, like speak up. Because we need I cannot, if you're holding me back, that's the best way to not get invited again. I would have cared less if they had less experience if you're able to command, you know. What I'm saying is like when you say it, people should listen. Simple as that. And and that can either come with experience or a certain personality type. Uh, but ultimately it's an important role on set.

Luis Pereira 37:27

Yeah, and I would say also that one of the benefits, uh, at least for me, um, go going to full sale and now being part of the the Orlando, the Central Florida production industry, is that because we don't have the strong presence of unions here, you get used on wearing different hats. So as you said, like when you're in five shoot, uh, five crew shoot, you you are both the director, you're the producer, uh, you're usually chem oping, you are the director of photography. And as an AD, uh, I I I struggle to because I I am someone who's pretty like warm towards others, I accommodate others. Uh, I try, you know, I try to have everyone having a good time on set, but sometimes you gotta be steady. And sometimes you gotta give up the thing you you want the most, which is uh peace on set in order to get it done. And sometimes you you need also to sort of relinquish your control uh on that situation and be prepared to pivot. So always you you always plan for the worst, you know, you prepare for the best. Uh this is sort of like a model that I I carry with me dear dearly. And I I mean entering those sets, I I would say that if you are asking for a PA to get like water for your talent, and you are always monitoring your fo your watch, and he's not there in 30 seconds, and there's nothing that you're doing currently, doing right now, you just go like you just go, you grab it, and then after that you pull them aside and say, like, hey, uh, I I need you to to help me like orchestrate this. And sometimes they they they they struggle, understand they're like, Why is bringing water to the talent so important now? And I was like, you like I I'm no I know what you're going through because I sort of went through the same thing, but you gotta learn uh you gotta learn humility, you gotta you gotta be humble and set like everyone here.

Vipul Bindra 39:16

It's a puzzle piece, so yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's what what I understand is, which is why, and this may be again controversial. I am uh I'm not a big fan of union sets. Sometimes obviously you're doing bigger stuff, it has to be union, and I totally get the purpose of union. I'm not here to union bash because look, you get paid right, you know, you have proper hours, which does take get taken advantage of non-union sets, but I was gonna say that God knows that sometimes clients they mess us up. Yeah, so so union has a lot of pros, but which is why I'm saying why I like and that's what I'm saying, then it comes down to person. That's why my sets I find I could never do union because we are wearing many sets of hats, and that's where I think the the industry is going for what I do at least. However, then you can choose and pick and choose people because I don't like that. I don't like micromanagement, I don't want to have people on my set who I have to, like you say, have to pull to the side, you can tell them this shit. I need to get it done. And I want people like you and me, and you know, Guga and other people that we know who will get done. And the best thing about not being a union, if you don't like them, you just don't hire them again and you just move on with your life. I can, or you can even fire them, you know, which I've had to do sometimes. But point is I'm saying you have way more control because at the end of the day, I need it done. If you're motivated enough to be on set, you're gonna be motivated enough set I don't want to have to sit in there to motivate someone if that makes sense, right? Yeah, yeah. And then there's enough people in the industry who want the work. So what I'm saying is that is the advantage I like about non-union sets, is we can all work together, and I'd rather work with like-minded people who are like, yeah, I'm happy to jump on camera here and jump on sound or whatever and get this done within reason. Because it's one thing to do that than to be taken advantage of, which we have a story to talk about there too. Uh uh, but but anyway, but yeah, I totally agree with you. That is yeah, yeah.

Luis Pereira 40:58

And being an AD in independent productions where uh and again, uh Orlando, you you're you don't have that many union projects happening. Um when you're dealing with other people that are below you on the on the production department, um, you either get the one that feels that it's stupid to oh, I wanna uh why why does it matter if I bring water to to cast? I want to do something else. And you gotta teach them like, hey, you you gotta wait, you you're gonna have your moment, like, but whatever you think uh whatever useless uselessness uh on your brain that's going on that you're thinking that, oh, it's not important for me to uh help them set up this or just go over the the contracts and organize. I swear to you, it's gonna be important for us either on post, either later today. So keep up the good work. But you also have that other people that oh, okay, so I need uh a PA to bring on lunch, and then you find them rigging up the lights where uh when the key grip and the best boy electric they're having coffee on the ground, and you're gonna be like, guys, wait, hold. Like he's a PA, and you you cannot let them do this. Like it's supposed to be your job. Oh no, just because he he offered to volunteer, I was like, Yeah, you gotta be appreciative of the fact that he's there for you, but you don't have to give up your uh your labor now in order for him to do because if he fuck uh and that's one of the things also in union sets, um it's pretty like stupid uh example, like a dumb example. But if you are someone in charge of plugging and unplugging courts, that's all you're doing. Yeah, if you if you see uh uh tripod uh on the other side of the room and it's tilting, you know that it has like the the cook lens, it it is expensive. You don't touch that, let it fall. Union is gonna resolve that later. And the same thing. But that's what I'm saying.

Vipul Bindra 42:45

That's why I'm not a fan of union sets, but I totally get that. See, they have a different process, and like I said, it works, but I want somebody else. Yeah, but in the same way, exactly.

Luis Pereira 42:53

Yeah, in the in the same way, if you finish your job, be proactive, learn other things on set. Because that that's how I learned the most. Like I be I just recently purchased and set up like a sound kit to do a couple of corporate shoots around here. And I didn't have previous experience in sound, it was going uh through as an AD as a production assistant, especially as a as a production assistant, where oh, you gotta change battery uh uh sound mixers asking for batteries, then you're gonna change the batteries and change his comms, and you're just uh you're you're talking to him in between takes and uh learning uh their their creative process, the gear that they have, and it is it oh, it is it is the the the the work of a life, you know. It's awesome. No, and then that's gonna be nowhere else.

Miami Commercial And Set Culture

Vipul Bindra 43:35

It's fun, exactly. So let's come to real life set. So like like I want to come back to that set we did. What was that the biggest set you've been on, or have you been to a bigger set since uh you're talking to the pilot the pilot? No, I'm talking about the the commercial shoot that we did.

Luis Pereira 43:48

Oh, uh I I would say it was probably perfume commercial, right? Yeah. So the yeah, the perfume commissioner was probably one of the sets, the the top sets that I've been, uh crew wise. Um I I would say that I I did an opening for uh for a theme park here in Orlando last year. And this was the one that we were we had to organize and orchestrate the most amount of people. Yeah. But the uh again, the good thing of working independent is that you're not only relying on film, which which is something that I also learned because when I got when I first got here, I wanted to make films and that's it. Yeah. And now so you have the Epic Universe? Yes.

Vipul Bindra 44:25

I don't I didn't know if we were supposed to say I filmed, uh I filmed the the universal people for it. Well, we all you know, you're in Orlando, you're you're somehow filming theme parks. But yeah, that's awesome, man. Yeah, like but who wasn't? I mean, that's exactly Epic was such a big uh deal. Yeah, but um so so you've been on some major sets. Uh so let's go through each uh, for example, like I said, how was your experience at Dama, man? We had such a good film because that was a per perfume commercial we did in Miami, so that's where I met, like you say, you, Guga, Bruno, and it was Fernando and me. And uh yeah, so like uh oh I remember meeting Bruno for the first time. I still have the craziest story. I've never had anyone do that. At first, second, you know, you think he's rude. Now that I know, you know, obviously he wasn't, but he's but I'm literally like you know, taking the light up. He's like, No, no, no, not you. And then he just takes the light from me and he's just climbing the ladder, and I'm like, what just happened? So but he's just very proactive. No, I know, and I love Bruno.

Luis Pereira 45:19

Yeah, but the first time it happened to me, I'm like, nobody's ever yeah, and it's funny because um uh talk talking about Bruno, uh he he is like one of my main inspirations on film and as a professional ever. And in Brazil, again, he worked for 18, 20 years in broadcasting companies there. And usually if you have the uh a paper, uh like a dog a piece of paper in your hands, or if you have a document, or if you have a cup of coffee, you must uh you as a crew member must assume that this is a that this is a professional, uh this is a professional producer, this is someone who's gonna pay you later today. And it's your objective that if something falls off their their coat or if they if they need something, you're there for them. And so uh uh as soon as he saw you with the iPad and the fact that you brought the whole gear, your job, your job was done. Now you just have to uh to check up the lights, see the composition, but everything from uh loading out from your car and rigging it, uh for for a Brazilian, it is he got offended. Like, wait, wait, wait, you you did all this work and now you're gonna set up two? Not on my watch.

Vipul Bindra 46:28

So no, and that's great. Like I said, now I know Bruno, I uh I I appreciate that culture. And I'm not that saying, like I said, I'm all very hands-out. I I'm not the type of guy who stands on an iPad, but you know, he was a girl. But I'm saying that that attitude, I really, really first took me for a second, but once I understood him, which uh, you know, and I was like, this is amazing, and I've hired him obviously a few times since then because Bruno is amazing, and I love that attitude. Uh, because again, it's not um trying to offend me or anyone, he's like genuinely interested in helping you and getting it done. And I was like, that's amazing, that's what you want on set, you know. People who are like, let's get it done. And then once I found out that how much experience he has, it's crazy.

Luis Pereira 47:06

I'm like, this guy's not just a grip, he's like very, very experienced, but he's humble, like you said, like you said, he had to go through new beginnings here too, because uh when he came here to America, he had to give up uh a 20-plus year career that he he was building in in Brazil. And yeah, he he's great. Delma was great. Uh I've I've been working with uh Guga and Fernando and Bruno for like the uh for the last six years before uh six year months sorry before uh we did that commercial. And I remember that I blocked out those dates and we ran through a couple of pre-production meetings, and I was first uh hired to be I think that uh Guga put me as a grip or just a PA, but I sort of climbed to be like a an AD because we had to go over the schedule, and um uh even though the the production company from Brazil that uh hired us to do the the shoot, they already had their own schedule and they are already uh aligning everything with uh Nadja Feira, the the talent. She she was great too, and uh all all of her team uh was great working with them. But uh it it changes when we are on set, like uh when we were in Miami, because i in Brazil they I I I noticed that now working a couple of productions that come here, uh they approach call sheets in a different way than we do. And they and if if they're not able to set up everything in the first day uh where they were where they're supposed to, according to the call sheet, that's okay. They can they can troubleshoot that later. And they at least in that set, they they had this different mentality. So it was great that I sort of stepped uh in and changed a couple of elements, and I think that the the final the final project was no, that was incredible. What we did was amazing, and um I'll say the whole experience too of us uh everyone in the Airbnb and and like uh exchanging life stories, and for me, it's always great because I love a good story. Like um uh every filmmaker say that like storytelling is their life, but it's so funny because you were like I still remember like at the Airbnb, you're like, hey, I want to intern for you.

Vipul Bindra 49:16

You still been wanting how many years has it been? You still wanted to intern for me with the first time.

Luis Pereira 49:20

I still want to intern for you to this day.

Vipul Bindra 49:22

Yeah, and that but what's funny is that's what led to the I think the next time I heard you was that Miss America,

Miss America Virtual Production Lessons

Vipul Bindra 49:28

yeah. So I was W Shot Universal, yeah. So I was basically uh film, it was it being at Film The Universal, they hired me, and then um, which is so crazy again, they hired me as a gaffer, and what ended up happening was because so they was they're from LA, or uh, I think one guy was from Atlanta, one from LA, the DP. But something happened, he got sick. Uh no, let me backtrack. So Mario is helping me as an assistant, right? So as a grip. So I was like the the gaffer, he's a grip, and then they added a second day, uh, because you know, whatever reason they they weren't happy or whatever, they wanted to redo it, and um, so now I had to like you know scramble to to make the schedule work, and Mario wasn't available, so uh I thought of you, and uh in even though you were like, Hey, I'm typically a first lady, I can come help you grip, uh you know, and you did great. What's crazy, and I'll come to that. But as soon as we show up on site, we find out oh, the DP actually got sick. Yeah, and whatever happened, you know, is it traveling? Uh I don't know if it was food or whatever. I didn't go deep into it. Point is so so he was like, Hey, can you be DP? And I was like, duh, that's like way easier than gaffing for me. So I had to step up now to be a DP, but problem is now we need a gaffer. So you had to kind of step up from being a grip to a gaffer. And I loved how easily you were not that we were doing some complex stuff because it was already set up, but you were how easily I'm saying you were able to get my CRMX stuff and you were helping me change lights and things like that, and kind of just help me out. And and I really appreciated that. But I want to know from your perspective, and this is what I'm saying, it could be taken two ways. One could be like, hey, I just came here to be a grip and and and now I'm being behind all this responsibility, or it could be like, hey, this is my time to shine. So how did you take it? And you know, yeah.

Luis Pereira 50:59

So um I I love to learn, especially on on something that I I I thoroughly enjoy, like a film set. Uh, if you put me to be like a Dorpier, I'll try to find ways of being like the best Dor PA ever and learn different skills that uh I can teach someone uh on the next project. So I I I had a previous experience um as like gaffing and uh being a grip uh from like student sets before, and I had to do a couple of uh grip work too uh for this production company that Guga and uh Guga Fernando Bruno we shot for the Amazon show.

Vipul Bindra 51:33

And uh I mean you remember we had to build a 12 by that's a crazy I'm saying first legit rail set to be a grip on. The 12 by was crazy, yeah. Because we didn't have that in school. Yeah, that's what I was saying, and that's what to like we built it with speed rails. I'm saying you're legit building a 12 by. So that's I'm saying yeah, that must have been a crazy first experience.

Luis Pereira 51:51

It was fantastic, and I mean uh even though the uh school were was able to give uh give us like phenomenal gear, uh especially for our age and our experience for us to experiment on. Um it's it's a stark contracts contrast when you are on school and then you're working with a bindra productions because guys, I I I'm not I kid you not, bindra productions is on another level, like it really is.

Vipul Bindra 52:16

Yeah, but funny thing is that it is but you know what's crazy? I'll tell you about that set. I would have never set that 12 by. I think 8x would have been fine. The only reason I did that 12 by because on the day one we were there, I set up an 8 by and the the DP wanted a 12 by. And so when we showed up, immediately I was like, let's set up the 12x because I'm doing what the DP wanted. And then obviously the DP didn't show up. I would have been happy with the 8 by. It's fine because I thought the 12 by was too big for what we were doing there. But uh, but so we didn't have to end up setting the 12 by if I was the DP, but you know, anyway.

Luis Pereira 52:47

Yeah, yeah, we did, and then we uh we did a breakdown, and it was a it was a fantastic shoot. Like uh I I never imagined that out of all the programs that would that that happened here in the United States that would come out shooting Miss America. Yeah, it's a lot of people.

Vipul Bindra 53:00

And what's crazy though is that to me that's a small set because at the end it was just three. It was, yeah. So I'm DP, you're essentially grab gaffing gripping with me, and then the the main director, producer, you want to call it. And obviously they had Miss America had their team, but like we didn't really which was like like a like they were uh 12 times this. Yeah, of course, and the 50 whatever contestants, right? 50 plus contestants. But what I'm saying is in the end, the the team is like three people. That's how productions are nowadays. Yes, and at that time I we can sit there and complain. That's what my attitude is. I'm like, look, we're doing Miss America, we're having a great time. I'm getting paid to do this Bernard conditioning at Universal Studios, yeah. And once we set up, it's literally was just on what Dana Dolly going back and forth with each contestant.

Luis Pereira 53:39

So and I mean when you handed me the iPad too, like I I I as a gaffer, I I I played with lights before, like through like CITES Link, but uh again, they they weren't on the same complexity as the lights that you brought into set. So for me, it was a like it was an out-of-body experience, right?

Vipul Bindra 53:59

Also, that was virtual production too. So have you was that your first virtual production? I did a couple of virtual productions.

Luis Pereira 54:04

Full sale has uh an excellent virtual production stage there in because I liked what the guy did.

Vipul Bindra 54:09

He he brought in basically uh a screen and LED, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we built the LED wall there in the universal.

Luis Pereira 54:15

And to be honest, it it was also uh something new. I mean, uh every time I step on set, I I try to get something from it uh to like to learn and to apply on whatever adventure um holds me next. But um we had I remember that we sort of uh had a couple problems with the LED lighting-wise, and then that we had to to mix up on the magenta, and we had to uh place because we were doing the the the the booklet light uh for the with the 12 by and we had to position the we have to position the lights differently so we didn't have the a big contrast in between what we had from the lights on the LEDs and uh what we had from the actresses. And and to be honest, uh it was great. Yeah, it's great.

Vipul Bindra 55:02

And what's crazy is this uh how simplicity of the setup, and and this is what I love.

Luis Pereira 55:06

You know, I he changed the airports like every once in a while, the yeah, the weather on the on the foreground, on the background, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 55:12

Yeah, so they were custom made to like look like uh you know certain states. Uh but but what I'm uh what I love, like a lot of people don't know, like but they're like, oh, you have 30 lights or whatever. The the reason I have so many lights is so you can choose. It's not every time that I have 40, 30, 40 lights going at a time. It's the ability to choose. So for example, on that set to to make it look like that, even though it sounds complex, it was literally like two lights. So it was a 1200x on an eight by book light, so it's going to the magic cloth. No, it was going to ultra bounce to magic cloth on one side, then a 12 by ultra bounce has the fill, because we wanted that that big airport look. And then it was the ADC as the backlight, which we were manipulating to match, you know, is the magenta, is it green? Is it you know warm, cool based on the airport we're in? But so it's technically two lights, that's all it is, but it looked amazing. It is a magic, yeah. Yeah, yeah, but because it's the big flags and rags, and you know, it's it's uh it's the you know, playing with them saying with a lot of things, and we also set up audio.

Luis Pereira 56:08

I remember that now.

Vipul Bindra 56:08

We yeah, we had to do audio, and it was their audio too, so so it was not comfortable for me. So I'm used to I love having external audio, a I don't trust the the you know preamps and uh on on something that important, you know, on an FX6. Uh, but also then having to monitor it, and then you know, being DP. Point is because it's and I don't like not having a backup, but it was their audio setup, but it was their camera. Technically, I was in supply, so I had to just do what they had, and it came out great. I think uh based on what we did and the time, because it was only like a three, four-hour shoot, it wasn't a long day. Uh I think we did great because you know, those contestants had a limited time. We had to cycle them out pretty fast. It was like what 30 seconds each or something like that.

Luis Pereira 56:45

Yeah, and and I sort of also took uh I stepped up as a sort of like a second ED because I was also helping you on uh getting them to the front stage, position them, seeing if the mic's good. Then we yeah, let them basically was like in out in out. It was uh it was fun, and it was a great experience. I mean, like how what are the chances probably I wouldn't be able to do that on an union job, you know? No, no, like when we'll be meeting at Universal and go into like the the back door of their hotels and set up a huge how how big was the LED panel that we that that was set up?

Vipul Bindra 57:18

I don't remember the size, but it was a decent size.

Luis Pereira 57:19

I mean, you know, and then have all the Ms. America contestants coming in and it was a blast. Yeah, all the pretty girls on the interested in.

Vipul Bindra 57:27

No, no, no. Is your girlfriend watching you can get it? My fiance now. Oh fiance. Oh, you propose, right?

Luis Pereira 57:32

I propose, yeah. I I posted on Instagram. Uh it was uh it was July, July 16th. Thank you very much. Congratulations, man. Thank you very much. Yeah, we're gonna be marrying next summer. Look at that, right? So in Brazil or in Brazil, in Brazil, yeah. She she'll she's gonna come here uh on fall of next year. So yeah, if Kakya is watching, hey, I wasn't looking for any other girls, okay? I only have you in my mind, okay? I love you. Yeah, just a shout out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shout out to Bendra.

Vipul Bindra 57:58

Oh, yeah, let me not get in trouble. But no, no, he wasn't. He wasn't looking at them. Only professionally.

Luis Pereira 58:03

And you see, exactly. I had to look them professionally because I was I was setting up the lights to see. But I mean, I we had so much stuff going on on set that less less thing I would be thinking of was look how beautiful those ladies are. Yeah, I was probably looking more at Bendra to be honest. I'd be like, come on, look at this guy setting up and uh we we don't have RDP, but he stepped up and he he knows how to do everything.

Vipul Bindra 58:24

It's only a film can be on that for him. That's us, that's us. That's so funny. Uh, but yeah, but no, that's incredible. And then I think um uh the the commercial set was the other big one we did because you got to be um you got to come out to the micard uh shoot, right? And that's such a different.

Luis Pereira 58:44

I'm saying yeah, uh can we say the name of the brand? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so uh when we went to the Revology headquarters at I think it's um I forgot, but like you helped me with that too.

Vipul Bindra 58:57

I did, yeah, and it was before Miss America.

Luis Pereira 59:00

So uh right.

Vipul Bindra 59:01

I completely forgot about that one.

Luis Pereira 59:03

And and I mean, uh it's uh I always say the if you're eager to learn and if you if you just want to be there to have fun, and have fun includes a couple of setbacks, you know, but you learn and next time you won't uh screw up things and you're gonna be uh even happier with the final product. So I done camera a couple times before, but never on the on like the setup that Bendra created for us to shoot uh that that video on on uh inside Rivology. So dude, you missed the second one.

Vipul Bindra 59:34

I think I killed it on that one over. But the first one was great. I mean, to be real, uh uh which now that I appreciate you now remember, yeah, I needed a second shooter for quick B-roll thing with them because it was a long-term project and Mario wasn't available, so I asked you, and and you did great. You're not a camera guy, but again, we just needed some basic B-roll. Yeah, um, but also uh talking about that set, like you know, with the limited resources, how incredible because you saw the studio, uh how incredible that shoot came out, and I so appreciated you being there because you I think you did on the track day, you did BTS. Yeah, yeah.

Luis Pereira 1:00:06

First we visited the the headquarters first, and then after like I would say three weeks, we we went to the track and then we went to the studio.

Vipul Bindra 1:00:14

Yeah, which was and the studio was just amazing, man. I had such a great time, but but here's and we could talk more about that. But but what I loved is like in you know, once we get to know more, because like I said, you helped me with BTS there, you were doing little worlds. On the next one I did, which was a big, big step up, you were able to come in as my I would say pseudo first AD because you weren't at first AD on set. Mario stepped up to that because here's what I found out. So now that I'm doing the bigger run, I immediately am like, okay, you're gonna be my first AD, and then I find out that you're gonna be in Brazil, and I'm like, darn it. And I I really wanted you in my first AD. Uh uh, but like I said, you weren't available, but you still helped me. What's crazy is you were in Brazil still helping me with call sheets and scheduling and planning, which helped Mario a lot because he only had to, like I said, manage the onset thing. But that helped me a lot. I wish you had been there because like I said, I was on a lead level. I watched the final product uh and I was yeah, I wasn't but uh what what's crazy again it's still very limited resources for a level of that production, but still a lot more I'm saying than on the shoot weaver on the first one.

Luis Pereira 1:01:15

But but but but this is uh I think it's sort of the um what Benra productions do do like you you overdeliver. So I I would say that it was like fantastic. The final product in the the the the improvement from the already fantastic video that we did for the uh what's the Boss Mustang last year?

Vipul Bindra 1:01:32

And now the first one was 429, then it was 302.

Luis Pereira 1:01:35

302, yeah. So I I wish I wasn't that sad.

Vipul Bindra 1:01:39

No man, you would have done great, like I said. Uh but I mean I mean you already were part of it, you just weren't on physically.

Luis Pereira 1:01:44

And that's and that's a good thing about being in the production department. I I don't know um to which extent every department can be part of a project if not in person, but I'd say that production-wise, being able to reach out to different people that we sort of that we that uh not only I I had met through school, but also you met them through the the pilot shoot that we did in February that we shot

Permits Scouting And Remote Producing

Luis Pereira 1:02:06

there. And um helping with the call sheets and helping you. I remember that before you were able to set up uh a studio location, I was helping you scouting because uh yeah, one thing that I forgot to mention, uh right after I would say two months before Nadja shoot in uh in Miami, I actually uh I started working as an intern for the Orlando Film Commission. So Brooke is now, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, shout out to Brooke, she's amazing, I love her. And she was uh friends with Fernando, and then when she was looking for uh replacement for her intern who just stepped up to a new position inside the economic partnership, she I I applied, we did an interview, and oh, it was a blessing, dude. I I learned so much about uh the the the side of production that I love uh the securing permits, uh who you need to reach out to in order to get the to the the permit um going. Um like uh infrastructure-wise and uh try not to be to be like the bureaucracy's greatest enemy, you know. And it was great. And she and the Orlando Film Commission opened uh so many doors because now every time I go I go to set or I go to any any film-related event, I always meet someone who I A either was on their set or B, I helped them with their permits or help them on their premieres when they were fine looking for places.

Vipul Bindra 1:03:28

So it's that's crazy though, like so it came full circle for you because uh you know just experience to go there, like I said, learning the back end of it, which is you know what would help you. And it's good to have a resource like that because like I said, I'm trying to do non-union stuff most time, but we do need some time permit or whatever. Then having a resource like you or Brooke or some people, I'm saying to be able to reach out, it just makes it so much easier. Yeah, like you said, because we're just trying to you know get past the red tape, we want to get it done. That's how productions are, and so to be able to have insight knowledge or resources is just so great, and yeah, it's great, and it's something that it can do remotely, so you don't have to be on set.

Luis Pereira 1:04:03

I mean, I would love to be there to to do the the Tech Scout with you, uh, but I mean you you you're already you're not new to this game, you're the top dog here, so you already know how uh everything works. But it it it it is great to be, even though I was in Brazil and I was in spring break, so I was trying to chill out a little bit, uh already preparing myself for the the the thesis that I just wrapped uh this this Sunday. Uh I was still able to open up my computer and try and help you with the call sheets and help you uh with the crew, and it it was a blast. And I I feel I feel thankful, and by the way, thank you for including me in that project because usually if you're not able to be there in person, they didn't they don't even want to have you.

Vipul Bindra 1:04:43

But that's what I'm talking about. That's where your effort comes in because it wasn't like I just met you. I that would doesn't normally happen, but because I knew you so well and you're like a set of friends at that point, and I trusted you, I like I said, I wanted you to be part of the project, and then you weren't gonna be available, but you were like, Yeah, I could still help you as much as I can. I was like, absolutely, I want you to be part of it because that was the whole plan. And uh so what I'm saying is yeah, so if you're a network, you meet people and you build that trust, you don't have to be there. And what you helped was great, you know, and and uh like I said, and you were not even in America, you were in Brazil, and you were helping me, and that was incredible. And now, like I said, anytime I need it, because now we did that short film where you were able to come in and be the first AD and look how smoothly that went. I'm saying compared to these other productions because we knew each other, so it's like we were able to be on track on time, exactly get everything done. Uh, you know, it went, I think, extremely smooth if you want to talk about that one.

Luis Pereira 1:05:35

Yeah, oh yeah, it was amazing. So we just uh I would say like a month ago, we wrapped uh production on um uh Sam's uh project bloom. So shout out to Sip, you're a great man. And we I mean, even though we we had a couple of different setbacks because he had to go back to North Carolina. I don't know exactly uh what branch of military he's in or he's in reserve, but he he was away from. School. So I already knew his project. I knew I was going to be his first AD. And because again, I had this knowledge of the of securing permits and uh and people and your gear too. And going over uh what he was trying to tell, I was able to bring in a logistical, like a um I'd say like a methodical approach to getting it done, even though he wasn't here at all. So uh it was great. And um again, again, setbacks uh you you have setbacks in every in every shoot. It's impossible for you to run away from them. But with what we had, with the story that we had, the crew that we got here, I think we did an excellent job. Which by the way, did Ruben come here to fix the Do you see the damage still? Oh Ruben, come on, dude. He's waiting, man.

Vipul Bindra 1:06:45

Yeah, yeah. Come fix the damage. That's what I'm saying. It's always when I'm helping people out, is when I get, you know, yeah. It's funny, like when I charge people full price, everything is going great. Nothing, no issues. It's always when I when I'm helping people out. You're giving discounts. Yeah, it's when it's like, oh, my ceiling is damaged. But you know, hopefully we'll fix it.

Luis Pereira 1:07:04

Uh yeah, but it was a great project, and I think that uh he messaged uh me. Uh we got like a group that we because we started full sale the same month, and then uh I think he just he just finished, like he has a picture lock. I think he's going through his sound uh now. I think I don't know, but uh I I just got his text saying that his short film is done, so I'm so happy. Yeah, I can't wait to see it. It wouldn't be able with it wouldn't be able to have it done without you.

Vipul Bindra 1:07:30

And uh I was just happy to help. And plus, it was a unique project, like it was very artistic, very different than what I normally do. I'm very much, you know, in general, uh, like a lot of people like to say, Oh, you know, they have a style. Like, what's your style? I purposely hate that thing. I don't want a style. I approach each project like with its own uniqueness. Now, there's certain techniques I use, obviously, but that doesn't mean it's a style. You know what I mean? So I actually purposefully approach things that are unique and different. But point is what I liked about it was not only did I have creative freedom to do whatever, but he was going with completely to me, it's abstract, right? Once he explained me the story, and I was like, oh, this is so different because when I'm doing something, I I like to telling strong stories, right? With this character-driven narratives, even if it's a commercial. So this was more very, very abstract. So it's very different than anything I would normally do. So I was very intrigued and wanted to be part of it. Plus, like we got to do it anamorphic, try the new DZR con lenses with it. So it overall it was a very cool and creative project. I had fun, you know. It was like a lot of symbols. A lot of dressing, too, right? So a lot of symbolism and and stuff. Yeah, I still find the strings from the flower pins.

Luis Pereira 1:08:36

Yeah, and I remember like uh when we were uh I I think we were probably in the like Abbey Singer, so we did like the series where we he was like erasing stuff from his end and uh taking out the the tape, and it was probably like a 30-minute like brainstorm in the in the moment because again, we we were we were in the moment, like uh we were flowing in the same way that uh that his idea was.

Vipul Bindra 1:08:59

So, and that's like the best part of being sad because sometimes we're just locked in and like no one can stop us from delivering like an excellent product in exactly, and a lot of things happen, you know, because you you have a vision, you have an idea, but then you also pivot and you figure out how to do it, especially with him. There's a lot of uh creative things he wanted to do, but he's limited by budget and technicality and stuff like that. So, how do you achieve that? And as a DP, remember, I'm trying to do an abstract project. That's how I'm approaching it. Uh, you we can talk to Sam and obviously see how he would approach it, but I'm going with like there's a lot of symbolism, it's abstract. So, how can I bring that vision you know to life? And we're also going very shallow to do like what is it, T2.1, whatever those lenses do. It's it's like very shallow for anamorphic. So I'm also like trying to go, how do I tell the story? How do I tell it in a way where it's true to him, but I can also do a little bit of magic of mine in there, right? But at the same time, student film resources, how can we move fast? You know, it was great, it was great. I can't wait to see that.

Luis Pereira 1:09:58

Yeah, yeah. I can't wait to see the final product because uh again, uh uh as you go throughout the your academic journey as a master student, you you you see it on table reads for projects, and then you see it on the previous, and then um you see it on pre-production plans, and you see it on uh when they are presenting like the uh their assembly cuts, and usually most of them are kind of bad, and you're like yikes, like I I would have done that. Uh, but again, you I don't know what type of uh troubles that they they had during shoot. I don't know how much uh uh like studio interference, which is the professors they had on the project, because that happens a full sale a lot. Yeah, no, they tried to change yeah, they tried changing the your your script, they tried to change your previous, they tried to change your shot list all the time. So I don't know how much mingling they were doing it, but for his project, I'll say that it is authentic and it is different from the other ones.

Vipul Bindra 1:10:52

And as people gonna get it, and that's what I'm curious about because look, I as a DP was only able to help visually. I didn't I didn't write the story, I'm not editing it, I'm not part of that process. Plus, it's symbolism, right? So I hope other people will understand that. So I'm curious uh like how that comes across because at the end day, look, I can do visually because that's what I was responsible for. So lighting, you know, camera, all that. But will the symbolism come through and his abstract? And that's what I'm saying. That's why the project is cool. I'm just happy to help look. And and and I had the time, I was able to help him on those two days, and it was fun. Plus, I got to work with you and Matt and you know, Veronica and all these cool people and Ruben. So it's like a good team of people that we trust that we want to, you know, be around, and and it was just fun, especially from the pilot, um, you know, which was I think the longest project we did together because it was a week long, man. Yeah, uh, six days. Six days of shit. 18 hour days, 20 hour days. That was crazy. That was nuts. But but that was fun too. What's your experience with that? Because you were a proper AD on that, right?

Luis Pereira 1:11:53

Yeah, yes, yes,

Indie Pilot Logistics And Premium Tradeoffs

Luis Pereira 1:11:54

I was. So um Fernando, he approached me, I would say like July of 2025 about this, and then we started sitting, and then we I I started uh doing like the script breakdown, seeing what we would need. Um, and it was it was a blast for me, like because I already knew the project was gonna be um probably the biggest project that I'll I would be a part of in Orlando, aside from the Epic Universe opening that I did. Um but I mean you cannot compare. It's Universal opening their their third fourth theme park in Orlando. So um I I had a lot of fun. I learned so much. Uh I learned like how to deal with the with with producers in Brazil, they they they sort of had their they have a different approach on how to get the job done. And I was able to adapt to what they wanted and like uh like aligning uh creative visions with Brooke, with Fernando, and going over and scouting practically like the whole whole central Florida. It was insane. It was great.

Vipul Bindra 1:13:03

I hope you were paid for all that time, bro.

Luis Pereira 1:13:05

Yeah, I was paid for experience, you know.

Vipul Bindra 1:13:09

That's the best that's the best payment.

Luis Pereira 1:13:13

But uh yeah, I I it was sort of like in uh a complex moment because my visa was about to end and I was about to go back to school again. And I also was gonna go back to Brazil for like a a whole a whole month, like one month and a half. So I I had to I I tried uh setting up as uh as much as I could, and when we we established okay, we're gonna be shooting on the second week of February. I was like we were having trouble on because you you know the the project it is uh it is a great idea. I love everything that we have uh on it, and it it touches on uh I would say delicate themes, especially uh um here in America when you're trying to to depict uh a strange individual and someone who has trouble uh on making friends, who like uh when you're trying to get like this grim approach and when you're trying to have uh him um uh on drugs hallucinating on everyone hating him and uh originally on the script he was supposed to hallucinate in uh in the bathroom, uh in the school, high school bathroom, and then he would step out and in the high school hallway he would see all these different projections of drawings that he he he did himself, and it it's pretty delicate for you to try to come over to uh come to a school and be like, hey, what up? So we have this project here that we will love to shoot. And first of all, guys, when you're trying to approach like public uh places, and I I know we're in the film industry, but never say we're gonna shoot something, okay? That I I learned that, I learned that. And it it was a pretty interesting, I'll say a pretty interesting journey. More the pre-product the more the pre-production and the pre-production process than the the production itself, you know, because uh I I I never had to to be the one to to go over uh different schools and try to convince them of shooting this project or uh pivot some ideas that we had on the on the script in order to uh like for instance the locate the where he hallucinated in the end, we shot that in the arcade instead of shooting it in school and doing some some creative pivots in order to get the project done, you know.

Vipul Bindra 1:15:29

So exactly, and that's what what first of all I want to shout out to you because all the locations were incredible. I thank you. I loved filming it in the case. Every single I'm also a location scout guy, so yeah, yeah, hire me. There you go. He's trying to pitch himself. But but but what I'm saying is no, you you did amazing. Let me be real on that. Every single location was great. Thank you. So so that was good work on that because at the end they look, I know what you went through, but but the end result was incredible, and that's what I think matters. But which is the negative, and that's what people don't understand, because even though I know we we call it like um uh that was very low budget, even though it had a huge budget for it is still low budget for what we're trying to do, yeah. But but for what it is, it's like you know, uh, and that's where the budget goes. So I'm saying a lot of people could be like, oh, why does it talk cost a millions of dollars to shoot a film show? Because that's what control is. Because if I had given been given, I'm saying for lighting or whatever, a bigger budget, that's what I would do. I would never shoot in real location. You're filled you that's why you shoot in the backlot or whatever, right? You build sets because then you have full control on lighting. Like, for example, I should remember I had to light a hallway, a ginormous hallway. That shot is from front till end of the hallway. And where do you put lights? Because now I can't use scissor clamps, I can't just hang lights because on drop ceiling, because that's what it is, you know, because it's visible.

Luis Pereira 1:16:44

So what I'm saying is that you have a wide lens and you're and you're able to see, you're talking about the hallway in school. Yeah, yeah, and you can see the lights there. So you you cannot create a motivated lighting on a wide shot showing the lights are off.

Vipul Bindra 1:16:54

Yeah, but I'm saying to light a whole highway, uh hallway. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But to do that, I'm saying the challenges that brings versus that would be so easy. I'm saying if you're in a uh, you know, back like set, you can literally cut holes and you know, you can you can bring light stuff like that you don't think about that. I'm saying you can do uh, you know, and that's where what I'm saying is that and that not only is indie film harder because, like you said, you had to convince a real school to let us film there, pay them whatever money they wanted, but two, you have to actually freaking work with the location's limitations because we can't tear down the school. It is gorilla, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's actually, and plus we're given a even you know, even though we had 18, 20 hour days, we're doing freaking 10 scenes, 20 scenes in a day. It wasn't so a lot of people don't realize like the amount of time there's no pre-light day in a real thing, television show. I could be lighting, you know, for a scene that's happening tomorrow, today. I don't I have time to, you know, light light stuff. Versus here, it's like you know, you light and you film, you light and you film, like you're going. Uh so it's like it's it's crazy speed, I'm saying. But it at the end the result looked incredible, I'm saying, for the resources, yeah, yeah.

Luis Pereira 1:17:58

And I mean, uh, it was great. Um, it's funny enough you were talking about like there's no pre-light day. And that's so funny because there was this production company uh who came on to to Winter Park. I I think it was either Winter Park or Longwood to and it was a union project. They went, they they they shot a feature, and then I was uh I was one of the PAs there in through full sale. So again, connections are important when you go through school and you're basically paying for them. But I don't know, I I thought that their work day was so slow to be honest, and and I and I had this, but that's the the difference.

Vipul Bindra 1:18:33

But I'm saying that's the the five-10%. I know a lot of people don't get that, and that's fine, but and I'm not saying uh that that's the future because like I said, I'm personally believe that the sets are gonna get smaller and smaller and money is gonna be less, but I'm saying that's the difference. Like when you start to get premium, it's that that next five percent, the next five percent that you're chasing, it's not massive, but the resources required are huge. But the advantage is on those sets, the talent cost, because you know, we're working with students or actors that are not costly, I'm saying comparatively. Yeah, so you have that's not a factor, right?

Luis Pereira 1:19:08

The factor is equipment and and location cost, but on a bigger set, the the location and they have a pre-established locations, they already have they have huge warehouses where we are gonna only use uh set dressings and props from them.

Vipul Bindra 1:19:21

Because that budget, I'm saying, compared to what they're paying the actor, is so low. So I'm saying getting Beyonce or or Adam Sandler or whoever on one more day on set is way more expensive than having a whole crew light the day before. So I'm saying you're not thinking the same way.

Luis Pereira 1:19:35

Adam Sandler won't do a 17-hour shoot like we did, like sitting on the couch and eating ponji queijo and coffee. Nah, who's gonna get his ass home?

Vipul Bindra 1:19:43

But that's what I'm saying. You get them on set when it's actually, you know, when that's their time. So I'm saying getting a crew to be there a day before or to light it or whatever is way more better user resources than it is on a smaller set. And and that's just the difference of where costs very vary, you know, like you're doing a Marvel set, getting all these actors on set is like the hardest part. You you you don't care about a lighting budget, you know what I mean? You want to get it done and to get it done right.

Luis Pereira 1:20:09

So you were talking about like the the premium uh the the premium style of uh lighting and directing and film production in general. Uh could could you go more into details? Because I I I was interested now in what you said.

Vipul Bindra 1:20:23

In what way? Like, see, so what I'm saying, for example, like talk about our pilot. The way I would approach it is that, you know, and it's small stuff, like it looked incredible. We used my FX6s with the Oz lenses for the budget, which was nothing. Let me got in there. But point is it they're incredible. It's an incredible look. It's 80-90% of what would look like. But if I'm the DP and if I've given the budget, I would probably use mini LFs with like probably signature primes, right? That would be so now you add budget of that. Because that's what a couple thousand dollars, I'm saying, in rental costs a day, right? And then uh I'm saying you can improve the look even more. I would probably put some kind of diffusion filters in front of it.

Luis Pereira 1:20:59

And so you think that the money would go specifically to the gear? No, I'm talking about that crew was gonna get because you said that group, uh, in your opinion, uh crew tends to get smaller and smaller. No, no, no.

Vipul Bindra 1:21:09

I'm saying that's what's gonna happen. But I'm saying how with things that would change cost wise. The other cost now you can add is pre-light days. I would have every set, meaning, like let's say we're filming on the uh the house tomorrow. Then today the crew goes there and lights it, so tomorrow we just come and shoot. Yeah, uh, same thing with the school. The the pre-light crew would be there the day before. And the whole reason is that you know you're efficient on side, you have way more time to get it done, and you can finesse little things that we weren't able to, you know. We're using rolling sands and we're just going, you know. Uh, but but I'm saying is that's the improvement, it's not like it's major. Obviously, like I said, then you take another level of production, you start to now build sets, right? Where instead of just set deck, we're actually building these little backlots, and now you can weigh more control. Um, and so it's like slow things like that. I'm saying, and then same thing with crew, like my crew was like three people, you know what I mean? It's like and that too, they're like divided because you know it's not like Ruben's just helping me grow exactly. Yeah, we're we're wearing multiple hats all the time. Even multiple times I was doing you know, slate and you know stuff like that. So he's like there. Uh same thing. What I'm saying is like you would have way more resources available to you, and and the advantage of that is now everyone can focus more, like we were talking about. Now, can I individually I'm saying I I'm a very experienced producer, I'm a very experienced director, I'm a very experienced DP or gaffer or whatever. But now you're asking me to do four roles, you know what I mean? Then it what happens is there's a limited time. Yeah, like and you get a quarter of quality because you're gonna have to divide a different quarter of time because now I have 30 minutes to light every scene, you know what I mean? And you had to go. Yeah, could I do more complex stuff? Yes, but that requires more resources, you know what I mean? Every time I build a frame, that's time. Every time I break that down, it's time, and then I have to realize that it all has to get struck and down because you had a time limit of leaving that uh school, you had to be out by a certain time. There's no leave-ay on that, so it's like we have to make sure it gets done. And then the biggest challenge adds, which is why I keep telling people don't buy gear. Everyone can just get home at that point. I have to worry about every single piece of gear. Where is it getting stored? Can I get stolen? Because it's hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year there that can get broken, stolen, damaged, missing, you know, like so many people touching it. So I have the biggest uh what do you call investment on that set, and I'm not even part of above the line on that set. I'm not the DP, I'm not the director, I'm not the producer. Yeah, I'm just a gaffer. So I'm saying at that point, even though I'm somehow supplying, which I want to talk about that story on that set, uh, but what I'm saying is I end up somehow supplying the whole thing, and um and it becomes, I'm saying the biggest chaos for me was that actually. I don't want to have to worry about that. I should have somebody, you know, who worries about the, you know, like you said, a UPM or somebody worries about the gear, not me, but I was worrying about something I'm wearing like five hats. I'm doing five different things, even though I'm not camera at all, I'm handling lenses, cameras, you know, which is fine. That's small set. I I don't have an issue with that because that's my that's what I was trying to come to. I think there's gonna be way more smaller sets where you do more. But you were talking about premium. So I'm saying that's how premium happens, right? I don't have to worry about the gear. Not that I can't provide it, I'm saying I, as a gaffer, don't have to think where each gear is there should be somebody managing that. And then we have more resources to light, we have more resources on camera side. Yeah, you know, and then that just basically means you have more time to not direct the talent. Yeah, you have more time to actually get the best performance out of them, right? And you have more time to finesse every little light because I know there were situations where we weren't able to fully control everything because we had to go. Yeah, you're right. And and I think that's what at least to me, I find my specialty like sure. Can I come do the premium thing with you? And you've seen enough sets with me, but can I also move on a set like that, like that TV pilot, where it's like what needs to be done? And I'm very upfront. I'm like, yes, can I can do that, but it'll take an hour. Do you have that? No, yeah. This is what I can do that's alternate, and always offering a solution that can be getting you 80% there, but in time and budget that we have.

Luis Pereira 1:25:02

So uh premium-wise, would you say that like every year? How many projects here in Orlando you would you say that you're a part of that are premium?

Vipul Bindra 1:25:11

I would say, I mean, if you're just talking about large buttons, like six-figure projects, I would say I do about five, ten a year, but not all of them are in Orlando, though. They're all over, you know. Our job, we just go where it is. If it's in New York, I'm going to New York. If it's in Atlanta, I'm going to Atlanta. I I consider myself uh location independent, as in which is why I built the way I did. I don't have to supply gear. But you can travel everywhere. Yeah, but and also a lot of big projects. I'm saying there's budget, so I can rent locally, especially if it's just all I need is some grip gear. But the way I built it, because it's not just gear, a lot of people think it's like a light. What makes my gear is like I have little accessories to go with everything to make it work how I want to. I'm not just bringing a tube, I'm bringing magnets and stands and pivot points. But what I'm saying is there's a lot that goes with each little product, like the same thing with my cameras, right? It's not just a camera, it's like 500 pieces of accessories to make it work how we want it to work. So I put it.

Luis Pereira 1:26:02

And they're not different cameras either. So you're you so you spend your time organizing all of your gear so you can build different echo ecosystems inside your production because that that is imperative. Like exactly working in different sets where people bring different gears.

Vipul Bindra 1:26:15

Sometimes we we struggle. The wireless doesn't work, this doesn't work, or you need a first AC, which is what I'm saying. I can actually save costs in my production. I don't need a first AC to come a day before build a camera build, which is common on bigger sets. What I'm saying is, but coming back to the thing, that's why I designed my van. I can ship send my van up, like we did the thing in Chicago multiple times now, where I can just send the van, it can go in LA anywhere, big projects, and actually cheaper and better to send my gear because A, everyone's familiar with it, we know what it is. We have every little accessory, backups of everything. And as long as we have the budget, which is just mileage and and time of somebody to drive there, the van can go anywhere. And and so coming back to what I'm saying, that is what I like about me now, at least what I've been able to build, is that I can either you work with local gear, it doesn't have to be my gear, I'm not gear particular. But if you have the budget and the resources and time, I'd rather just ship my van. I show up either on a with the van or on a flight flight, and then we just get it done. And uh, and that is I think we can be more nimble, more fast, get more done at cheaper, lower price point. I know a lot of filmmakers won't like that, but that's what I feel like the industry is moving, where you can do more for lower, right? And that's just the the the at least what I see doing, and that's what I'm trying to build my company for. Look, I'm saying we can do what 10 people can do with three people, like my commercial talk about the one you helped me with the the the last one. Uh that client that we did that with 20 people in three days, and uh in a very limited budget, you know.

Luis Pereira 1:27:47

Uh that would have I would have guessed at a hundred people to be honest. You know the budget.

Vipul Bindra 1:27:51

Uh talk about budget. You have about people know the budget. So I'm saying now imagine anyone else, every single person. It was like in the seven figures, guys. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Luis Pereira 1:27:57

It was a big budget.

Vipul Bindra 1:27:58

No, but what I'm saying is anyone. Who's done a commercial of that level or could even get remotely close, even locally, I'm saying, with all the favors that you can ask for, you wouldn't even remotely come close to the budget. The only way we were able to do that is because I am the rental house. I am the, you know, all your resources. I have all everything in-house and planned and uh and you know, crew that I can access and resources. Uh and it doesn't matter, it's Orlando. I'm saying that could have been I could have accomplished that anywhere in the country. Yeah. And and that's the the part about doing this, I'm saying, a lot.

Luis Pereira 1:28:28

This is what sets Binger Productions out from the yes, but you can say anyone can do that.

Vipul Bindra 1:28:34

See, I'm not doing anything special. I think what comes down to is thinking. And it's kind of like I told that I told this story before COVID. You know, it's like planning ahead. I'm going, you know, December 2020, not December, January 2020, like what's next in our industry? And I go, you know what's going to be next? Live streaming and putting the time, resources, and money to invest in it. And bam, COVID hits, gets what everyone needs, live streaming. While everyone's struggling now to order black magic stuff, I'm sitting with all the resources, training, talent to get it done. And we were moving, getting it done, helping these companies while everyone around me was struggling. Not that I did something special. It's like a lot of, I think people get comfortable, right? You get a good cameraman, you're comfortable. Uh you become a first aider, you're comfortable. Like what you were talking about earlier, bringing it full circle. You had you went in directly, you did something uncomfortable. That makes you better. Doesn't mean you have to be a director. So I personally, and maybe I enjoy this, that may makes me weird. I like to get in the uncomfortable. Like if I don't know something, most people will be like, uh, let me back up. I'm like, no, I have to know. You know, it's that obsessive nature. And I think that's what brought me where I'm today. It's not, it didn't happen in a day, it happened in 16 years. But it happened because every time I find a challenge, I don't go, oh, it's gonna set me back. I go, okay, how do I solve it? How do I fix it so it doesn't happen next time? First time cameras didn't sync. How do we get time code? What is time code? Buying time code. You know what I mean? Same thing like my first time my two cameras didn't match. After that, I was like, I will never do an interview, two different matching cameras. It has to be matching cameras, stuff like that. It's like simple things. Same thing. First time had an audio issue. Okay, I always have to have a backup recorder going, things like that. So it's like slow and steady learning, but after 16 years, it's compounded. Where very rarely can I show on set and I don't have a solution for something. So essentially, what I'm coming to is like we don't do anything crazy. It's just 16 years of compounded interest and not getting becoming a dinosaur. Because usually what happens is people with 16 years, then they get set in their ways. Yeah, I am not set in my ways. If new thing comes out, I'm always on top of it. Not because the gear matters, but because I don't want to be stagnant. I don't want to be working with what's in the past. I'm always looking forward, doing better. That was anyone who works with me, they don't have to do you know the the what I'm doing. Because the reality is you don't need to buy the latest gear, you don't need to have the latest tech. But that's where you're you have a resource like Bindra, you call you can always have the latest gear. You can have somebody who knows how to use that latest gear at hand. You need a 20% shoot done tomorrow, I can make it happen. You know what I mean? Yeah, and that's where I'm I'm setting myself apart. Not that I'm doing anything great crazy or unique, it's that I'm setting myself to do what I would don't think you should do. Yeah, exactly. And that and then dividing that among hundreds of projects a year so I can make it financially viable. Uh, you know, really.

Luis Pereira 1:31:25

And the right now is so much easier for the client, too. Like it is something that uh they don't even think about it, of course, because uh A, they're not they're usually not part of our industry, and B, they're just one they just want the project that they have in the back of their minds to get it done.

When A Gear Package Gets Assumed

Vipul Bindra 1:31:41

But you know, it can backfire though. So talk about this project, for example, uh uh, you know, uh so the the way it worked was I literally had I was coming back from that uh uh project with Guga that we were talking about uh, you know, in Miami, and Fernando's like, hey, I've got something big coming, yeah, and I would love for you to be part of it, because I guess he was impressed, you know, with what we did there. And I was like, dude, I got you. That was it. That's my one and only conversation about that project until I hear from you almost a year later, right? When you reached out to me, because I guess I was always part of the team, so I'm like, good. But you reach out to me and you're like, hey, bro, Fernando's project, you are we want you to be a gaffer, what's your rate? So I gave you my gaffer rate. End of story, done. And that too was already discounted because it's Fernando. I'm like, bruh, it's Fernando, I got you. Should have known it wasn't Fernando, but point is, and that was my entire conversation of the thing. You send me a contract, I signed it, it literally even says gaffer days, easiest transaction ever, which is how it should be with fan friends. So, point is I've signed it for six days to help a friend make a TV pilot. Next thing I know, uh, a day before I'm hearing from the DP that hey, what cameras are you bringing? What lenses are you bringing? What this and that? I'm like, hold on a minute. Uh lenses, camera? What? What are we talking about? Generators? You know what I mean? It's like it was just crazy. And then I'm like, nobody has literally ever talked to me other than Fernando saying, hey, you want to be part of it? Got it. Then you saying, Hey, you're gonna be the gaffer, me saying, good, I got it. That was it, nothing else.

Luis Pereira 1:33:09

So anyway, but somehow in all this was assumed that Bindra just comes, and I don't know where this comes from, but I I would say that is probably from uh the reputation of you having like a steady and strong production uh production company. And yeah, but that's a production company that wasn't hiring, you know. It was me.

Vipul Bindra 1:33:25

The contract didn't say Bindra Productions, it said Whipple Bindra, Gaffer. So, you know, long story short, yeah, that can happen. Again, it's rare, but I'm saying the way people hire, see what they don't get is like I am a crew, you can hire just like anyone else, you can hire me to be director, producer, DP, or gaffer, whatever. But then the equipment varies. I don't always show up with sound gear if I'm not doing sound, you know. And if you need sound, there's a sound kit fee or whatever. And we can include it. I don't always separate it. It can be like, hey, this rate, I come do sound for you. Point I'm trying to say is there's costs, right, to all of this. If I've spent a million dollars buying gear, it's coming from somewhere, it's not coming out of my pocket. At you know, let's whatever your day rate is. I'm saying, let's say a thousand bucks, two thousand bucks a day. You can't afford all this. And I that's not how I built it. Point is usually I don't have issues because people reach out, they're like, hey, I need a DP with gear, or I need gaffer with gear, but can you also supply a sound guy with sound? Or can you just supply cameras? Because we have DP, who's gonna operate it? Something like that. So it's like clear, like, hey, this is how much for this, this, this. Like I just took a call yesterday, very easy. And then I'm like, obviously, we can work with you because if you don't need four, six cameras, we could probably work where we only bring one or two cameras or something like that. You know, it's that is part is okay because it's production, every project is different. And the advantage I have is I don't think of one production, I can have multiple productions going on. For example, during that time, I had multiple productions happening where the gear is allocated because it's gonna make me money, but I can always pull it. If this project's paying me more, guess what? We can use my gear here, and then some other gear can go to that other production. As long as there's money, we're good. But now I'm like, bro, I've got so anyway. So I find out because the DP's, it's not even the DP's thing because he's just inquiring, because I guess he was told that I'm bringing stuff, which nobody told me. I'm like, uh I have all this gear allocated, but I'm fine because that's the advantage of having so much gear. I'm like, I can bring everything, but I need to know budget because then I need to secure gear for other productions. So, anyway, that miscommunication was the craziest thing to ever because what I was like going by is like if you have to think about uh that if somebody can bring a million dollars worth of gear for 1500 bucks a day is nuts to think. Even imagine that I'm saying even in the indie world that is not financially viable. So, why would somebody assume that that was the rate, right? You know, for with everything included when the contract didn't say it, the conversation didn't say it, or anything say it. Yeah, plus like uh lenses, for example. I charge that we don't even know the lenses we're using, but it's always an extra value add-on. I'm saying obviously, if I'm helping a friend out or somebody or it's a bulk thing, we can work on a discount. But that was the craziest thing to me, bro. Like that, uh, but anyway, uh talk about your perspective, yeah.

Luis Pereira 1:36:04

I I would say that um again, it it was a great project. I love working in it. And as we were saying, like uh I would say like 40-50 minutes ago, uh, about you like every call sheet then how I nailed it and everyone's happy. There was uh a hundred uh like a hundred and twenty ones that I I actually like uh I messed up and I I had us uh rapping later and people on empty stomachs. Like uh No, you did great on that one. No, no, no. I mean I'm I'm talking about like planning wise, yeah. And now that I had to like I I I was put in a position where I uh again, the the this production company from Brazil, uh they did a a plethora of different projects there and they and and they're great. Like I went to their offices when I went back to uh in December, and uh it this was a new venture for them. So they they were trying to see and testing the grounds of how it worked in a way or another. I was sort of like their liaison, you know, or their liaison, I don't know how to say it, but uh liaison. And I and I mean and it was also a new experience for me because I was not only back and forth communicating what were because sometimes I I was trying to secure for instance we shot at the skate park, but then I was the then they they told me that I I wasn't required, uh like I wasn't allowed to to secure it for us as of right now. And I I it was always like um I would say that's probably my problem because I didn't communicate properly them and we hadn't aligned things sternly because we did a lot of back and forth on things that I wanted to get done, but then I had to wait on them and you know and again it it was it it was their first project in it. They're now trying to see uh how they're gonna sell it. And then and I I'm definitely like I'm 100% sure they're gonna sell it.

Vipul Bindra 1:37:49

But I don't know if it's their fault. That's my whole thing. I don't even want to blame them because I don't know if they're it's a miscommunication. If they don't even know that, because you know, like uh like what's included and what's not included, then how did they know? And that's what I'm saying. That conversation never happened, it was just assumed, and I'm like, that's crazy that that would be assumed. Because even in Brazil, I doubt that the rate would fly. But that was crazy to me. But I'm glad at least I asked. Because do you realize if that DP had not asked me that? You know, like uh, like, hey, what are you bringing? And I would have showed up on certain like just gaffing gear, and and I wouldn't have been wrong. Yeah, uh, but at that point, and that's why what I was gonna come down to because look, at the end of the day, was I happy in that moment? No, but I'm just scrambling at the point to get it done because I'm like, all my friends are on that shoe, you know, you're there, Bruno's there, uh, you know, my manuals, the the DP or whatever. I'm like, and Fernando's director, I'm like, all these people are our friends, and I don't want to screw over anyone. That's my at that point, that's what I'm thinking. Two things I'm like, hey, why is this being assumed? Because I literally wouldn't have shown up with any of that. But two, I don't not want to let anyone down. Yeah, which can, like I said, be a bad business decision. Because at that point, I'm like, this is gonna cost me thousands and thousands of dollars. And what do I do in that situation? So I'm like, well, let's resolve it, like you said, and just getting it done. And um, like I said, was I happy about it? No, because it but at the end of the day, I'm not gonna let, you know, and you have to be flexible. What I'm saying is let any of my friends down or whatever and get it done. Plus, now that I've booked the six days, it's not like in reality, you know, at that point also you want to back out. You're like, I just don't want to go. But now I'm like, six days calendar, that's I booked and I'm gonna lose that money, right? Yeah, because your your calendar, I can't go rebook the people we said no to absolutely now on that calendar. So it's one of those things where you just have to kind of pivot and do your best. Uh, but also I know it's like very important to be like communicative about things like that.

Luis Pereira 1:39:36

And that was one of my my biggest uh takeaways from this um from this project, because um I I saw myself as a producer in in some way, because I I got the the skills on working on uh well my bachelor's degree and helping different students with their films, videos, you know. And now that I worked as an AD and having to step up as a producer for for this project, it it was a it was like a uh a new world for me. And with that, it comes with a little like um it it was like a flawed experience, but what experience was overall the great experience? It was positive, yeah.

Vipul Bindra 1:40:14

I think the like sometimes the only one who lost was me. Yeah, because I was like literally showing but I was like, there is literally nothing here on set that's not provided by me. That is crazy, and I didn't even charge a dollar for any of my because even gaffing, I was like providing that for free because you know there's a van rate and my rate, I just gave my rate. Um so it was it was crazy. Uh, like I said, it felt good that I can supply enough gear to run a whole huge production. So, but um, like I said, financially speaking, it wasn't the best thing. But what but what I'm saying, which is why I come to, I think I'd recommend people don't buy gear because guess what? Every single person there was hired to not bring gear, and they gave a rate and they were given the rate. I gave the rate and it was assumed the million dollars gear come with it. I'm like, and it wasn't even like my rate was any crazy or anything, right? So what I'm saying is, had I not owned the gear, let's assume I was hired to be a gaffer, I would have just been given a rate, and then the equipment would have still been factored extra on top of that. So by owning gear, I lost money, if that makes sense. So I'm saying a lot of times not having gear is actually better. Plus, you have zero investment. You show up, you do, everything's your profit. Versus with me, once I paid for the gear cost, I actually was in negative on that project. So, anyway, my advice usually is just that, because you're better off telling the production, hey, I'm a gaffer, go rent a truck, or I'm the DP, go rent the camera package. Yeah. Because then I'm saying you make so much more profit, actually. And you can stay busy more because now your business is scalable. Because let's say on the next level, they they get higher budget, they get picked up, they want a five-ton truck or whatever, right? I'm out of business because I only have a two-ton truck, if that makes sense. Versus somebody who get gaffer can come like call a rental company and get a five-ton truck, then they can have a five-truck truck, they can have a three-ton truck. Whatever that I mean, I'm saying the business is then more scalable than owning the gear. So that's why I give advice to anyone, like, because people get in the habit of like, let me buy the gear. You're better off not owning the gear because you make more money and you're scalable your business, you know.

Luis Pereira 1:42:08

But in a way, uh, like in some way, I can see why people would see as a benefit having their own gear. Because again, we're uh working on independent films or projects, especially in Orlando, which is even though an area where you have a lot of like cultural projects going on every time, um you you don't have like, for instance, Bindra productions there available for everyone to to get like a quote and get it. So I I see what why would they think that it's good for them to be profitable?

Vipul Bindra 1:42:41

Because the whole thing is by owning more gear doesn't mean your rate goes up. And uh the rates I've heard indie people get paid in locally is crazy. You know, usually it's like what 200 bucks for 12 hour, 14 hour days, and you provide all the lighting gear. That's unsustainable in a city like Orlando. So I'm just saying, how do you sustain that? You're right about the that you need to have some gear, obviously, if you can't have rental budget, because renting a 1200x is like a 200, 250 thing by itself, I'm saying. So yeah, you can't afford that on everything.

Luis Pereira 1:43:11

I'll say that you you either come into this industry as uh also a supplier uh of equipment like you do, or you can own a c uh some different set uh sets of gear, but you keep it minimal and just overexpended, or have it rented for uh from somewhere else, like yours, for instance. Yeah, but I don't think you you you'd you rent, right?

Vipul Bindra 1:43:31

You actually to friends, so if I know someone like you came, I can I am happy to rent. So I do I have some stuff on share grid, so it's either to share grid, right? But or like I said, ideally to friends is I don't mind renting, but I don't like renting to just random strangers. But I don't like I said, but sometimes I I don't mind helping because I find that to be a networking tool. Financially, I don't recommend renting. Now markets could be different, yeah. You know, maybe better.

Luis Pereira 1:43:55

If we're talking about renting gear, let's go into a little rent of yours on how uh like uh prob like problems as you being like a video production company who which supplies gear to different productions. I think it's Mar for you, and you told me uh ever since like our our first job back in Miami, uh, when we were talking inside uh the Airbnb about your production company, is that you didn't rely on uh rent like renting out stuff that you own for other people, and instead you you created packages of like you have the sound kit, you have the camera kit, and then uh you go into productions with your rate and your gears rate.

Vipul Bindra 1:44:36

So uh you know what you're saying? I can't believe nobody's asked me this before, but this is actually a very good business question. I'll tell you, I I'll I'll I'll explain my entire business. I I kind of know it, but I want to hear more. No, this is amazing. So this is what happens because I'm uh

How Bindra Productions Scales Shoots

Vipul Bindra 1:44:49

two things, right? I'm Vipal Bendra, the director, DP grapher, whatever you can hire me, or the production company. Yeah, so usually this is what happens. Somebody calls me and they're like, hey, we're shooting a conference in Orlando, you know, convention center. We need a videographer to come film this, or we need two people to film this four days, right? Easy. So here's what I do. I am, you know, if I'm free, whatever I'm doing nothing, I'll go film it. But usually I don't want to do that because you know, I want to do something nicer or fancier. Not that those people don't need filming. So I have a huge network of people. I'll call a friend and I'll be like, hey, you want to go film this? They're like, Great, everyone wants work. And usually I like to tap into people who have no gear because they would have otherwise have no access to that. Because usually it's agency or company they need, usually, again, this is I'm saying 90% of the time they want some kind of Sony, right? And most I'm saying, people I know like in that role that are gonna go do this are very talented, but they don't have a Sony. So this is where I come in, right? I'm just like, here you go, here's your gimbal, here's your FX3, FX2, whatever camera I'm giving them, go do this convention shoot. Easy for them. They take it, like that talk about renting gear, right? In that point, Bindro Production is taking the rental money, it's taking the production company money, and it's also supporting a filmmaker. Now, the budgets may not be the highest, but all I did was give the reputation. Now, there is an advantage. Somebody would be like going through that person, no, because we supply the gear. And when I'm sending somebody, I make sure they are gonna show up on time, they're gonna do a great job, and they're gonna leave on time. And if they're not available, somebody else is gonna get there on time. Then it's my reputation that makes sense. But that's one part of the business why owning gear helps. Because otherwise, I don't I have to go rent gear from another friend or something like that, and then guess what? I am barely making any money, right? Because I'm you see what I'm saying. When it's like paying a shooter and a camera package, I there's nothing left on a conference shoot. There's not that much budget, especially if you're not editing or something.

Luis Pereira 1:46:36

You go like a sandwich and a Coke Zero, right?

Vipul Bindra 1:46:38

Exactly. So, so what I'm saying is this is what I do a lot. Like where somebody just comes in, they just need something shot. I send a crew out, either one, two, three people, one, two, three cameras with gimbals. Yeah, because that's generally short, you know, cheap stuff. You've helped me, like events, so it's easy. We supply crear crew, and then the other element of that could be which is where the profitability now starts. These are not as profitable, but they're good for networking, helping my friends out. And then uh now it could be like, hey, we also need these sessions edited. We also need we need a final video from it. Now I can start edit editing, right? So it's like, hey, it'll be this 5k package, 10k package. You get three days of coverage from multiple shooters, and you get all this stuff edited. Now we can make better profit than you know, pennies that we're just shooting. But I'm happy to do that because it costs me nothing. Being real with you, that's what the business model is. Because yes, I have huge investment costs, but if I do enough of these projects, the rental costs pay for them. I'm helping support my filmmaker friends, and I'm building a relationship with that client. I hope that makes sense. That's the business model. It's very easy, but that's not my business model. I'm saying that's part of the company's the Brindle Productions business model. So we can help basically with the stuff that they're local. They need convention shoots, they need event shoots, anything business and brand they need, where I can just send shooters out. We can also do editing, they need photography, event photography, drone photography, you know, stuff like that. What I'm saying is, which is generally just that I'm hiring a photographer friend, go do it. If that's why I own photography gear. What flashes do you need? Just take the gear, you go shoot. Yeah. Or you see how sometimes photographers they have a couple of flashes, so they don't need it. Point is we have everything available, so they could don't have to bring anything. Or if they have their stuff, like uh recently I hired uh Logan to go do a drone photo shoot for me. He already I was like, hey, I have a Mavic 4 Pro. He's like, I already have a Mavic 4 Pro. I'm like, great, just use yours. You know what I mean? Like it doesn't matter unless you know it changes the cost, but he wasn't gonna charge me any more, you know, and that was just convenience, see, so he doesn't have to come grab the thing. Funny enough, I ended up going and giving him some batteries anyway, just so he has extra batteries. Nice. But point I'm trying to make is that makes it what what makes me be able to do me versus other people because you unless you have access to this much gear and these much this big network, you can't do that because I can tomorrow do 10 convention shoots, right? But I'm willing to also make pennies on the dollar. I find a lot of my friends, they want 90% profit. They'll charge, let's say, $1,000, $2,000 a day to shoot this. They want to keep $2,000. And they don't understand that I'm looking from a business perspective, building these relationships. Because sure, you know what I'm saying is if you say yes to this $1,000 shoot, five other thousand dollar shoots may be happening that now you're losing out on. I don't want to do that. And and and that works though. I have a great friend, David Morfield, you know, I'm sure people have seen his podcast, but he's like Shout out, David. Yeah, David's amazing. But but what I'm saying is he's like, he he, if he's not available, he's gonna pass it to a friend. He doesn't want to be the the the company or whatever, right? I want to be the company, I want to control the experience from how they get the invoice to how they get the project, how they get the files. Everything is SOP, so it looks it's easy for the client. It's not difficult because you know, if you're I'm saying a shooter, you're going, how do you want files? Do you want Dropbox? Do you want you know what I mean? How do you want invoice? How do you pay? We have everything standardized, so it makes easy for companies to work. Anyway, coming back to our and said, but that's what I do. But then also then bigger stuff comes. That's where I Come in like your vology. They're like, hey, we want to do a whole series of videos. Now I'm excited. I want to be part of that myself. Could I send a crew again and make less money? Absolutely. But now I'm available. I'm like, yeah, absolutely. I'm committed. If that makes sense. Or they're like, oh, or a friend, like Adam is like, hey, let's go film on a farm. I'm like, dude, yeah, let's go on a flight, go film a farm. Not that it was financially the most lucrative, but I can then choose which projects I want to go to.

Luis Pereira 1:50:23

And then thirdly, which because you blend out your whole year in the whole business model, right?

Vipul Bindra 1:50:28

I never sell me unless now that's what's going to be the third model is where they hire me. Like Fernando shooted. They hired me, right? You wanted me, not the company. I couldn't have sent a separate gaffer from me if that makes sense, right? So that's the third model. A lot of these other clients that I talked about before, they're not expecting me to show up. I can if I'm free, I'll I'll go shoot a convention. I don't care what I'm saying. But typically, I don't have to show up and I don't want to show up. If I get, I'm always hoping for something nicer, better, bigger, right? Like any other filmmaker. Yeah. But there's some shoots, like I said, when they hire me as a crew, like they're like, hey, we want you to be our DP. Then obviously I have to show up. But I'm saying that doesn't mean I can't take five other projects. And that's where helps I'm saying owning gear. I could send five, like I was gonna hire our friend Guga for a project that kind of fell through, but I'm saying it came, somebody was like, Hey, I need a gaffer. I was like, Great, I'm available. I've got this van. And they're like, we don't need that, we need just a couple of lights. And I was like, Well, you know, I'm gonna go do something else. But I've got a friend who's available, and he can I can give him the lights because he's not typically a gaffer, but he's a great DP. And guess what? If you're a DP, you know how to light. Yeah. And they were happy with that. Obviously, the something changed on their uh dates or whatever, so it fell through. But I'm saying that's the ability to, you know, and if Google is a great DP, but if he's available, he was like, dude, yeah, I'll go light the set and have fun. You know what I mean? And it costs him nothing because he doesn't have to bring any of the gear. I'm gonna hand him the gear. So I hope that makes sense the business model there. It does and it makes it scalable because now I don't have to have 20 people sitting on staff ready to go shoot. These are people with their own production companies doing great work. What they get with Bindra is the standardized process, the whole ecosystem, and the scalability. So today it may just be a convention shoot, tomorrow it could be a big commercial, and you can stay with the same company instead of changing 20 people. Does that make sense what I'm trying to say? It does, it does.

Luis Pereira 1:52:15

And it sort of in in in in some way also answers uh my question that why wouldn't you just rent out your your gear like on ShareGrid, for instance.

Vipul Bindra 1:52:26

Yeah, and I do, and like I said, but I don't want to rent out like some gear. To be real, ShareGrid's horrible for me. Uh half the time the gear comes broken. I I don't have good experience with that, and I don't try to even rent cameras on there. I'm just giving like lights, which are hard to break. To break an aperture light, you have to do a lot. I'm saying I've seen some I've seen some people who were able to do it. Exactly. They show up. I literally gave somebody a light and they came pieces, a metal light, and they were like, Yeah, we were doing a basketball shoot and the basketball hit it. But what did it hit like that to break a metal light, you know? So that happens a lot. I had somebody rent a drone once and they came back in literally pieces. And and what's crazy is I'm looking at the drone, they're looking at the drone, and they go, There's nothing wrong with it, and it's in pieces. And I'm like, Are you not looking at what I'm looking at? Like, bro, the arms off, the the things off. And I always take and this is why like everywhere there's camera. That's the point about being a legit business.

Luis Pereira 1:53:25

You're like, Yeah, what up? This is the drone you can do.

Vipul Bindra 1:53:27

And it's all in camera. There's no hiding anything, as you see. There's this is legit business space. I'm saying, point is people do that stuff. So my experience with uh the uh renting is horrible, but I'll tell you the good part why I continue to still do it. A I do it, that's why it's a share good, so at least I get my money back. It's a hassle. I lose the gear for a while because you know they take forever to give you money back, but you do get your money back, so it's fine. The issue is or sorry, the positive is like I've told this story before, and I've even had my friend Xavier on here. He's like a prime example, it's just one of them. Uh, where I met him because he just wanted to rent a piece of gear, and we started talking, and then you realize, oh, this person's amazing. And then you end up collaborating and you just end up doing projects together. Same thing with like Christopher. I've had him on podcast too. I met him through renting gear. And at first I was nervous because he wanted to rent two aperture lights. I'm like, who's this guy? But then you know, I was like, whatever. It's hard to break again aperture lights. So I was like, sure, yes. Um and like I said, he rented the guy, and the same thing, we started talking, and it didn't happen immediately. And I'm not saying you go in with that intention, but year later, then he hired me. I'm gonna make a you know video on that if I it's already not posted by the time this comes out. But point is you know, it turned into him hiring me, exactly. And building that relationship, and I've hired him. That's already the videos up. Point is that's what I was talking about. It's just the incredible relationships that I can build and meet other filmmakers that I wouldn't have met otherwise. And I'm sure there's other markets where there's more professionals, things don't break. But in Orlando, at least in my experience, uh, financially speaking, it's a horrible experience, but it is very financially lucrative on the other side. I meet a lot of people that eventually become clients, or yeah, you know, whether they hire me or hire them, so it's worth it because of that. Does that make sense? It does. So that's why I tell people, that's why I keep telling me so smart, so smart. Yes, you can copy my business model and it will work if you have a place, and it also works because we're a Lando. We have a lot of these small shoots happening. I don't know if this would work in a small town where you don't you don't have 10 shoots happening every day. So that my business wouldn't stop that every day.

Luis Pereira 1:55:25

If you had your infrastructure in the small town, you'll be mayor, probably. Yeah, exactly.

Vipul Bindra 1:55:30

No, not king either. I think it would fail because if this work equipment's not working, it's actually a waste of capital. You see what I'm saying? The only reason it's worth it is because it's working all the time. And I'm willing to take little money because I'm working on a volume basis, where I do low volume, high-quality stuff that I do, I don't have to be on a shoot at all. I'm like, if I like a shoot, I go on that shoot, you know? Yeah, versus Bindra has to keep working, if that makes sense. So I'm going on a two different models, right? Where Bindra, me, I work Whipple Bindra on cool, nice, fun sets. It doesn't have to be big as long as I'm having fun. Like I did shoot with Ryan recently, it was so fun because you know it was a small set, but it was like high-quality interviews, but it was because we have fun, we had to go to Tampa. I got to bring Mario with me. That's great. Got to meet another cool filmmaker there again, relationship. But point is that I it doesn't always have to be big, but I enjoyed it. But on the other side, like I said, if I don't have to be there, Binder can do five projects a day. And we can support, we have enough gear here to do that. And if not, I that's not even me tapping into other friends because I have so many friends with gear I could hire too. But usually I have enough that I can take on three to five projects a day. That's awesome. Like I said, it's a unique business model, but it's nothing unique, like as in not copyable. The thing is it would only work in a market like Vegas or here, where there's so many small shoots happening where you can sustain having a lot of gear. Usually I'm saying you're better off like what a lot of people are doing, which which you know, you like Vibrant is such a great company locally, man. They have a great set of crew members that they hire, uh, they get big projects, they have budgets, they don't need to shoot volume, they just do cool stuff and then they get done with it, if that makes sense, right? And and I think that's another business model where they don't have to own a lot of gear. I know they do, but they have enough reference like mine, people like me, that they can bring in or other people and have resources and then they can scale up and do nicer productions, and they don't have to do volume because they're not in investing million dollars in gear that they don't need to, you know.

Luis Pereira 1:57:26

And on the long term, you still think that Orlando will remain a small ismore product, uh like sorry, uh small productions place, you know?

Incentives Atlanta Move Student Advice

Vipul Bindra 1:57:38

Yes, because I mean we did introduce incentives in Florida introduced broad incentives. So, yeah, like like I said, we are trying to bring it, but the thing is look, here's the truth about film industry. I've said this before. We go, like there's a joke now, Lollywood, right? London is it's huge right now because they have so much incentives. Incentives, yeah. Film industry will go wherever there's incentives. So I I would I just don't chase that. That's what I'm saying. Yes, I love making movies, I love making short films. That's why I've stuck to commercials and docs and corporate, because that's sustainable business. I can provide that throughout the United States, and it's short-time commitment, and incentives can't take my work away, if that makes sense. A brand uh wouldn't take, like Rivology, for example, wouldn't take their commercial to Europe just because they're getting some incentives. Does that make sense, right? Yeah. Versus a movie will. And so if you're in the and not saying that don't get in the movie industry, but I'm saying you have to then chase incentives. Like right now London, and and you could commit and move to London, but guess what happens? A year, two years later, it goes back to here or to Europe or Vancouver, whoever now is like, oh, we that government goes we can invest. So it's like a it's like a different market again. And if you're passionate, do it. That's what I'm yeah.

Luis Pereira 1:58:44

In reality, yeah, you just gotta follow the monopolies because basically they uh now London is uh is always trending because Disney because of incentives. Marvel's all over there, exactly. Yeah, not only Marvel, but also the uh Walt Disney Studios are there, and now they have a couple of offices from Pixar. And and when a huge monopoly does a company move like that, of course you're gonna attract capital and uh preparation. Yeah, that's good.

Vipul Bindra 1:59:06

Nothing stops that from happening in Florida. Tomorrow, Florida goes, hey, where here's a billion dollars, you know, like come bring more. Can you imagine that? Yeah, bro.

Luis Pereira 1:59:13

Which is one thing that uh it always bothered me because I like when I got here, I knew that Universal and Disney, they were huge theme parks. And uh uh I I visited once the Universal like backlot, and I knew they did that. I they did um some projects there. Uh I had instructors from full sale who worked there, and they had like the the production team there. And knowing that they do like two or three every once in a while, I don't know, it's a lot of people.

Vipul Bindra 1:59:39

Yeah, I mean it's a decent market. I don't want to say nothing happens in Florida, but it's less obviously, it's not a huge market, but it is a decent sized market. And the advantage for us is which is like I said, it maybe helps what I'm trying to do. Because there's indeed things seen that I've seen, but I'm not happy with the rates and stuff. But what I do, there's so much work, like I said, because there's always theme parks here, there's always conventions happening here, there's always work, and there's enough then bigger commercials that come in and go that there's enough work, I'm saying, to sustain a decent size of working professionals. Plus, I'm saying uh your market opens up if you're like flexible like I am. Tomorrow I can get on a plane and be anywhere and get it done, right? Whether you need equipment or not. I'm saying equipment's not that big of a factor that people make it because I say I can just send a van or I can fly with fly packs as you see, cases are ready to go, right? With gear. So it I'm saying nowadays flights are so cheap that it's worth it to hire somebody reliable that you know what I'm saying, and pay a couple hundred dollars in flight, then hire someone locally that you don't trust. And especially if you're a big company, you're going, you know, every state I'm saying, your project, like a lot of medical people that I work with, uh they want consistency. They don't care about a few hundred dollars here and there. Let's like nothing matter. Nothing for them, yeah. Yeah, and and they'd rather not risk it. It's not like, and that's why I'm saying a lot of filmmakers approach this I can be cheaper. I'm saying stop trying to be cheaper, start trying to be good and consistent and easy to work with. Work will come, you know, because like I said, brands think differently. If you're a movie, like you're trying to make your indie production, you're gonna go the cheapest route, right? Because you are limited on funds, and that's fine. But when you're a brand, a lot of times consistency and right people is so much more important than the trust. You know, they're gonna work with the same people because they cannot risk trying to save $200 here, $300 there. Yeah, because what if they don't show up? Because that happens, that happens a lot. That happens a lot, especially on lower rates because they have less commitment to show up, right? Or or some type of gear breaks. I have a backup camera ready to go, backup lens ready to go, backup standard, right, backup accessory. You know what the same thing? That's what you're paying for is insurance. Because I've had sometimes, because I'm happy to do it. Like I was telling you, like where the whole Googa story, I can happily offer people a small package, a truck package, they can do get it done. Sometimes they just want an interview. People will, just so you know, the financials of this, maybe other people want people will gladly hire my full package a lot of times for interviews, even though they only plan on using two to three lights, a couple of frames, because they want that safety net on set. Because what if we show up and we need a 1200x? Or what if now we need a panel, we don't have enough room to put a dome? We want to put a panel so we can shoot from the bottom and only take two feet of space, still be big source light. You cannot decide a lot of time on corporate sets because you don't have time or energy to pick, right? And so I've had that where I've offered them like, hey, I can send a gaffer with a smaller package because they have a less budget. Like, can we bring it down? And then they come back and they say, No, we want you and the van because we don't know what we're walking into. So they're paying for the safety net, if that makes sense. Because as a brand, they cannot risk showing up and needing something and then not having it. I hope that makes sense. So it's like it's like a different mindset, and you have to just decide, like you said, you want to be a first AD. So you have to look from the lens of where are the movies, where's the shows happening or commercials happening, or you can be first AD. Versus if you're like a corporate shooter, you have to think from a different lens of yeah, where's the brand? And that's where work happening, you know, where's the conventions happening? Where can I go do more events? And so you may have to move from a market that you're in or tap into. I love uh shout out to by the way, Storyking Studios. I met them in uh, you know, um at NAB. They're such incredible guys, but they're in a smaller California market, but they're killing it over there because they've set themselves as the top dog in the market. People want to work with them, right? And they're finding opportunities in their small market, and then they can expand. They can go to LA, they can go to Bay Area, whatever they need if a big project comes. But I'm saying in their small little market, they're they're they're doing incredible work and they do have a YouTube channel people should follow. But what I'm saying is you can do be in small market and do good work too. You don't have to be in an Orlando or in LA or in Atlanta. Yeah, you know, that's again, like you said, a lot of people just don't want to explore what they have. You should go out there, like you, you went out to full sale and you explored your opportunities, and there was 80% students, like you said, who are not renting that gear out, who are not taking that gear and using it. It it just comes down to uh filmmaking is very, I think, self um you have to be self-motivated. Yeah, and not everyone is, and that's okay. There are a lot of jobs at agencies that you can do, but if you want to be a freelancer or successful in the film industry, especially as an independent, I think you have to be self-motivated, right? What do you think?

Luis Pereira 2:04:19

Uh I mean, wow, you uh can can I drop this? Like because that was amazing. I I agree in everything you said, and um again, it's such an honor to be part of uh not only this podcast, but uh an honor to admit uh met you before and being part of different productions with you and learning your workflow, learning uh your business model. And yes, I I totally agree with you. I I would say that um maybe that I I don't know if we talked about this when we were in the premiere uh of the pilot a couple weeks ago, but uh I'll be moving to Atlanta uh this January. So as soon as uh Why Atlanta? So the main reason why is because I I have a lot of connections there. So uh that that will help me in uh in the short term and long term, but also because of my fiance. So she she's gonna be applying for uh MBA there. Uh she has a couple of universities in in her mind, uh, she has relatives there, and because we're trying to to to get into the American market and she works in finance, she has a couple of connections there too. So uh that that that seems to be the place. And uh again, I I I sort of I try to create like a uh a logical uh I always try to approach problems, uh problem solving with logic, of course. So uh I try to make create like a table and saying like, okay, so the here's LA, uh here's New York, here's Chicago, here's Austin, here's Atlanta, Orlando, and going over like um I would say uh the indexes of uh poverty, indexes of uh of the entertainment industry there, how much uh how much insurance, uh car insurance is there, uh renters insurance. Wow, you went deep. I did, yeah, yeah. And I mean and AI helped. This is why the you're the right guy for A for AD. I'm just saying, you know, it's a you have to go deep, yeah. No. So that that was one of the main reasons why I chose Atlanta. But I mean, I I don't know what the future holds, but for the moment, and considering both of our efforts of uh like my fiance and I, we uh she's in Brazil now, she's gonna be coming here. Um, it is the the safest place for us to start. And then you're the only guys calling Atlanta safe, but sure. Yeah, I we're the only guys calling Atlanta safe.

Vipul Bindra 2:06:34

No, no, Atlanta is great, man. Except for the traffic.

Luis Pereira 2:06:37

Yeah, uh yeah, the traffic is awful. I've been there a couple of times already. Uh I worked in a production there once, but uh yes, I would say it it's similar to where you're talking about Lollywood, you know. So as of right now, I would say they're gonna be able to do that. Atlanta Wood? No, no, but now it's basically now it's basically Warnerland there. Yeah, so Warner Warner brothers still have a couple of things. Yeah, but how long are they gonna stay?

Vipul Bindra 2:07:03

I don't I know the incentives have kind of gone.

Luis Pereira 2:07:06

It depends on the how the Paramount merger um and ends too. I don't know. Oh my goodness, so many unknowns. But but independent-wise, uh at least from what I've studied, and um because I want to focus on uh creative works instead of uh going sort of like the route of corporate, um, at least for the for the moment, um Atlanta still is the the fourth or third biggest uh market in the United States, and it's projected to remain until like 2028, which is when like my my new visa after graduating will expire. So I that's a problem to worry like in the future. But yeah, it's uh only behind uh New York, New York, LA, California, and Chicago, Illinois. So that makes sense. That was one of the reasons why. And and like compared to Orlando, it is the it is the I would say the lowest change of of price that I would have compared to if I if I were to live in New York, I know I'm gonna I was gonna be paying like 2.6 times more. And in LA I was gonna be paying 2.8, 2.9, depending on if I were to be uh where productions are shooting, you know. No, that totally makes sense.

Vipul Bindra 2:08:16

But look, that the the thing is, which is not to repeat myself, uh I think Atlanta's a good market. And also remember, you're not limited, Atlanta. You'll be there doesn't mean you can't come here, it's just a freaking four or five hour drive. You can be in, you know, wherever you want it to be. I'm saying you can fly. So, you know, you you'll have still access to the entire market. You can be anywhere you want it to be as long as there's budget to fly you in. Uh, and and as long as you're good, people will want to fly you in. So I that's incredible, man. This has been uh such a great conversation. Uh, before we wrap this up, I do want you to talk to if there's any students listening, what advice would you give them to get the most out of their degrees or or even if they're starting out, what should they do to, you know, get out of there and get it done, you know, and and get the experience.

Luis Pereira 2:09:00

I would say that, at least from my experience as a student, is if you are only going to class and uh doing your assignments that the professor requires, and then you graduate, I would say that you had wasted your degree. I would say that uh usually, especially in film schools, and that's uh probably a uh opinion that I have formed in film schools here in Florida. So you have Valencia, you have UCF, you have uh Folcale. Um usually they don't require you the uh that much. They if they usually ask you for the the basics of everything from composition to assembling uh sound, uh shot list, you know. Every single minimum basically it is it is literally the the bare minimum. So if you are only doing the the minimum, therefore you're not gonna be able to stand out. So I would say that if I hadn't uh be taken out of my comfort zone and messaging Guga and then networking with Fernando and Bruno, and I mean Fernando, Bruno, Guga, they are experienced professionals, and I I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything. So uh having the eagerness to learn and and like embrace yourselves, people are gonna yell at you saying like you don't know, you're stupid, you know. And you just gotta like chin up and be like, okay, I've learned my mistakes. I'm my bad.

Vipul Bindra 2:10:19

You know what's crazy?

Luis Pereira 2:10:20

We've been talking about Guga this whole time.

Vipul Bindra 2:10:21

It's just sitting there, and is that like uh maddened as in third person, right? That's crazy. Yeah, okay, good but uh yeah, people don't see that, yeah.

Luis Pereira 2:10:29

Yeah, but I would say that uh this this is probably my my biggest advice. Out of full sale, so I I know the UCF for each master's student, they got they they create a feature film, and I think for the bachelor's they do a short film. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but uh from my experience in full sale, we have around four classes out of our 12-month degree where you're obligated to check out gear in order to you to deliver, and it's usually like a two-minute short, uh, a six to fourteen when you're doing your thesis. So uh this one you're gonna get like the the big uh the big um gears that they have available for students. But I would say that we have around like seven, eight people per cluster. So the it's seven people shooting their own projects, uh checking out uh full sale gear, and they they're they're they're pretty decent for uh for what students because students won't be able to be uh they won't be able to manage like a an LF, you know?

Vipul Bindra 2:11:27

Yeah, so I mean you never know if you put in effort like you say, like I said, to me, it doesn't matter. You're a student, I would say you're a first AD. It doesn't so what I'm saying is you can be a student but still be a professional as long as you put in your time and effort be on enough sets and just get the experience, right? That's all that mattered.

Luis Pereira 2:11:42

Yeah, because I mean I could have checked out my own gear and then I shot my thesis, and then that's okay, let's go to post, let's go to film assembly. But I I took time to go to other sets, and this is the only way you're gonna learn what is a good set, what's a bad set, you know, especially like doing corporate in Orlando, and in I would say one of Perks of independent film is that they're gonna show you like the shitty side of stuff, you know. So I I I lost count of how many projects I've been part of where I didn't get paid, like I was promised to get paid and I wasn't uh reimbursed, at least for mileage. Dude, I'm still waiting for that FX3 to be FX3.

Vipul Bindra 2:12:18

Yeah, you know, you're responsible. You're my point of contact.

Luis Pereira 2:12:21

Yeah, your point of contact. And no answer, dude. No answer.

Vipul Bindra 2:12:24

I'm sure people have watched that video. You know, that video got a decent amount of views, so that everyone wants to know how is my FX6? It's not fixed. I am trying, guys.

Luis Pereira 2:12:32

Yeah, let's I'm gonna do like then a shout out so I can like uh cut it and send it to them.

Vipul Bindra 2:12:36

Yeah, be like fixed the FX3. It's not even my fault. Like, I had nothing to do with it. This is what I'm saying, why you don't bring gear because I was like gaffer, I'm not touching the camera and somebody broke it. Uh, which before we go, Google, can you hand me the box? We're gonna do a live unboxing. So while we were talking, guess what finally showed up? Oh my goodness. So I ordered these like five, six months ago. I can't believe it took this long. So I have one that came in. So I ordered three of these, so I've been using one. Um, but uh I can't believe I've been really excited for this. So before we go, look direct from yeah, BH. Oh my god, this audio is gonna be carbon people. That's gonna this is this is the ASMR ASMR full nucleus autofocus adapter kids. So these this is the one with dual motors. So I've been waiting for these. I pre-ordered these, and I can't believe it took this long for them to come in. So I'm excited to start putting them in test. They already work great. I already, like I said, the third one already came in. I've been testing that and it's been working great. So can't wait to have three cameras with auto focus. Yeah, guys, subscribe to Bean in Productions. Oh my goodness.

Luis Pereira 2:13:40

Best YouTube channel ever.

Vipul Bindra 2:13:41

But people think I paid you to say all this.

Luis Pereira 2:13:43

No, no, I I just love him. He's he's amazing. He puts me so many geeks. I mean, you kind of pay me. Yeah, we're not right. Okay, oh my goodness.

Vipul Bindra 2:13:51

All right, well, no, this was an incredible conversation, bro. You're incredible. Thank you for coming. I had a great time. I appreciate it, man. And hopefully we continue to work and collaborate, but otherwise uh and people get some good takeaways from absolutely yeah.

Luis Pereira 2:14:03

But uh, I don't remember if you put like uh sort of like the lower third so they can. I don't just shout them out, yes. Okay, yeah, so you

Finding Gigs And Closing Thoughts

Luis Pereira 2:14:10

you can follow me at uh luispereda.eent as in like entertainment. Uh I'll I'll be still be moving around. Yeah, I know, right? Super crazy.

Vipul Bindra 2:14:18

Can you spell that for them?

Luis Pereira 2:14:19

L-U-I-S dot yeah L-U-I-S-P-E-R-E I-R A and then point E-N-T. Okay. Uh I I've been doing a bunch of different uh projects here, especially like uh school related. Uh uh, even though I'll be graduating soon, I still have lots lots of friends that are still uh going there, like shooting their stuff. And I was just gonna say that full sale, it doesn't gatekeep uh projects as in students, only full sale students must be in the productions. So usually like maybe we're shooting uh sips uh bloom here. Uh I think that two or three crew members he reached out on uh Facebook or something, he he listed. And I I was just gonna say that even though I know that Facebook is like a millennial thing, like for old guys, you know. I I didn't point it out. I didn't find I didn't find I I I just did this. That's all I did. But uh I don't do Facebook, but yes. You you're if you if you if you're like in Orlando, there are so many different Facebook groups that you can go to, and they're always like, hey, we need help wanted. And again, I said you're not gonna be earning a thousand dollars on five five-hour shoot when you're being like a PA. That that doesn't work. But you can fly, makes sense.

Vipul Bindra 2:15:29

Remember, if you need experience, don't look at it from money. Yes, don't get taken advantage of, but that's when you're experienced professional. If you don't feel like you're an experienced professional, then go get the experience first. Because making money is easy for an experienced professional. That's what I was like saying. You bring value to set, you automatically get hired. Because so many volunteer jobs you did for me, and now I'm like, if anyone ever asks for a first city, who am I sending like them to you, right? And that's what what I'm saying is showing your skills comes into play and money will come, money will follow skills and a good personality.

Luis Pereira 2:16:00

And then people like to say that oh, Orlando doesn't have a strong uh film production, it doesn't have a strong film industry, a video industry. But that that's a straight out lie, because even though you're not planning to stay here, again, full sale, we they require at least four classes to to shoot a film. Uh and they usually have like I'll I'll I'm gonna go even shorter, like five people per class. That means that every month in full sale, you're gonna have to at least 20 different projects being shot either on their sound stage now that it got back or uh outside. So and and they are using Instagram, they're using Facebook, they're trying to get crew because it's not all uh all the productions are gonna be able to uh uh shoot their their project with only five people, you know? Yeah, so I mean just reach out.

Vipul Bindra 2:16:44

Even in the small market, there's enough six-figure commercials happening. There's enough, even our pilot was that.

Luis Pereira 2:16:50

I don't know the exact budget, but I mean I'm talking to students, like students. I I would say like don't don't think that in three months you're gonna be able to get a hop into like a six-figure project, but you're gonna get the experience in sooner or later.

Vipul Bindra 2:17:03

But then you can get the experience and then you can. Because even on a smaller market like Orlando, I'm saying there's enough three to you know, I'm saying six figure figure commercials happening, enough pilots like I like I say, that pilot definitely was at least you know, three to four hundred K. I'm saying in budget that's happening here, which we're calling indie projects. So there's enough money, yeah, you know, that you can make a career. Uh, but I think the the the answer is at the end get the experience and then you can make the money, right? Do we agree? All right, awesome. Well, thank you guys, thank you for watching. Until next time, this has been Studio B sessions, and uh it's been Lewis with me. See you, see you next Thursday. Bye. Bye bye.