Studio B Sessions
Studio B Sessions is a weekly live-streamed podcast hosted by Vipul Bindra, Founder of Bindra Productions. Recorded at Studio B, this unscripted two-hour show features candid conversations with industry-leading guests from the video production and business world. Dive deep into the art of filmmaking, business strategies, client acquisition, and the latest in camera technology. Perfect for video professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone passionate about the intersection of creativity and business.
Studio B Sessions
Building A Cinematography Career Through Connections
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
One message can change your whole career, but only if you’re ready to show up. We’re sitting down with Brazilian cinematographer Guga Carvalho to unpack how he went from Full Sail film school to real commercial sets, real credits, and real momentum across Orlando and LA, even while juggling language nerves, visa pressure, and the unpredictability of freelance life.
We get honest about what actually brings clients in the door: relationships, referrals, and being the person who delivers. Guga explains how early gigs in LA started with small student productions and spiraled into the next job, while Orlando required rebuilding a network from scratch through Instagram outreach and local production connections. We also dig into the unglamorous skills that keep you working, like saving money, staying versatile across DP and AC roles, and making portfolio pieces through spec commercials and personal projects.
Then we go behind the scenes on commercial production, including a perfume spot on a psych wall and two car commercial shoots that forced hard choices about time, crew, and gear. We compare fast setups like the DJI Ronin 4D to larger cinema builds like the Sony Burano, talk lens strategy for premium brands, and share why pre-production is the simplest way to buy calm on set. We also debate AI in filmmaking, where it helps, where it hurts, and why using AI for admin or monitoring LUTs is very different from replacing craft.
If you’re building a cinematography career, hit subscribe, share this with a filmmaker friend, and leave a review so more crew can find it. What’s the most effective way you’ve found to land your next gig?
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (OR wherever you listen to your podcasts!): https://www.studiobsessions.com
Learn more about Bindra Productions: https://bindraproductions.com/
Welcome And On-Camera Nerves
Vipul BindraWelcome to another episode of Studio B Sessions with me, Bindra. Here on this podcast, we essentially talk to people in the film industry. These are raw and edited conversations, you know, ideally poorly for entertainment. I'm sure somewhere in the middle of two hours we'll drop some golden nuggets. But the idea is to just have fun, talk to other people in the industry, and you know, learn something or just have fun. And today I've got an incredible guest, a really good friend of mine, and an incredibly talented DP, Guga. Welcome. Thank you.
Guga CarvalhoThank you for having me, man.
Vipul BindraYeah, we're having a Brazil, what do you call a series? So we had Lewis last week. Now we have you. So it's gonna be all Brazilians. Yeah. But how have you been, man? Exciting. Yeah, great.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to keep busy, you know. I feel like uh uh I was trying to avoid this moment here for a long time.
Vipul BindraEven though we've had these conversations how many times now? I feel like every time we see each other we're talking for you know a long time. I'm saying, which is the same thing, right? Yeah, what makes you nervous?
Guga CarvalhoCamera.
Vipul BindraOh, yeah. Oh, for somebody who operates a camera, you know.
Guga CarvalhoExactly. And the the most like interesting thing is I'm I'm kind of used to being in front of the camera uh since on my 14, 15 years old. So, but uh I kind of lost it because I had like a gap without making videos from for for YouTube and and stuff. No, I totally get that.
Vipul BindraI've actually said this before in the podcast. I used to be on camera and on TV and stuff like that, and I was very comfortable with it, but you know, and then for a long time I was just behind the scenes, you know, DP and directing. So finally, when I started this YouTube thing, it was not easy because even though I did it, you know, you kind of lose that thing. So it took a while to kind of get comfortable being in front of the camera. So I totally get that.
Guga CarvalhoAnd especially for me, English is not my first language.
Vipul BindraSo you say that, but you know, if we put Bruno there, I mean your English is yeah, yeah, but like yeah, I know, I know.
Guga CarvalhoI I I'm kind of like hard on myself, but you're a perfectionist, you're that type of DP. Yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraLike my English has to be perfect for me to do a podcast. So, man, I really appreciate you coming because I do feel like you have a lot to add and a lot people can learn from. Because here's the thing you you're saying all these things, you're not comfortable on camera, you're not good with English. But the thing is, you're working professional here, and how Lewis said you were able to even mentor him and things like that. So you're definitely doing some great stuff. And uh, I think, like I said, people can just learn from it or just you know, I'm sure we have funny stories we can talk about. A lot of stuff I'm saying that a lot of other filmmakers would get value out of it, which is the whole point here. We're not like trying to sell anything or anything like that. This is very nonchalant, anyway. I don't even edit them, they literally go live, you know what I mean? Just got the the the beginning, yeah, exactly, and then they go live every Thursday at a.m. It's easy, easy, you know. And it's easy because again, I'm a working professional, like you. We don't have time to edit and stuff. And plus, I find, and and again, I'm building what I want to listen to. I go on these long drives like to Miami and Atlanta and stuff like that. And it's just I'd rather listen to conversations from friends and on other people in the industry than yeah, just you know, random topics that I don't care about. Yeah, it's just so much better. And then that was, and like I said, a lot of time it's just fun stuff, but sometimes I've had people say things that I'm like, wow, I wouldn't have thought of it. And then I'm saying that makes you a better field.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, it's it's the best way to learn something from a person that you maybe
How We Met Through Crew Networks
Guga Carvalhodon't have like connection to it.
Vipul BindraYeah, exactly. Like, for example, just how we met. I think that show is incredible. It was because I knew Emmanuel, who knew Fernando, yeah, who somehow recommended me to you, because I just remember getting a message from you, and and then like I said, I didn't know you. And uh, and because uh, you know, like I said, I knew Fernando, yeah, uh, and he was like, hey, we're gonna do this thing, and he even rode with me, and it was so pretty cool. Like I said, talk about that project because you didn't know me. I showed up once said, having never met you in person.
Guga CarvalhoI actually knew you, yeah.
Vipul BindraHad we worked together? No, we indirectly over here.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, but uh, I think was a random day that me and Fernando we uh I think we we shot something for uh like dance related. Okay, and we need um a something, it's not a light. I I don't know, it's something, it was something, uh, but I don't remember uh what is, but uh it must have been a long time ago, yeah. Yeah, I think it was like uh uh 300 C or something. And then he said, Oh, uh let me let me get this uh with my friend and blah blah blah blah blah. You show up. I think you used to live in uh in an apartment or something, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was there, okay. And then yeah.
Vipul BindraWow, that was a long time ago. That's crazy. So we had met and I don't remember, my bad. But but uh yeah, Fernando, like I was talking about, like I don't rent that much, but to friends, I'm you know available, so I think he must have rented stuff from me. Yeah, so that's what I'm saying. I knew Fernando, and uh so I so you knew me, okay. I didn't know you, so that's crazy, or I guess I didn't remember, but that's so uh crazy for me. Uh but I was really excited because once he told me about the project and you told me, and I was like, oh, this sounds really cool because it's like a perfume commercial, but on a psychwall, which doesn't happen nowadays that often, right?
Guga CarvalhoIt was it was a little bit crazy, exactly.
Vipul BindraNo, oh tell me about the because I see I thought this was a huge production because you're like there's gonna be pre-light day, there's gonna be light day, which is a sign of a decent sized production. But when I showed up, I'm like, I was like, it's this very unorganized, but I real now I know the Brazilian way. Now I know, but okay, at that point I didn't know I'm like, uh because they were like they had a camera, but they didn't have a base plate, then they have lens, they didn't have tripods, we ended up using my cameras or whatever. But that only happened because I was lazy. I genuinely, you know, so the way it works is you know, like I say, you can book me and then my van, uh, you know, which is just GE, or you can have the camera card or both together. What I'm saying is you book G and E. That's what you hired me to do. Yeah, so I normally would take the camera card out, but I was just lazy. I was like, you know what, I'll just bring it. We don't need it, but whatever. And and and I'm so glad I didn't because uh because we used my production monitor, we used my cameras, lenses.
Guga CarvalhoI wasn't expected at all like using your stuff, your camera at least.
Vipul BindraNo, but I'm saying I can't imagine if I didn't bring it, what would you have done? Yeah, because they were supposed to bring the FX6, but they didn't have like certain accessories. So what if something was missing?
Guga CarvalhoSomething happened with the flights uh from uh from Sao Paulo or something like that. I don't know, but uh I remember uh an issue with the monitors and also like the SD cards, yeah.
Vipul BindraUse my cards too. Yeah, it was but again I didn't mind because like I said, it was there, but I was just like thinking, I was like, if I didn't bring this, and I most of the time wouldn't have, uh it would have been crazy, yeah. But but I'm glad I did, obviously, but great. So uh, but it was a fun project, man. That was uh was that like a a normal project for you, or was that a big project for you? Yeah, because I mean it was a decent sized project.
Guga CarvalhoIt was actually, I think, was my first big yeah, project that I that I uh DP in. Um especially and it was the first one um being related to perfume and that kind of style, yeah.
Vipul BindraYou know, psycho, very high key, you know, very beauty, beauty.
Guga CarvalhoI had to like search a lot about it, about psycho, how to how to build a psycho. What is a psycho?
Vipul BindraNo, yeah, but you did great though. That that set was amazing. I had such a great time and uh the talent, and also you were working celebrity talent in because she's famous, right? She was Miss Paraguay or something. She's Miss Paraguay, and then her husband is a very famous artist. What's his name again?
Guga CarvalhoUh uh Oh my god, huh?
Vipul BindraMark Anthony.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, Mark Anthony.
Vipul BindraYeah, we're getting offset help, but yeah, Mark Anthony. So what I'm saying is like their celebrity client, because he was there too, and I believe he's a very famous singer, right? So we had like celebrity clients, so you're managing their teams, you're managing your agency, and then managing the crew. So it must have been a lot until because you weren't DP, but you were also kind of a producer, you know, managing everything, yeah. Because the local guy, right?
Guga CarvalhoYeah, I was the the local point for for them here. So it was crazy.
Vipul BindraSo how'd you get that?
Guga CarvalhoUm, it was it funny enough, it was uh a friend of mine in Brazil. Uh we used to work together in um in film festivals and all. Um and then she uh received a message asking for uh recommendations in Miami. And she said, Oh, it's not Miami, it's Orlando, but whatever. Yeah, yeah, she she sent my stuff. Uh her um her other friend sent me uh something about it as well. So I was like, Yeah, I wanna do that. And then she called me, she said, like, oh um be prepared. They they're gonna call you. Uh her name is blah blah blah, and then I mean it happened. Um yeah, it was out of nowhere. I didn't I wasn't expected, and that's why I think uh it's important for us to have like connections all over the place and be. Yeah, you never know where you never where the opportunity is coming from.
Vipul BindraYeah, and did that bring other opportunities for you? I'm sure it did, right? Because it's like a huge commercial. Yeah, it looked amazing too. I saw the post-production on it, they did a good job.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, this was in 2024. Yeah, a couple of years ago. 2024. Uh, this year I did I did another one for them.
Vipul BindraOh, look at that.
Guga CarvalhoUh small one, small stuff, but uh it was for from the same uh director, the same um producer. So you built that relationship, see that things come back, yeah.
Vipul BindraYeah, and that's what I'm saying. You do a good job, man. You never know where it leads. Like you said, from a friend to a big production to another job. It's it's just incredible, right? Yeah.
From Brazil To Film School DP
Vipul BindraYeah so what made you be a D like how tell me your journey a little bit. Like, how'd you get to be a DP of all things?
Guga CarvalhoOh wow. Um I don't know how you you actually came from Brazil, right?
Vipul BindraYou're not born in America, right?
Guga CarvalhoNo, no, no. I came from Brazil uh as a student or yeah, as a student.
Vipul BindraHow long ago was that?
Guga CarvalhoBack in 2017. Oh boss, a long time ago. Yeah, it was a long time ago. I think it was 10, almost 10 years, nine years or something. Um and uh yeah, I I came here for full sale. Uh I did my bachelor's there, film, film, film grad and all. And it was in full sale that I decide to be a DP just because I feel like I I hate talking to um I hate directing, you know? I feel like directing is not my thing. Uh it's too much to you have to plan and talk and know like how you wanna send this message through the actor or something like that. And it's not it's not my thing. My thing is cameras. I I I've always been like a uh tech guy and involving with cameras and all uh I've been uh shooting and creating content for YouTube since since forever. So that's why I was like, yeah, DP is my thing. And then uh some pro uh professors in full sales uh started to put me in positions that normally uh just a like a beginner student will not get. I yeah, I I I could I could like direct direct the the photography for them. Got it.
Vipul BindraNo, that makes sense. You know, you want to talk to the camera and the director, not the talent, right? That's basically what you enjoy. Yeah, uh, so how do you go about, and maybe this will help somebody you know listening? Like, how do you go about then getting clients? Okay, you've decided, you learned the skills, right? You know how to operate a camera, you know how to you know make a good image. How do you actually go about getting clients? Like, how do you find success?
Guga CarvalhoConnections.
Vipul BindraSo, how do you form connections? How do you go from full sale to like a working DP? How do you build those connections?
Guga CarvalhoYeah, that the that's the my move from being here in Orlando to go to LA because I I uh graduate in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic, everything was closed and all, especially here, especially in LA. But I was tired of living in in Orlando, so I was like, let me let me move out of here. And then I went there uh for for the for like first three months. I was like looking for work there. And LA can be crazy, yeah, yeah, especially that type that that time frame. And uh and then I found uh uh like a Facebook group for productions and then I applied uh I was like, yeah, I'm I'm free, I'm free for uh for doing like um camera stuff. I think it was for um first AC or second AC or something. And it was for a um USC production. I went there, I met the the director, the DP, and all the DP was uh it was like a a high end dp. Uh I think his friend was the director or something like that. I I don't even remember anymore. But uh and then this one got me into the next one.
Vipul BindraAnd then yeah, it spirals, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, and that's that's the thing with like LA film shoots. They all they all work the same way. Like you have to go to the first one and then the the this one uh put into the next and and yeah, and uh and I feel like that's the the only negative side for Orlando shoots. They don't they don't do that, yeah.
Vipul BindraNo, that's not how Orlando works. Yeah, uh, I mean it's still similar, as in people work with the people they they want to work with, but it's not like LA. But also LA, then you people are willing to work to rock bottom prices, which is not the case in Orlando. Not saying our rates are great, but I'm saying it's not a race to the bottom, like I find LA is because there's so much talent, yeah, because there's everyone's talented there, you cannot fight on talent, you know, or gear because gear is also rental, it's cheap there. So you have to just work fight on price, and then that's how you lose a battle because you're in an expensive city, not making enough money. Yeah, it's imbalance, right? Unless you're like you said, top. That's different. Um, so what what made you move out? Is that what was it? Or what made you move back, I guess, to Orlando from LA?
Guga CarvalhoUh my my my like lifestyle, you know, and also my visa because uh when you graduate, you had the uh an ear to work, which is called uh OPT.
Vipul BindraOkay.
Guga CarvalhoAnd then after the OPT, you have to or either apply to the to another visa or go back to to your country. Okay. So you did that. So I went, yeah, I finished my OPT, I went to Brazil. I went back to Brazil. Then uh I was kind of preparing myself to apply for another uh visa, which is the O1 um extraordinary abilities or something like that, uh in order to go back to work and and all. And then I uh I was in Brazil, was working with a bunch of stuff, a bunch of random stuff, which was which was crazy and and nice because I kind of developed uh a new skill that I didn't know that I I had uh in me, which was uh filming with iPhones.
Vipul BindraAnd that's an important skill nowadays, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoAnd quick edits as well. I did uh I did Rockin' Rio, um Lollapalooza, Brazil, and another a bunch of another like film um music. And there I learned a lot about just deliver the the most like professional video in in a short time period of time, you know. I know what you mean, yeah.
Vipul BindraBut that's crazy though, and and those skills now are coming in handy. Exactly.
Guga CarvalhoNow I can like deliver a video same day, which which I feel like in in in the US there's no there's not much uh clients one one of that type of thing. But in Brazil it it's very important for them to have everything right now, you know no no time to waste. Yeah. And uh yeah, then I I'm I'm kinda lost.
Vipul BindraWell, but why America though? Here's what I want to know. So you have Brazil, you're clearly doing great there. Why why America?
Guga CarvalhoI feel like um that's a good that's a good question because I feel like here we have a lot of incentives, not money incentives, but uh the creative side here it's more um what should I say that? Uh here you have more market for for the kind of stuff that I that I wanna do.
Vipul BindraI know what you mean. So less resources there versus here, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, because there I I I don't have as much as connections in film industry that I have here.
Vipul BindraYeah, no, that makes sense because you've been here, yeah. Studied here.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, and my whole life is here, you know? Yeah. Uh I just spent the beginning of my life in Brazil. Then I came here and all my friends are here. I mean, I have friends in Brazil and all, but uh, but uh it's not the same thing. And especially the the lifestyle in in US is very, very different.
Vipul BindraAnd you like it here, yeah. Yeah, but I do think Brazil is a huge market. Like I was talking with Lewis. Obviously, I totally get what you're saying, but I'm also like Brazil is a huge market, so there's gonna be huge opportunities there. Maybe not now, but you know, as that population, as the you know, GDP increases, people get more money, yeah, they want then more entertainment, which means more content, which means so there may be huge opportunity because I know somebody who wants to move to Brazil to do content. Elias, I've had him on the podcast, who's a great guy. I've hired him a lot of times to do stills for me. And um, but he wants to actually move to Brazil to do work, and I think he's going to. Uh by the time I think this airs, he's he's already in Brazil, so which is crazy to think about. Yeah. But but but same thing, what he told me and asked him, I was like, why Brazil of all places? And he's like, because there's so much opportunity there uh to do stuff. And like I said, people don't have resources, they don't have the FX3s or whatever, easily available. Yeah, so now you can go to businesses and you can make them high-quality video and stuff that we you know, what we do. And I was like, actually, you know, that makes sense. Yeah. Uh you know, uh, and then worst case, you come back, you know, it's an experiment.
Guga CarvalhoBut uh, but I'm saying a lot of people are also doing the opposite because they're seeing so much opportunity in these growing economies like Brazil, you know, which is Yeah, most of my friends, my Brazilian friends that uh used to uh go to Fusale as well, they usually uh graduate and then go back to to Brazil and work there.
Vipul BindraYeah, because they can use that education to value that more. Yeah. Because here, you know, in Orlando say full sale, it's like everyone, okay. I'm saying you see a Valencia Full.
Guga CarvalhoIt's like same same in LA, like oh, you're from Full Sale.
Vipul BindraOkay, whatever. Yeah, it's like every everyone's yeah. So but versus there, it'd be like a I'm guessing a very special thing because you'd like you got high quality education from an American
Finding Work In LA Then Rebuilding
Vipul Bindrauniversity. So I get that. But uh when you came back, how do you now go about because now you're in LA, now you go to Orlando again? Do you have to start from scratch, or did you already have enough relationships to start getting paid work?
Guga CarvalhoUh it's half half, you know, because uh most of my connections were from uh LA, and usually they don't hire people outside and oh. You can fly in with the floor. No, they don't need to, yeah, because they don't need talent. Exactly. And so I was kinda I I had to build again like my my network here and you know, but uh it worked. Um I went uh I was talking like uh a lot with some um uh production companies even on in Instagram saying like uh I'm here um whatever you need did any of that work? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um some of them, some of them not, but uh this isn't hard to try. Yeah, yeah, you have to try. And yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraSo how do you form a like a visual style? Do you have a visual style even? What would you say like as a DP when somebody hires you, what's your process like?
Guga CarvalhoFirst of all, I think understanding the the meaning of what are you gonna to to film? For example, if it's gonna be like a movie or or uh uh short film or something, I I always try to understand the the the way that the director wants to to be have it, you know. And also like bringing a lot of examples, a lot uh I'm always trying to understand like oh uh what type of lighting you wanna like what type of uh mood this film will be um location production design, which is very important for for photography. Um and also like knowing knowing the director, I think.
Vipul BindraYeah, I think knowing the director is the the first thing or the client, yeah, yeah, because you're farming that connection, you're trying to understand what they're trying to do, because you know, people can have two different visions of of the product and you want to make sure you match that image because that's what you're being judged on in the DP, or even more, because if you have a direct client, now you're responsible for like we were talking about that uh perfume commercial, yeah. You are the DP, but you're also responsible for the crew and equipment and everything else, so it's uh it's a lot of responsibility, yeah. But it could also mean a good payday, you know, you can make a good living out of this. How do you go about charging high rates? So, did you have to like do work for free at the beginning and then start charging higher rates? Yeah, what did you find? Like, so if somebody's like trying to, you know, be their DP, how do they level up like their rates? How do they make more money to make this a full-time career? What would you uh suggest them?
Guga CarvalhoI would say just go out there, shoot for yourself, create stuff, create like mock-ups, is it mock, yeah, mock-ups? Spec commercial, yeah, yeah. Like grab like a I don't know, uh a shoe or something, like a Nike shoe. Shoot then shoot the the commercial for it and post it and then you have your your uh portfolio there, shoot like a lot of stuff or at least something that you wanna do. Like uh for me, I've always been in the narrative side, so short short films, music videos, um even commercials, but with kind of uh story there. So then I I put everything on a website or my Instagram and try to like pitch for for someone for a director for a client for like do work, and yeah, you can start doing that. And uh I'm still figuring out, I'm not like very professional with this, but uh I mean you are doing great.
Vipul BindraI mean you're busy, you get work. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, that's all that matters. Because see, look, there's levels to this, but there's also here's the thing I think most people just want to be full-time and make a good living doing this. That's basically it. Because you know, who wouldn't if I mean, I'm thinking if they're listening to this podcast, they probably care about cameras. So, you know, at least the way I looked at it, um, and I'm sure a lot of people have this vision. I I remember just going, you know, I could go get a job, I could go do this, I could go that and make money and be bored or hate my life or whatever, or I could play with cameras and get paid, you know, which one do I want? And it's just most people are not business minded, so they can't figure out how to, you know, make that into a full-time career where they can have a living, they can provide for a family, have a home, you know, all that. That's basically, I think, the the gap. The gap isn't skill. Skills easy, like you said, go shoot, go film, yeah, get your talent up, right? Collaborate, meet other people, reach out. Then, but how do you make that into a full-time career? That's a big gap that most people struggle to cross over. You know what I mean? Because it's it's hard, it's not easy, especially if you don't know any business skills. How do you manage that? Like, what did you have to learn?
Guga CarvalhoI have to learn to save money because once you have once you are a freelancer, yeah, you never know where to work. Yeah, nobody. But uh, that's the main thing. And uh just keep going like an instance of like I think uh social media helps a lot because I feel like clients kind of show up for you if you post more. I don't know, yeah. If you're more active in Instagram, they they're gonna know and they will uh look for you and you know. But uh yeah, I think I think just like you just have to keep posting, keep uh creating stuff and um talking to people like sometimes the the not the not even like the director or the the client, maybe the the maybe you're like grip knows someone that needs like a a DP or something, or maybe um the production designer needs someone to shoot their portfolio, shoot for free. Maybe maybe another person will see in and we're like you know, uh who shoot for you, and you know, and then you get recommended.
Vipul BindraYeah, I think that's basically what the the core sense of I find most people have to say. You know, you have to know the people because it doesn't matter how talented you are if nobody knows you exist. But here's the crazy thing that's how people know you exist. You just go out and shoot with people, like you said, go shoot somebody's portfolio piece, go shoot uh a short film with someone, go make a commercial of a shoe that you own or a product that you have. It doesn't have to be anything specific. Go volunteer for free, you know. See a set having say, How come do BTS or I'll come do PA for you? Because I think the idea is to be on more sets, you get to know more people, then those people hire you as your skills level up. You know, you you keep, I think, moving up.
Guga CarvalhoI still do stuff for free today.
Vipul BindraSo I mean, I did that short film for you. It had been a long time. I don't do that much pre-speed. Which one? Oh, the Italian one funny one. Yeah, that one. It was so crazy because Fernando asked me, and I normally don't do free stuff. But then he was like, uh, you know, because I knew by you guys, I was like, oh, is Google's gonna be there, Bruno's gonna be there, Lucy's gonna. I was like, you know what? I'll come. Yeah. Uh and I was free that day. Yeah, but but it had so it was such a good time, and that's what I'm what you're talking about. You you want to be there and you want to meet people because uh you you know, you could sit at home, and now it's a different thing that you're doing a paid project and then canceling that to go to a free project. But if you're free, go collaborate because you never know what comes off of, you know. Yeah, uh, or just in general, you get to collaborate with friends and just have a good time, and that's uh that was a cool short film that we made, especially in in short films.
Guga CarvalhoAll my short films went to some uh film festival, which I can always uh explore this area more because like if if I go to a film festival, I I'm I'm gonna meet a lot of professionals there, so it's more network, it's more connections, more stuff, yeah, more opportunities.
Vipul BindraYeah, exactly. Do you what type of work do you to normally get and what type of work do you prefer to do? Are you more like narrative,
Staying Motivated And Avoiding Burnout
Vipul Bindramore commercial?
Guga CarvalhoWhat are you so I prefer a lot uh narrative, yeah, film, you know, but uh as you know, it it's not easy to to find it, but uh I usually do a lot uh as well in um events like coverage, you know um same-day deliveries and uh and yeah and all uh but uh yeah which I like it. I don't like of I don't like doing um just straight like interviews and all you don't I love doing interviews, it's fun.
Vipul BindraYeah, I mean I guess so because sometimes it's boring. I think that's why what I like to do is work with different industries, so I keep it interesting. It's fun, like I get to learn about different things.
Guga CarvalhoThat's that's the good part.
Vipul BindraYeah, now yeah, if I would get I know some people who like just do lawyers or just do oh no this, and I'm like, I would get bored listening to the same thing over and over again. So at least for me, I love doing interviews because a no matter what, like you're doing a doc or corporate, you have to interview people. Yeah, but as long as you can do different industries, then it's like kind of interesting because you get to learn one day about like how do you build cars, then it's like, oh, how do you learn about uh uh I don't know, carcinomas or what I don't know, it's like so random and it's different, then it's like it doesn't get boring, you know. Documentaries are nice, yeah, fun because you're not you're listening to somebody's crazy story or whatever, right? Yeah, it's it's fun, and a lot of times you can make some kind of impact with you know or whatever, it's it's cool, but uh I do get it. Yeah, if you did the same thing over and over, it get boring. Um how do you how do you keep then yourself you know excited about projects? Because like you said, sometimes you do have to do projects that are not the most fun. How do you not burn out?
Guga CarvalhoMaybe I'm trying to figure it out as well. I'm already burnt out. I'm already I'm already done. No, uh um, I think people uh like my crew, it's a good way to you know stress out. Stress out, yeah, stress out a little bit because I think it's important to have people that you trust and know a side of you and working together and all especially like Louis, Louis is always with me. Like if I had a like a if I need uh a PA or a grip or uh it's the the special, but uh um AD or even a producer, I will call him. And instead of being just an interview, a boring interview, will be uh afternoon, uh cool afternoon with Lewis. Exactly. And we we're kind of like shooting stuff.
Vipul BindraYeah, you're having fun with friends. Yeah, exactly. No, you like and which is coming back to you know what you said earlier, people don't, you know, one after the other. It's it's in Orlando. I mean I think in most markets, people just hire the people they know and like and you know, like I met, for example, Lewis on your shoot on the Miami shoot, and I liked hanging out with him and and Bruno so much that I ended up hiring them a few times. That's what happens because you meet people, you like them, then you end up, you know, you collaborate with them. Same thing with you. Like I met you and we ended up collaborating so many times after that. Yeah, which talk
Lighting Cars Under Tight Time
Vipul Bindraabout that, uh, because you came and helped me with the you were kind of like the co-DP per se on that um car commercial we did. What was that experience like? That was fun. Oh, yeah. To to use that, I mean it was a decent sized studio, but for car commercial it was a limited space, and to having to light it, you know, make it look beautiful with limited resources, limited time, because we only had I'm talking about the first one, not the second one. Yeah, but first one, uh, you know, we had to like light it, let it in one day. So it's very limited, and same thing with shooting the car. We only have like what an hour or two in the morning.
Guga CarvalhoAnd I was I was learning about lighting a car because it's very different than a person, yeah, or a product or something, because it's a lot of like reflections and oh my god, and and and the client was there and she very particular to us. Yeah, but uh yeah, it went very good, you know. I I lot I love that that uh that piece of work that we did.
Vipul BindraAnd I also like how you were able to pivot because what we quickly realized that we wanted to use the R's with the FX6s because they are, you know, the the the look that we were going for, but then you quickly realized because of the limited time, we can move faster with the Ronin 4D. So I loved how you were able to take it essentially your first AC background coming in, you're able to help him operate that and then focus and stuff like that. I don't know. I felt like that was very versatile while uh you did that, while uh Josue was able to take the FX and start getting some static shots. So we were like so much faster and effective, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten done in the limited time we had. Oh, yeah. Because we also had to strike the set and and and get the heck out of there. Yeah. So so that was pretty good. And that's what I'm saying. Like, I like people who are versatile. You weren't just there, like, oh, this is what we're gonna operate, I'm gonna perfect everything. Not that you're saying you didn't want to, but if you don't have time, you don't have time. And if this can move faster, then this can move faster and we pivot and we make it look good. But I think it came out incredible, it looked in amazing to me. Oh, yeah. And the client was happy, that's all that matters, you know. And exactly considering the limited resources and time, I think it was incredible. So that was your first time lighting a car, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoAnd the sec it was this it was the second day or the first day that we went to the place to uh shoot the car actually.
Vipul BindraNo, we did that first day. The second day of the studio, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. The first day, what do you think about that? That was chaos, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoBut I I love it. I love it. That's the chaos, yeah. It was for me, it was the the my favorite, like my favorite part.
Vipul BindraIt was that you know that was gonna be such an epic BTS video. We still made one, there's one you can watch, but guess what happened? Something happened with Lewis. So Lewis was helping with BTS. We got no audio, bro. The camera had bro, and funny enough, he's the audio guy now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So so I don't know what is the case. So the camera basically was totally mute, and I know the camera mic's on us because we can see like you're talking, I'm talking, and the mic's on us, but for some reason it wasn't transmitting or what? I don't know. Point is we make so now I had to do voiceover over it. So we still made a video. We used the BTS, it was amazing, bro. But it had no eyes, but that would have been fun, bro. I know, I know. We we we we it's okay, though. We still had BTS. Your video was good, just didn't have audio. But no, that project was fun, man. I liked the challenge of it because it's like hey, we have limited availability of the car, so I was like, what can I do? I brought you know all the people I knew out, yeah, and it was like free for all, have fun. Obviously, we had a plan. I don't want to fully discount, didn't have a plan because we wanted you know, FPV, yeah, certain shots. But outside that was like pretty much free for all.
Guga CarvalhoAnd then you didn't did the did the guy, the um FPV guy lost the the drone or something?
Vipul BindraYeah, he uh yeah, uh I don't what I think he broke one of the cats, yeah. Something happened. So what happened was because we were in a uh tree area, um, you know, there's a lot of trees, something happened. Like he was flying, he wasn't far away, so it wasn't like range, but something, you know, with these drones, they're not like regular DJI drones, it's like they don't have GPS. Homemade Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like they they tinker, like these FPUs, they're great, man. But point is so something happened. He took it over something and he had like the I forget DJI. It it wasn't the expensive uh GoPro because he had like a custom GoPro on one of them. It was I think the DJI Asma or whatever, but I think it just crashed and it broke. So and and it wasn't even like he hit something, it just literally fell out of the sky. And what can you do in that situation? So he recovered it, so I hope he was able to rec repair it or whatever, fix it. But that's kind of like one of those unfortunate things that's a risk you take, you know. Yeah, uh, but yeah, it was it was crazy, man. That day was uh but it was fun. I'm and I'm glad we did that because it prepared us for the second shoot that we did. Um, uh, because that you know, now we were able to take it to the second level, like higher level. And you came in, you were kind enough to come in and first AC for us, talk about that one because we were essentially doing what we did the first time and expanding on it, right? That that was the goal. It was like, hey, let's do what we did, but that now we're gonna do it at a proper scale, and uh, and I definitely wanted you to be part of it. And I think you you kind of killed it, but also talk about the experience because I know you we had a fun experience on Sunday.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, it was fun.
Vipul BindraUh but overall, what do you think about Set? Because you had now Bruno and all the friends there, and everyone, and we had like what 20, 15 to 20 people there, and everyone uh had such a fun.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, I had the best time, yeah.
Vipul BindraYeah, and those cars too, man. Because they brought the 302 and 420. Yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, both of them are crazy. Yeah, those cars are are like nice, nice. I wish one day, maybe.
Vipul BindraBut I told them, like you know, one of these days I'm gonna do a project. I just want the payment of the car, right? Yeah, that'd be fun. Yeah, I don't know, we'll get there because that'd be a huge project. Uh, but no, but talk about your experience for like a talking one to two, like difference in in the scale and and what we were able to achieve and your experience on site. I don't know.
Guga CarvalhoWell, we used another camera, right?
Vipul BindraUh yeah, well, we we used the Burana, we just upgraded the FX6 to the Burana with the Rs, and then we used the same Ronin 4D because they worked so well with the West Pit 2s this time, though. So they were we had matching lenses, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah, I feel like the the 4Ds are perfect for for all the the type of the job, like uh camera movements, uh even like I don't know. 4Ds are very uh they're they have like a very crispy um image. I don't know why. It's more similar to Sony's. It is because I'm pretty sure it's a Sony sensor, yeah.
Vipul BindraI think so, right? Yeah, it's the 8K uh 4D.
Guga CarvalhoIt looks very much like Sony because I think it's a Sony sensor, and it's very like portable to use, easy.
Vipul BindraUh especially with the flex system that we were using, so you separate the camera.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, and then you like backpack, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh and then Bruno. Bruno is kind of like a uh downside for me for uh for my like uh AC perspective. In what way? Um it lower it lows us it lowers us down uh on time. Uh especially when we need to do like some tight shot inside of the car or even like um yeah, I think I think the Burano is not like portable enough for us to do that that kind of stuff. And it requires a lot of hands-on uh people around the camera. A first AC, second AC, uh a a P uh camera PA Everything for just one camera, and we didn't have the time. Yeah, you know.
Vipul BindraI mean, we did get a few shots from it, but you're right. We've the Ronin just moves faster. Yeah, and that's what uh you know it comes down to is just if you have the energy and the resources, then the Branano is great. Yeah, but I think that's any camera that's Mini LF or that's Venice 2 or whatever, any big camera you get, you want to have uh um, you know, a lot of resources around it to make it look good, but it is slower, yeah, but it looks better. For example, like the I think that we did a slider shot in the beginning that with the lights coming on. I think it looks incredible on on camera. Yeah. And it's because it's contained, it's on actual um, you know, um Dana Dolly. And um, it's also uh because it's the 8K XOCN or whatever that looks so amazing. But on the other side, all those shots that we did with the Ronin 4D, we couldn't have achieved with the Brano. We could have, I mean, but it would have been like way more expensive because we needed like some kind of jib or technocrane or whatever. Yeah, versus with the Ronin 4D with just that, you know, like said monopod type of thing, whatever you call it, the flex arm. We were able to do so much and so much faster. And you guys had the focus thing, you know, with that works. Yeah, it moves so much faster.
Guga CarvalhoEven to control the camera and then focus, like I can do like yeah, you can do it right there, right?
Vipul BindraThat feature is just so incredible. Why don't other cameras have it? I mean, technically Sony has the monitor and control app, but you know, it's not the same.
Guga CarvalhoAnd then you can control by using uh the Ronin's, but it it doesn't work like a Ronnie Friday. It's just more uh Yeah. Yeah.
Vipul BindraThey should definitely make more cameras. I just don't know why DJ is not. I mean, but US doesn't want them here, so I guess that's why. Maybe that's but I think so uh DJ would do really well making like proper cameras. Because they uh you know did so well with that camera, and I'm sure it can use upgrading and updating and being better.
Guga CarvalhoSo you never know, you never know. I was about to ask you about the second day because I wasn't there.
Vipul BindraYeah, I know. Uh it I think was fun, right? Yeah, I saw the way cooler because so what I did, I and then I learned my lesson. So so instead of and to be real, see, look, you have to take client um um what do you call um objectives and then figure it out. So in the first one, like I said, with limited resources, limited time, the best resource I had was place a bunch of people and get shots done. We only had limited availability of a road that you know that's how we did it. This one now it's like, hey, we want a different environment. So we didn't start from the schedule, we started from what we want to do, if that makes sense. So it was the opposite, right? It was like this is what you get, this road and this time, make it happen. This one is the opposite. It's like we started with the proper shot list with proper design, right? As you know, yeah. So I, as a producer first, and then as a director, I'm like, how do I want to achieve this? Because I do not want to do what I did with the limited resource. Yeah. So the best thing we have is because I want actual lateral movement. Because anyone can, I have the hydro kit, I can take a FX3 and mount it to my you know, truck or whatever and move next to a car. It can be done. You can do it with a pocket three for that matter. Yeah. So how do I I was like to elevate that? And to me, it was the lateral movement, right? Stuff that you can only do with a camera arm, you know, like so uh I found this guy locally, because you know, those are expensive outside of the budget, who has the tilta one, which is way more affordable. I mean, still over 10 grand, but compared to I'm saying the traditional camera arms is way more affordable. So, Mike, shout out to Mike, he did an incredible job. But essentially, I got him uh to come on board and that kind of elevated our production. Plus, it actually made it easier for production because now we have an arm with the Ronan 4D that we can all operate inside. He has all SDEI cables wired in. So he had one that you know he can look at. Then uh we had two in the back, one for controlling the camera and one for controlling the focus, you know, pretty much. So three monitors again, DJI's system, and we had the West Bit 2s camera already mounted to the arm, and so he was controlling the arm in the front. Uh uh Matt is controlling the camera, and uh um uh Ricky, who was the DP, is controlling the uh the focus or whatever. Point is between all of them, and then I was able to give directions and direct them. It's so worked great. I don't know. I need to see if we got any BTS because we were so cramped in a car, I couldn't get BTS. We got BTS, but not from outside. Yeah, from outside, yeah. Yeah, which is what I'm saying. That's what you needed to see, how we were coordinating, because it required four people, actually plus one, because the driver, she was great too. There was a he got a driver, which wasn't part of the thing, he just wanted to do better. Uh so he he brought her on, which helped a lot. Um, because it was gonna be one of mine, but then you know, this person is more familiar with it. So, point is it was a coordination between the five of us to make the shots happen. But now we don't need to get out because guess what? If you need a static shot, we just park the car. Yeah. Static shot. Yeah, and we can reframe, we can go literally 360 degrees. So that freedom not only helped make the shots more interesting, but just general shots that didn't need because not every shot needs, you know, that that extra mo degree of motion. Yeah, it just made it easier to get because now we could like be on the road and have you know the camera, let's say following. Now we could be, you know, chasing or whatever. Point is we couldn't do that in the past. We would have had to swap cameras or have multiple cameras mounted. Now it's like, sure, just shh back. Yeah, that's camera. Oh, we want to go side, let's go side. Hey, and we had radios, right? So they he could pull off the point. Is it made it much, much faster because we didn't have uh we still had the limited constraints of half a day of shoot, right? And we need to get all the driving shots done. And now we need city, we need sunrise, we need a bit of bridge, you know, the elements. So that's what I liked. The the arm, the car made it easier to get that, but it also meant five people's coordination to make it happen, right? And but I think we killed it all uh killed it, and I think it was a letter lot better implementation the first time. It did require the resources. You cannot do that if you don't have the rolling 4D, you don't have the three extra monitors to go with it, you don't have the um, you know, like I said, the arm, the all of those uh and the Vespa 2s and all the resources that you needed, polarizer. But because we had all the resources, we made it convenient for us to make it. And next time, if I do it, I am definitely doing it that way. Anything with them because it is just so much faster. You can just move. Yeah. Uh, and like I say, you don't have to stop. Obviously, you have to be careful around the road, especially if you're have your arm on the all the way out. But I think the resources that are needed are way more constrained to get it done. And and like I said, especially with the polished look from the studio to the driving shots, I think, and then different cityscapes that we were able to maximize. Because the thing is, let's be real, Orlando doesn't really have that much pretty sights for a car commercial. We are, you know, in the middle of uh, you know, land with theme parks. I mean, there's not much I'm saying to do here, especially uh to be able to do it in a few hours. So it's not like you can go there. But with what we have here, I think we made it look incredible because we were able to incorporate that downtown lifestyle, that uh, you know, that that Sanford Bridge and it and uh yeah, I was very happy with that. Did you guys block the the no? We just had two cars. No, we just had two cars. We were using those like it was gorilla filmmaking, that's fine. Yeah, you know, but but uh uh but yeah, so it was just three cars and we were just maneuvering on that and we made it happen. Yeah, and and yeah, that that we have BTS of that. That's you go watch the video, and it's incredible, you know. Again, it's the people coming through and being um kind of what do you call versatile. And there's so that's why I had two people, uh two cars, and we had a couple BTS people in there, and we also had the Branano still in there to get some uh shots which had a Hoseway in it. Uh, he was kind enough to come because he wasn't supposed to be there either. But he was like, you know, we'll come and then we can get some detailed shots from there from far away. So between the two of them, and we were able to get but primary camera was the Ronin 4D, and I think that was the right move. And then we had two cars that could block traffic as needed, yeah, within reason because we didn't want to fully block traffic. But I'm saying we could get a shot, let people go, type of thing. Uh and radios helped a lot. See small things that you can think about, nothing expensive. Radios are very cheap to rent, but on a shoot like that, effective communication is great. Sure, I love my headsets, but they are not great for a car shoot. So they uh the the proper you know Motorella radios were so helpful on that shoot because we had like you know multiple mile long range, so we were just able to communicate with each other and just get it done. So man, wish you would have been there. But uh, even the studio day, I love that because we had a full pre-light day now. Uh so you didn't have to come for that one, right? No, no, so yeah, so we had a full pre-light day where we came in, we lit the space. Yeah. And this was we gave that we got the whole day pretty much, or most of it, uh, to because we still had to strike the second day, but to actually shoot, which I think gave us plenty of time to get the shots we needed. And like I said, plus I had talented people like you on set, which made it, you know, again make my job easier because I'm I'm doing double duty. I'm producer handling the client, I'm also directing. It's a decent sized crew, dealing with a lot of yeah. Plus, I also wanted to maximize, so we got a couple other videos out of it. I got the Van Tour video out of it for me, and then the my I don't think you were there the day when we did, but I we did a my my brand video for me. So there was multiple extra content, the pieces of content that we were trying to get out of it, so just to maximize value. Um and uh that you know you could only do that with an effective crew, and like I said, great people. I'm glad you know you were able to come and help out because I wouldn't have been able to do without you. Uh, which talk about your experience as a first AC on that set.
Set Lingo And The Sharpie Mix-Up
Guga CarvalhoUh yeah, it was it was something, you know. Um I mean the the DP was was nice, yeah. Like he's he's a he's a good uh DP. But uh I feel like we got something I don't know, like wrong, maybe something.
Vipul BindraI just remember it laughing because uh so here's my side of it, and then you're gonna tell your side. I just kept hearing you know, Ricky go sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. I'm like, what are we singing here? Uh and then uh and then I'm like, what is happening here?
Guga CarvalhoHe said to me, like, sharp. I understand sharpie the the the pen.
Vipul BindraYeah, yeah, yeah. No, he wanted I know what he meant, but he yeah, yeah, I know what like you don't communication guys.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah, yeah. You you don't do that. You you go like focus or like can you focus please or something like or or just focus? It's more I don't know, effective. Yeah, instead of that, he just said sharpie, sharpie, sharpie, sharpie. I hand it the the sharpie for him. Am I supposed to what and a bunch of times I was sharp, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraI know that that part too. But see what's funny though, I I totally get both perspectives because I have been on set where you know people say sharps, which they mean um, you know, maybe like you know, but but I'm also saying though or something. But but I'm also saying is you're hearing sharpie, so that's funny to me because you know you're like sharpie, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoAnyway, and with Bruno, uh the the Apple box thing, yeah.
Vipul BindraBro, that uh so so he he kept saying basically LA, uh uh Houston or whatever, yeah, New York. The sides, the uh yeah, but I'm saying these things are not that common on set. The thing is, uh this lingo is there, obviously, everyone knows what an Apple box is, but I'm saying most time people don't do that, don't use it. So it he was just uh uh using very much the the jargon, and you guys are not used to it, you're just used to doing it, and uh so yeah, that was uh interesting. I was just and I as a director, you know, my whole thing is I want the crew to figure out I mean you figured it out, so it's not that uh so that's what I was thinking, but I was also laughing in a way. I'm also like it's funny to me because I know what's happening, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoIt was funny for me, but like yeah, you know, I'm I'm not gonna I'm not gonna trash or or anything because I I don't have to, uh it's not my style, but uh uh you know it was it was something it was uh like uh uh difficulty in in the set.
Vipul BindraBut you figured it out. I mean at the end they may make something beautiful, but it's it's just funny to me. Something's like sharp, sharp, sharp. Like what is happening? And then you and then at one point, like you say, you you hand you sharpie, and then you go, it is sharp. So it was. But you know, it happens. Yeah, we were I think they must have been really like um like shallow depth of field or something, you know. But it was funny to me. But then I'm looking at the monitor, I'm like, it looks good, you know, like it's all that it's about is like making good images at the end day, and you figured it out. You know, you just have to learn DP's lingo. That's uh the thing about first AC. Yeah, because um, at the end day, you know what I mean? Like he's uh saying some stuff, you know, which uh I totally get, but like I'm saying if you're not familiar with it, uh you know, it's his job and your job to like understand each other, and then once you get the lingo, you move on, type of thing, you know? Yeah, and I think you guys did, but it was just like I say, it's funny in the beginning, uh, but at the end day, we were able to achieve you know great images. I think have you seen the final commercial? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fire, you know, the things, amazing, and again, when I tell people how much money we spent on it, it's like see, that's like it's one thing to also judge the commercial because you know, obviously judge the footage, but you also have to know what was what behind it.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, and usually commercials are no budget or like infinite budget.
Vipul BindraYeah, this was like I don't want to say it's low budget, it was good budget, but it was like very limited for what we did. And I think and and uh and that's what I keep telling about. Like, yeah, that's what my specialty I want it to be. I want to obviously I've done high budget stuff, I've done you know, pro high, high, like like you said, infinite money type of projects. I've done projects with like no money, you know, with you like that zero dollar project. But then but what I'm saying is like my specialty, I want it to be that project where it's like, you know, we want to achieve that six-figure look or that $200,000 look for half the budget. I'm not saying impossible budgets, because that's different, but like or a third of the budget, something like that. Yeah, and with the resources I have, with the availability of uh, you know, professionals I have, I think we can do that. Yeah, um, because you know, as long as the project's cool enough. Now, are we gonna do if there's a bunch of interviews? No, because it's not worth it for us to do it at discounted rates. But if it's like something cool like that, then it makes sense, you know, to pour your time and if resources into it.
Guga CarvalhoAnd especially have people that you like are friendly with.
Vipul BindraYeah, because everyone on there was uh friendly. I think the only person I had worked first time on that project was Ricky, but even then I hadn't met him before. It wasn't like we just randomly, you know, I had met him and I heard a bunch about him, and everyone had said rave things about him. And like I said, he killed it. To be honest, I'll say something good about Ricky here. Uh, most my client is very particular because you know it is their brand, they built it from scratch. There, you know, she she's not just a marketing person, she helped the owner and the main guy built it. Yeah. So what I'm saying is they're very passionate about their brand, they're very particular about their brand. So, you know, it takes a couple of tries to get the pitch with her. And uh what I loved is now I did, I'm gonna take a little bit of credit. I did feed Ricky like exactly what she likes and what she doesn't like. But the first pitch we did to her, that the one we made, it was immediate. Yes. So we did a pitch, we showed it to them, um, to her, and I think Tom was on the call too. And the point is they watched it, they were like, Yep, as long as we can make this, we're good. And I was like, this is so amazing. Nice, and that's what you want from the client. I'm saying you want the client to see something, say make it, and then we did make it, and they had no feedback. They were like, This is great. Yeah, and that's what you want.
Guga CarvalhoThat's the best.
Vipul BindraSo that project in that way was extremely smooth in that way. We we made um uh what do you call it? Like a uh pitch for them. Uh-huh. They saw the pitch and uh and they approved it immediately. We shot the thing, we made the edit, and they were like, This is great. And we send it, and the next day, literally the next day, was in the in a show where they launched the car in North Carolina somewhere at the car show, and they were playing that for people. And that to me is is the the level of I'm saying production that and and skill set that we bring that the client is so happy. And like I said, it took to be real, um, you know, a lot of people uh in in the right positions to make it happen. Because I don't know if we would have been able to do it if he didn't have Matt operating the running 4D, right? And we wouldn't have been able to do it if I didn't have Jose Lighting and you being the AC and Ricky DP. So I think it just I think that's what filmmaking really is. You build a network like you started with, yeah, then you bring the people together. And and even like I said, Lewis, he wasn't even in the country, he was helping me make freaking uh call sheets from Brazil, you know, and and it wouldn't have happened because I don't have time to make call sheets.
Guga CarvalhoI didn't know that.
Vipul BindraYeah, so I was literally like, bro, make call sheet, you know. It's like and I don't know the time gap because I know it's not the same time. So he's like that's just an hour. Okay, so yeah, so he's so he's like in Brazil. I'm like, bro, I need this call sheet, you know, he's like on it, but he doesn't know the thing is he's not there, so I have to tell him too. Like, I need this person will be there, this person won't be there, you know what I mean? It's like three different days, so to fully understand that um takes a lot. And we also had a lot of people on site, you know. So it's like also, and everyone has specific roles uh that need to be managed, and uh, and like I said, since he was gonna be uh not gonna be available, I had to have Mario step up and be the first AD to manage because I'm like, I I don't I can on a project like that that scale, yeah. I want to focus on what I was doing, but I also loved this is what I like, and that's my style. Um, you know, that I planned it out. We knew exactly what we're making, right? Completely opposite of the first, like exact shots, exact everything. The Vinash Shara set, as you saw, how different it was. If you remember the first one, I had to actually like be directing and you know, actually, in this one, my direction was pretty much do this, like what's on the paper. And you guys did. And it was like I was I didn't have to be like micromanaging anything. Everyone knew. I think there was I was a little bit involved in lighting out in the middle of the thing because we've already figured everything out, we've figured out lighting, we know what it is. The there was uh obviously challenges as people can go see in BTS as lane, like day one. Uh, one of the you know, speed uh speed rail we got wasn't the correct uh diameter, so we had to go get that replaced, or we had reflections because of certain things. So Josue and I had to figure out how to get the reflections out, and Matt and Hosue killed it on that. So I'm saying there were challenges, but regardless, I'm saying on the day, I'm like, guys, let's do this.
Guga CarvalhoThat's why pre-production's very important. Exactly.
Vipul BindraIt is the most important thing because, but as a director, I'm saying, especially on a product shoot, because that's what that is, right? A product commercial. I don't need to like micromanage anything. I'm like, let's get this done. Now this shot, let's achieve it. As you saw, I was very little like having to tell people, except for like some inputs, you know, let's change lighting here, and that's about it. So it becomes very easy. So I'm saying direct, unlike when you don't have a plan, because now you're having to coordinate these many people. Uh, because now can you imagine now you have uh me yelling at you and then Ricky yelling at you sharp, sharp, sharp overwhelming. So I liked how calm the set was. Uh, we were able to play music and chill, and even the client liked it. She mentioned it. She was like, I see you guys are chilling. I was like, that's the point. Everyone's on point getting their thing. Yeah, and you know, plus we had to do still, so it's like they can come in, you guys can step out and prepare for the next shot while they get in it. Yeah, it's the the you know, like I said, it's a dance and it's a beautiful dance, and I love doing that. Uh, I'm so glad I was able to document because I get to do a lot of those, but I don't usually document them because for agencies and stuff. So, you know, it's their NDAs and stuff. Because like I've done five commercials in the last two months, none of them have BTS. So what I liked about that was the client is my client, so I have full freedom to get BTS. That's what I think made I liked about it. So I was able to share all that and we can talk about it, you know.
Guga CarvalhoAnd I feel like behind the scenes for us are always like hard to post it, to to make it, you know.
Vipul BindraYeah, and especially like I said, for me, it's like a lot of NDAs involved. I do a lot of like uh political stuff, a lot of and I say changes, but right now I'm saying that this year's been a lot of political stuff, a lot of um medical stuff, uh all of that uh stuff has like uh or you know, other agency stuff that all comes with NDAs. So or or even if it's not an NDA, like in a proper contract, uh, you know, it may come with like certain requirements, like you can't share this for six months or whatever. You know what I mean? So at that point, like, and then I can't bring my own BTS people because you know if I'm being hired, I I can't have a BTS person there, so it's only what I can dig for the phone. So it's like I'm saying with that one, because it was mine, I was able to do proper, you know, documentary level, I think BTS, and I think that helps because I would love to see you know behind the scenes from other people's side how they're managing and issues and things like that. Oh, yeah, and it helps you just become a better filmmaker because now you can go on your set and not have that issue. You're like, I'm gonna double check the speed rail sizing, you know. It's like a random thing because I I went the day before to get the speed rail, and they told me I said I want an inch and a quarter, and they said this is and you know, I don't have a third speed rail on me to check the diameter. Yeah, I'm like perfect, and I show up on shed. Of course, it's not the right diameter. They gave me an inch and a half, you know. It's like I'm not saying that wasn't, but you know, it costs us an hour of time on the site, you know, because uh shout out to um who did it, um Alex. He drove all the way and then brought the chicks. Yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYou should hire someone just for BTS and then like I mean that's what we did on that one.
Vipul BindraWe had that. No, no, for all no, that would be great.
Guga CarvalhoEvery day, just follow you.
Vipul BindraYeah, but it'd be funny because you imagine I showed up on your set and had a BTS guy following me, and be like, what the F. That'd be an easy way to kill my business. I can't do that, you know. I know it sounds like fun.
Guga CarvalhoI'm I'm sure in the country, yeah, right.
Vipul BindraI have a BTS guy with me. Next thing I know, I'm begging you for work because somebody wants to hire me. Like, this guy shows up with a with a his own that'd be fun though. That'd be fun though. I would love to. I'd have so many people who reach out. The thing is, I I get one people because you know, I guess I don't know where they find me, but the point is people say, like, hey, I want to come BTS on your set, and that'd be incredible. But like I said, unless it's my own set uh that I can fully control, I can't have uh you know BTS. But but you know, it's fun though. Uh it's a good way to start. Yeah, as you as you saw you got to come on a fun set, like the one with the Jason. Do you remember that one? That was so fun, man. It was just you, me, and Mario. And it was such a like that's the type of stuff I like to do. I know it's not as fancy as this car commercial we're talking about. It was cool, but it's helping a friend make a cool brand video for us, and it's a chill day. It's literally set up, like you said, a boring interview, but it's for a friend. So I had such fun talking to them. And then we were also able to do b-roll at the same time, you know. I'm saying I actually enjoy projects like that because it's like I care about actually the client, yeah, right? I care about making something great. It's a nonchalant half a day shoot, and we're done. How easy is that? Yeah, right. And then the location was beautiful. You know what I mean? Like it everything's great. And the client, the people he was able to call were his actual clients who we were able to get B-roll of. And it's a small crew, it's just you, me, and Mario. So it's like it wasn't like I'm saying crazy. Yeah, uh, obviously, it's not something you'd go on portfolio. Oh, yeah, but like it was fun. Yeah, and that's what I like to do a lot of because it's like so easy. Three people, yeah, easy money, easy shoot, easy uh plus you love
Picking Lenses And Cameras That Fit
Vipul Bindrathe client generally on the other side of it, so everyone's fun. And you did a revology shoot for me in the studio as well, right? In their location.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah, we did. Yeah, that was fun because that was that was cool.
Vipul BindraBecause that was actual interview, I think, uh, with like proper cinema uhl's lenses and stuff, wasn't it? How was your experience with those? Nice, nice. Yeah, that was your second time using them, right? Because that was that. Before or after the commercial? I forget.
Guga CarvalhoIt was after, I think. I think, yeah, I think it was after.
Vipul BindraIt was after?
Guga CarvalhoYeah. But yeah, the lenses are fucking incredible. Yeah. I love them. And uh yeah, uh even the do you have the which one do you have?
Vipul BindraThe I have the Rs and the Vespa 2s.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, but the I know that the Rls had another version, which yeah, it has 11 focal lens.
Vipul BindraI have the five set, the set of the main focal.
Guga CarvalhoNo, but they they are they're black or they are oh yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraI have the black ones, yeah. The regular ones. I don't like the other ones. My friend uh Sean has them. Yeah, I think we talk about the the uh what are they called? The um Luster. Luster, yeah. Like I said, not saying they're bad, they're they're great lenses.
Guga CarvalhoThese are Alz lenses, it's just after you you you said it to me, I I saw your test. Yeah, it it it will it was not that bad.
Vipul BindraNo, because it's the same lens. Let's be real. What is Luster is the Alz lens with the different coding on it? And for certain projects, I think be good. Like if I was doing like a dream sequence or something like that. But for me, and like I said, again, people are doing it. The thing is, my friend Sean has them and he uses them for commercial projects. I just wouldn't use a on a commercial because to me, if I want a dreamy look, I can do it in post, I can do it with filters. I don't want to buy a set of lens that always looks like that. The flares may be great on it, but the overall contrast is just I'm not a fan of it. Yeah, and I don't know that many commercials that want that look all the time. I'm saying once in a while, sure, it may be specific projects. So that's why I never understood the thing, but that's why he had that's why you go watch that video that I made with him so you get somebody else's perspective. And for him, they were the right lens. He wants to be different, he wants to have that crazy look on everything. And I'm like, I don't get it, but you do, and you have enough business to justify it. That's what the whole filmmaking thing is about, right? Yeah, which is why you would hire him on a certain shoot and not me, and vice versa. And they would hire you because even though we're all doing the same thing, yeah, we are but with a uh different perspective, exactly. And I my perspective has always been I want to make content that you know is right for the brand. As in, like, I'm not gonna ever push uh on things just to make it certain way, as in like I like the way I do it, and and I would love to know your process. Uh is like if somebody approaches me, like we like the car commercial, we're gonna make a commercial. What's the goal? The goal is to show the car, yeah. Right? The goal is not extreme filmmaking, creative filmmaking, they want the filmmaking to disappear, right? They want to not talk about cameras, lenses, and that's where why we use the R's and the Vespe, because they're clean lenses, but they're also cinematic, because we don't want it's a premium product, it's a half a million car, which is why we don't want to use Sigma or Nisi because we don't want it sharp, we want it cinematic but clean, which is why use we use yeah, but I'm saying if it was a different project, if it's like a music video or something, I'm just saying I may would use something different, or if it was like a yeah, you know, but I mean like you use the right product, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoIf it if you have like the the liberty of choosing your own or putting your own style there, good, exactly.
Vipul BindraBut you also have to make sure that that the style matches what the client's looking for, yeah. Oh, last thing you want to do is put a put a style on and then they go, uh yeah, and you know, it wasn't what they were looking for because you know doesn't match exactly the vision of the brand, cohesiveness or whatever. So, how do you approach you know style thing? Because like you said, there's maybe lenses you want to use, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoBut that that's the thing, like being being a DP for a commercial, usually the the brand uh came to me with I want I want your vision, I want your style, so it's easy for me, right?
Vipul BindraBecause then you pick what you want to pick, yeah. But how are you approaching that? So share let's say a brand comes to you and they're like, I want you to help me make this, whatever. Um how are you then picking the camera, the lens, or whatever?
Guga CarvalhoSo, first I think just searching uh more about I mean first understanding the budget, because this is very important. Because I can oh okay, let's do IMAX. Okay, yeah.
Vipul BindraYeah, but how do you approach because usually I don't know if you have this happen, and maybe this doesn't happen if you're just the DP, but usually brands approach and say, What's the budget? And say, I don't know. You have that happen, then how do you approach it?
Guga CarvalhoI have uh yeah, I I think I had one one of my clients say saying that to me, but uh I think I ended up being him like uh doing a budget for me and and then we we went through. But uh yeah, uh I if I don't have any any numbers I think I go with my usual stuff, which is like I own uh uh FX3. Let's use the FX3 then. Perfect.
Vipul BindraWhat lenses did you go for? Gmaster or something different?
Guga CarvalhoUh usually, yes, but because I can I can change it uh uh in in post or anything, uh but uh if I have the ability to rent something or maybe I don't know buy something, I would I would go definitely with uh any DZO.
Vipul BindraThey're doing good stuff now. They they're doing amazing stuff, and the older stuff, not so much, but the newer stuff.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, the newer stuff, yeah, yeah, yeah. And even the the typewatch is yeah, type it's them.
Vipul BindraYou know, it's yeah, it's that yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoI I just bought the Mercy's? No, no, the I wish the the new autofocus one uh oh yeah 24 to 50.
Vipul BindraYeah, that looks really neat too. That's their first autofocus last year. Yeah, you know, so hey, I was impressed.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, I was impressed because my my main one, my uh 1635 G Master, broke. Uh yeah, and then I I had to buy another one.
Vipul BindraThen yeah, yeah. No, they obviously they don't send me anything, but I would love to try the new R Zoom. I'm gonna buy those, man. I will just buy it. That's what I'm saying. Companies, it's fine. I don't really care. But I I uh but I'm really looking forward to the RL Zoom because the Rls have made me so much money and they've been really good lenses. Uh-huh. Um, like I said, they're actually versatile, is why I like them, not because of certain things. And then I have now matching set of Vespe 2, which I can use on gimbal or whatever. So I I would love to get uh the Rl Zoom because there are a lot of times, like you said, you're doing docs and whatever. You need to move fast, you you can't swap.
Guga CarvalhoThe I I use uh for for the the last uh perfume show that I did this year, I use the their um Kata Zoom lens.
Vipul BindraHow do you like them?
Guga CarvalhoAmazing, yeah, amazing, and super quick. We had uh the two set, which was no, not 24, like I think it was 35 to 50 or 35 to 70. Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah, 80 to 135, something good stuff, right?
Vipul BindraThat's what I thought. So good. I that's what I'm saying. And then our zoom's gonna be even better. I'm really looking forward to it. I tried them at NAB and I was like, uh-huh, bro, like this is it's very similar. Not you know, it's just car Kata is. I think they had better focal lengths. I've my brain obviously not thinking right now, but the focal length seemed better to me, more versatile, and very similar to again signature prime. Yeah, yeah, uh, and then also the coating, because you know, I like the Arles coating. Yeah, so I and I think they're gonna be priced well too. I think under hopefully under 5,000. That's gonna be a buy for me, the two set. The only thing I told them was like have an ultra wide because some people want the ultra wide, they don't. I mean, it still started pretty good. I think it's like 24 or whatever, right? 25. So it's a good focal in to start with. But I'm saying I'm sure having like a 16 or something like that would be nice to finish the Trinity. But outside of that, I was like, this is incredible. If obviously, I'm sure that was pre-production, so what changes, where they cut companies or add. So I don't know, but I'm saying if they are similar to where they were, I was just like, this is gonna be a perfect match because obviously the primes are better, but there's circumstances, like you said, where you have to move, you need a zoom, and and to be able to have a zoom you can pair, especially with the tilta autofocus adapter, dude, this is gonna be fire, you know.
Guga CarvalhoExactly, and they're not heavy, yeah, so you can put it in the game and just go. Yeah, it's great, or just easy rig and go.
Vipul BindraYou know what I mean? There's so many versatile ways. So I'm really excited. Like I said, I'm definitely gonna buy a set uh uh whenever they officially launch. I know I've seen enough YouTube videos, so they're out there. They've given it to YouTubers. That's what I'm saying. Give me a set for testing, I will return it. But you know, these brands uh maybe not returning. Uh yeah, I mean I I have never been, by the way. I buy all my gear with my money.
Guga CarvalhoNobody's giving me anything for you. I wish.
Vipul BindraYou know, I wish the only people who message me, by the way, which I don't want free gear, uh, but it's it's like cheaper stuff. Like, get our soft, try our softbox and do a video on it or our tiny light, you know, all these brands like reach out to me, and I'm like, no, because my entire thing is I don't want crap, as you see. Equipment's not an issue. I'm gonna use stuff I want to use. I don't want to be ever brand shill or care about a brand because it's not my style. Yeah, I don't pitch anything, I don't sell anything of this channel because I was like, the day I do that, then yeah, yeah, it's not worth it. But but I'm saying also then I get jealous sometimes. Like I said, I would love to have the Arl Zoom already be playing with them. I'm happy to return them, but I'm like, then why are they gonna send it, you know, to to a channel that's like not shilling. Yeah, because I'm gonna tell the truth if I had them, you know. But true. Either way, I'll just buy it and do it. So but no, that company, that's what I'm saying. Lenses have come a long way. Oh, yeah. What I do like now that you don't have to, because in the past, here's what I've seen the industry change. A few years ago, you had to rent lenses because good lenses were expensive, and the only way your budget was hey, use the native glass or rent expensive glass. So, you know, people with like decent budget, but nothing high, couldn't do any decent glass because Chinese glass sucked, you know. Like now, with these Chinese companies killing it, I'm like, a lot of companies that may have even sprung for these high-end expenses lenses are not springing for them anymore. Because if they're like with the Arcana, we can get the look, yeah. Why would we? That's why I think Atlas had to reduce the price in the mercury's. Because why else? I was like, would they they must be feeling the heat? Because not again, Arcana's not as good. For example, the Mercury. But if you're getting 80% of the way there for like so much cheaper, then I think that's where the the the shift is happening, right? You're like same thing, where like you're getting so close for so little money, it doesn't make sense for a lot of brands where they don't even care a lot of times. They're just like make it beautiful, and you're like, hey, I can make it beautiful for a third of the price. Yeah, yeah. Why wouldn't you? Right? Yeah, and so and like you were just saying, your approach, you're like anything DZO, you're not even thinking like high end because you don't need to, and and it's gonna give them a great look. Exactly. Yeah, client saves money, you look good, your rates are nicer, so they're like, Well, we want to go with this DP versus a DP I'm saying who's insistent on let's rent some fancy glass or whatever. Yeah, so yeah, I mean, I guess it's a better business decision, too. So is that what your normal go-to is FX3?
Guga CarvalhoUm, yeah, that's my main camera. So yes.
Vipul BindraIs there any camera you prefer to use too? That I mean, maybe a rental thing?
Guga CarvalhoFX6, um yeah, FX6, FX9. FX9, I I I don't love it, but okay, yeah. Because I I I still prefer FX6. Um and then Ari's. Yeah. Alexa's.
Vipul BindraUm you find a lot of projects nowadays that have budgets for them.
Guga CarvalhoUh no, no, no, no, no. Uh usually it's just filming usually in LA, not here. I I I did I don't think I I shot something in Orlando using Alexis. I I yeah.
Vipul BindraYeah, it's very limited productions happening here that have the budget. It's expensive. Yeah, yeah. It's the rental. I mean, we have a few, you know, uh with rental houses. But uh, like I said, it's it's limited budget, so you are limited to um, you know. Again, the thing what happens is when they have limited budget, sure, could this rent a Alexa? Absolutely, but then that budget goes away from other things, and usually you know, other things are more important than Alexa because the image difference, uh, you know, again, Alexa is better, but it's not that much better. Oh, yeah, a better location and a better talent wouldn't make that difference.
Guga CarvalhoAnd if the client wants to post the video on social media social media, it doesn't matter if you're using Alexa or Panavision or something, it's gonna look the same.
Vipul BindraYeah, it's all compressed image. Yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoSo I kind of use my uh I think someone sent it to me a loot that transformed the S log to kind of uh is it the Phantom Luts?
Vipul BindraBecause I love the Phantom Luts.
Guga CarvalhoNo, it's not the Phantom. Uh I don't remember the name because there's some there are many others out there.
Vipul BindraThe Phantom is a popular one, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoA lot of people use it. But uh a friend of mine that used Sony's uh just sent me the the the the file, then I
Using AI For LUTs Not Art
Guga Carvalhojust used that it in every single shoot.
Vipul BindraI I don't know if I've done a video on this, but uh you gotta uh AI again. I'm very much what people we don't use AI in like our actual creative projects, but AI has uses in other places. So what I did, I used AI to create me an L zone LUT. So I love the L zone system, but what I don't like, so I have one small HD monitor, the Cine7, right? And then another one for receiving point is so I use that usually on my A camera, which is rented, like or usually a Barano or something like that. Point is, and it has L zone and I love it. Uh because you know it can show in stops versus IRE. Yeah. Uh but on the FX6s, FX3, I use uh HoloLens stuff because again, I've I need five monitors and five transmitters, it's just cheaper. Uh and it works just fine for corporate stuff. Point is my FX6s of Pyro, which doesn't have L zone. So I was like, I want L Zone, how do I get it? Well, guess what I did? I literally went to Chat GPT and I not Chat GPT, uh Claude. Claude and I was like, hey, make me uh an L zone LUT for S log 3, S C, you know, uh for FX6 or whatever, and use the same color. So uh, you know, I I even uploaded the chart or whatever for L Zone. Uh and it made me a LUT. And it's my own LUT. Obviously, I'm not sharing it anywhere, it's just for personal use. Point is I said it needs to be like L Zone. And I put the LUT and it works. I could I I'll show you. It's on my FX3, I put it on my FX2s, FX6s, you know, and uh uh so all I do is I have a button, you know, you just swap the LUT. But I'm saying you can be creative with like AI. Also, I'm saying I'm sure if you went to AI and told it to make you uh Ari LUT, it probably could get it. I tried.
Guga CarvalhoI tried to copy uh a LUT that I had and it didn't work. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I didn't say that.
Vipul BindraAIs can be like weird, but I also like agentec coding. So not to make it all about AI, uh, but like I find a huge difference between where like LLMs are, but like because you know, agentech is LLM, but like better. Like so, claude code is what I'm talking about. It doesn't work the same way, so like it takes the same thing, but it reasons with it, if that makes sense, right? Point is I got it in one try, and like I said, I'll show you's accurate. I tested it again, so it's like so good. But I know three months ago it couldn't have done that, so it's like improving really, really fast. But I was able to, I was just surprised that one shot I was able to create an L zone LUT. Took me then five seconds, you know, to load my cameras, and now I have L zone on my cameras that don't even support L zone. Nice. The only negative is obviously you have to put it as a LUT instead of like a button. Yeah, but again, if you program a shortcut, yeah, which is what I've done, it's the same thing, exactly. Yeah, and uh what I like is now I have access to L zone, now I can trust what I'm looking at because I prefer stops, you know. Just in my brain, and I'm sure yours is a DP, it's so easier to understand stops because it's consistent. I can go from FX6 to FX3 to FX2, versus, you know, with IRE, even though they're similar cameras, they're different, you know what I mean? And I don't know. And plus I was like, it cost me nothing. It was just a minute of going. Yeah, exactly. And I was like, but I was like, I wouldn't have even been able to think about it. It just randomly came into my brain uh that you know, I want L Zone, how can I do it? I was like, oh LUT, but then I was like, oh, they don't sell the LUT, let me try it. Yeah, and then and it worked great.
Guga CarvalhoI think that's the a good way to use AI for like for us, you know. Yeah, I don't I don't support like uh AI slop using in the videos and creating uh like uh oh I need uh uh something flying here and bro, don't do that, you know?
Vipul BindraNo, just no, yeah, no, and especially it looks fake. I mean, I don't know in two years, like they said how I was able to create the LUT, maybe where it'll be, but right now I agree with you. I think it needs to stay out of our creative work, but I have been really extensively using it for admin stuff, like you know, we were talking about before we started like emails and and proposals and stuff like that. Like it's like oh yeah, it makes it so much faster because I don't want to deal with admin stuff, and that's where there's no creativity involved. We just need to get a proposal out, we need to get an invoice out. Like, why do you need to do that manually? The boring stuff, yeah. Exactly. And there's no, it's not taking over my art form or what we are creating at the end of it. Yeah, it gives us more time to actually be on set to be able to edit and make more stuff. So, yeah, not in the edit. The only other place I've ever used AI is on this YouTube channel, just for that two thumbnails, because I don't have time to make them. Like I said, this is like zero low effort stuff because I am a full-time filmmaker, that's 100% of the money. Yeah, and that's the whole point of this channel. It's like listen from someone who doesn't give a crap about selling you anything. But that also means I have no budget or time to do this. So, what I've been using um is like Google's built in. You don't have to do that. I know that. So on YouTube, what do you do is I upload the video and obviously picks the thumbnail, right? Yeah, but then it has an option that says generate and it'll generate automatically a thumbnail from the video. It's it's nuts. Wow. It's AI, it doesn't look the best, but for a channel like mine where I don't really give a crap. Wow, it's really useful. But outside of that, yeah, I've I try to limit AI, you know, usage just because I I don't think it's there yet, personally. Oh, yeah. But I also don't know that I will never do because if it keeps getting better, you know, where in two years, like you're like saying adding some flying stuff, if it actually looks decent where I would hire a graphic artist to actually make it, like a visual effects artist, then I don't know. But right now, no, I wouldn't use it. But I think what's your stance? You're probably like never, even if it gets really good.
Guga CarvalhoNo, I mean, like, I would never switch between like oh uh let's not hire uh video effects artist and then use AI, you know. I feel like the future would be him using whatever stuff he needs to use to make his job a little bit easier or a little bit better.
Vipul BindraYou said that perfectly.
Guga CarvalhoI agree now because that you would hire the visual artist.
Vipul BindraNow he may not manually create that, you may use any.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, because he knows how to build in a way to make it make it look real and nice, yeah.
Vipul BindraExactly. Instead of thinking yeah, that's why which is why there's so much slop, right? Yeah, exactly. Which is why I refuse to use it in my videos for clients. I had somebody approach me recently uh to do a video and they wanted it all with AI just because what they want to do is to be real, I get their perspective too. They were like, we want to do this, it would be hundreds of people on screen. They can't afford hundreds of people, they want to do it in a couple thousand. You can't even get you know volunteers for that because just feeding them uh Lewis, our AD guy uh friend is sitting here, you would know 2,000 people, just feed them, you're out of the money. So so they were like, hey, why don't we do this with AI? And it it's okay if it looks fake because the whole point is to tell the story. Uh-huh. And and I was kinda in the middle. Then I was like, you know what? I don't know. Because I'm like, it literally look fake, you know, like 2,000 people doing like a uh the easiest best way I could say civil war reenactment. I was like, why don't you reach out to people who already do this? And if they're when they're doing, we'll come and film it. You know, that may be better, or maybe try to, I don't know, like change it something. No, well, they can't. The story that is the story is the World War II story, you know what I mean? So or not civil. But I'm saying it's an old story. Okay, it needed that. So so and they don't have the budget to to to re-enact it. The point is, I I get the point, like there is the use, but right now it's not where I want to use it. So I was like, I I did think about it for a minute. I was like, but I was like, that's not the filmmaker I want to be. You realize that job would be me sitting in front of a computer going generate thousand people, civil war, whatever, or some kind of war, world war, fighting.
Guga CarvalhoAnd I'm like, Yeah, I feel like at least for me, I don't do filming just for just to see like a product or something, or maybe money or something. I do because of like people around me. I I do just to uh hang out with you guys in a film set or maybe like learn something new, you know. That's that's the main reason why uh I do filmmaking and with AI, I I will be like you said, like in a room alone, you know, writing comments.
Vipul BindraRight, yeah, writing like speaking with something with someone, yeah, who's not I wouldn't even call it someone, some computer, you're like, hey, make this. But also thing is like, see, the thing is uh prompt engineering, it's this whole thing, like to be able to get good stuff out of AI. Now to be real, I don't want to be anti AI again because I we do use AI, like I said. Extensively. Like we were talking about, I do own that second software company. And what we're trying to achieve, which is gonna help a lot of filmmakers, but we couldn't even make that happen without AI because there's a reason why such tools for filmmakers don't exist, because it would cost, you know, a huge team of thousands of people to be able to do that manually. I'm saying, and we're doing that with a small team. Now it's still humans, like I was saying, but they are using AI as a tool because it makes you know one person be able to do the job of 10 people, is why we're gonna be able to bring these tools out at a price people can afford. And I don't want to go too into it, like we said. Yeah, but the point is so so it has its uses, but I'm totally with you, not in the creative right now. Yeah, maybe eventually, which I saw a bit back. This happened a few weeks back, but like uh Maddie Hipoya did a sponsorship thing, he's a popular YouTuber. The whole Higgs field thing blew up, like people were hating on against him. What's your perspective on that?
Guga CarvalhoThere's another there's another guy in Instagram who did the same thing, but uh yeah.
Vipul BindraOh, what somebody else, and then people were against him too. Yeah, yeah. I know the Maddie Hipoya story. I don't know the which I met Maddie by the way, and he great guy. So I felt bad, but also I get this. I like him. I also see the perspective though, filmmakers.
Guga CarvalhoThey're like, you know, you're promoting filmmaking, but then you're saying I think his only I feel like his only uh problem with that video was the shot of him riding in the the fucking like flying thing, something, yeah, whatever you call it.
Vipul BindraSomething I don't know, some made up creeping. I think that was stupid looking. Yeah, like don't don't don't do that, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, but like like I said, like I feel like AI will be and will always be for us a tool, just a tool, yeah. Like learn it how to use it, but don't don't like um take out jobs, yeah, you know.
Vipul BindraNo, I mean the the way I've thought about using like I don't do Instagram stuff, right? But I know they're so effective because we'll do it for clients. So I thought about it. I was like, the whole thing in Instagram is like you need attention. So I was like, oh, what if we're doing an ad? You know, like you've started sorry, people will do random things in AI, like you know, just because uh not AI in in an Instagram ad just because attention. So what I was like, oh, that'd be crazy if like you know, you did stuff like people show in AI videos, like you know, like a flame coming out here and there, and just so attention span grabbing. And I was like, it'd be so easy to do that because good luck doing real fire or whatever, like you know, on set, you need way more safety precautions and costs. Yeah, but I'm saying you can do that with AI, and if I use that in an ad, which is like usy UGC, like phone shot, like it's nothing crazy. Uh, but I haven't done that yet. But I was thinking about it, I was like, that would be a way to get attention in a video without like, you know, like actually changing the ad. It's more like you know, you're walking and you're talking about your brand, like, hey, come get a roof, because then your roof won't get caught catch on fire, and you do this and the roof catches fire and then stop. You know what I mean? Stuff like that. It won't rain. Now, could you do that? Absolutely. Now, right now I would do it by actually lighting up on fire or and you know, dropping water, heavy rain on it, which is easier to do than fire. Point is there would be real cost to it. Now I need to go to a roofing company, ask for 10, 20 grand minimum, I'm saying, to do something like that. Um, versus I could try to do it. Yeah, I don't know how good it will be. This is just a brain thought right now. But that now, and that I know that video will do really well on on social media because that's the type of stuff people want to watch, right? It's catchy, it's it's fast, yeah, gets the point. Uh so stuff like that. I'm saying, I don't know. We're like, yeah, but I also like I don't know. I'm anti using it in my projects, but I also see the use case of it. So I keep going back and forth.
Guga CarvalhoI mean, you I I kind of use AI in a way because uh I use I use um DaVinci, and DaVinci has AI, a lot of built-in, yeah, yeah, all over. And so yeah, I'm using AI, but not for slop or something.
Vipul BindraExactly. I know what you mean. Like I love the masking features now. We can the cleanest mask we can get now, we which would take forever now that you can do easily like change stuff, you know.
Guga CarvalhoSo I totally get the the audio part, yeah, cleaning it.
Vipul BindraYeah, exactly. There's no reason not to use AI there, yeah. Whatever. But at the same time, like I said, you don't want to make a flying monkey, you know, in your scene, unless it absolutely needs it. I don't know. But I also do I'm I'm I'm interested to see what the next year looks like. Uh-huh. Because like I said, the amount of change I've seen in just the last three months, it's like nuts, is what I'm saying. Like the it's like doubling in performance. It's like weird at the time where you know, like you went from 8-bit to 10-bit camera, you're like, whoa. Oh, yeah. So it's like it's changing, but like that's happening every three months. So it's like, I don't even know no point investing in AI right now because it's like what you make today, which is where our point of slop is you make anything today in three months, it's gonna look trash. Yeah. And the next three months is gonna look trash. So until it gets to a point where right now, like camera, you know, any camera you buy, it's like good enough. You know what I mean? Like a little bit different. So it's like it's I feel like until AI gets there, there's no point using it because no matter what you create, it's gonna look old, yeah, tech, yeah. I agree, but it's moving so fast. Oh yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. But uh, but you know, I also think the anti-AI sentiment is more strong in US for some reason. Do you feel that way? In my opinion, not saying that people are for AI, but I find a lot of other countries, like people are not as anti-AI as much as US. I think we are seeing a lot more anti-AI sentiment than the rest of the world. Have you noticed that? I didn't thought about it because I've seen like shorts and stories and like slop, which we would call slop, like actual short film in AI slop that's doing well in other markets that would not fly here.
Guga CarvalhoLike you did that US the most comments would be slops, like so maybe it's uh a US thing, maybe uh just because here we have the production going on, Hollywood is here, so maybe that's why.
Vipul BindraBut uh but I think in general, American audiences are just rejecting AI, which is good, which is good for industry for us, but it's also seeing like crazy for me, like how Americans in general, not everyone, is this wholeheartedly like we don't want AI.
Guga CarvalhoUsually once the Americ the American like uh market don't if they don't like AI, the rest is not gonna approve. We do lead the yeah, the usually it's very rare to not not have so that may help us, obviously.
Vipul BindraLike I said, it it may get popular. We don't know. You're here, we'll we'll catch up in a few years, we'll know. But right now, the way it's moving, I don't even know what to do with it, what to make with it. But it does help a lot in admin work and just save time and just you know, get more filmmaking done.
Getting Hired Through Staff Me Up
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraYeah. So what do you see what's next for you then? I mean, you're already a DP, you're already shooting stuff, you're making content, you know. I don't know.
Guga CarvalhoI I need to shoot more. It's never enough. No, uh yeah, um, I think it was last week that we we rapped on uh Louis uh short film, and that was that was cool. We still have to uh go over the the edits and all.
Vipul BindraAre you editing that too? Uh just helping him.
Guga CarvalhoUh yeah, I'm gonna help him. I think he has to, yeah, right? Yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraBut you're the prime example. Talk to me about that. I think you you brought up something really cool because I know Lewis mentioned on his you know pod that he just reached out to you on LinkedIn. Like you were a stranger to him. Oh yeah. And now, like you're collaborating, you're I bet I doubt he paid you for to do his short film. There you go. It's a friendship, right? It's not just he should. Yeah, he should, but I mean, hey, he's worked for you free too. So you know, it's like but what I'm trying to say is like, look, at the end, it's a collaboration, but it's a collaboration where you essentially are mentored him. He came from Brazil. Obviously, you do have that common in you, but what I'm saying is he reached out to you via LinkedIn of all places, and here you are now friends. Quite literally, you're here to watch each other. Do your episodes, you know, you're that that close, yeah. You wouldn't let each other out of your sight, and that came from him reaching out to you and uh LinkedIn. What was your perspective when you got that? You know, him reaching out.
Guga CarvalhoUh, I thought that would be a great like start because I was I was coming uh back to Orlando. So I thought, well, it's a good start to to like making some new connections and it's he's uh he's a new guy, a new like former student, uh alumni, and uh yeah, I don't know, another Brazilian. I saw that he j did you already uh finish the the full sale back in the day?
Vipul BindraYes, no, uh I was like two months.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, so he was about to to graduate and I feel like yeah, I I I if I can help, I will help, so yeah, that's why I was like, okay, let's go.
Vipul BindraThat's crazy, right? And this is what I would suggest to anyone listening. They're like, you know, what they don't know what to do, or they don't have enough set experience, like reach out to people, you'd be surprised yeah, exactly. Lego Google, or just in general, whoever's around you, because at the end of the day, look, here's the the fact of the thing is you know, he reached out to you. Obviously, not only did you mentor him, but yeah, you've helped him, you know, bring him on set, help him get to where he is. Uh, but you both are friends, you collaborate. Yeah, exactly. Look at that. Exactly. And then you're collaborating, you're making something uh, you know, together. And like I said, now you helped him on his thesis project, right? For school. So that to me is what filmmaking is. Yeah, it's just collaborating and building relationships, and that only happens by making an effort because he made an effort to reach out to you, but then you made an effort to actually help him out, right? And connect and bring him to jobs and things like that. And uh, you know, and it that brings lifelong bonding, kind of like like I said, have you met? And here we are, you know, years later doing this podcast. Took me two years to get you on here, but we got you. You know what I mean? Oops, uh, two seasons you you you you passed me.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, it has to be special. Come on.
Vipul BindraThere you go. It's hey, season three, and uh, but we got you on, and and that but that but that's the point, you know. It's like you know, wouldn't have happened, like I said, you would I can't imagine doing both my commercial car commercials without you, but that wouldn't have happened had I not done that thing with you, right? It's like it's a full circle thing, so it it takes a you know uh special person, I'm saying, to make it happen. So yeah, um, so and I think that's what the takeaway is is like a lot of people I'm saying, you need to just reach out and connect with people and collaborate and just make stuff. Money comes as long as you're talented and you know the people, right? The best way to do both is just to go out and film, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um now you've done you know this stuff. Are you gonna stay in Orlando?
Guga CarvalhoAre you planning to move or what's your I'm always all over the place. Uh so next uh next month, I don't know what when are you gonna post this? Soon. Yeah, well, uh I have a date, but Thursdays at 8 a.m.
Vipul Bindraguys. One of these Thursdays.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, but uh yeah, I have like a couple shoots in in LA. I have a couple shoots in, sorry, not 8 a.m. I can't even know my own podcast time yet. Uh 9 a.m. here or 9 a.m. Yeah, eastern, eastern.
Vipul BindraWhat are the time? This is in Orlando, yeah. But like there's no it's not gonna be LA time. Yeah I don't know. I don't know, man. Yeah, 9 a.m. Eastern. But you know, hey, very few people watch actually live. Most are gonna listen on Spotify and Apple and that's where I see most of the the things. So they're probably listening to this on their drive or in their toilet, so it's fine, you know. We can not worry about it. Hear somebody flushing, right? Anyway, yeah, it happened.
Guga CarvalhoUh yeah, but uh yeah, I have a couple shoots. Um I have something in uh Vegas as well. Events in the how do you find these?
Vipul BindraSo, like how do you find these jobs, man?
Guga CarvalhoHow do you um there's a website called Um Staff Me Up? That one was from Staff Me Up.
Vipul BindraOkay, look at that. Yeah, so they're hiring you from Orlando to go all the way to Vegas from Staff Me Up. That's crazy. Did you have to look for Vegas jobs or was it? No, no, no.
Guga CarvalhoIt was it was in on my feed. I was like, oh, I I I can do that.
Vipul BindraYeah. So how do you approach that? Do you like already give them a total with travel, or you're saying, hey, it's gonna be this much plus travel and they're okay to pay that? Like, how are you pricing these out?
Guga CarvalhoUh I I do I do the whole budget thing, send them and with all. Yeah, including. So you do the breakdown and stuff? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraAnd you think, why'd you pick the they pick you? Obviously, you're talented. That was the thing, or they you are the cheapest. Like, how do you because it's a because there's talented filmmakers in Vegas too, right? I'm just trying to think, and but we both obviously go to Vegas to shoot. So, what I'm trying to say is how do you make that proposal? Because different when they know you, they want you. This is like they don't know you. How are you selling that it's worth to bring you out to do this?
Guga CarvalhoMaybe it's my my expertise because I have a lot of um um events credit on my on my page on my uh um portfolio and all. So maybe that that's makes sense. That's it. Yeah, um, but yeah, um I don't think it's the price because I think it will be cheaper to just to hire someone there. Yeah. So yeah.
Vipul BindraBut I think they hire you because, like you said, you have a lot of experience. And then you so you you basically put what your rate in and then your experience in there, and then they decide pretty much so you don't do anything special, I'm saying, on this no, not on this, no.
Guga CarvalhoBecause it's just that. Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraHow else do you find work? What uh I'm just trying to think of people because those are the questions people want to know. Like, how do you get jobs? You know, how do you get hired? So how do you find your best jobs? You know, I know we talked about the other one, which was a friend. This one's Staff Me Up, which is a popular website. What what other avenues do you suggest or at least you get your work from?
Guga CarvalhoUm I just know um some um not production companies, uh production agency, uh not production, um agencies, marketing agencies. And usually their brands needs video for something, uh, even if it's just uh for business.
Vipul BindraYeah. And do you generally just shoot or do you do both shoot and edit? What do you find majority?
Guga CarvalhoI usually just shoot. I do edit as well. I always offered, but sometimes they are they already have their their editors and all. But uh yeah, I I I can do the both.
Vipul BindraOkay, and you use resolve, right? You said resolve, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoThat's awesome.
Vipul BindraYeah, so when they're hiring you, do you do like just one rate that brings your camera package with it, or do you generally do here's my rate and here's camera like kit fee or whatever?
Guga CarvalhoDo you break it down or do you it depends on the client and uh on the type of uh shoot that uh that I'm gonna do? Uh sometimes I have to be very like descriptive and put everything there, and sometimes even like separate uh editing from shooting. And sometimes it's just like oh, it's like a one-day or two-day uh event, uh same day edit and all. I just put like my my daily rate and that's all I can I can do. If if I feel like will be something easy, yeah, I'll do that. If not, if it's gonna be like all uh I don't know, three people to to um to follow and oh I I need like a AC or a uh gaffer or something like that, then I will like go more.
Vipul BindraSo do you charge based on like um like what you're filming? So you know I know some DPs have like a day rate. They're like this is my day rate. I don't care if I'm doing this sort of that or whatever. Do you charge based on just have a day rate, or do you do like oh, this is like just an event shoot, so I'll charge less. So this is a big commercial, I'll charge more, or this is Coca-Cola, I'm charging kind of you know what I mean. Do you charge based on a client or do you have a fixed day rate?
Guga CarvalhoLike I have a fixed uh a fixed day rate, but usually I just use based on clients and projects. Yeah, and just because I don't I feel like I don't have the expertise enough to go, oh, that's my day rate. Go figure out, yeah, exactly.
Vipul BindraYeah, yeah, yeah.
Guga CarvalhoI need I need to find jobs, so yeah, you need money, of course.
Vipul BindraAnd I mean that's so does everyone, which is the whole point. Yeah, uh, you know, that that's my entire goal. I'm tired of you know, not that you know we are staged, but I'm saying so many people are like can't make this a full-time career because they are bills to pay and it is inconsistent. Let's be real. Anything freelance or yeah, um, you know, independent production company or whatever is gonna be very inconsistent. So you need to find a way to get jobs uh which can come in all sorts of random ways, you know.
Guga CarvalhoAnd and I don't and I don't don't just do uh DP, I I do uh AC for you, uh Gaffer, grip, whatever need, you know.
Vipul BindraSo exactly, you gotta be versatile. Yeah, like anything there. Like, come on. Give me a foot rubber, like I'm there, yeah, especially if it's Lewis.
Guga CarvalhoExactly, yeah. No, but I I prefer I always prefer like going out and do work or film something. Yeah, then sit at home, right?
Vipul BindraYeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, no, I totally get that. Yeah, we don't want to sit at home, like it's a very active lifestyle that we live. So in that way, I'm saying you want to be on set, you don't want to be in front of a computer, right? Which is my entire life's biggest annoyance thing. Yeah, yeah. Anything admin we have to do just because oh yeah, it's so annoying, or meetings or calls, people want to get on calls, and most of the calls are stupid. I I've very rarely been on a call where I learned something new, you know, like uh where it's like, oh wow, I needed to know this. Like cool, yeah. It's usually like, okay, so this person's gonna be there, it's gonna be there, this is gonna be this. And I'm like, this could have been just yeah, send me the script, like I got you, and a reference frame. That's all most corporate stuff. I'm saying Marcel, I get it. Yeah, I'm saying most corporate jobs are uh I need a reference frame, and if there's any scripts or anything, and that's really it. Because we've done this a million times. There's nothing really we need to know. But I'm saying, but so many times we just have to sit on a call and I'm like, why am I on this call? Or a lot of times it's just them talking because you know they'll have an agency and the client that they're talking. I'm just in there as a production partner, whatever you mean to call it, and it's like uh just listening.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, I'm like, okay, mm-hmm.
Vipul BindraYeah, can you be there on 8 a.m.? Yeah, we'll be there at 8 a.m., which is already on the schedule. It's like, okay, really, you bring two cameras? Yes, we will bring two cameras. You know, it's like that's usually the what it is, and I'm like laughing as it's like, but then again, it's part of our business, though. You can't say no because then you don't get hired because yeah, it is part of it, you know.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, it's good to have a good relationship with yeah, exactly.
Vipul BindraBut I do love that though. Uh, and I'm sure you have a perspective on that. Once you build a relationship, though, jobs get so much easier because it's like once you trust someone, uh my best clients, I never have to do the race thing. Because my biggest thing is, you know, and and again, that may be my issue. I do work at a very big scale, right? Yeah, uh small jobs and big jobs, so it could be really low to like I said, nothing to really, really high. And the problem then happens is like when you're have a new client, you have to figure out where they fit. Because, like you, I want the job, but I I don't want to scare them off or char undercharge them and underdeliver. Point is that's why I love like my best clients. I literally, and you've worked a few times, they also know, so I just literally say, What's your budget? And they tell me the budget, and that's perfect because I can then just as long as obviously, unless it's reason unreasonable, but generally it is actually it's always comes out cheaper than I would have sent the rate in. Very rarely will they say a budget where I'm like, Oh, I'm getting more money, but it helps me because now it's like as long as I can do it, yeah, easy peasy, yeah. Sign contract. They that for them too, they don't need approval, they don't need to talk about it. They like it's the process is so easy with them saying repeat clients. They call, here's what I need. What's the budget? Uh okay, I can do that. Proposal, sign, payment, let's go. You know, I mean, it's so easy. It's yeah, and and you get 10 of those, your life is set. Yeah, it's always I'm saying the the people you're not familiar with, and I totally get that from their perspective, yeah, right? Because they're scared, they don't know what they're getting. You get swindling them or whatever. So they don't give you budget. I don't have when you tell me. And then you stand, they're like, no, not that much. So you had a budget, yeah. How much is it? You know, or give me a reference frame because you know, I can then tell you how much it would cost to create that quality. You know, I don't know what it is. Is it just a person with a camera? It'd be really cheap. Yeah, you know, if you want a light, maybe a little bit more, but if you want fancy stuff, you know, like fancy interview, cinema glass, you know, I don't know, it's gonna be expensive. Yeah, so it's it's like sliding scale, and and but it's it's hard. Well, how do you approach that? Do you have that issue as well?
Guga CarvalhoUh actually, I don't have that kind of issue because usually it if I have like a like a uh uh a client that already approached me other times and all, uh and I I used to work with them, uh they already know my price and if uh maybe if it's like something way different than that uh than the other stuff that I already did for them, maybe I I'll have to explain and and Put all the the prices and all and maybe change it some stuff, or maybe like, oh, that's my budget. Can you do it? Usually it's just like, oh, uh, are you free this this day? Yeah, let's go. And then you easily know how much it would be. So yeah. That makes it easy.
Vipul BindraYou just keep it simple. Yeah. You know, yeah. I think that's a good business practice, man. Just keeping it simple. And that's what I'm saying. It may just be my thing, and and and that's just because it's sliding scale. Because you can hire just one DP, which is pretty similar to your process. Too we want 20 people and we want this and we want that, and we want an arm and a leg, and you know, some food. The biggest one is they want crafty and they don't expense how expensive crafty is you know how it starts to get expensive. Oh, yeah. So you have to factor all that in. You know, it's not gonna just be easily done. But that's that's pretty good, man. Like I said, it's it's pretty cool. I've had such a fun time collaborating with you on things from your your commercial to my commercial to just corporate job, like the one we did for Jason. It's just all crazy. Which is your favorite one? Have you had
Biggest Set Ever And Shooting Film
Vipul Bindraa favorite one? I mean, probably the Dama one, I'm guessing.
Guga CarvalhoWait, the my favorite project ever. Ever.
Vipul BindraYeah, yeah, yeah. Damn.
Guga CarvalhoI think my favorite my favorite one was one in that I did in LA. I was uh an AC. Uh it was a music video for Bad Bunny. Oh, yeah.
Vipul BindraBad Bunny. That's a big one.
Guga CarvalhoI I shot in one day, not the whole thing, but I I was in just one day there. Uh the production was in a desert in the middle of nowhere, like nowhere. Um it was hot as hell. I almost I almost died there because it was so hot. But uh it was cool. We had a a dolly track with a piano. The girl was like singing and all. And we shot with a Ari Cam film. It was cool.
Vipul BindraOh, it was actual film? It was film. Oh wow, yeah, yeah. That's pretty cool.
Guga CarvalhoAnd the funny enough, the director wasn't there, it was just me, the other uh camera guy, his camera crew, and the DP. The director was in London, and then they had to was it remote directing or yeah, it was totally remote directing. They had to like uh call a guy to put like a uh I I don't think it was at the time it was the Starlink. I don't think it was Starlink, it was something else, yeah. But uh there's like a a whole van for it.
Vipul BindraOh, like uh one of those OB type. I don't know what you're talking about, like some kind of internet van.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah, it's crazy. And we had like 12 hours to shoot 30 seconds, it was just the opening, yeah.
Vipul BindraThat's crazy. But that's the that was fun, yeah. Yeah, what was the cruise size on that one?
Guga CarvalhoUh I think we had 50 people, yeah. That's crazy. Around, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Vipul BindraBut it is bad bunny, so it'd be a yeah, it was huge.
Guga CarvalhoHe wasn't there, but oh, he wasn't even there, because yeah, it's open. It was the other girl, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, but uh that's funny. The name of the the the music video was uh Lo Siento Bebe.
Vipul BindraI gotta go check it out. That's cool. So that's all you did in that you did that opening sequence, basically, which is so crazy, right? And this is what I'm talking about. Like talk about scale, it just gets crazy, you know. Like, and here we are. I just did a meeting with someone who who wanted to just get advice for moving the music video to corporate, and he was talking about how he does single person, he does music videos, and he's charging like 500 bucks, 600 bucks for the whole thing, like shooting, editing, everything. And I'm like, that's crazy. And this one person, you know, you're doing everything. And I'm like, the scale difference is nuts from you know this to that, but that's what it takes, you know. That's what it takes to get it done right, and and I'm sure there's millions of scales in the middle, and you fit right wherein. Oh, yeah. All right, awesome, man. Well, this has been a great conversation, Guga. Before we go, anything else you want to touch on or talk about? No, I don't think so. Was it that bad now that you've done it?
Guga CarvalhoNo, it wasn't right.
Vipul BindraIt's just a conversation, bro.
Guga CarvalhoI was I was nervous.
Vipul BindraYeah, but you're my most nervous guest. I'm still nervous. Is it me? Am I making you nervous? No, you still don't know.
Guga CarvalhoNo, no, it's it's it's everything, you know? But uh yeah, I think you had a great perspective.
Vipul BindraHopefully, people learn. Look, you've freaking uh helped on a music video for Bad Bunny. People want to learn from you. You're a cool guy, but no, I appreciate you good. Yeah, tell people where they can follow
Where To Follow Guga And Wrap
Vipul Bindrayou, man.
Guga CarvalhoYeah, yeah. Uh well, follow me on Instagram. You can uh you can find me on um V-H E G-U-G-A Carvalho. Yeah, that's spell that Lear Last C-A-R-V-A-L-H.
Vipul BindraThe Guga Carvalho. Is that you say it? Okay, look at that. My Brazilian D P. No, you you guys are amazing, you're extremely talented, bro. I love uh collaborating with you. Every single time I've collaborated with you. You know, you can tell. What I'm saying is, and this is again, just not to repeat myself, but like when you're talented, you don't have to tell people you're talented. You just come and do your thing, you do it to your best of ability. And that's what I love about you, and I think the rest of the Brazilian crew we have, everyone is humble, you know. Humility is this such an incredibly, you know, not talked about I'm saying art thing personality-wise. So you would both very humble, but at the same time extremely talented. And that's what I like to hang out with. I like to hang out with people who are fun, who are humble, but talented, so we can actually get it done without egos coming into place, you know? I agree. Because uh, and and like I said, I love collaborating with you. Hopefully, we'll get to do a lot more projects together. But thank you for coming, thank you for overcoming your fear. And it was great having you. But until next episode on Studio B sessions, Thursdays at 9 a.m. See ya. Bye.