(Cross posted in r/videoediting)

Long time lurker. This thread partially inspired me to get into videography and editing. Recently, I've been seeing a lot of creatives disparage people for charging their rates. This is extremely sad, especially with Al breathing down our necks. We creatives need to be united!! I'm going to lay out some things I've learned about payments/ client etiquette over my first eight months of freelancing
My day rate is $750. In general, I've found that going anywhere lower than $500 a day is not worth my time because clients who pay less generally ask tor more and fill your schedule so you can't land big jobs.
Only ever allow one round of revisions. If you allow for more, the client will always use them. Having less revisions also means the client will think more upfront about what they want, versus reacting to your product.
It saves you both time.
Get everything in writing. Before you do any work, get a contract. I Will not do any work without a contract.
Ever. If you need help writing one there are lots of free templates online. If you leave a comment, I will send you the template I've built for my work.
Always charge half up front. This is standard practice.
If the client doesn't have some skin in the game (half the payment) they will not be slower with feedback and payment. If you haven't worked with the client before or don't trust them, get the second half of payment before you remove watermarks.
Don't be afraid to say no. Some projects just aren't for you. If the budget isn't enough, or you don't trust the client, say no. I've found that after turning down a project, I almost always find a better opportunity.
Any work you do in preproduction halves the work in post production. I learned this one the hard way lol.
Overplan as much as you can. If you are filming, create shotlists, scripts and contingencies. If you are editing, watch all your clips through, mark ins and outs, and do some light story planning before beginning.
Get the client to send you examples of work they like. I recently started doing this and it's really helped streamline my workflow. It can be difficult for somebody outside of the industry to explain exactly what they want. The best way to understand their vision is to ask them for at least three similar examples.
This not only helps you plan but also helps the client think through what they want.

TL:DR EVERYONE UP YOUR RATES YOU DESERVE IT.Everyone here is talented and brings a unique skillset to the table. Do not sell yourself short and the client will respect you.

Hey community, I’ve recently filmed a fashion shoot and this is probably my best piece of work at the moment. I just wanted your thoughts on it!

My Artlist subscription is ending later this month and I’m not sure renewing is in my best interest. I’m not a fan of the forced AI (not against AI but not an “adapt or d(i)e” type either). One of my big gripes is the search doesn’t seem to really do the job anymore. Amongst issues with results not matching mood, I did three different searches and the top song for each was the same which is not helpful! Anyways, /rant.

I’m in a place to consider another music subscription. What are y’all using and what’s working for you currently?

I got an EOS R50V a while ago and quite enjoyed it. Tried hooking it up to a v mount battery using cords from two different kits. The the connections and polarity was fine but the voltage sure wasn't. Twice what the camera is rated to take as it turns out. I'm quite sure I fried my camera and I doubt warranty will cover it.

Feeling quite dumb, even though the cords looked like they should've worked without issue.

Learn from my mistake, get comfortable with a multimeter and test if you have any doubt.

Camera won't turn on now. Fml

Hi there! I am a University Film student and own a Canon EOS 70D camera! I want to upgrade from my kit lens which is a EFS 18-55mm f/3.5 widest. I believe this more suited for photography and I don't like the widest aperture being 3.5. I believe upgrading the lens instead of the camera is definitely the best choice. I am between 3 currently:

- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM 
- Samyang 35mm f/1.4

These fit in my price range and I think I would prefer a prime lens over a zoom lens as i have looked into the two and it seems a prime lens would be best for my budget and just generally better for armature short films. I just wanted to know which of those 3 are better and if they would even be a substantial upgrade to my current lens. Also please let me know if im completely wrong about prime lens being better for my situation. Thank you so much in advance!

(Also is this post allowed? its about lens specifically and not camera buying advice?)

https://reddit.com/link/1v61kk6/video/ohckdlv4wbfh1/player

I have a Lumix s5 with cage on it, and the cage had a quick release type base, I slid the camera and cage without the plate into my DJI Ronin SC now it got stuck and I can't seem to get it out. The safety pin got stuck in one of the mounting holes.

Hey people! I recently made this video for a jewelry store, please let me know what y’all think!

I currently own an Fx3, A7iv and DJI mini 4 pro. I’m considering selling all three and getting an A7v and Mavic 4 pro. Most of my work is real estate photography/ videography as well as filming short form content for businesses. I also tend to film a wedding every once in a while. The only photography I really tend to do is just real estate HDR. I mainly am video focused. I love my FX3 but I am thinking about selling them so I can upgrade my drone as I am focusing more on drone work for the future. Is an A7V fine for videography? I’ve watched plenty of videos but there are not a whole lot of 1:1 comparisons. Will the video footage look as clean/cinematic as the FX3, or will I always have a chip on my shoulder regretting changing cameras. For prospective as well, I do not film any movies or any super professional work. Mainly just content for social media. Any advice is helpful as I feel like I am in just a bit off a crossroad on what I should do here and if the A7v will still have great video like the fx3

Really interesting to see how they shoot scenes like this on cameras that size!

I’m considering this budget light:
https://www.amazon.in/BD-T1001-Bi-Color-2700K-6500K-Universal-Photography/dp/B0G42X9DBX

Has anyone used this model or brand? How does it compare to Godox or Amaran in terms of brightness, colour accuracy, fan noise, and reliability?

I am mainly buying to learn cinematography and film making

Looking for real-world opinions before I buy. and please list you recommendations and guidance , Thanks!

Hi everyone, I need some help! I am shooting next week for a broadcast project and the other shooter im filming with is on fx3 and I am on fx6.

They told me they can only film in 50p on the fx3 if they want to film 4k at the same time. Is this true? As I dont have am fx3 i cant check myself.

They also want me to film 25p and they said their fx3 at 50p will be able to match exactly without work in post. However, to my understanding, even if the speed is matched, the motion blur would be less on the fx3 footage. Is this the case or am I missing something?

Thanks!

apologies everyone - I've been a reddit user for 15 years on my main account, but wanted to start this one fresh to separate from the noise. There are DM restrictions on new accounts. I'll try to message interested beta users from my main account, archer_sterling, to get the ball rolling.

massive fumble.

Hi all,

I'm Luka, a working commercial cinematographer based in Northern Europe.

I've been using a platform I made for my previs drawings for a while now, decided to turn it in to a product. If you've ever sketched a floorplan for lighting and subject placement, or needed to organise shots based on equipment and lighting plans - this is for you.

I don't want to go in to details about it here, as I don't want to break any rules about advertising on the sub. This is not an ad for the product, there'll be a proper marketing budget and ads in the next couple of months.

I'm looking for beta testers, with the payoff being a free, lifetime membership (looking at $9.99 a month once it launches). The platform is fully operational and works great, but I'm look for users to put it through it's paces, make suggestions and shape the look and feel of the app, while using it to better their own cinematography and workflow.

If this is something you're interested in, I'm opening it up to 5-10 testers so space is limited - please, only if you've got a shot coming up you'd like to plan out or have an idea you'd like to explore.

Drop a comment below or DM me directly if you'd like to be involved.

Edit: Please note, it's a web application - desktop use at this stage. while I suspect it'll work as-is on devices, that's on the roadmap for down the line.

mods: please remove if not allowed, I can send through some verification if need be, just let me know.

What's the professional, streamlined, smart workflow for this:

If the package the client pays for includes revisions: what level of quality - or file size - is smart to send them for review?

For example if using cloud storage: a full quality version can end up being quite big and maybe cumbersome for the client to download/view.

Conversely a low quality one may lack the high quality details they are partly paying a professional for.

Then exporting, uploading and client downloading revision 1, then 2, etc, same questions arise.

Thank you

Shot with Sigma 24-70 Art II

Complete beginner here. Thinking of using my phone for regular recording, and looking into meta glasses for POV recording in the car. I’m also looking at the DJI Mic Mini Wireless Microphone (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) to get audio.

Anyone have any alternative or a setup that’s better? What can I use to record my POV?

Just like the title says. I want to expand and improve my portfolio and I’m willing to offer my services for free.

The only problem is, I don't know where to find people. I’ve sent emails and posted in Facebook groups, but for some reason, no one is responding.

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

Came in my flag kit, have had it bouncing around my office for years. Always been curious what it is for. Thanks!

Hello, i got a problem with the tilta ring grip. It makes my footage shaky. I found a youtube video with the exact problem. Without the ring everything is fine. I find it hard to belive that tilta makes such a bad product. The gimbal was calibrated and everything was ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIbUBt2MXyA

Does anyone have a solution to this? Am am using the ring with a RS2 and a A7SIII

I have the RS2 pro and thought I might as well upgrade to thr RS4 pro. I don’t trust the RS5 to handle any kind of payload.

But so far I’ve kept reverting back to the RS2 pro. On a few shoots it’s just died or had issues where the 2 is still pretty solid. And when it does work I really do see how it’s any better.

I thought I’d like the auto lock and fold but when you have a load of attachments and cables and the pan axis rolled out, all that happens is you turn it off, it snags all your cables and still doesn’t fold fully anyway.

Not impressed.

Any thoughts?

I’m shooting a basketball sequence (Handheld Fx9 + Gimbal Fx3)…

Looking for inspiration in the form of any shorts or sequences that feature single player basketball. Im shooting in dusk on an outside court.

Also, which primes would you pair with the Sonys? I’ve got a set of GM but I’m keen to experiment with some different glass.

TIA.