Hi Reader,

The kind of work you do, or want to do, impacts the gear you buy. Or don't buy.

Let's break it down by scale. In my mind, there are three main levels of production. Yes, there are levels within the levels, but let's start with some broad categories.

Large-Scale Film/Video Production - think features, Netflix series, and higher-budget commercials. As a DP or Director at this level, you don't need to own any gear. You show up on set with a script and maybe a light meter. If you provide a piece of gear, it's considered a "kit rental." You're paid for your vision, experience, and labor. The crew is highly specialized, and often unionized. If you're the DP, you have a team to do your lighting for you. They execute your vision, and you execute the director's vision.

Growing up, my older brother was a first AD and eventually executive producer, and I got to visit lots of these kinds of sets. I spent hours on movies like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, and marveled at the huge amount of crew, each member a cog doing his or her part. I had just started my documentary career, where two or three people had to do everything, so it blew my mind that the DP wasn't even allowed to plug in a light! Later, when I got to direct or DP commercials with decent-sized crews, I still had a hard time leaving the set when things weren't wrapped. To this day, my AC has to tell me to walk away from the camera cleanup and go talk to the actors or clients.

Medium-Sized Video Production - think documentaries, sports feature stories, non-fiction television and news programs, and corporate video production. This is the world I grew up in and built my business around. As a DP here, it's highly beneficial to own a high-end camera, support, and a basic lighting package. Not only do you know your gear better, but you get to rent it back to clients over and over again, allowing them to pay for it. You're not officially renting it to your client, but you do invoice for your labor and gear.

The real craft at this level is your ability to light cinematic-looking interviews, and shoot visually-engaging B-roll. That's the work. Master those two and you're suddenly way more in demand, because nearly every documentary, news program, and corporate project is built on them.

By the way, a "crew" at this level was usually a camera person and a sound person. If you're lucky, you got a third helper, like a gaffer/grip.

There are also hybrids within this world with larger crews. For example, you might provide the camera package, but there might also be a 5-ton grip truck on set with a grip and electric crew to do the lighting. These kinds of shoots are really fun, because any C-stand or flag you ask for magically shows up from the seemingly infinite supply on the truck. And if you need to "slow down" that one light 50 feet in the deep background, you're not the one who has to walk over there and do it.

Here's the other thing that makes this level special: you're not limited to being the hired DP. Once you own the gear and know the craft, you can also produce high-level projects directly for businesses and agencies. Now you're not just a crew member on someone else's production. You are the production.

That's what makes this level not only really fun and interesting, but a great place to build a very lucrative career. Once you dial in your rates and have a stable of ideal repeat clients, you can make well over six figures in this space, often multiple six figures. But it requires marketing, client management, and repeatable systems. This is exactly what I'll be teaching in Cinematic Interview Academy this fall.

Micro-Sized Video Production - think social media content, short-form vertical video, brand and small business content, event recaps, YouTube and podcast production. This is the world of the one-person band. Here you might have a still camera around your neck and another in your right hand shooting video, all the while posting to a social media account.

Here's the thing to understand about this level: it runs on completely different economics. The client isn't buying one beautiful film. They're buying volume and speed, thirty pieces of content by Friday, because that's what the platforms demand. The deliverable is quantity with quick turnaround, and being good at it is a real skill.

I watched a guy doing this on our shoot last week and marveled at how compact his world was, and how much ground he had to cover in a day. It's a growing category, and the shooters who are great at it are in high demand. It's also often where professional still photographers land when clients start asking them for video.

Some people build thriving businesses at this level. But I know many of you are here because you want to move from this level to the one above it, from being paid for volume to being paid for craft. That's a real jump, and it's exactly the jump this newsletter is here to help you make.

Those are the three levels as I see them. Different economics, different gear decisions, different careers. None of them is the "right" one. But knowing which level you're playing at, and which one you're aiming for, changes every decision you make, from the camera you buy to the clients you chase.

So where do you land, and where do you want to be? Hit reply and tell me. I read every response, and I'd love to know where this crew stands.

That's a wrap for this week's Freelancers Friday. I'll see you back here next week with more real-world lighting breakdowns, freelance business tips, and behind-the-scenes fun.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Tom Miller Freelancers Film School​

P.S. Want to revisit past issues? The whole Freelancers Friday Collection lives here: https://freelancers-film-school.kit.com/​