The Power of B-Roll: Creative & Strategic Uses You’re Overlooking in Brand Films
Hero shots get all the attention. They’re storyboarded, pre-lit, approved by the agency, and often eat half the schedule. But B-roll is the glue.
Latest
Everyone's Favorite Subject: Project Folder Organization
Project folder structure is, statistically, the leading cause of homicides between post production teams, probably. And there's really only one correct, true way.
Why More Brands are using Long Takes To Get Your Attention
Most ads fight for attention by cutting faster. A few now fight harder by refusing to cut at all. The clutter of micro-edits Open your phone and scrub through a dozen verticals: smash cuts, caption stutters, audio jumps. It used to be that the key to grabbing a doom scroller&
Muslin vs Magic Cloth: Practically
What's the difference between Muslin & Magic Cloth?
ACES 2.0: What you need to know & what you need to change
We all love when things get an upgrade, but what happens when that upgrade means having to learn something new? Old habits die hard, so let's dive into what's up. What changed in ACES 2.0 ACES 2.0 is not a cosmetic bump. The Output
How to Write the Final Briefing Deck That Survives Clients and Informs Crew
The purpose of the final briefing meeting with clients is two fold: it is your final opportunity to get them to sign off on everything you need for the shoot, and is your final guide for the shoot.
Your First LLC: a Field-Ready Checklist for Filmmakers and Freelancers
You don’t need an LLC to make good work. But you do need one when risk, clients, and cash flow say so. This is the practical, step-by-step version—what to file, what to buy, what to click, and how to stay out of the penalty box.
Email templates for freelancers & production companies
A collection of email templates for freelancers & production companies. This is free. It's in the free stuff.
Codec vs Container vs Wrapper
A little deep dive to make you the most sophisticated person on set.
Professional Online Presence for Filmmakers (Part 1)
In our world, you can still book gigs off a handshake and a text—most of us do, thanks to relationships that we've built over time. But how do you get new work? And for new filmmakers looking to get into the industry, how do you get work
Room Tone: You Need It (And How to Capture It Right)
Room tone is probably one of the most underrated moments on set. This one is for the sound folks.
LUT vs CDL vs CST — A Deep Dive
In this one, we're deep diving a couple of technical colorist terms so you know how to properly ask for a teal and orange look.
Production
Coffee Line Ethics: Who Deserves First Pour
Nobody writes a coffee policy, but every set has one.
Deep Dives
What is Bitrate? A deep dive.
300 megabits per a second sounds like a lot. But what is bitrate, really? And why does it matter? Let’s learn.
Pre-Production
The Fragile Art of Locking Location
A pretty room can still ruin your day. Don't let a pretty location seduce you; a good scout is where you break the spell and look for trouble. The goal of the scout is to find all your future problems. Let's dive on the art of locking a location, and what you need to do.
Production
The Rise of the Near-Live Commercial Content
There’s a different kind of deadline now. We’re not talking about a recap or a glossy case study; we’re talking about near-live commercial content—clips, cutdowns, sponsor spots, and micro-ads that publish during the event, while the moments still live.
Post-Production
Good editors export stems
Proper stems are the invisible backbone of a campaign's longevity; leave them out, and you've got a ticking time bomb that will explode on you months later.
Freelancing & Business
How to Bid: Anatomy of a Proposal (Production Company Guide)
Bidding. It's the only way we get jobs, yet without a proper system, it can become the main way we lose them.
Production
How to navigate "client takes" as a director.
The extra take often protects egos more than footage. It’s not always important to the work, so when do we do it and when do we say no?
Pre-Production
Film’s Not Dead. So How Do You Convince Brands to Use It?
Brands went clean and glossy for a decade. Then the pendulum swung. Texture came back. Grain came back. The “dirty” frame—the one with breath and bite—started showing up...again.