I Wish I Knew These Things When I Started Making Videos

Early in my career, I got the chance to film on a RED cinema camera and assumed the footage would automatically look incredible. It didn't. It looked terrible, not because of the camera, but because I hadn't earned the experience to use it properly yet. You wouldn't put a brand-new pilot straight into a commercial airliner. Same logic applies to gear.

Lesson: learn before you buy. Gear without knowledge is a Ferrari without a license.

Early on, I said yes to a music video gig I felt completely unprepared for. I didn't sleep properly for two nights beforehand. I filmed it scared anyway, and it became the project that launched everything for me.

Lesson: you'll never feel ready. Say yes anyway.

Technical execution can be flawless and the footage will still feel flat if the performance in front of the camera isn't being directed. The missing ingredient usually isn't your settings. It's your direction.

I used to move the camera in every shot because I thought motion equaled "cinematic." My now-wife told me my videos made her dizzy. That feedback changed how I shoot. Every movement now has to serve the story, or it doesn't happen.

Every blown shot and missed focus used to feel catastrophic. Over time I learned to treat criticism as fuel, not a verdict.

I used to slap a LUT on at the end and call it cinematic. It wasn't. It was rushed. Grading is its own craft and needs to be treated that way.

Busy stretches followed by dead-quiet ones are normal for almost every entrepreneur in this industry. The wave is the job, and learning to ride it without panicking is the skill.

Undercharging is fine when you're building a portfolio. Once your skill and gear catch up, undervaluing your work just burns you out. Respect the craft enough to charge for it.

People hire people, not just visuals. Your energy and process matter as much as your output, which is part of why sharing behind-the-scenes content tends to land so well with audiences.

Work doesn't just arrive because you're skilled. DM people. Call people. Be direct about what you're offering. The opportunities came when I stopped waiting for the phone to ring.