How to Film Commercials So Premium Brands Beg to Hire You ft. Zachary Guy

6 Questions to Ask on a Discovery Call (FREE download) https://the505podcast.beehiiv.com/products/6questions What’s up Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Zachary Guy, cinematographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber whose work has taken him from studying aerospace engineering to shooting high level commercial campaigns for brands like Aquafina, American Express, Google, and more. In this episode, we get into how Zach made the jump from engineering to filmmaking, the real difference between a videographer and a cinematographer, why pre-production is what separates a nice looking video from a real campaign, how to communicate and lead on bigger sets, how to get hired when you do not have connections yet, why spec work is still one of the best ways to open doors, how much Zach invested into his New Balance spec, what it was like shooting an Aquafina spot in Morocco, the lighting and blocking decisions behind the campaign, how to think about product lighting, match cuts, working with your significant other, why Zach has not built a traditional production company, the hardest part about being a full-time creative, and why teaching other filmmakers has become such an important part of his career. Check out Zachary here: https://www.instagram.com/zacharyjguy/ 00:00 – Intro 00:55 – Free Sales Call Guide 01:05 – One-Handed Crack 01:54 – From Aerospace Engineering to Filmmaking 05:50 – How Zach’s Family Reacted to His Career Change 07:58 – The Full Circle Aerospace Moment 08:56 – Videographer vs Cinematographer 10:10 – Zach’s Pre-Production Process 13:24 – Technical Skill vs Leadership on Set 16:22 – Learning How to Work With Bigger Crews 19:39 – How to Get on Set Without Connections 22:05 – Why Spec Work Opens Doors 24:55 – How Much Zach Invested Into His New Balance Spec 27:13 – Shooting Aquafina in Morocco 29:21 – Renting Gear in Another Country 30:28 – Local Shoots vs International Productions 33:10 – Why the Shoot Happened in Morocco 33:56 – Aquafina Spot Breakdown 34:46 – Breaking Down the Wide Shot 36:33 – Shooting at 1:00 in the Morning 38:03 – How Long the Wide Shot Took 38:54 – The Cafe Scene Breakdown 42:35 – Why Zach Starts With the Wide Shot 43:28 – How Lighting Changes When You Push In 45:38 – Why T-Stop Matters 47:35 – Breaking Down the Library Scene 51:19 – How Zach Thinks About Match Cuts 53:14 – How to Light Product Shots 56:38 – Leaving Space for Text and Brand Graphics 57:33 – Five Pieces of Gear Zach Can’t Live Without 59:59 – Shooting an Airbnb Spec in the Dolomites 1:04:31 – Working With Your Significant Other 1:06:17 – Why Zach Isn’t Building a Traditional Production Company 1:08:49 – The Hardest Part About Being a Full-Time Creative 1:09:56 – Why Zach Loves Teaching Filmmakers 1:13:12 – Filmmaking Advice Zach Disagrees With 1:15:33 – Wrapping the Episode With Zach 1:15:45 – Afterparty If you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/  Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/