How much should you make as a DP?

DLD said:
Then again, as Joan Rivers once said, "If you turn down jobs, they won't ask you again".
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Very true. Chances are they then ask someone else and if that works out they keep using that person.
And as a freelance they all ask at the same damn time... It's like the old ketchup bottle; nothing... nothing... nothing... nothing... EVERYTHING. I find myself always going from underworked to short bursts of overworked...
 
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That seems to be my experience too! As soon as I have a period of work blocked out or am working towards a tight deadline, the enquiries come pouring in. Then it can be quiet for months at a time.
 
deltoidjohn said:
That seems to be my experience too! As soon as I have a period of work blocked out or am working towards a tight deadline, the enquiries come pouring in. Then it can be quiet for months at a time.
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Yes it seems to be the all or nothing round!

As soon as your hands are tied, everyone wants to book the same time.
 
I was doing some corporate stuff finally, but the CEO (that I knew) was fired and all my planned jobs for them were cancelled, leaving me with a totally empty summer. I only have one thing booked all summer, a DJ gig, then I got a request for a video job. Guess on what date? You are correct, same damn day as the DJ gig! Luckily, the the DJ thing is day time and the video is in the evening so I can do both, but it's still ironic.
 
CharlesPapert said:
The $1000/day rate that was quoted above from David Mullen is a more typical average for episodic. Higher for network, lower for basic cable.
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Thanks, that makes sense. I'm a fan of your work btw!

Working on a campaign now you shot a spot for (though I don't think you shot this spot). Small world...
 
Policar said:
Would love to know how you light ads like that. There's a glossiness to the day exteriors that looks expensive.

Love your work on Key and Peele.
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Thanks!

Well, it starts with planning the schedule around the sun so you can work with it rather than fight it, and then having some heavy artillery as pictured below (from that shoot) to combat the mid-day overhead blues and keep things consistent. That's a 20x20 flyswatter with a 12x20 "tail".

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Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. I was very impressed by the camera motion in that spot and the consistency of backlighting. Nice work as always.
 
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