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How To Get Hired On Real Sets While Still In Film School · Studio B Sessions

• 0:04
  Vipul Bindra: Welcome to another episode of Studio B sessions.
• 0:07
  Vipul Bindra: This is Bindra.
• 0:08
  Vipul Bindra: I'm the owner of uh Bindra Productions here in Orlando, and these are raw unediting edit unedited conversations with other filmmakers.
• 0:16
  Vipul Bindra: And this week I've got a great friend of mine, Luis Pereira.
• 0:18
  Vipul Bindra: He's a first AD, uh, also student from Full Sale.
• 0:22
  Vipul Bindra: He's doing incredible work.
• 0:23
  Vipul Bindra: So thank you for coming.
• 0:25
  Vipul Bindra: Thank you very much, Bindra.
• 0:26
  Vipul Bindra: The pleasure is all mine.
• 0:27
  Vipul Bindra: So, how's your day been, bro?
• 0:30
  Luis Pereira: Uh, it's been good.
• 0:31
  Luis Pereira: It's been good.
• 0:31
  Luis Pereira: Uh last couple weeks I've been uh I've been busy.
• 0:35
  Luis Pereira: I was just um, as you mentioned, uh I'm studying at full sale right now.
• 0:40
  Luis Pereira: I'm getting my MFA in film production, and as part of our academic journey, you gotta produce, write, and direct a thesis film, a short film.
• 0:50
  Luis Pereira: And I was just in the month where I was just rolling.
• 0:54
  Luis Pereira: So I we just wrapped uh principal photography this Sunday, and now we're gonna go to post.
• 0:59
  Luis Pereira: And I'm excited.
• 1:01
  Vipul Bindra: How did it feel?
• 1:01
  Vipul Bindra: So you like it's a normally try to act in a producer, assistant director role.
• 1:06
  Vipul Bindra: How did how was it like being the because you know you had to direct, right?
• 1:09
  Vipul Bindra: And so how how was it like being the director?
• 1:12
  Luis Pereira: It it was an experience that uh I never had it before.
• 1:15
  Luis Pereira: Uh, usually when I had uh creative endeavors of my own, I was again on my own.
• 1:20
  Luis Pereira: I didn't have to uh rely on uh other professionals to in order for my creative vision to come to life.
• 1:28
  Luis Pereira: So it it it was it was something interesting because when you're in the writing process, uh you you're already trying to think the movie in your head, and then you go over and start developing the shot list, and you're sort of like editing the movie in your head.
• 1:43
  Luis Pereira: And sometimes you you line your script in uh in a way that like as soon as you get into set and you talk with your director of photography, with your script supervisor, you say, like, hey, let's extend this coverage over here, and then you go to the casting process too.
• 1:59
  Luis Pereira: And again, you have these characters that you sort of built in your mind, and you create a like your Utah Hagen questions, which are which are the uh sort of the um I would say the cornerstone of developing characters uh as in what do they want, what are their their backgrounds, what would they feel about about, for instance, like Current America.
• 2:20
  Luis Pereira: And you just like you go over the casting process, and because it's a student film, you don't have thousands and thousands of dollars and connections with agents to get like experienced actors, so you gotta you gotta go through um uh like uh the amateur side uh of it and you struggle because again the character that you had in your head is not the one that you see the the best actor uh in your front in the casting process um performing it, and you sh sort of have to shape him.
• 2:51
  Luis Pereira: But uh yeah, I've I've had the um the pleasure of working with film for the past two and a half, three years, and I never was um I never was appointed as a director, so I never had to work with cast ever.
• 3:05
  Luis Pereira: So it was sort of a challenge for me because um yeah, the the the film only works if the director's vision is um is obtained, right?
• 3:17
  Vipul Bindra: So yeah, no, that can be a challenge, like I said, with not only just student films, I think I mean even on large-scale productions, because the thing is uh you know, filmmaking is a collaborative art form, so you have a vision, and like you said, that vision you're trying to make sure it comes to life, but then you also start to now collaborate with like your DP.
• 3:36
  Vipul Bindra: Now your your director of photography is gonna bring their skill set and their vision into it, right?
• 3:41
  Vipul Bindra: I was so thinking and build that look, right?
• 3:43
  Vipul Bindra: And now same thing with actors, you hire actors and they start to build that character right in their head, and then they start to bring something extra.
• 3:50
  Vipul Bindra: And hopefully, like you said, if you've good actors, they can bring more in depth to the character than even you imagined.
• 3:55
  Vipul Bindra: So it evolves into something bigger and better, or it can go the other way around too.
• 4:00
  Vipul Bindra: You know, if you have actors who can do that, they're 100% relying on your direction and your experience, it can uh you know it can it can backfire on you, which which which can happen on student films, but that's why you do them.
• 4:12
  Vipul Bindra: So you learn, yeah.
• 4:13
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and I'll say it's not only uh a problem uh only related to student films, as you said, it's everything from a corporate shoe to a reality show.
• 4:21
  Luis Pereira: Um it was just a new experience for me because again, I never directed before, and for the past uh three years, ever since I got here in America and decided to start my journey uh with filmmaking, I always took part in the production department side.
• 4:39
  Luis Pereira: So I was always an assistant director, uh KPA, a UPM, a production coordinator.
• 4:45
  Luis Pereira: So all the skills that I've honed for the past three years, they were destined for crew, for time management, for uh the logistics of securing the permits, uh budgets, the post-production uh workflow.
• 5:00
  Luis Pereira: And I had to to get out of this comfort zone in order to direct.
• 5:05
  Luis Pereira: For a moment, I actually sat with the chair uh with the board of uh chairmen from Full Sale, the instructors, and I I tried to plead a case of like, hey, I can I have someone else directing it.
• 5:15
  Luis Pereira: And just because uh not that I didn't feel that I knew what my project was, I knew that, but because I've spent so much time and resources, um again, uh developing the the this production skills, and then sim I had to be taken aside of a a project that it is a passion project to be in a role that I wasn't comfortable with in the first place.
• 5:42
  Luis Pereira: That would be that that was a challenge.
• 5:45
  Luis Pereira: And and um I I was learning as we went through the the shoot and getting feedback from uh my actors later, getting feedback from my crew.
• 5:54
  Luis Pereira: I think it that that's always good.
• 5:56
  Luis Pereira: And I I can say that I feel comfortable directing now a new project, but do I want to?
• 6:02
  Luis Pereira: No, I don't know.
• 6:03
  Vipul Bindra: No, that's actually good though.
• 6:04
  Vipul Bindra: Like you said, sometimes you do have to put your in comfort uh put yourself out of your comfort zone.
• 6:08
  Vipul Bindra: That's what you learn, and that's what I like talk about, like my story of learning about audio.
• 6:12
  Vipul Bindra: You know, I've always been on the camera side, whether in front or behind, and audio is a little, especially before you know these DJI on tiny mics got popular.
• 6:20
  Vipul Bindra: Audio is complex.
• 6:22
  Vipul Bindra: So we as you know filmmakers just run away from it.
• 6:25
  Vipul Bindra: So my option was always just hire an audio guy because I had no clue how to do anything audio, it just sounded so foreign until you know one day I had to just be like, you know, F that, I'm gonna learn.
• 6:34
  Vipul Bindra: And was it a you know hole that I didn't want to get into?
• 6:38
  Vipul Bindra: No, once you started learning about game staging and frequencies and all that crap, I was like, what am I doing?
• 6:43
  Vipul Bindra: But that helped me get past that, and now so many projects have been like an audio on my friend's project, and and that's crazy to think about because a few years ago I was running away from it, right?
• 6:54
  Vipul Bindra: And and that's you know, you never know, I'm saying what comes of it.
• 6:57
  Vipul Bindra: Like you said, exactly now you're you're gonna be able to direct, you're gonna be able to take that challenge on, and and you never know where that could lead you, or it was just an experience and you stick to what you what you know and like and love, you know.
• 7:09
  Vipul Bindra: So I want to talk about because what makes unique why I wanted you here was you know, obviously full sale, they have hundreds and hundreds of students that come every year, but you know, the biggest thing that I tell people like school can have some benefit, you can learn networking and some basic skills, but it's not where you really learn filmmaking.
• 7:27
  Vipul Bindra: What enables you is the resources and the talent pool around you, so now you can collaborate and become a better filmmaker.
• 7:33
  Vipul Bindra: But you're always on set.
• 7:34
  Vipul Bindra: Like I've never been with you, I don't think, on any student films because I don't do those.
• 7:38
  Vipul Bindra: I'm always with you on like a shoot that's paid, you know, it's like a legit set.
• 7:42
  Vipul Bindra: So you're clearly, you know, obviously you're a student, but you've been putting yourself out there doing shoots after shoots after shoots, like getting on real sets.
• 7:49
  Vipul Bindra: So you're more experienced than a lot of people, you know, who do this professionally, and that makes you stand out, right?
• 7:56
  Vipul Bindra: So tell me your your whole experience and why, you know, uh how how are you able to do that?
• 8:02
  Vipul Bindra: Because most students are not like you, they're not on so many sets and putting their 100% out.
• 8:07
  Luis Pereira: So, like uh I I'll take this opportunity then to go back uh two decades ago for uh the moment that I I was born.
• 8:16
  Luis Pereira: Oh my god, I'm thinking of start the day.
• 8:18
  Luis Pereira: This is the day I was conceived.
• 8:20
  Luis Pereira: Oh my goodness.
• 8:20
  Luis Pereira: So, like three minutes ago, uh 20 years ago, I came out of my mom's womb.
• 8:25
  Luis Pereira: Okay.
• 8:26
  Vipul Bindra: I'm just kidding, we're about to get uh R-rated on this podcast.
• 8:30
  Luis Pereira: No, but I I would say that uh growing up in Brazil, I had um fantastic parents who who taught me um most importantly what how to do and what to do when like the the right thing.
• 8:45
  Luis Pereira: Um speech.
• 8:49
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, in preparation.
• 8:51
  Luis Pereira: Um they they both came from um dot doctor degrees, so they they came from nothing and they were able to build their their portfolio, their curriculum, and their professional career um again out of nothing and creating and raising uh me and my my sister.
• 9:11
  Luis Pereira: And they like growing up, it it was a bit hard for me because I always saw myself as someone creative.
• 9:20
  Luis Pereira: I remember that like growing up, my my parents would give me as like birthday gifts, those DVDs that now they're like resurfacing, like retro conception is is getting big now.
• 9:30
  Luis Pereira: But um I I I I can distinctively remember uh getting the Incredibles, the Pixar movie, Bradbird uh DVD.
• 9:39
  Luis Pereira: And when I put in the DVD player, I got to the to the special scenes, like uh you had like the scene selection where you could choose the chapters, watch the movie, change like the subtitles.
• 9:50
  Luis Pereira: And I saw that you had like the behind the scenes.
• 9:52
  Luis Pereira: And when I saw that you could like work with that, immediately my brain was like focusing on like I want to create, I want to be part of this.
• 10:00
  Luis Pereira: And the reason why I was I was talking about my parents is even though they were very supportive, I would say that because of their background, because I had pair like I didn't have anyone uh from my family side that worked in uh the cre something creative in any department that would be like marketing or being like an actor.
• 10:20
  Luis Pereira: So I was sort of like the the black swan, like uh nobody could sort of relate to what to what I wanted.
• 10:28
  Luis Pereira: And my parents, again, they were supportive, but something inside me, sort of like an imposter syndrome, even though I don't think it was an imposter syndrome, say like, are you sure you want to do that?
• 10:38
  Luis Pereira: Because uh they came out of nothing and they and they got everything that uh you can ask for.
• 10:43
  Luis Pereira: And now you're trying to go like the other way because I could benefit from their connections, I could benefit from what they could uh pass me um like in the in the medical world if I were to be a doctor.
• 10:56
  Luis Pereira: And not only that, but also Brazil is known to be uh a country where you have a poor infrastructure in regards to entertainment media.
• 11:07
  Luis Pereira: I would say that uh the only thing that even though we are always in the in the top uh countries of um social media consumption, uh we we all we consume a lot of games, we're loud in social media, like I mean Brazil is huge, it is huge, yeah, yeah.
• 11:23
  Luis Pereira: 200 and uh I think 230 uh million people, if I'm not wrong.
• 11:27
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, but um our industry itself, it's not uh it's really underdeveloped.
• 11:34
  Luis Pereira: I would say that television is our highlight, but in order for you to be part of television, you need you needed to surrender your skills to working on either a late night show or a reality TV or I would say just news and broadcasting in general, or soap soap operas, they're huge in Brazil.
• 11:55
  Luis Pereira: But again, I I I wanted movies, uh I I loved it.
• 11:58
  Luis Pereira: And I remember when I was nine years old, we were uh I was born in the countryside of São Paulo in a little town called uh São José dos Campos, Jacari, that they're like small cities, and we went to a trip to the capital, and when we got there, I remember that Full Sale had a production office there, and they and they were always sourcing different people from from Brazil and from Latin America in general, actually all around the country.
• 12:25
  Luis Pereira: They have a pretty international, like they're a pretty good international uh student association.
• 12:30
  Luis Pereira: And I saw um a lecture from one of the instructors that now I forgot completely, but I remember that they brought in a guy who had worked in uh a Call of Duty, and it was one that I played.
• 12:42
  Luis Pereira: I don't remember it was like Modern Warfare 2 or the Call of Duty 4.
• 12:46
  Luis Pereira: Uh, anyways, and then I saw that it was possible and that they offered uh scholarships, and I mean my again, my parents they were supportive, but every once in a while they would sort of ask, like, are you sure that this is what you want?
• 13:00
  Luis Pereira: Uh, because it and I get I get it, it was new for them.
• 13:03
  Luis Pereira: Like, well, how how can you come with out of nothing and then raise a son and then just going into nothing?
• 13:10
  Vipul Bindra: Let's be real.
• 13:10
  Vipul Bindra: Filmmaking is not a art inform you go to the problem.
• 13:13
  Vipul Bindra: So they're like, hey, we made it.
• 13:15
  Vipul Bindra: Now we're doctors, which is a lucrative career, no matter which country you're in, to filmmaking, which is yeah, typically not a lucrative career.
• 13:22
  Vipul Bindra: So that's good.
• 13:23
  Luis Pereira: At least they were, you know, supportive of yeah, not only that, but also they had to literally like I don't know if dispatch is the right word, but like they need to get their son out of their reach, you know, like to United States where they don't have any relatives, any friends there to look over their son, look after them.
• 13:39
  Luis Pereira: So, and also pay uh a school that I mean universities in the United States is expensive, especially full sale in general.
• 13:46
  Luis Pereira: In in Brazil, compared to uh the the dollar currency-wise, uh at one dollar equals, I think, uh, as of today, like five Brazilian reais, which is our like main currency.
• 13:57
  Luis Pereira: So it is a um uh like a dispro a disproportion of one to five, yeah, the one to five ratio.
• 14:03
  Luis Pereira: But um, anyways, they uh they were sold in what I wanted because I I said that I I like I sort of like stepped my foot and said I I want to work with that, like give me the chance.
• 14:13
  Luis Pereira: Uh but and we sort of made a deal where I would go to full sale, but instead of going directly to film, I would go to entertainment business.
• 14:21
  Luis Pereira: So I still would I would be able to learn skills that if filmmaking went wrong, I could go and work on uh like a standard, like a law office or something like that.
• 14:32
  Vipul Bindra: I know what you mean.
• 14:32
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 14:33
  Vipul Bindra: That's smart.
• 14:33
  Vipul Bindra: I mean, to be real, like you said, you go to film school to and and again, maybe people will disagree, and that's the whole point of this podcast and conversation.
• 14:41
  Vipul Bindra: I don't think you go to film school to learn film, you go to school for networking, which you would get with any degree.
• 14:45
  Vipul Bindra: So you're at full sale, you're meeting everyone, and you know, let's be real 80-90% of those people aren't gonna make it, but the 10% that do, they actually do make it, and that's what you need.
• 14:54
  Vipul Bindra: You need your network because people hire people who they know, like, and trust, right?
• 14:59
  Vipul Bindra: And the the best way to form those connections is during college.
• 15:02
  Vipul Bindra: So that's great, man.
• 15:04
  Vipul Bindra: We're happy to have you in America, and I'm glad you came.
• 15:06
  Vipul Bindra: But also, like then I guess is that what drives you because you know what promise you made to go on sets?
• 15:13
  Vipul Bindra: Because because like I said, I know a lot of students who don't are not active, who are not on real sets, you know, like they're just you know doing some student indie stuff, and then that's it, and then they go, they have no idea what to do when they got out of school.
• 15:24
  Vipul Bindra: You on the other hand, like I said, are on a legit set, actually working with pros.
• 15:29
  Vipul Bindra: So, you know, you you learn I'm saying things that you only learn on real sets.
• 15:32
  Vipul Bindra: What's your perspective on that?
• 15:33
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like um again.
• 15:34
  Vipul Bindra: Am I saying true?
• 15:35
  Vipul Bindra: Because you have the experience.
• 15:37
  Luis Pereira: Be speak from you know your school to real sites.
• 15:39
  Luis Pereira: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 15:40
  Luis Pereira: I would say that like the first year uh that after I got into full sale, I I considered that I wasted it because I again from a per I had a different mindset on which if I'm now uh on board on full sale, I would get uh all the productions like uh given to me on like a silver platter, and I I I should go only to classes and that's it.
• 16:03
  Luis Pereira: And now looking back, I see that one of the things that changed is after this first year, I started networking with different people that weren't in my degree because as entertainment business working in partnership with different uh students from the film program, you could either do pre-production so you can help them with the budget if they needed help with a permit, uh crew members, crop contracts, you know.
• 16:28
  Luis Pereira: And in on post-production, we would do a lot of distribution and I mean distribution plans for students, they are basically like they are like, oh, we have a hundred bucks, uh many festivals can we got this movie into?
• 16:39
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, good luck.
• 16:40
  Luis Pereira: And we had to like create a uh a concise plan where uh a feasible plan.
• 16:44
  Luis Pereira: So you're not gonna waste your 100 bucks trying to go to Florida Film Festival before first, short.
• 16:49
  Luis Pereira: You need like let's try um other smaller scale ones, but uh some that has the have student categories for you to enter.
• 16:57
  Luis Pereira: And and also the post-production workflow, as you were gonna oversee uh the uh what the editor was doing that moment, uh, if we needed reshoots, but it was still too limited for what I wanted because yeah, I wanted to beyond set.
• 17:12
  Luis Pereira: And after I graduated, I actually reached uh Gustavo.
• 17:16
  Luis Pereira: So you know uh Guga Carvalho.
• 17:18
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, he's gonna be here next week.
• 17:19
  Luis Pereira: Yeah.
• 17:20
  Luis Pereira: And we I I I reached out for him on LinkedIn.
• 17:24
  Luis Pereira: I like Oh, so you just met him on LinkedIn?
• 17:25
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that's great.
• 17:26
  Vipul Bindra: Because I met him through you, which we'll get into in a second.
• 17:28
  Vipul Bindra: So you just l reached out of Guga because he was Brazilian and I was like, Exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 17:33
  Luis Pereira: And it was crazy because uh as an international student, in order for you to stay in the United States to work after you graduate, you apply for uh an extension to your F1 visa, which is called an OPT.
• 17:44
  Luis Pereira: I think it stands for optical practical training, something like that.
• 17:47
  Luis Pereira: And for people who graduate on technology uh like technology, I I don't know how to say it, but like if you do like computer science, you go to STEM, and if you go go with something else like business, you apply for an OPT or for arts.
• 18:04
  Luis Pereira: And I remember that I needed to have a sponsor.
• 18:07
  Luis Pereira: As soon as I graduated, I started reaching out to different people.
• 18:10
  Luis Pereira: I would say like two months before graduating.
• 18:12
  Luis Pereira: And on LinkedIn, I I put the filters like full sale grad, Brazilian, and then I found him.
• 18:17
  Luis Pereira: And I'm in uh among the people.
• 18:19
  Luis Pereira: So is this your sponsor?
• 18:20
  Luis Pereira: No, not my sponsor, but um what we did is we met first.
• 18:24
  Luis Pereira: Uh we went for a coffee, I got to know him.
• 18:26
  Luis Pereira: Uh he told about his his experience.
• 18:29
  Luis Pereira: He just left LA uh because he was also on OPT there.
• 18:33
  Luis Pereira: And then uh he invited me for a shoot.
• 18:36
  Luis Pereira: There was this production company that was shooting a reality show for Amazon Prime, and they needed something for they needed uh help on the office part.
• 18:48
  Luis Pereira: And I said, I I I have the experience, even though I don't know how to set up a camera or uh a sound kit, I I can I can go and go over the contracts to the the waivers, and that's what I did.
• 18:59
  Luis Pereira: Like um he he gave me the contact of the director and the producer.
• 19:03
  Luis Pereira: I was able to schedule a meeting with them, and then I was on board.
• 19:06
  Luis Pereira: And it it wasn't paid, it was of a voluntary work, but I would say that the most important thing about this industry, uh uh, especially here in Florida, which is where I have the experience, is that you don't uh if you're starting, you don't expect to be earning the big bucks, you don't expect to be to have like a uh uh an easy route because there's no such thing.
• 19:28
  Luis Pereira: And especially for me who didn't have the the experience, I I just gotta go and learn.
• 19:33
  Luis Pereira: And uh they usually give they usually teach you that as at school.
• 19:37
  Luis Pereira: So oh yeah, be there uh on time.
• 19:40
  Luis Pereira: If you're 15 minutes early, you're late.
• 19:43
  Luis Pereira: Um uh try to try not to speak and listen first, uh be proactive.
• 19:48
  Luis Pereira: And the it it is sort of um it is sort of cheesy uh to to listen that when you're paying like thousands and thousands of dollars in school.
• 19:59
  Luis Pereira: But in the same way, when you get into set with uh different students, you see those who are just there and they I don't know, they they didn't figure out what they want yet, and those who really, really want to work with that.
• 20:11
  Luis Pereira: And I think that this is one of the reasons why I was able to stand out because whenever and whenever Gustavo needed me, I was volunteering to be there.
• 20:20
  Luis Pereira: And after volunteering a couple times, I was able to get a couple of pay gigs, and we did another project with that director who later sponsored my my visas production company.
• 20:29
  Luis Pereira: And I I mean we we kept on working, and then on May of last year, we were we were at the we we met at a commercial.
• 20:39
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so I uh was talking about that, and I think I told that story through Fernando because I knew Fernando through Emmanuel who's a good friend of mine.
• 20:47
  Vipul Bindra: And um, so I guess he recommended me to Google or something like that.
• 20:51
  Vipul Bindra: Point is Google reached out and and uh he wanted me to come uh gaff on that set or something like that.
• 20:56
  Vipul Bindra: So I brought the van down and me and Fernando drove down there, and that's where you were.
• 21:00
  Vipul Bindra: And what was crazy from my perspective, just so you know, uh, you know, I felt a little out of place first because I realized, oh, it's an all-Brazilian crew, including the agency, even though the client was uh from Panama, right?
• 21:12
  Vipul Bindra: Paraguay.
• 21:12
  Vipul Bindra: So Paraguay, yeah.
• 21:13
  Vipul Bindra: So she was like the client is from Paraguay, but the agency is Brazilian, and so is the crew.
• 21:18
  Vipul Bindra: I was the only non, I would say, Brazilian person there outside of the talent, but even then she's you know Paraguayan point is so you know, normally sets like that would be weird, but you guys made me feel like home.
• 21:29
  Vipul Bindra: I almost felt like a Brazilian, you know, for a moment.
• 21:31
  Vipul Bindra: And that's what I enjoyed, which is why we've all become great friends and we've worked so many times because you that's what matters.
• 21:36
  Vipul Bindra: Not only that people are talented, that you know, you you gel well and set you have fun.
• 21:41
  Vipul Bindra: So anyway, when I showed up, I had a great time with you guys.
• 21:43
  Vipul Bindra: Oh, yeah, it was so much fun.
• 21:44
  Vipul Bindra: It was probably one of the best projects I've worked in.
• 21:46
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and I I just uh remembered because how enjoyable it was.
• 21:49
  Vipul Bindra: I was just like, you know, these people are friendly, they're fun, they're not making me feel like you know, I don't belong here.
• 21:56
  Vipul Bindra: Because you know, you guys could have just kept speaking Portuguese and just gone about.
• 21:59
  Vipul Bindra: Your day.
• 22:00
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is it takes a certain level of uh personality to want to bring somebody in, is what I'm saying.
• 22:07
  Vipul Bindra: So and I really appreciate that.
• 22:09
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, we had such a great time, man.
• 22:10
  Vipul Bindra: That was such a fun shoot.
• 22:11
  Vipul Bindra: So yeah, uh, so that's what you were doing.
• 22:14
  Vipul Bindra: That's how you met Guga.
• 22:15
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and uh sort of like piggybacking on what you said about us Brazilians being uh like we we had this the sense of like accommodating everyone that's around us, I would say that is also what drives us.
• 22:26
  Luis Pereira: Because uh again, as I said, we don't have the uh such a strong industry uh entertainment-wise in Brazil.
• 22:33
  Luis Pereira: So that means that up until like five, six years ago, if you had uh, I don't know, I may be wrong, but like if the FX3 released five, six years ago, I would say that uh before that in Brazil it would take like uh a couple more years so you could get there.
• 22:48
  Luis Pereira: And unfortunately, you don't have that much independent projects going on there and uh equipment is very like scattered and you have a strong monopoly there of the broadcasting companies.
• 23:02
  Luis Pereira: So I remember that when I got here to full sale and I was and I met a couple of different um the friends, and I I usually befriended those who were uh immigrants too, because we we we have the the the culture shock, we have the the homesick kind of aspect and um in full sale, for instance, you could uh check out gear like every month for you to shoot a project.
• 23:25
  Luis Pereira: It doesn't have to be school related as long as you checked out and um by the end of uh the fourth week of the month you got it back, that was good.
• 23:33
  Luis Pereira: And I would say that 80% didn't do that.
• 23:36
  Luis Pereira: And for us, I was like, I like in Brazil, I know people that like would go kill.
• 23:42
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
• 23:42
  Luis Pereira: With kill for uh to hold one of the code lines that they had.
• 23:45
  Luis Pereira: So it it's crazy because I would say that we need to fight a lot in order to touch a piece of gear of film equipment in Brazil.
• 23:55
  Luis Pereira: Uh whereas uh here, uh, and this is one of the like the wonders of capitalism, uh, of you have a pretty well-structured country where uh independent projects they are able to get Oscar nominated.
• 24:05
  Luis Pereira: So you don't I I would feel uh on some of the students uh the a lack of like eagerness to learn, eagerness to do something, because how are you gonna be able to learn and to improve if you're not actually using it, you know?
• 24:19
  Luis Pereira: Because when when I started working, um like again, it's a really, really it is a striking contrast of working on pre-production and post-production as part of like an uh an office for a project, and then you are on set being AD, being a KPA, where you literally have to organize and orchestrate different departments in order to get the shoot done.
• 24:40
  Luis Pereira: And whenever I now I mean I have three years of experiment, it's not that much, but I I've learned so so much.
• 24:46
  Luis Pereira: And now there are people who approach me wanting to shadow me.
• 24:49
  Luis Pereira: Oh, yeah, I want to be a first aid, uh, want to be an AD.
• 24:51
  Luis Pereira: So uh, can I follow you on set?
• 24:53
  Luis Pereira: And I was like, Yeah, you know what?
• 24:54
  Luis Pereira: That that's the attitude.
• 24:55
  Luis Pereira: Like, you don't expect to get money, just drive there, I'm gonna teach you.
• 24:59
  Luis Pereira: And then I remember I did a shoot uh two weeks ago.
• 25:03
  Luis Pereira: Uh we were doing this music video, and when we rapped, uh of the the the two people that were shadowing me, they were like, Man, I cannot believe that we that the call time was nine and we left at 3 p.m.
• 25:14
  Luis Pereira: Like, how how'd you do that?
• 25:16
  Luis Pereira: Like, how do you know that uh sound um you you gotta rely on the the the talent too in order to uh the director to be satisfied with what uh the talent delivered performance-wise.
• 25:27
  Luis Pereira: And I'm I I said to them, like, for every good call sheet that I do now and for every good rep, uh, there were five, six times, like I would say hundreds of times where uh we got uh we rapped late, crew had uh crew wasn't satisfied because they were in empty stomachs, and so and that's you come to the experience, exactly.
• 25:49
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and you only get that by being on set, yeah.
• 25:51
  Luis Pereira: And believe me, every time we were in the production and I saw that things weren't going out as planned, it hurt me.
• 25:58
  Luis Pereira: Cause again, that that that that's my job.
• 26:01
  Luis Pereira: And it happens, but it gave me uh an eagerness and a drive to continue to enhance my skills, uh to to better know people.
• 26:12
  Luis Pereira: Because part of being in an AD is your interpersonal like communication skills.
• 26:17
  Luis Pereira: Cause I mean, now because we are in such a strong uh core of production professionals here in Central Florida, we usually work with each other.
• 26:26
  Luis Pereira: So the best part is that once I know your workflow, now we've working on at least like I'd say like 20 projects together.
• 26:33
  Luis Pereira: Uh I know that I I I sort of know how much time you take if you're just like in charge of light or if you are driving your event.
• 26:42
  Luis Pereira: So I I gotta keep in mind that you're gonna be bringing like big guns to set.
• 26:47
  Luis Pereira: And uh I I know uh your dietary restrictions, I know your preferences, and it this helps me.
• 26:54
  Luis Pereira: And nowadays, when I approach a new set where I don't know people, first thing I do is you you take the time to talk to them, you take the time to talk about them all that, right?
• 27:01
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, the sort of the pre-production stuff would be like do do a meeting with them, uh send the forms.
• 27:07
  Luis Pereira: Um I would say like at least one week on uh in advance.
• 27:12
  Luis Pereira: So you can start like knowing them without actually saying hi to them face to face.
• 27:18
  Luis Pereira: And it's sort of like it comes out kind of creepy in a way like you need to stall and like analyze people.
• 27:24
  Luis Pereira: But if that's what it takes for us to have like a great time on set, like we had on uh on the commercial, then I'm like I'm fulfilled.
• 27:33
  Luis Pereira: Exactly.
• 27:34
  Vipul Bindra: No, that's such an uh you know incredible thing that you're saying because uh coming back to it, you're right.
• 27:41
  Vipul Bindra: Look, you set a very good point.
• 27:43
  Vipul Bindra: Like in Brazil, you don't have access to gear in here, you do, and that's the the truth.
• 27:47
  Vipul Bindra: I think I'm uh what you're saying is so incredible.
• 27:50
  Vipul Bindra: And I hope people who are students are listening to this, like, look, you're paying way too much money to go to these schools, not just full sale, there's hundreds of film schools.
• 27:58
  Vipul Bindra: So take advantage of them if they have a place to you know get gear or resources or other people, because otherwise, if you just wait on life to happen, you're not gonna get anywhere.
• 28:08
  Vipul Bindra: You have to take advantage of it.
• 28:10
  Vipul Bindra: And I don't want to get into the debate because you know, there's two camps, people go, gear is not important, or gear is important, you know, and it doesn't matter what you believe in, but here's the truth you don't have to own gear, but you knew how need to know how to operate gear.
• 28:22
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, because at the end of the day, you have a you know, you're your skilled uh person, I'm saying on set, like that could be a producer, a director, a DP, AC, AD, whatever your tool is, it could just be an iPad, I'm saying, but you need to know how to operate your tool to get the freaking contracts done.
• 28:39
  Vipul Bindra: If you don't know how to use your tools, nobody's gonna hire you.
• 28:42
  Vipul Bindra: You don't need to own the tools.
• 28:44
  Vipul Bindra: Uh so what I'm saying is whether you get it through school, those tools to play around with and run them on real set, or you borrow them, find other local-minded people on LinkedIn and collaborate with them, go make short films, go make commer spec commercial something.
• 28:57
  Vipul Bindra: You cannot just wait for somebody just come and be like, hey, I'm gonna teach you.
• 29:02
  Vipul Bindra: You know, you have to make an effort, which is what you did, which is why you're able to stand out because you're still technically a student.
• 29:08
  Vipul Bindra: And but if I have to have an AD locally, guess who I'm thinking of?
• 29:11
  Vipul Bindra: Which we're gonna come to because you were an AD for me technically.
• 29:14
  Vipul Bindra: Um, yeah, and the reason I felt confident in you because I worked with you, I see your skill set, I know you're thinking about because here's the thing what makes me a great producer is the amount of, like you said, hands-on experience I have on every freaking role.
• 29:26
  Vipul Bindra: I can think first thing, you know, where's people gonna park?
• 29:29
  Vipul Bindra: Where are people gonna go bathroom?
• 29:30
  Vipul Bindra: That's literally your skill set.
• 29:32
  Vipul Bindra: I know it sounds crazy, like you're you know, it's it's it's basic thing.
• 29:35
  Vipul Bindra: We're gonna park, uh, where are we gonna eat?
• 29:38
  Vipul Bindra: Where are we gonna uh think, people's dietary restrictions, you know, time pursue time for company moves, you know, things like that.
• 29:44
  Vipul Bindra: And you can only know that be if you've been on set enough, uh, and you know, you know kind of how long it takes when people are going over, you know, what can you manage, and then setting right expectations to whoever the client is, you know, things like that.
• 29:57
  Vipul Bindra: Point is you learned that because you did it exactly so many times.
• 30:01
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and I and I uh adding to that, I I feel that in the in the first like six months after I graduated and I started working, I I felt it's weird because you're you're uh entering like the debate of uh whether you should own gear or not own gear.
• 30:16
  Luis Pereira: And I'm saying don't yeah, it doesn't matter like go going to set and then seeing people like bringing their own gear, and I knew that this could uh like aggregate the value of their work, of uh of their labor onto set.
• 30:30
  Luis Pereira: And many times I kept thinking like shouldn't I be investing in that?
• 30:34
  Luis Pereira: Should shouldn't I be trying like to open my mind?
• 30:36
  Luis Pereira: Because uh again, going over uh through Films Code, you're you learn how to operate these things.
• 30:41
  Luis Pereira: And if you're getting like a new gear, but if you know like the con the primary concepts of audio, even though you never uh handled uh a new mixer before, that's the benefits of like arriving early to set, you're able to get it.
• 30:53
  Luis Pereira: Or if someone else is bringing it, you can try to talk to them so you can uh get like a session of uh experimentation before set, like sort of like what you do on pre-light day.
• 31:03
  Luis Pereira: And I was I I was struggling with because I thought that my my job was useless in a way or another.
• 31:10
  Luis Pereira: Um shooting corporate here and being and not having like the big crew, you don't really need to to be always uh on the uh on the top of your game, trying to orchestrate everything because as soon as you set up and then interview goes, you break down, you load out.
• 31:26
  Luis Pereira: And there was this shoot where this chemop guy he brought in um I don't remember, I think it was a Venice, and it was from a friend, and then people were like, Oh, let's go, that that's so cool.
• 31:38
  Luis Pereira: And I again I was trying to to oversee everything that was happening on set, uh trying to get everyone on schedule for us to get like the first take of the day, the first shot of the day.
• 31:47
  Luis Pereira: And he didn't know how to set up.
• 31:50
  Luis Pereira: And I mean, I I don't have a problem with that, but I have a problem with the fact that because we're not able to set uh to set up that, we're not gonna be able to set up that shot and we're gonna be late.
• 32:00
  Luis Pereira: Exactly.
• 32:01
  Vipul Bindra: So and that makes it look worse than by not, you know, it's not about having the best camera.
• 32:05
  Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
• 32:06
  Luis Pereira: Uh it's about knowing the tool.
• 32:08
  Luis Pereira: And then like uh getting the experience, like using the experience that I've learned in the in in the past years, and being able to pivot and saying, like, hey, okay, so uh the BTS photography guy by uh miracle he o he has a fx3 on his car.
• 32:24
  Luis Pereira: Okay, perfect.
• 32:24
  Luis Pereira: Let's get it.
• 32:25
  Luis Pereira: Uh let's get the specific that uh again.
• 32:27
  Luis Pereira: I'm not a camera guy, but you have a specific ring so you can uh adapt the the lenses that the the the guy who had the Venice brought.
• 32:34
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and we we were able to pivot everything in order to get that shot done.
• 32:38
  Luis Pereira: And in the end, we were able to get done uh done like so funny.
• 32:43
  Vipul Bindra: So you had the Venice on set, but you ended up getting the shot on VenfX3, right?
• 32:46
  Vipul Bindra: Isn't that crazy?
• 32:47
  Vipul Bindra: But but here's the thing, and I I don't want to talk bad about the guy, it's it's that's literally what I was trying to say.
• 32:52
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, people's debate immediately is buying the gear or not buying the gear.
• 32:56
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying that debate is not even a debate because it doesn't matter if you buy the gear or not, you need to know how to operate the gear.
• 33:02
  Vipul Bindra: That's the only thing that actually matters.
• 33:04
  Vipul Bindra: And guess what?
• 33:05
  Vipul Bindra: I know very few operators that own a Venice 2 or Mini LF.
• 33:12
  Vipul Bindra: That doesn't mean they don't operate those cameras, it's just not worth buying those cameras and generally go through a rental house.
• 33:19
  Vipul Bindra: That is just a process.
• 33:21
  Vipul Bindra: However, that doesn't know mean you don't need to know how to operate it.
• 33:24
  Vipul Bindra: Now, that could be go on set, be a first AC for someone, you know, and and learn.
• 33:30
  Vipul Bindra: Or just go find a rental house near you, offer, like you know, can I come check out the camera or something like that?
• 33:36
  Vipul Bindra: Most rental houses I find are friendly because they know eventually you'll become their customer.
• 33:40
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying you have to be resourceful to go play with the equipment you want to.
• 33:45
  Vipul Bindra: People's brain immediately goes for some reason, and it just may be a human thing, like you have to buy that gear.
• 33:51
  Vipul Bindra: Like, oh, I have to know how to get an FX3, I have to buy an FX3, or I need to know have an FX5, I need to buy an FX.
• 33:58
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, why?
• 33:59
  Vipul Bindra: First operate the camera, see the jobs you're getting, and um, and then figure out if this camera is even right for you, right?
• 34:06
  Vipul Bindra: Otherwise, what's the point?
• 34:08
  Vipul Bindra: You know, why are we harping on buying something that may not even be right for you?
• 34:13
  Vipul Bindra: So I hope that makes sense.
• 34:14
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and it was an interesting experience for me because when you were in film school, everyone wants to be a director, everyone wants to uh there's like one or two who wants to go to sound or a gaffer um and being a producer, but you rarely see someone saying that they want to be an AD or they want to be part of like the being a UPM uh or a production coordinator.
• 34:32
  Luis Pereira: And I would say that I I was having a bad day when that happened, and because I got experience shadowing uh DPs, shadowing came ups, and I was able to pivot the whole set in order to for us to to rap during the day, see it showing like uh it was sort of like a message to the guys like you don't have to bring in like the the top gear if you're not not only A, you're not not able to set it up for us to get the shot, which is sort of like pathetic, but um B if if we have the the the FX3 which people uh like pretentious 20-year-olds who are in film school, they sort of they they overlook like this is not like cinema quality enough, and you're not able and you're not able to get the shoot done, you're wasting everyone's time, you're waiting the producer's money, you were waiting the uh you're wasting the cast.
• 35:20
  Luis Pereira: So um I was very proud of me that day because I I was having like a tough time on whether I should I be going into uh production more or start like buying gear or renting gear to see if I was able to like uh increase my value in this book.
• 35:37
  Vipul Bindra: I think your value is already there, but also you have to remember uh I again and first of all, I love the path that you're taking because like you said, not a lot of people do, but being a first lady is very important, or UPM or whatever on a production because guess what?
• 35:49
  Vipul Bindra: Somebody needs to keep people in line.
• 35:51
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and on a small shoot, now let's be real, a lot of shoots that I am part of are like three to five people.
• 35:56
  Vipul Bindra: You can't have a dedicated Fars AD, so I am doing all those roles.
• 36:00
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but I'm saying on a bigger shoot, like uh, you know, I should have been there, but the commercial that you helped me with, uh, I need a Farsady.
• 36:06
  Vipul Bindra: I don't have time or energy to keep 20 people in line.
• 36:09
  Vipul Bindra: And that's where what I'm saying is there's a difference between a skilled Fars AD and a non-skilled Fars AD because when a Fars AD walks into set, people listen.
• 36:17
  Vipul Bindra: And that's primarily the skill set.
• 36:20
  Vipul Bindra: You have to be able to command respect because at the end of the day, if you go and you're like, hey guys, let's wrap it up or let's set up the shot and they're not listening to you, it doesn't matter how skilled you are, how many sets you've been on.
• 36:31
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying biggest thing I find at least you need in that role is a command of set.
• 36:36
  Vipul Bindra: And like you said, being able to take control and being able to, you know, have people want to listen to you.
• 36:43
  Vipul Bindra: And after you do that, it becomes a very easy job because as long as you have enough experience, you know how to move the puzzle pieces.
• 36:50
  Vipul Bindra: But point is as a director at that point or a producer or whatever, I need a first AD that will command, you know, on set.
• 36:56
  Vipul Bindra: Because I've been on sets, I've hired first ADs who may be on paper very skilled.
• 37:00
  Vipul Bindra: But you show on set, you're like, hey, can we get this done?
• 37:03
  Vipul Bindra: Ain't getting none.
• 37:05
  Vipul Bindra: And at that point, I'm like, no, like speak up.
• 37:07
  Vipul Bindra: Because we need I cannot, if you're holding me back, that's the best way to not get invited again.
• 37:12
  Vipul Bindra: I would have cared less if they had less experience if you're able to command, you know.
• 37:16
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is like when you say it, people should listen.
• 37:19
  Vipul Bindra: Simple as that.
• 37:19
  Vipul Bindra: And and that can either come with experience or a certain personality type.
• 37:24
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but ultimately it's an important role on set.
• 37:27
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and I would say also that one of the benefits, uh, at least for me, um, go going to full sale and now being part of the the Orlando, the Central Florida production industry, is that because we don't have the strong presence of unions here, you get used on wearing different hats.
• 37:44
  Luis Pereira: So as you said, like when you're in five shoot, uh, five crew shoot, you you are both the director, you're the producer, uh, you're usually chem oping, you are the director of photography.
• 37:54
  Luis Pereira: And as an AD, uh, I I I struggle to because I I am someone who's pretty like warm towards others, I accommodate others.
• 38:04
  Luis Pereira: Uh, I try, you know, I try to have everyone having a good time on set, but sometimes you gotta be steady.
• 38:10
  Luis Pereira: And sometimes you gotta give up the thing you you want the most, which is uh peace on set in order to get it done.
• 38:16
  Luis Pereira: And sometimes you you need also to sort of relinquish your control uh on that situation and be prepared to pivot.
• 38:24
  Luis Pereira: So always you you always plan for the worst, you know, you prepare for the best.
• 38:28
  Luis Pereira: Uh this is sort of like a model that I I carry with me dear dearly.
• 38:32
  Luis Pereira: And I I mean entering those sets, I I would say that if you are asking for a PA to get like water for your talent, and you are always monitoring your fo your watch, and he's not there in 30 seconds, and there's nothing that you're doing currently, doing right now, you just go like you just go, you grab it, and then after that you pull them aside and say, like, hey, uh, I I need you to to help me like orchestrate this.
• 38:58
  Luis Pereira: And sometimes they they they they struggle, understand they're like, Why is bringing water to the talent so important now?
• 39:05
  Luis Pereira: And I was like, you like I I'm no I know what you're going through because I sort of went through the same thing, but you gotta learn uh you gotta learn humility, you gotta you gotta be humble and set like everyone here.
• 39:16
  Vipul Bindra: It's a puzzle piece, so yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 39:17
  Vipul Bindra: And that's what what I understand is, which is why, and this may be again controversial.
• 39:21
  Vipul Bindra: I am uh I'm not a big fan of union sets.
• 39:23
  Vipul Bindra: Sometimes obviously you're doing bigger stuff, it has to be union, and I totally get the purpose of union.
• 39:28
  Vipul Bindra: I'm not here to union bash because look, you get paid right, you know, you have proper hours, which does take get taken advantage of non-union sets, but I was gonna say that God knows that sometimes clients they mess us up.
• 39:39
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so so union has a lot of pros, but which is why I'm saying why I like and that's what I'm saying, then it comes down to person.
• 39:45
  Vipul Bindra: That's why my sets I find I could never do union because we are wearing many sets of hats, and that's where I think the the industry is going for what I do at least.
• 39:54
  Vipul Bindra: However, then you can choose and pick and choose people because I don't like that.
• 39:59
  Vipul Bindra: I don't like micromanagement, I don't want to have people on my set who I have to, like you say, have to pull to the side, you can tell them this shit.
• 40:05
  Vipul Bindra: I need to get it done.
• 40:07
  Vipul Bindra: And I want people like you and me, and you know, Guga and other people that we know who will get done.
• 40:12
  Vipul Bindra: And the best thing about not being a union, if you don't like them, you just don't hire them again and you just move on with your life.
• 40:18
  Vipul Bindra: I can, or you can even fire them, you know, which I've had to do sometimes.
• 40:21
  Vipul Bindra: But point is I'm saying you have way more control because at the end of the day, I need it done.
• 40:26
  Vipul Bindra: If you're motivated enough to be on set, you're gonna be motivated enough set I don't want to have to sit in there to motivate someone if that makes sense, right?
• 40:32
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah.
• 40:33
  Vipul Bindra: And then there's enough people in the industry who want the work.
• 40:36
  Vipul Bindra: So what I'm saying is that is the advantage I like about non-union sets, is we can all work together, and I'd rather work with like-minded people who are like, yeah, I'm happy to jump on camera here and jump on sound or whatever and get this done within reason.
• 40:48
  Vipul Bindra: Because it's one thing to do that than to be taken advantage of, which we have a story to talk about there too.
• 40:54
  Vipul Bindra: Uh uh, but but anyway, but yeah, I totally agree with you.
• 40:56
  Vipul Bindra: That is yeah, yeah.
• 40:58
  Luis Pereira: And being an AD in independent productions where uh and again, uh Orlando, you you're you don't have that many union projects happening.
• 41:05
  Luis Pereira: Um when you're dealing with other people that are below you on the on the production department, um, you either get the one that feels that it's stupid to oh, I wanna uh why why does it matter if I bring water to to cast?
• 41:21
  Luis Pereira: I want to do something else.
• 41:22
  Luis Pereira: And you gotta teach them like, hey, you you gotta wait, you you're gonna have your moment, like, but whatever you think uh whatever useless uselessness uh on your brain that's going on that you're thinking that, oh, it's not important for me to uh help them set up this or just go over the the contracts and organize.
• 41:39
  Luis Pereira: I swear to you, it's gonna be important for us either on post, either later today.
• 41:44
  Luis Pereira: So keep up the good work.
• 41:46
  Luis Pereira: But you also have that other people that oh, okay, so I need uh a PA to bring on lunch, and then you find them rigging up the lights where uh when the key grip and the best boy electric they're having coffee on the ground, and you're gonna be like, guys, wait, hold.
• 42:01
  Luis Pereira: Like he's a PA, and you you cannot let them do this.
• 42:04
  Luis Pereira: Like it's supposed to be your job.
• 42:06
  Luis Pereira: Oh no, just because he he offered to volunteer, I was like, Yeah, you gotta be appreciative of the fact that he's there for you, but you don't have to give up your uh your labor now in order for him to do because if he fuck uh and that's one of the things also in union sets, um it's pretty like stupid uh example, like a dumb example.
• 42:25
  Luis Pereira: But if you are someone in charge of plugging and unplugging courts, that's all you're doing.
• 42:31
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, if you if you see uh uh tripod uh on the other side of the room and it's tilting, you know that it has like the the cook lens, it it is expensive.
• 42:40
  Luis Pereira: You don't touch that, let it fall.
• 42:42
  Luis Pereira: Union is gonna resolve that later.
• 42:43
  Luis Pereira: And the same thing.
• 42:44
  Luis Pereira: But that's what I'm saying.
• 42:45
  Vipul Bindra: That's why I'm not a fan of union sets, but I totally get that.
• 42:47
  Vipul Bindra: See, they have a different process, and like I said, it works, but I want somebody else.
• 42:52
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but in the same way, exactly.
• 42:53
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, in the in the same way, if you finish your job, be proactive, learn other things on set.
• 42:58
  Luis Pereira: Because that that's how I learned the most.
• 43:00
  Luis Pereira: Like I be I just recently purchased and set up like a sound kit to do a couple of corporate shoots around here.
• 43:06
  Luis Pereira: And I didn't have previous experience in sound, it was going uh through as an AD as a production assistant, especially as a as a production assistant, where oh, you gotta change battery uh uh sound mixers asking for batteries, then you're gonna change the batteries and change his comms, and you're just uh you're you're talking to him in between takes and uh learning uh their their creative process, the gear that they have, and it is it oh, it is it is the the the the work of a life, you know.
• 43:32
  Luis Pereira: It's awesome.
• 43:33
  Luis Pereira: No, and then that's gonna be nowhere else.
• 43:35
  Vipul Bindra: It's fun, exactly.
• 43:36
  Vipul Bindra: So let's come to real life set.
• 43:37
  Vipul Bindra: So like like I want to come back to that set we did.
• 43:40
  Vipul Bindra: What was that the biggest set you've been on, or have you been to a bigger set since uh you're talking to the pilot the pilot?
• 43:45
  Vipul Bindra: No, I'm talking about the the commercial shoot that we did.
• 43:48
  Luis Pereira: Oh, uh I I would say it was probably perfume commercial, right?
• 43:52
  Luis Pereira: Yeah.
• 43:52
  Luis Pereira: So the yeah, the perfume commissioner was probably one of the sets, the the top sets that I've been, uh crew wise.
• 43:59
  Luis Pereira: Um I I would say that I I did an opening for uh for a theme park here in Orlando last year.
• 44:06
  Luis Pereira: And this was the one that we were we had to organize and orchestrate the most amount of people.
• 44:11
  Luis Pereira: Yeah.
• 44:11
  Luis Pereira: But the uh again, the good thing of working independent is that you're not only relying on film, which which is something that I also learned because when I got when I first got here, I wanted to make films and that's it.
• 44:23
  Luis Pereira: Yeah.
• 44:23
  Luis Pereira: And now so you have the Epic Universe?
• 44:25
  Luis Pereira: Yes.
• 44:25
  Vipul Bindra: I don't I didn't know if we were supposed to say I filmed, uh I filmed the the universal people for it.
• 44:32
  Vipul Bindra: Well, we all you know, you're in Orlando, you're you're somehow filming theme parks.
• 44:35
  Vipul Bindra: But yeah, that's awesome, man.
• 44:36
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like but who wasn't?
• 44:38
  Vipul Bindra: I mean, that's exactly Epic was such a big uh deal.
• 44:40
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but um so so you've been on some major sets.
• 44:44
  Vipul Bindra: Uh so let's go through each uh, for example, like I said, how was your experience at Dama, man?
• 44:49
  Vipul Bindra: We had such a good film because that was a per perfume commercial we did in Miami, so that's where I met, like you say, you, Guga, Bruno, and it was Fernando and me.
• 44:57
  Vipul Bindra: And uh yeah, so like uh oh I remember meeting Bruno for the first time.
• 45:03
  Vipul Bindra: I still have the craziest story.
• 45:04
  Vipul Bindra: I've never had anyone do that.
• 45:05
  Vipul Bindra: At first, second, you know, you think he's rude.
• 45:07
  Vipul Bindra: Now that I know, you know, obviously he wasn't, but he's but I'm literally like you know, taking the light up.
• 45:11
  Vipul Bindra: He's like, No, no, no, not you.
• 45:12
  Vipul Bindra: And then he just takes the light from me and he's just climbing the ladder, and I'm like, what just happened?
• 45:16
  Vipul Bindra: So but he's just very proactive.
• 45:18
  Vipul Bindra: No, I know, and I love Bruno.
• 45:19
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, but the first time it happened to me, I'm like, nobody's ever yeah, and it's funny because um uh talk talking about Bruno, uh he he is like one of my main inspirations on film and as a professional ever.
• 45:34
  Luis Pereira: And in Brazil, again, he worked for 18, 20 years in broadcasting companies there.
• 45:40
  Luis Pereira: And usually if you have the uh a paper, uh like a dog a piece of paper in your hands, or if you have a document, or if you have a cup of coffee, you must uh you as a crew member must assume that this is a that this is a professional, uh this is a professional producer, this is someone who's gonna pay you later today.
• 45:59
  Luis Pereira: And it's your objective that if something falls off their their coat or if they if they need something, you're there for them.
• 46:06
  Luis Pereira: And so uh uh as soon as he saw you with the iPad and the fact that you brought the whole gear, your job, your job was done.
• 46:13
  Luis Pereira: Now you just have to uh to check up the lights, see the composition, but everything from uh loading out from your car and rigging it, uh for for a Brazilian, it is he got offended.
• 46:24
  Luis Pereira: Like, wait, wait, wait, you you did all this work and now you're gonna set up two?
• 46:27
  Luis Pereira: Not on my watch.
• 46:28
  Vipul Bindra: So no, and that's great.
• 46:29
  Vipul Bindra: Like I said, now I know Bruno, I uh I I appreciate that culture.
• 46:33
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm not that saying, like I said, I'm all very hands-out.
• 46:36
  Vipul Bindra: I I'm not the type of guy who stands on an iPad, but you know, he was a girl.
• 46:40
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying that that attitude, I really, really first took me for a second, but once I understood him, which uh, you know, and I was like, this is amazing, and I've hired him obviously a few times since then because Bruno is amazing, and I love that attitude.
• 46:51
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, because again, it's not um trying to offend me or anyone, he's like genuinely interested in helping you and getting it done.
• 46:58
  Vipul Bindra: And I was like, that's amazing, that's what you want on set, you know.
• 47:01
  Vipul Bindra: People who are like, let's get it done.
• 47:02
  Vipul Bindra: And then once I found out that how much experience he has, it's crazy.
• 47:06
  Luis Pereira: I'm like, this guy's not just a grip, he's like very, very experienced, but he's humble, like you said, like you said, he had to go through new beginnings here too, because uh when he came here to America, he had to give up uh a 20-plus year career that he he was building in in Brazil.
• 47:22
  Luis Pereira: And yeah, he he's great.
• 47:24
  Luis Pereira: Delma was great.
• 47:25
  Luis Pereira: Uh I've I've been working with uh Guga and Fernando and Bruno for like the uh for the last six years before uh six year months sorry before uh we did that commercial.
• 47:36
  Luis Pereira: And I remember that I blocked out those dates and we ran through a couple of pre-production meetings, and I was first uh hired to be I think that uh Guga put me as a grip or just a PA, but I sort of climbed to be like a an AD because we had to go over the schedule, and um uh even though the the production company from Brazil that uh hired us to do the the shoot, they already had their own schedule and they are already uh aligning everything with uh Nadja Feira, the the talent.
• 48:10
  Luis Pereira: She she was great too, and uh all all of her team uh was great working with them.
• 48:17
  Luis Pereira: But uh it it changes when we are on set, like uh when we were in Miami, because i in Brazil they I I I noticed that now working a couple of productions that come here, uh they approach call sheets in a different way than we do.
• 48:33
  Luis Pereira: And they and if if they're not able to set up everything in the first day uh where they were where they're supposed to, according to the call sheet, that's okay.
• 48:41
  Luis Pereira: They can they can troubleshoot that later.
• 48:43
  Luis Pereira: And they at least in that set, they they had this different mentality.
• 48:46
  Luis Pereira: So it was great that I sort of stepped uh in and changed a couple of elements, and I think that the the final the final project was no, that was incredible.
• 48:54
  Luis Pereira: What we did was amazing, and um I'll say the whole experience too of us uh everyone in the Airbnb and and like uh exchanging life stories, and for me, it's always great because I love a good story.
• 49:07
  Luis Pereira: Like um uh every filmmaker say that like storytelling is their life, but it's so funny because you were like I still remember like at the Airbnb, you're like, hey, I want to intern for you.
• 49:16
  Vipul Bindra: You still been wanting how many years has it been?
• 49:18
  Vipul Bindra: You still wanted to intern for me with the first time.
• 49:20
  Luis Pereira: I still want to intern for you to this day.
• 49:22
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and that but what's funny is that's what led to the I think the next time I heard you was that Miss America, yeah.
• 49:28
  Vipul Bindra: So I was W Shot Universal, yeah.
• 49:30
  Vipul Bindra: So I was basically uh film, it was it being at Film The Universal, they hired me, and then um, which is so crazy again, they hired me as a gaffer, and what ended up happening was because so they was they're from LA, or uh, I think one guy was from Atlanta, one from LA, the DP.
• 49:42
  Vipul Bindra: But something happened, he got sick.
• 49:44
  Vipul Bindra: Uh no, let me backtrack.
• 49:46
  Vipul Bindra: So Mario is helping me as an assistant, right?
• 49:47
  Vipul Bindra: So as a grip.
• 49:48
  Vipul Bindra: So I was like the the gaffer, he's a grip, and then they added a second day, uh, because you know, whatever reason they they weren't happy or whatever, they wanted to redo it, and um, so now I had to like you know scramble to to make the schedule work, and Mario wasn't available, so uh I thought of you, and uh in even though you were like, Hey, I'm typically a first lady, I can come help you grip, uh you know, and you did great.
• 50:10
  Vipul Bindra: What's crazy, and I'll come to that.
• 50:12
  Vipul Bindra: But as soon as we show up on site, we find out oh, the DP actually got sick.
• 50:16
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and whatever happened, you know, is it traveling?
• 50:19
  Vipul Bindra: Uh I don't know if it was food or whatever.
• 50:21
  Vipul Bindra: I didn't go deep into it.
• 50:22
  Vipul Bindra: Point is so so he was like, Hey, can you be DP?
• 50:25
  Vipul Bindra: And I was like, duh, that's like way easier than gaffing for me.
• 50:28
  Vipul Bindra: So I had to step up now to be a DP, but problem is now we need a gaffer.
• 50:31
  Vipul Bindra: So you had to kind of step up from being a grip to a gaffer.
• 50:34
  Vipul Bindra: And I loved how easily you were not that we were doing some complex stuff because it was already set up, but you were how easily I'm saying you were able to get my CRMX stuff and you were helping me change lights and things like that, and kind of just help me out.
• 50:45
  Vipul Bindra: And and I really appreciated that.
• 50:47
  Vipul Bindra: But I want to know from your perspective, and this is what I'm saying, it could be taken two ways.
• 50:50
  Vipul Bindra: One could be like, hey, I just came here to be a grip and and and now I'm being behind all this responsibility, or it could be like, hey, this is my time to shine.
• 50:57
  Vipul Bindra: So how did you take it?
• 50:58
  Vipul Bindra: And you know, yeah.
• 50:59
  Luis Pereira: So um I I love to learn, especially on on something that I I I thoroughly enjoy, like a film set.
• 51:06
  Luis Pereira: Uh, if you put me to be like a Dorpier, I'll try to find ways of being like the best Dor PA ever and learn different skills that uh I can teach someone uh on the next project.
• 51:16
  Luis Pereira: So I I I had a previous experience um as like gaffing and uh being a grip uh from like student sets before, and I had to do a couple of uh grip work too uh for this production company that Guga and uh Guga Fernando Bruno we shot for the Amazon show.
• 51:33
  Vipul Bindra: And uh I mean you remember we had to build a 12 by that's a crazy I'm saying first legit rail set to be a grip on.
• 51:40
  Vipul Bindra: The 12 by was crazy, yeah.
• 51:42
  Vipul Bindra: Because we didn't have that in school.
• 51:43
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that's what I was saying, and that's what to like we built it with speed rails.
• 51:46
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying you're legit building a 12 by.
• 51:48
  Vipul Bindra: So that's I'm saying yeah, that must have been a crazy first experience.
• 51:51
  Luis Pereira: It was fantastic, and I mean uh even though the uh school were was able to give uh give us like phenomenal gear, uh especially for our age and our experience for us to experiment on.
• 52:03
  Luis Pereira: Um it's it's a stark contracts contrast when you are on school and then you're working with a bindra productions because guys, I I I'm not I kid you not, bindra productions is on another level, like it really is.
• 52:16
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but funny thing is that it is but you know what's crazy?
• 52:20
  Vipul Bindra: I'll tell you about that set.
• 52:21
  Vipul Bindra: I would have never set that 12 by.
• 52:22
  Vipul Bindra: I think 8x would have been fine.
• 52:24
  Vipul Bindra: The only reason I did that 12 by because on the day one we were there, I set up an 8 by and the the DP wanted a 12 by.
• 52:30
  Vipul Bindra: And so when we showed up, immediately I was like, let's set up the 12x because I'm doing what the DP wanted.
• 52:35
  Vipul Bindra: And then obviously the DP didn't show up.
• 52:37
  Vipul Bindra: I would have been happy with the 8 by.
• 52:38
  Vipul Bindra: It's fine because I thought the 12 by was too big for what we were doing there.
• 52:42
  Vipul Bindra: But uh, but so we didn't have to end up setting the 12 by if I was the DP, but you know, anyway.
• 52:47
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, we did, and then we uh we did a breakdown, and it was a it was a fantastic shoot.
• 52:52
  Luis Pereira: Like uh I I never imagined that out of all the programs that would that that happened here in the United States that would come out shooting Miss America.
• 52:59
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, it's a lot of people.
• 53:00
  Vipul Bindra: And what's crazy though is that to me that's a small set because at the end it was just three.
• 53:03
  Vipul Bindra: It was, yeah.
• 53:03
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm DP, you're essentially grab gaffing gripping with me, and then the the main director, producer, you want to call it.
• 53:10
  Vipul Bindra: And obviously they had Miss America had their team, but like we didn't really which was like like a like they were uh 12 times this.
• 53:16
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, of course, and the 50 whatever contestants, right?
• 53:18
  Vipul Bindra: 50 plus contestants.
• 53:20
  Vipul Bindra: But what I'm saying is in the end, the the team is like three people.
• 53:23
  Vipul Bindra: That's how productions are nowadays.
• 53:24
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, and at that time I we can sit there and complain.
• 53:27
  Vipul Bindra: That's what my attitude is.
• 53:28
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, look, we're doing Miss America, we're having a great time.
• 53:30
  Vipul Bindra: I'm getting paid to do this Bernard conditioning at Universal Studios, yeah.
• 53:34
  Vipul Bindra: And once we set up, it's literally was just on what Dana Dolly going back and forth with each contestant.
• 53:39
  Luis Pereira: So and I mean when you handed me the iPad too, like I I I as a gaffer, I I I played with lights before, like through like CITES Link, but uh again, they they weren't on the same complexity as the lights that you brought into set.
• 53:53
  Luis Pereira: So for me, it was a like it was an out-of-body experience, right?
• 53:59
  Vipul Bindra: Also, that was virtual production too.
• 54:00
  Vipul Bindra: So have you was that your first virtual production?
• 54:02
  Vipul Bindra: I did a couple of virtual productions.
• 54:04
  Luis Pereira: Full sale has uh an excellent virtual production stage there in because I liked what the guy did.
• 54:09
  Vipul Bindra: He he brought in basically uh a screen and LED, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 54:13
  Vipul Bindra: So we built the LED wall there in the universal.
• 54:15
  Luis Pereira: And to be honest, it it was also uh something new.
• 54:18
  Luis Pereira: I mean, uh every time I step on set, I I try to get something from it uh to like to learn and to apply on whatever adventure um holds me next.
• 54:28
  Luis Pereira: But um we had I remember that we sort of uh had a couple problems with the LED lighting-wise, and then that we had to to mix up on the magenta, and we had to uh place because we were doing the the the the booklet light uh for the with the 12 by and we had to position the we have to position the lights differently so we didn't have the a big contrast in between what we had from the lights on the LEDs and uh what we had from the actresses.
• 54:58
  Luis Pereira: And and to be honest, uh it was great.
• 55:01
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, it's great.
• 55:02
  Vipul Bindra: And what's crazy is this uh how simplicity of the setup, and and this is what I love.
• 55:06
  Luis Pereira: You know, I he changed the airports like every once in a while, the yeah, the weather on the on the foreground, on the background, yeah.
• 55:12
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so they were custom made to like look like uh you know certain states.
• 55:16
  Vipul Bindra: Uh but but what I'm uh what I love, like a lot of people don't know, like but they're like, oh, you have 30 lights or whatever.
• 55:22
  Vipul Bindra: The the reason I have so many lights is so you can choose.
• 55:24
  Vipul Bindra: It's not every time that I have 40, 30, 40 lights going at a time.
• 55:28
  Vipul Bindra: It's the ability to choose.
• 55:29
  Vipul Bindra: So for example, on that set to to make it look like that, even though it sounds complex, it was literally like two lights.
• 55:35
  Vipul Bindra: So it was a 1200x on an eight by book light, so it's going to the magic cloth.
• 55:39
  Vipul Bindra: No, it was going to ultra bounce to magic cloth on one side, then a 12 by ultra bounce has the fill, because we wanted that that big airport look.
• 55:47
  Vipul Bindra: And then it was the ADC as the backlight, which we were manipulating to match, you know, is the magenta, is it green?
• 55:53
  Vipul Bindra: Is it you know warm, cool based on the airport we're in?
• 55:55
  Vipul Bindra: But so it's technically two lights, that's all it is, but it looked amazing.
• 55:59
  Vipul Bindra: It is a magic, yeah.
• 56:00
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah, but because it's the big flags and rags, and you know, it's it's uh it's the you know, playing with them saying with a lot of things, and we also set up audio.
• 56:08
  Luis Pereira: I remember that now.
• 56:08
  Vipul Bindra: We yeah, we had to do audio, and it was their audio too, so so it was not comfortable for me.
• 56:13
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm used to I love having external audio, a I don't trust the the you know preamps and uh on on something that important, you know, on an FX6.
• 56:20
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but also then having to monitor it, and then you know, being DP.
• 56:24
  Vipul Bindra: Point is because it's and I don't like not having a backup, but it was their audio setup, but it was their camera.
• 56:28
  Vipul Bindra: Technically, I was in supply, so I had to just do what they had, and it came out great.
• 56:32
  Vipul Bindra: I think uh based on what we did and the time, because it was only like a three, four-hour shoot, it wasn't a long day.
• 56:38
  Vipul Bindra: Uh I think we did great because you know, those contestants had a limited time.
• 56:41
  Vipul Bindra: We had to cycle them out pretty fast.
• 56:43
  Vipul Bindra: It was like what 30 seconds each or something like that.
• 56:45
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and and I sort of also took uh I stepped up as a sort of like a second ED because I was also helping you on uh getting them to the front stage, position them, seeing if the mic's good.
• 56:55
  Luis Pereira: Then we yeah, let them basically was like in out in out.
• 56:59
  Luis Pereira: It was uh it was fun, and it was a great experience.
• 57:01
  Luis Pereira: I mean, like how what are the chances probably I wouldn't be able to do that on an union job, you know?
• 57:06
  Luis Pereira: No, no, like when we'll be meeting at Universal and go into like the the back door of their hotels and set up a huge how how big was the LED panel that we that that was set up?
• 57:18
  Vipul Bindra: I don't remember the size, but it was a decent size.
• 57:19
  Luis Pereira: I mean, you know, and then have all the Ms.
• 57:21
  Luis Pereira: America contestants coming in and it was a blast.
• 57:24
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, all the pretty girls on the interested in.
• 57:27
  Vipul Bindra: No, no, no.
• 57:28
  Vipul Bindra: Is your girlfriend watching you can get it?
• 57:29
  Vipul Bindra: My fiance now.
• 57:30
  Vipul Bindra: Oh fiance.
• 57:31
  Vipul Bindra: Oh, you propose, right?
• 57:32
  Luis Pereira: I propose, yeah.
• 57:33
  Luis Pereira: I I posted on Instagram.
• 57:34
  Luis Pereira: Uh it was uh it was July, July 16th.
• 57:38
  Luis Pereira: Thank you very much.
• 57:39
  Luis Pereira: Congratulations, man.
• 57:40
  Luis Pereira: Thank you very much.
• 57:40
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, we're gonna be marrying next summer.
• 57:42
  Luis Pereira: Look at that, right?
• 57:43
  Luis Pereira: So in Brazil or in Brazil, in Brazil, yeah.
• 57:45
  Luis Pereira: She she'll she's gonna come here uh on fall of next year.
• 57:49
  Luis Pereira: So yeah, if Kakya is watching, hey, I wasn't looking for any other girls, okay?
• 57:52
  Luis Pereira: I only have you in my mind, okay?
• 57:54
  Luis Pereira: I love you.
• 57:55
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, just a shout out.
• 57:56
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 57:57
  Luis Pereira: Shout out to Bendra.
• 57:58
  Vipul Bindra: Oh, yeah, let me not get in trouble.
• 57:59
  Vipul Bindra: But no, no, he wasn't.
• 58:00
  Vipul Bindra: He wasn't looking at them.
• 58:01
  Vipul Bindra: Only professionally.
• 58:03
  Luis Pereira: And you see, exactly.
• 58:04
  Luis Pereira: I had to look them professionally because I was I was setting up the lights to see.
• 58:08
  Luis Pereira: But I mean, I we had so much stuff going on on set that less less thing I would be thinking of was look how beautiful those ladies are.
• 58:15
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, I was probably looking more at Bendra to be honest.
• 58:18
  Luis Pereira: I'd be like, come on, look at this guy setting up and uh we we don't have RDP, but he stepped up and he he knows how to do everything.
• 58:24
  Vipul Bindra: It's only a film can be on that for him.
• 58:30
  Vipul Bindra: That's us, that's us.
• 58:32
  Vipul Bindra: That's so funny.
• 58:33
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but yeah, but no, that's incredible.
• 58:35
  Vipul Bindra: And then I think um uh the the commercial set was the other big one we did because you got to be um you got to come out to the micard uh shoot, right?
• 58:44
  Vipul Bindra: And that's such a different.
• 58:44
  Luis Pereira: I'm saying yeah, uh can we say the name of the brand?
• 58:49
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 58:49
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, so uh when we went to the Revology headquarters at I think it's um I forgot, but like you helped me with that too.
• 58:57
  Vipul Bindra: I did, yeah, and it was before Miss America.
• 59:00
  Luis Pereira: So uh right.
• 59:01
  Vipul Bindra: I completely forgot about that one.
• 59:03
  Luis Pereira: And and I mean, uh it's uh I always say the if you're eager to learn and if you if you just want to be there to have fun, and have fun includes a couple of setbacks, you know, but you learn and next time you won't uh screw up things and you're gonna be uh even happier with the final product.
• 59:20
  Luis Pereira: So I done camera a couple times before, but never on the on like the setup that Bendra created for us to shoot uh that that video on on uh inside Rivology.
• 59:32
  Luis Pereira: So dude, you missed the second one.
• 59:34
  Vipul Bindra: I think I killed it on that one over.
• 59:36
  Vipul Bindra: But the first one was great.
• 59:37
  Vipul Bindra: I mean, to be real, uh uh which now that I appreciate you now remember, yeah, I needed a second shooter for quick B-roll thing with them because it was a long-term project and Mario wasn't available, so I asked you, and and you did great.
• 59:48
  Vipul Bindra: You're not a camera guy, but again, we just needed some basic B-roll.
• 59:50
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, um, but also uh talking about that set, like you know, with the limited resources, how incredible because you saw the studio, uh how incredible that shoot came out, and I so appreciated you being there because you I think you did on the track day, you did BTS.
• 1:00:05
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:00:06
  Luis Pereira: First we visited the the headquarters first, and then after like I would say three weeks, we we went to the track and then we went to the studio.
• 1:00:14
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, which was and the studio was just amazing, man.
• 1:00:17
  Vipul Bindra: I had such a great time, but but here's and we could talk more about that.
• 1:00:20
  Vipul Bindra: But but what I loved is like in you know, once we get to know more, because like I said, you helped me with BTS there, you were doing little worlds.
• 1:00:26
  Vipul Bindra: On the next one I did, which was a big, big step up, you were able to come in as my I would say pseudo first AD because you weren't at first AD on set.
• 1:00:34
  Vipul Bindra: Mario stepped up to that because here's what I found out.
• 1:00:37
  Vipul Bindra: So now that I'm doing the bigger run, I immediately am like, okay, you're gonna be my first AD, and then I find out that you're gonna be in Brazil, and I'm like, darn it.
• 1:00:46
  Vipul Bindra: And I I really wanted you in my first AD.
• 1:00:48
  Vipul Bindra: Uh uh, but like I said, you weren't available, but you still helped me.
• 1:00:51
  Vipul Bindra: What's crazy is you were in Brazil still helping me with call sheets and scheduling and planning, which helped Mario a lot because he only had to, like I said, manage the onset thing.
• 1:00:59
  Vipul Bindra: But that helped me a lot.
• 1:01:00
  Vipul Bindra: I wish you had been there because like I said, I was on a lead level.
• 1:01:03
  Vipul Bindra: I watched the final product uh and I was yeah, I wasn't but uh what what's crazy again it's still very limited resources for a level of that production, but still a lot more I'm saying than on the shoot weaver on the first one.
• 1:01:15
  Luis Pereira: But but but but this is uh I think it's sort of the um what Benra productions do do like you you overdeliver.
• 1:01:22
  Luis Pereira: So I I would say that it was like fantastic.
• 1:01:24
  Luis Pereira: The final product in the the the the improvement from the already fantastic video that we did for the uh what's the Boss Mustang last year?
• 1:01:32
  Vipul Bindra: And now the first one was 429, then it was 302.
• 1:01:35
  Luis Pereira: 302, yeah.
• 1:01:36
  Luis Pereira: So I I wish I wasn't that sad.
• 1:01:39
  Vipul Bindra: No man, you would have done great, like I said.
• 1:01:41
  Vipul Bindra: Uh but I mean I mean you already were part of it, you just weren't on physically.
• 1:01:44
  Luis Pereira: And that's and that's a good thing about being in the production department.
• 1:01:47
  Luis Pereira: I I don't know um to which extent every department can be part of a project if not in person, but I'd say that production-wise, being able to reach out to different people that we sort of that we that uh not only I I had met through school, but also you met them through the the pilot shoot that we did in February that we shot there.
• 1:02:06
  Luis Pereira: And um helping with the call sheets and helping you.
• 1:02:10
  Luis Pereira: I remember that before you were able to set up uh a studio location, I was helping you scouting because uh yeah, one thing that I forgot to mention, uh right after I would say two months before Nadja shoot in uh in Miami, I actually uh I started working as an intern for the Orlando Film Commission.
• 1:02:28
  Luis Pereira: So Brooke is now, yeah.
• 1:02:30
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:02:31
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, shout out to Brooke, she's amazing, I love her.
• 1:02:33
  Luis Pereira: And she was uh friends with Fernando, and then when she was looking for uh replacement for her intern who just stepped up to a new position inside the economic partnership, she I I applied, we did an interview, and oh, it was a blessing, dude.
• 1:02:48
  Luis Pereira: I I learned so much about uh the the the side of production that I love uh the securing permits, uh who you need to reach out to in order to get the to the the permit um going.
• 1:02:59
  Luis Pereira: Um like uh infrastructure-wise and uh try not to be to be like the bureaucracy's greatest enemy, you know.
• 1:03:08
  Luis Pereira: And it was great.
• 1:03:10
  Luis Pereira: And she and the Orlando Film Commission opened uh so many doors because now every time I go I go to set or I go to any any film-related event, I always meet someone who I A either was on their set or B, I helped them with their permits or help them on their premieres when they were fine looking for places.
• 1:03:28
  Vipul Bindra: So it's that's crazy though, like so it came full circle for you because uh you know just experience to go there, like I said, learning the back end of it, which is you know what would help you.
• 1:03:39
  Vipul Bindra: And it's good to have a resource like that because like I said, I'm trying to do non-union stuff most time, but we do need some time permit or whatever.
• 1:03:45
  Vipul Bindra: Then having a resource like you or Brooke or some people, I'm saying to be able to reach out, it just makes it so much easier.
• 1:03:50
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like you said, because we're just trying to you know get past the red tape, we want to get it done.
• 1:03:54
  Vipul Bindra: That's how productions are, and so to be able to have insight knowledge or resources is just so great, and yeah, it's great, and it's something that it can do remotely, so you don't have to be on set.
• 1:04:03
  Luis Pereira: I mean, I would love to be there to to do the the Tech Scout with you, uh, but I mean you you you're already you're not new to this game, you're the top dog here, so you already know how uh everything works.
• 1:04:13
  Luis Pereira: But it it it it is great to be, even though I was in Brazil and I was in spring break, so I was trying to chill out a little bit, uh already preparing myself for the the the thesis that I just wrapped uh this this Sunday.
• 1:04:27
  Luis Pereira: Uh I was still able to open up my computer and try and help you with the call sheets and help you uh with the crew, and it it was a blast.
• 1:04:35
  Luis Pereira: And I I feel I feel thankful, and by the way, thank you for including me in that project because usually if you're not able to be there in person, they didn't they don't even want to have you.
• 1:04:43
  Vipul Bindra: But that's what I'm talking about.
• 1:04:44
  Vipul Bindra: That's where your effort comes in because it wasn't like I just met you.
• 1:04:47
  Vipul Bindra: I that would doesn't normally happen, but because I knew you so well and you're like a set of friends at that point, and I trusted you, I like I said, I wanted you to be part of the project, and then you weren't gonna be available, but you were like, Yeah, I could still help you as much as I can.
• 1:05:00
  Vipul Bindra: I was like, absolutely, I want you to be part of it because that was the whole plan.
• 1:05:04
  Vipul Bindra: And uh so what I'm saying is yeah, so if you're a network, you meet people and you build that trust, you don't have to be there.
• 1:05:10
  Vipul Bindra: And what you helped was great, you know, and and uh like I said, and you were not even in America, you were in Brazil, and you were helping me, and that was incredible.
• 1:05:18
  Vipul Bindra: And now, like I said, anytime I need it, because now we did that short film where you were able to come in and be the first AD and look how smoothly that went.
• 1:05:25
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying compared to these other productions because we knew each other, so it's like we were able to be on track on time, exactly get everything done.
• 1:05:32
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, you know, it went, I think, extremely smooth if you want to talk about that one.
• 1:05:35
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, oh yeah, it was amazing.
• 1:05:37
  Luis Pereira: So we just uh I would say like a month ago, we wrapped uh production on um uh Sam's uh project bloom.
• 1:05:44
  Luis Pereira: So shout out to Sip, you're a great man.
• 1:05:47
  Luis Pereira: And we I mean, even though we we had a couple of different setbacks because he had to go back to North Carolina.
• 1:05:54
  Luis Pereira: I don't know exactly uh what branch of military he's in or he's in reserve, but he he was away from.
• 1:05:59
  Luis Pereira: School.
• 1:06:00
  Luis Pereira: So I already knew his project.
• 1:06:02
  Luis Pereira: I knew I was going to be his first AD.
• 1:06:03
  Luis Pereira: And because again, I had this knowledge of the of securing permits and uh and people and your gear too.
• 1:06:11
  Luis Pereira: And going over uh what he was trying to tell, I was able to bring in a logistical, like a um I'd say like a methodical approach to getting it done, even though he wasn't here at all.
• 1:06:22
  Luis Pereira: So uh it was great.
• 1:06:24
  Luis Pereira: And um again, again, setbacks uh you you have setbacks in every in every shoot.
• 1:06:29
  Luis Pereira: It's impossible for you to run away from them.
• 1:06:32
  Luis Pereira: But with what we had, with the story that we had, the crew that we got here, I think we did an excellent job.
• 1:06:38
  Luis Pereira: Which by the way, did Ruben come here to fix the Do you see the damage still?
• 1:06:41
  Luis Pereira: Oh Ruben, come on, dude.
• 1:06:43
  Luis Pereira: He's waiting, man.
• 1:06:45
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:06:46
  Vipul Bindra: Come fix the damage.
• 1:06:47
  Vipul Bindra: That's what I'm saying.
• 1:06:48
  Vipul Bindra: It's always when I'm helping people out, is when I get, you know, yeah.
• 1:06:51
  Vipul Bindra: It's funny, like when I charge people full price, everything is going great.
• 1:06:55
  Vipul Bindra: Nothing, no issues.
• 1:06:56
  Vipul Bindra: It's always when I when I'm helping people out.
• 1:06:58
  Vipul Bindra: You're giving discounts.
• 1:06:59
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's when it's like, oh, my ceiling is damaged.
• 1:07:02
  Vipul Bindra: But you know, hopefully we'll fix it.
• 1:07:04
  Luis Pereira: Uh yeah, but it was a great project, and I think that uh he messaged uh me.
• 1:07:08
  Luis Pereira: Uh we got like a group that we because we started full sale the same month, and then uh I think he just he just finished, like he has a picture lock.
• 1:07:17
  Luis Pereira: I think he's going through his sound uh now.
• 1:07:20
  Luis Pereira: I think I don't know, but uh I I just got his text saying that his short film is done, so I'm so happy.
• 1:07:25
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, I can't wait to see it.
• 1:07:26
  Luis Pereira: It wouldn't be able with it wouldn't be able to have it done without you.
• 1:07:30
  Vipul Bindra: And uh I was just happy to help.
• 1:07:32
  Vipul Bindra: And plus, it was a unique project, like it was very artistic, very different than what I normally do.
• 1:07:36
  Vipul Bindra: I'm very much, you know, in general, uh, like a lot of people like to say, Oh, you know, they have a style.
• 1:07:41
  Vipul Bindra: Like, what's your style?
• 1:07:42
  Vipul Bindra: I purposely hate that thing.
• 1:07:43
  Vipul Bindra: I don't want a style.
• 1:07:44
  Vipul Bindra: I approach each project like with its own uniqueness.
• 1:07:47
  Vipul Bindra: Now, there's certain techniques I use, obviously, but that doesn't mean it's a style.
• 1:07:51
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:07:51
  Vipul Bindra: So I actually purposefully approach things that are unique and different.
• 1:07:56
  Vipul Bindra: But point is what I liked about it was not only did I have creative freedom to do whatever, but he was going with completely to me, it's abstract, right?
• 1:08:04
  Vipul Bindra: Once he explained me the story, and I was like, oh, this is so different because when I'm doing something, I I like to telling strong stories, right?
• 1:08:11
  Vipul Bindra: With this character-driven narratives, even if it's a commercial.
• 1:08:14
  Vipul Bindra: So this was more very, very abstract.
• 1:08:17
  Vipul Bindra: So it's very different than anything I would normally do.
• 1:08:19
  Vipul Bindra: So I was very intrigued and wanted to be part of it.
• 1:08:21
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, like we got to do it anamorphic, try the new DZR con lenses with it.
• 1:08:26
  Vipul Bindra: So it overall it was a very cool and creative project.
• 1:08:29
  Vipul Bindra: I had fun, you know.
• 1:08:30
  Vipul Bindra: It was like a lot of symbols.
• 1:08:30
  Vipul Bindra: A lot of dressing, too, right?
• 1:08:32
  Vipul Bindra: So a lot of symbolism and and stuff.
• 1:08:34
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I still find the strings from the flower pins.
• 1:08:36
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, and I remember like uh when we were uh I I think we were probably in the like Abbey Singer, so we did like the series where we he was like erasing stuff from his end and uh taking out the the tape, and it was probably like a 30-minute like brainstorm in the in the moment because again, we we were we were in the moment, like uh we were flowing in the same way that uh that his idea was.
• 1:08:59
  Vipul Bindra: So, and that's like the best part of being sad because sometimes we're just locked in and like no one can stop us from delivering like an excellent product in exactly, and a lot of things happen, you know, because you you have a vision, you have an idea, but then you also pivot and you figure out how to do it, especially with him.
• 1:09:14
  Vipul Bindra: There's a lot of uh creative things he wanted to do, but he's limited by budget and technicality and stuff like that.
• 1:09:19
  Vipul Bindra: So, how do you achieve that?
• 1:09:21
  Vipul Bindra: And as a DP, remember, I'm trying to do an abstract project.
• 1:09:24
  Vipul Bindra: That's how I'm approaching it.
• 1:09:25
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, you we can talk to Sam and obviously see how he would approach it, but I'm going with like there's a lot of symbolism, it's abstract.
• 1:09:31
  Vipul Bindra: So, how can I bring that vision you know to life?
• 1:09:34
  Vipul Bindra: And we're also going very shallow to do like what is it, T2.1, whatever those lenses do.
• 1:09:39
  Vipul Bindra: It's it's like very shallow for anamorphic.
• 1:09:41
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm also like trying to go, how do I tell the story?
• 1:09:45
  Vipul Bindra: How do I tell it in a way where it's true to him, but I can also do a little bit of magic of mine in there, right?
• 1:09:50
  Vipul Bindra: But at the same time, student film resources, how can we move fast?
• 1:09:54
  Vipul Bindra: You know, it was great, it was great.
• 1:09:56
  Vipul Bindra: I can't wait to see that.
• 1:09:58
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:09:59
  Luis Pereira: I can't wait to see the final product because uh again, uh uh as you go throughout the your academic journey as a master student, you you you see it on table reads for projects, and then you see it on the previous, and then um you see it on pre-production plans, and you see it on uh when they are presenting like the uh their assembly cuts, and usually most of them are kind of bad, and you're like yikes, like I I would have done that.
• 1:10:26
  Luis Pereira: Uh, but again, you I don't know what type of uh troubles that they they had during shoot.
• 1:10:30
  Luis Pereira: I don't know how much uh uh like studio interference, which is the professors they had on the project, because that happens a full sale a lot.
• 1:10:37
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, no, they tried to change yeah, they tried changing the your your script, they tried to change your previous, they tried to change your shot list all the time.
• 1:10:44
  Luis Pereira: So I don't know how much mingling they were doing it, but for his project, I'll say that it is authentic and it is different from the other ones.
• 1:10:52
  Vipul Bindra: And as people gonna get it, and that's what I'm curious about because look, I as a DP was only able to help visually.
• 1:10:59
  Vipul Bindra: I didn't I didn't write the story, I'm not editing it, I'm not part of that process.
• 1:11:03
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, it's symbolism, right?
• 1:11:04
  Vipul Bindra: So I hope other people will understand that.
• 1:11:06
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm curious uh like how that comes across because at the end day, look, I can do visually because that's what I was responsible for.
• 1:11:15
  Vipul Bindra: So lighting, you know, camera, all that.
• 1:11:16
  Vipul Bindra: But will the symbolism come through and his abstract?
• 1:11:20
  Vipul Bindra: And that's what I'm saying.
• 1:11:20
  Vipul Bindra: That's why the project is cool.
• 1:11:22
  Vipul Bindra: I'm just happy to help look.
• 1:11:23
  Vipul Bindra: And and and I had the time, I was able to help him on those two days, and it was fun.
• 1:11:27
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, I got to work with you and Matt and you know, Veronica and all these cool people and Ruben.
• 1:11:32
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like a good team of people that we trust that we want to, you know, be around, and and it was just fun, especially from the pilot, um, you know, which was I think the longest project we did together because it was a week long, man.
• 1:11:43
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, six days.
• 1:11:44
  Vipul Bindra: Six days of shit.
• 1:11:45
  Vipul Bindra: 18 hour days, 20 hour days.
• 1:11:47
  Vipul Bindra: That was crazy.
• 1:11:48
  Vipul Bindra: That was nuts.
• 1:11:49
  Vipul Bindra: But but that was fun too.
• 1:11:50
  Vipul Bindra: What's your experience with that?
• 1:11:51
  Vipul Bindra: Because you were a proper AD on that, right?
• 1:11:53
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yes, yes, I was.
• 1:11:54
  Luis Pereira: So um Fernando, he approached me, I would say like July of 2025 about this, and then we started sitting, and then we I I started uh doing like the script breakdown, seeing what we would need.
• 1:12:08
  Luis Pereira: Um, and it was it was a blast for me, like because I already knew the project was gonna be um probably the biggest project that I'll I would be a part of in Orlando, aside from the Epic Universe opening that I did.
• 1:12:22
  Luis Pereira: Um but I mean you cannot compare.
• 1:12:24
  Luis Pereira: It's Universal opening their their third fourth theme park in Orlando.
• 1:12:29
  Luis Pereira: So um I I had a lot of fun.
• 1:12:34
  Luis Pereira: I learned so much.
• 1:12:35
  Luis Pereira: Uh I learned like how to deal with the with with producers in Brazil, they they they sort of had their they have a different approach on how to get the job done.
• 1:12:47
  Luis Pereira: And I was able to adapt to what they wanted and like uh like aligning uh creative visions with Brooke, with Fernando, and going over and scouting practically like the whole whole central Florida.
• 1:13:01
  Luis Pereira: It was insane.
• 1:13:02
  Luis Pereira: It was great.
• 1:13:03
  Vipul Bindra: I hope you were paid for all that time, bro.
• 1:13:05
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, I was paid for experience, you know.
• 1:13:09
  Vipul Bindra: That's the best that's the best payment.
• 1:13:13
  Luis Pereira: But uh yeah, I I it was sort of like in uh a complex moment because my visa was about to end and I was about to go back to school again.
• 1:13:22
  Luis Pereira: And I also was gonna go back to Brazil for like a a whole a whole month, like one month and a half.
• 1:13:28
  Luis Pereira: So I I had to I I tried uh setting up as uh as much as I could, and when we we established okay, we're gonna be shooting on the second week of February.
• 1:13:39
  Luis Pereira: I was like we were having trouble on because you you know the the project it is uh it is a great idea.
• 1:13:45
  Luis Pereira: I love everything that we have uh on it, and it it touches on uh I would say delicate themes, especially uh um here in America when you're trying to to depict uh a strange individual and someone who has trouble uh on making friends, who like uh when you're trying to get like this grim approach and when you're trying to have uh him um uh on drugs hallucinating on everyone hating him and uh originally on the script he was supposed to hallucinate in uh in the bathroom, uh in the school, high school bathroom, and then he would step out and in the high school hallway he would see all these different projections of drawings that he he he did himself, and it it's pretty delicate for you to try to come over to uh come to a school and be like, hey, what up?
• 1:14:37
  Luis Pereira: So we have this project here that we will love to shoot.
• 1:14:40
  Luis Pereira: And first of all, guys, when you're trying to approach like public uh places, and I I know we're in the film industry, but never say we're gonna shoot something, okay?
• 1:14:50
  Luis Pereira: That I I learned that, I learned that.
• 1:14:52
  Luis Pereira: And it it was a pretty interesting, I'll say a pretty interesting journey.
• 1:14:56
  Luis Pereira: More the pre-product the more the pre-production and the pre-production process than the the production itself, you know, because uh I I I never had to to be the one to to go over uh different schools and try to convince them of shooting this project or uh pivot some ideas that we had on the on the script in order to uh like for instance the locate the where he hallucinated in the end, we shot that in the arcade instead of shooting it in school and doing some some creative pivots in order to get the project done, you know.
• 1:15:29
  Vipul Bindra: So exactly, and that's what what first of all I want to shout out to you because all the locations were incredible.
• 1:15:34
  Vipul Bindra: I thank you.
• 1:15:35
  Vipul Bindra: I loved filming it in the case.
• 1:15:36
  Vipul Bindra: Every single I'm also a location scout guy, so yeah, yeah, hire me.
• 1:15:39
  Vipul Bindra: There you go.
• 1:15:39
  Vipul Bindra: He's trying to pitch himself.
• 1:15:40
  Vipul Bindra: But but but what I'm saying is no, you you did amazing.
• 1:15:43
  Vipul Bindra: Let me be real on that.
• 1:15:44
  Vipul Bindra: Every single location was great.
• 1:15:46
  Vipul Bindra: Thank you.
• 1:15:46
  Vipul Bindra: So so that was good work on that because at the end they look, I know what you went through, but but the end result was incredible, and that's what I think matters.
• 1:15:54
  Vipul Bindra: But which is the negative, and that's what people don't understand, because even though I know we we call it like um uh that was very low budget, even though it had a huge budget for it is still low budget for what we're trying to do, yeah.
• 1:16:06
  Vipul Bindra: But but for what it is, it's like you know, uh, and that's where the budget goes.
• 1:16:11
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying a lot of people could be like, oh, why does it talk cost a millions of dollars to shoot a film show?
• 1:16:16
  Vipul Bindra: Because that's what control is.
• 1:16:17
  Vipul Bindra: Because if I had given been given, I'm saying for lighting or whatever, a bigger budget, that's what I would do.
• 1:16:22
  Vipul Bindra: I would never shoot in real location.
• 1:16:23
  Vipul Bindra: You're filled you that's why you shoot in the backlot or whatever, right?
• 1:16:26
  Vipul Bindra: You build sets because then you have full control on lighting.
• 1:16:29
  Vipul Bindra: Like, for example, I should remember I had to light a hallway, a ginormous hallway.
• 1:16:33
  Vipul Bindra: That shot is from front till end of the hallway.
• 1:16:37
  Vipul Bindra: And where do you put lights?
• 1:16:39
  Vipul Bindra: Because now I can't use scissor clamps, I can't just hang lights because on drop ceiling, because that's what it is, you know, because it's visible.
• 1:16:44
  Luis Pereira: So what I'm saying is that you have a wide lens and you're and you're able to see, you're talking about the hallway in school.
• 1:16:49
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, yeah, and you can see the lights there.
• 1:16:51
  Luis Pereira: So you you cannot create a motivated lighting on a wide shot showing the lights are off.
• 1:16:54
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but I'm saying to light a whole highway, uh hallway.
• 1:16:58
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:16:59
  Vipul Bindra: But to do that, I'm saying the challenges that brings versus that would be so easy.
• 1:17:02
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying if you're in a uh, you know, back like set, you can literally cut holes and you know, you can you can bring light stuff like that you don't think about that.
• 1:17:09
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying you can do uh, you know, and that's where what I'm saying is that and that not only is indie film harder because, like you said, you had to convince a real school to let us film there, pay them whatever money they wanted, but two, you have to actually freaking work with the location's limitations because we can't tear down the school.
• 1:17:26
  Vipul Bindra: It is gorilla, yeah.
• 1:17:27
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:17:28
  Vipul Bindra: It's actually, and plus we're given a even you know, even though we had 18, 20 hour days, we're doing freaking 10 scenes, 20 scenes in a day.
• 1:17:34
  Vipul Bindra: It wasn't so a lot of people don't realize like the amount of time there's no pre-light day in a real thing, television show.
• 1:17:41
  Vipul Bindra: I could be lighting, you know, for a scene that's happening tomorrow, today.
• 1:17:44
  Vipul Bindra: I don't I have time to, you know, light light stuff.
• 1:17:47
  Vipul Bindra: Versus here, it's like you know, you light and you film, you light and you film, like you're going.
• 1:17:51
  Vipul Bindra: Uh so it's like it's it's crazy speed, I'm saying.
• 1:17:54
  Vipul Bindra: But it at the end the result looked incredible, I'm saying, for the resources, yeah, yeah.
• 1:17:58
  Luis Pereira: And I mean, uh, it was great.
• 1:17:59
  Luis Pereira: Um, it's funny enough you were talking about like there's no pre-light day.
• 1:18:03
  Luis Pereira: And that's so funny because there was this production company uh who came on to to Winter Park.
• 1:18:10
  Luis Pereira: I I think it was either Winter Park or Longwood to and it was a union project.
• 1:18:14
  Luis Pereira: They went, they they they shot a feature, and then I was uh I was one of the PAs there in through full sale.
• 1:18:21
  Luis Pereira: So again, connections are important when you go through school and you're basically paying for them.
• 1:18:25
  Luis Pereira: But I don't know, I I thought that their work day was so slow to be honest, and and I and I had this, but that's the the difference.
• 1:18:33
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying that's the the five-10%.
• 1:18:36
  Vipul Bindra: I know a lot of people don't get that, and that's fine, but and I'm not saying uh that that's the future because like I said, I'm personally believe that the sets are gonna get smaller and smaller and money is gonna be less, but I'm saying that's the difference.
• 1:18:48
  Vipul Bindra: Like when you start to get premium, it's that that next five percent, the next five percent that you're chasing, it's not massive, but the resources required are huge.
• 1:18:56
  Vipul Bindra: But the advantage is on those sets, the talent cost, because you know, we're working with students or actors that are not costly, I'm saying comparatively.
• 1:19:05
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so you have that's not a factor, right?
• 1:19:08
  Luis Pereira: The factor is equipment and and location cost, but on a bigger set, the the location and they have a pre-established locations, they already have they have huge warehouses where we are gonna only use uh set dressings and props from them.
• 1:19:21
  Vipul Bindra: Because that budget, I'm saying, compared to what they're paying the actor, is so low.
• 1:19:24
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying getting Beyonce or or Adam Sandler or whoever on one more day on set is way more expensive than having a whole crew light the day before.
• 1:19:33
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying you're not thinking the same way.
• 1:19:35
  Luis Pereira: Adam Sandler won't do a 17-hour shoot like we did, like sitting on the couch and eating ponji queijo and coffee.
• 1:19:41
  Luis Pereira: Nah, who's gonna get his ass home?
• 1:19:43
  Vipul Bindra: But that's what I'm saying.
• 1:19:44
  Vipul Bindra: You get them on set when it's actually, you know, when that's their time.
• 1:19:48
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying getting a crew to be there a day before or to light it or whatever is way more better user resources than it is on a smaller set.
• 1:19:55
  Vipul Bindra: And and that's just the difference of where costs very vary, you know, like you're doing a Marvel set, getting all these actors on set is like the hardest part.
• 1:20:03
  Vipul Bindra: You you you don't care about a lighting budget, you know what I mean?
• 1:20:06
  Vipul Bindra: You want to get it done and to get it done right.
• 1:20:09
  Luis Pereira: So you were talking about like the the premium uh the the premium style of uh lighting and directing and film production in general.
• 1:20:19
  Luis Pereira: Uh could could you go more into details?
• 1:20:21
  Luis Pereira: Because I I I was interested now in what you said.
• 1:20:23
  Vipul Bindra: In what way?
• 1:20:24
  Vipul Bindra: Like, see, so what I'm saying, for example, like talk about our pilot.
• 1:20:26
  Vipul Bindra: The way I would approach it is that, you know, and it's small stuff, like it looked incredible.
• 1:20:31
  Vipul Bindra: We used my FX6s with the Oz lenses for the budget, which was nothing.
• 1:20:35
  Vipul Bindra: Let me got in there.
• 1:20:36
  Vipul Bindra: But point is it they're incredible.
• 1:20:38
  Vipul Bindra: It's an incredible look.
• 1:20:39
  Vipul Bindra: It's 80-90% of what would look like.
• 1:20:41
  Vipul Bindra: But if I'm the DP and if I've given the budget, I would probably use mini LFs with like probably signature primes, right?
• 1:20:47
  Vipul Bindra: That would be so now you add budget of that.
• 1:20:50
  Vipul Bindra: Because that's what a couple thousand dollars, I'm saying, in rental costs a day, right?
• 1:20:54
  Vipul Bindra: And then uh I'm saying you can improve the look even more.
• 1:20:56
  Vipul Bindra: I would probably put some kind of diffusion filters in front of it.
• 1:20:59
  Luis Pereira: And so you think that the money would go specifically to the gear?
• 1:21:02
  Luis Pereira: No, I'm talking about that crew was gonna get because you said that group, uh, in your opinion, uh crew tends to get smaller and smaller.
• 1:21:08
  Luis Pereira: No, no, no.
• 1:21:09
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying that's what's gonna happen.
• 1:21:10
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying how with things that would change cost wise.
• 1:21:12
  Vipul Bindra: The other cost now you can add is pre-light days.
• 1:21:14
  Vipul Bindra: I would have every set, meaning, like let's say we're filming on the uh the house tomorrow.
• 1:21:21
  Vipul Bindra: Then today the crew goes there and lights it, so tomorrow we just come and shoot.
• 1:21:24
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, same thing with the school.
• 1:21:25
  Vipul Bindra: The the pre-light crew would be there the day before.
• 1:21:28
  Vipul Bindra: And the whole reason is that you know you're efficient on side, you have way more time to get it done, and you can finesse little things that we weren't able to, you know.
• 1:21:35
  Vipul Bindra: We're using rolling sands and we're just going, you know.
• 1:21:38
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but but I'm saying is that's the improvement, it's not like it's major.
• 1:21:41
  Vipul Bindra: Obviously, like I said, then you take another level of production, you start to now build sets, right?
• 1:21:46
  Vipul Bindra: Where instead of just set deck, we're actually building these little backlots, and now you can weigh more control.
• 1:21:51
  Vipul Bindra: Um, and so it's like slow things like that.
• 1:21:53
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying, and then same thing with crew, like my crew was like three people, you know what I mean?
• 1:21:57
  Vipul Bindra: It's like and that too, they're like divided because you know it's not like Ruben's just helping me grow exactly.
• 1:22:02
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, we're we're wearing multiple hats all the time.
• 1:22:04
  Vipul Bindra: Even multiple times I was doing you know, slate and you know stuff like that.
• 1:22:07
  Vipul Bindra: So he's like there.
• 1:22:08
  Vipul Bindra: Uh same thing.
• 1:22:10
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is like you would have way more resources available to you, and and the advantage of that is now everyone can focus more, like we were talking about.
• 1:22:17
  Vipul Bindra: Now, can I individually I'm saying I I'm a very experienced producer, I'm a very experienced director, I'm a very experienced DP or gaffer or whatever.
• 1:22:26
  Vipul Bindra: But now you're asking me to do four roles, you know what I mean?
• 1:22:29
  Vipul Bindra: Then it what happens is there's a limited time.
• 1:22:32
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like and you get a quarter of quality because you're gonna have to divide a different quarter of time because now I have 30 minutes to light every scene, you know what I mean?
• 1:22:39
  Vipul Bindra: And you had to go.
• 1:22:39
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, could I do more complex stuff?
• 1:22:41
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, but that requires more resources, you know what I mean?
• 1:22:44
  Vipul Bindra: Every time I build a frame, that's time.
• 1:22:46
  Vipul Bindra: Every time I break that down, it's time, and then I have to realize that it all has to get struck and down because you had a time limit of leaving that uh school, you had to be out by a certain time.
• 1:22:56
  Vipul Bindra: There's no leave-ay on that, so it's like we have to make sure it gets done.
• 1:23:00
  Vipul Bindra: And then the biggest challenge adds, which is why I keep telling people don't buy gear.
• 1:23:04
  Vipul Bindra: Everyone can just get home at that point.
• 1:23:06
  Vipul Bindra: I have to worry about every single piece of gear.
• 1:23:08
  Vipul Bindra: Where is it getting stored?
• 1:23:09
  Vipul Bindra: Can I get stolen?
• 1:23:11
  Vipul Bindra: Because it's hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year there that can get broken, stolen, damaged, missing, you know, like so many people touching it.
• 1:23:18
  Vipul Bindra: So I have the biggest uh what do you call investment on that set, and I'm not even part of above the line on that set.
• 1:23:24
  Vipul Bindra: I'm not the DP, I'm not the director, I'm not the producer.
• 1:23:27
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I'm just a gaffer.
• 1:23:28
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying at that point, even though I'm somehow supplying, which I want to talk about that story on that set, uh, but what I'm saying is I end up somehow supplying the whole thing, and um and it becomes, I'm saying the biggest chaos for me was that actually.
• 1:23:41
  Vipul Bindra: I don't want to have to worry about that.
• 1:23:43
  Vipul Bindra: I should have somebody, you know, who worries about the, you know, like you said, a UPM or somebody worries about the gear, not me, but I was worrying about something I'm wearing like five hats.
• 1:23:52
  Vipul Bindra: I'm doing five different things, even though I'm not camera at all, I'm handling lenses, cameras, you know, which is fine.
• 1:23:58
  Vipul Bindra: That's small set.
• 1:23:59
  Vipul Bindra: I I don't have an issue with that because that's my that's what I was trying to come to.
• 1:24:01
  Vipul Bindra: I think there's gonna be way more smaller sets where you do more.
• 1:24:04
  Vipul Bindra: But you were talking about premium.
• 1:24:05
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying that's how premium happens, right?
• 1:24:07
  Vipul Bindra: I don't have to worry about the gear.
• 1:24:09
  Vipul Bindra: Not that I can't provide it, I'm saying I, as a gaffer, don't have to think where each gear is there should be somebody managing that.
• 1:24:15
  Vipul Bindra: And then we have more resources to light, we have more resources on camera side.
• 1:24:20
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, and then that just basically means you have more time to not direct the talent.
• 1:24:24
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you have more time to actually get the best performance out of them, right?
• 1:24:27
  Vipul Bindra: And you have more time to finesse every little light because I know there were situations where we weren't able to fully control everything because we had to go.
• 1:24:34
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you're right.
• 1:24:35
  Vipul Bindra: And and I think that's what at least to me, I find my specialty like sure.
• 1:24:38
  Vipul Bindra: Can I come do the premium thing with you?
• 1:24:40
  Vipul Bindra: And you've seen enough sets with me, but can I also move on a set like that, like that TV pilot, where it's like what needs to be done?
• 1:24:49
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm very upfront.
• 1:24:50
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, yes, can I can do that, but it'll take an hour.
• 1:24:53
  Vipul Bindra: Do you have that?
• 1:24:53
  Vipul Bindra: No, yeah.
• 1:24:54
  Vipul Bindra: This is what I can do that's alternate, and always offering a solution that can be getting you 80% there, but in time and budget that we have.
• 1:25:02
  Luis Pereira: So uh premium-wise, would you say that like every year?
• 1:25:06
  Luis Pereira: How many projects here in Orlando you would you say that you're a part of that are premium?
• 1:25:11
  Vipul Bindra: I would say, I mean, if you're just talking about large buttons, like six-figure projects, I would say I do about five, ten a year, but not all of them are in Orlando, though.
• 1:25:18
  Vipul Bindra: They're all over, you know.
• 1:25:18
  Vipul Bindra: Our job, we just go where it is.
• 1:25:21
  Vipul Bindra: If it's in New York, I'm going to New York.
• 1:25:22
  Vipul Bindra: If it's in Atlanta, I'm going to Atlanta.
• 1:25:24
  Vipul Bindra: I I consider myself uh location independent, as in which is why I built the way I did.
• 1:25:30
  Vipul Bindra: I don't have to supply gear.
• 1:25:31
  Vipul Bindra: But you can travel everywhere.
• 1:25:33
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but and also a lot of big projects.
• 1:25:34
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying there's budget, so I can rent locally, especially if it's just all I need is some grip gear.
• 1:25:39
  Vipul Bindra: But the way I built it, because it's not just gear, a lot of people think it's like a light.
• 1:25:44
  Vipul Bindra: What makes my gear is like I have little accessories to go with everything to make it work how I want to.
• 1:25:49
  Vipul Bindra: I'm not just bringing a tube, I'm bringing magnets and stands and pivot points.
• 1:25:53
  Vipul Bindra: But what I'm saying is there's a lot that goes with each little product, like the same thing with my cameras, right?
• 1:25:57
  Vipul Bindra: It's not just a camera, it's like 500 pieces of accessories to make it work how we want it to work.
• 1:26:01
  Vipul Bindra: So I put it.
• 1:26:02
  Luis Pereira: And they're not different cameras either.
• 1:26:04
  Luis Pereira: So you're you so you spend your time organizing all of your gear so you can build different echo ecosystems inside your production because that that is imperative.
• 1:26:11
  Luis Pereira: Like exactly working in different sets where people bring different gears.
• 1:26:15
  Vipul Bindra: Sometimes we we struggle.
• 1:26:16
  Vipul Bindra: The wireless doesn't work, this doesn't work, or you need a first AC, which is what I'm saying.
• 1:26:20
  Vipul Bindra: I can actually save costs in my production.
• 1:26:22
  Vipul Bindra: I don't need a first AC to come a day before build a camera build, which is common on bigger sets.
• 1:26:26
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is, but coming back to the thing, that's why I designed my van.
• 1:26:30
  Vipul Bindra: I can ship send my van up, like we did the thing in Chicago multiple times now, where I can just send the van, it can go in LA anywhere, big projects, and actually cheaper and better to send my gear because A, everyone's familiar with it, we know what it is.
• 1:26:42
  Vipul Bindra: We have every little accessory, backups of everything.
• 1:26:45
  Vipul Bindra: And as long as we have the budget, which is just mileage and and time of somebody to drive there, the van can go anywhere.
• 1:26:52
  Vipul Bindra: And and so coming back to what I'm saying, that is what I like about me now, at least what I've been able to build, is that I can either you work with local gear, it doesn't have to be my gear, I'm not gear particular.
• 1:27:03
  Vipul Bindra: But if you have the budget and the resources and time, I'd rather just ship my van.
• 1:27:07
  Vipul Bindra: I show up either on a with the van or on a flight flight, and then we just get it done.
• 1:27:12
  Vipul Bindra: And uh, and that is I think we can be more nimble, more fast, get more done at cheaper, lower price point.
• 1:27:19
  Vipul Bindra: I know a lot of filmmakers won't like that, but that's what I feel like the industry is moving, where you can do more for lower, right?
• 1:27:27
  Vipul Bindra: And that's just the the the at least what I see doing, and that's what I'm trying to build my company for.
• 1:27:32
  Vipul Bindra: Look, I'm saying we can do what 10 people can do with three people, like my commercial talk about the one you helped me with the the the last one.
• 1:27:40
  Vipul Bindra: Uh that client that we did that with 20 people in three days, and uh in a very limited budget, you know.
• 1:27:47
  Luis Pereira: Uh that would have I would have guessed at a hundred people to be honest.
• 1:27:50
  Luis Pereira: You know the budget.
• 1:27:51
  Vipul Bindra: Uh talk about budget.
• 1:27:51
  Vipul Bindra: You have about people know the budget.
• 1:27:53
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying now imagine anyone else, every single person.
• 1:27:55
  Vipul Bindra: It was like in the seven figures, guys.
• 1:27:57
  Vipul Bindra: Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:27:57
  Luis Pereira: It was a big budget.
• 1:27:58
  Vipul Bindra: No, but what I'm saying is anyone.
• 1:27:59
  Vipul Bindra: Who's done a commercial of that level or could even get remotely close, even locally, I'm saying, with all the favors that you can ask for, you wouldn't even remotely come close to the budget.
• 1:28:08
  Vipul Bindra: The only way we were able to do that is because I am the rental house.
• 1:28:10
  Vipul Bindra: I am the, you know, all your resources.
• 1:28:13
  Vipul Bindra: I have all everything in-house and planned and uh and you know, crew that I can access and resources.
• 1:28:19
  Vipul Bindra: Uh and it doesn't matter, it's Orlando.
• 1:28:21
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying that could have been I could have accomplished that anywhere in the country.
• 1:28:24
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:28:24
  Vipul Bindra: And and that's the the part about doing this, I'm saying, a lot.
• 1:28:28
  Luis Pereira: This is what sets Binger Productions out from the yes, but you can say anyone can do that.
• 1:28:34
  Vipul Bindra: See, I'm not doing anything special.
• 1:28:35
  Vipul Bindra: I think what comes down to is thinking.
• 1:28:37
  Vipul Bindra: And it's kind of like I told that I told this story before COVID.
• 1:28:41
  Vipul Bindra: You know, it's like planning ahead.
• 1:28:42
  Vipul Bindra: I'm going, you know, December 2020, not December, January 2020, like what's next in our industry?
• 1:28:48
  Vipul Bindra: And I go, you know what's going to be next?
• 1:28:50
  Vipul Bindra: Live streaming and putting the time, resources, and money to invest in it.
• 1:28:54
  Vipul Bindra: And bam, COVID hits, gets what everyone needs, live streaming.
• 1:28:57
  Vipul Bindra: While everyone's struggling now to order black magic stuff, I'm sitting with all the resources, training, talent to get it done.
• 1:29:03
  Vipul Bindra: And we were moving, getting it done, helping these companies while everyone around me was struggling.
• 1:29:07
  Vipul Bindra: Not that I did something special.
• 1:29:09
  Vipul Bindra: It's like a lot of, I think people get comfortable, right?
• 1:29:12
  Vipul Bindra: You get a good cameraman, you're comfortable.
• 1:29:15
  Vipul Bindra: Uh you become a first aider, you're comfortable.
• 1:29:17
  Vipul Bindra: Like what you were talking about earlier, bringing it full circle.
• 1:29:20
  Vipul Bindra: You had you went in directly, you did something uncomfortable.
• 1:29:22
  Vipul Bindra: That makes you better.
• 1:29:23
  Vipul Bindra: Doesn't mean you have to be a director.
• 1:29:25
  Vipul Bindra: So I personally, and maybe I enjoy this, that may makes me weird.
• 1:29:29
  Vipul Bindra: I like to get in the uncomfortable.
• 1:29:31
  Vipul Bindra: Like if I don't know something, most people will be like, uh, let me back up.
• 1:29:34
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, no, I have to know.
• 1:29:36
  Vipul Bindra: You know, it's that obsessive nature.
• 1:29:38
  Vipul Bindra: And I think that's what brought me where I'm today.
• 1:29:40
  Vipul Bindra: It's not, it didn't happen in a day, it happened in 16 years.
• 1:29:43
  Vipul Bindra: But it happened because every time I find a challenge, I don't go, oh, it's gonna set me back.
• 1:29:49
  Vipul Bindra: I go, okay, how do I solve it?
• 1:29:50
  Vipul Bindra: How do I fix it so it doesn't happen next time?
• 1:29:52
  Vipul Bindra: First time cameras didn't sync.
• 1:29:54
  Vipul Bindra: How do we get time code?
• 1:29:56
  Vipul Bindra: What is time code?
• 1:29:57
  Vipul Bindra: Buying time code.
• 1:29:58
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:29:59
  Vipul Bindra: Same thing like my first time my two cameras didn't match.
• 1:30:01
  Vipul Bindra: After that, I was like, I will never do an interview, two different matching cameras.
• 1:30:04
  Vipul Bindra: It has to be matching cameras, stuff like that.
• 1:30:07
  Vipul Bindra: It's like simple things.
• 1:30:08
  Vipul Bindra: Same thing.
• 1:30:08
  Vipul Bindra: First time had an audio issue.
• 1:30:10
  Vipul Bindra: Okay, I always have to have a backup recorder going, things like that.
• 1:30:13
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like slow and steady learning, but after 16 years, it's compounded.
• 1:30:16
  Vipul Bindra: Where very rarely can I show on set and I don't have a solution for something.
• 1:30:21
  Vipul Bindra: So essentially, what I'm coming to is like we don't do anything crazy.
• 1:30:24
  Vipul Bindra: It's just 16 years of compounded interest and not getting becoming a dinosaur.
• 1:30:30
  Vipul Bindra: Because usually what happens is people with 16 years, then they get set in their ways.
• 1:30:34
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I am not set in my ways.
• 1:30:35
  Vipul Bindra: If new thing comes out, I'm always on top of it.
• 1:30:37
  Vipul Bindra: Not because the gear matters, but because I don't want to be stagnant.
• 1:30:42
  Vipul Bindra: I don't want to be working with what's in the past.
• 1:30:44
  Vipul Bindra: I'm always looking forward, doing better.
• 1:30:46
  Vipul Bindra: That was anyone who works with me, they don't have to do you know the the what I'm doing.
• 1:30:52
  Vipul Bindra: Because the reality is you don't need to buy the latest gear, you don't need to have the latest tech.
• 1:30:56
  Vipul Bindra: But that's where you're you have a resource like Bindra, you call you can always have the latest gear.
• 1:31:02
  Vipul Bindra: You can have somebody who knows how to use that latest gear at hand.
• 1:31:05
  Vipul Bindra: You need a 20% shoot done tomorrow, I can make it happen.
• 1:31:08
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:31:09
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and that's where I'm I'm setting myself apart.
• 1:31:11
  Vipul Bindra: Not that I'm doing anything great crazy or unique, it's that I'm setting myself to do what I would don't think you should do.
• 1:31:18
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:31:19
  Vipul Bindra: And that and then dividing that among hundreds of projects a year so I can make it financially viable.
• 1:31:24
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, you know, really.
• 1:31:25
  Luis Pereira: And the right now is so much easier for the client, too.
• 1:31:27
  Luis Pereira: Like it is something that uh they don't even think about it, of course, because uh A, they're not they're usually not part of our industry, and B, they're just one they just want the project that they have in the back of their minds to get it done.
• 1:31:41
  Vipul Bindra: But you know, it can backfire though.
• 1:31:42
  Vipul Bindra: So talk about this project, for example, uh uh, you know, uh so the the way it worked was I literally had I was coming back from that uh uh project with Guga that we were talking about uh, you know, in Miami, and Fernando's like, hey, I've got something big coming, yeah, and I would love for you to be part of it, because I guess he was impressed, you know, with what we did there.
• 1:32:00
  Vipul Bindra: And I was like, dude, I got you.
• 1:32:02
  Vipul Bindra: That was it.
• 1:32:03
  Vipul Bindra: That's my one and only conversation about that project until I hear from you almost a year later, right?
• 1:32:09
  Vipul Bindra: When you reached out to me, because I guess I was always part of the team, so I'm like, good.
• 1:32:12
  Vipul Bindra: But you reach out to me and you're like, hey, bro, Fernando's project, you are we want you to be a gaffer, what's your rate?
• 1:32:17
  Vipul Bindra: So I gave you my gaffer rate.
• 1:32:18
  Vipul Bindra: End of story, done.
• 1:32:19
  Vipul Bindra: And that too was already discounted because it's Fernando.
• 1:32:22
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, bruh, it's Fernando, I got you.
• 1:32:24
  Vipul Bindra: Should have known it wasn't Fernando, but point is, and that was my entire conversation of the thing.
• 1:32:29
  Vipul Bindra: You send me a contract, I signed it, it literally even says gaffer days, easiest transaction ever, which is how it should be with fan friends.
• 1:32:36
  Vipul Bindra: So, point is I've signed it for six days to help a friend make a TV pilot.
• 1:32:40
  Vipul Bindra: Next thing I know, uh, a day before I'm hearing from the DP that hey, what cameras are you bringing?
• 1:32:47
  Vipul Bindra: What lenses are you bringing?
• 1:32:48
  Vipul Bindra: What this and that?
• 1:32:49
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, hold on a minute.
• 1:32:51
  Vipul Bindra: Uh lenses, camera?
• 1:32:53
  Vipul Bindra: What?
• 1:32:54
  Vipul Bindra: What are we talking about?
• 1:32:55
  Vipul Bindra: Generators?
• 1:32:55
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:32:56
  Vipul Bindra: It's like it was just crazy.
• 1:32:57
  Vipul Bindra: And then I'm like, nobody has literally ever talked to me other than Fernando saying, hey, you want to be part of it?
• 1:33:03
  Vipul Bindra: Got it.
• 1:33:04
  Vipul Bindra: Then you saying, Hey, you're gonna be the gaffer, me saying, good, I got it.
• 1:33:07
  Vipul Bindra: That was it, nothing else.
• 1:33:09
  Luis Pereira: So anyway, but somehow in all this was assumed that Bindra just comes, and I don't know where this comes from, but I I would say that is probably from uh the reputation of you having like a steady and strong production uh production company.
• 1:33:22
  Luis Pereira: And yeah, but that's a production company that wasn't hiring, you know.
• 1:33:25
  Luis Pereira: It was me.
• 1:33:25
  Vipul Bindra: The contract didn't say Bindra Productions, it said Whipple Bindra, Gaffer.
• 1:33:28
  Vipul Bindra: So, you know, long story short, yeah, that can happen.
• 1:33:32
  Vipul Bindra: Again, it's rare, but I'm saying the way people hire, see what they don't get is like I am a crew, you can hire just like anyone else, you can hire me to be director, producer, DP, or gaffer, whatever.
• 1:33:41
  Vipul Bindra: But then the equipment varies.
• 1:33:43
  Vipul Bindra: I don't always show up with sound gear if I'm not doing sound, you know.
• 1:33:46
  Vipul Bindra: And if you need sound, there's a sound kit fee or whatever.
• 1:33:49
  Vipul Bindra: And we can include it.
• 1:33:50
  Vipul Bindra: I don't always separate it.
• 1:33:51
  Vipul Bindra: It can be like, hey, this rate, I come do sound for you.
• 1:33:54
  Vipul Bindra: Point I'm trying to say is there's costs, right, to all of this.
• 1:33:57
  Vipul Bindra: If I've spent a million dollars buying gear, it's coming from somewhere, it's not coming out of my pocket.
• 1:34:02
  Vipul Bindra: At you know, let's whatever your day rate is.
• 1:34:05
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying, let's say a thousand bucks, two thousand bucks a day.
• 1:34:07
  Vipul Bindra: You can't afford all this.
• 1:34:08
  Vipul Bindra: And I that's not how I built it.
• 1:34:09
  Vipul Bindra: Point is usually I don't have issues because people reach out, they're like, hey, I need a DP with gear, or I need gaffer with gear, but can you also supply a sound guy with sound?
• 1:34:16
  Vipul Bindra: Or can you just supply cameras?
• 1:34:19
  Vipul Bindra: Because we have DP, who's gonna operate it?
• 1:34:20
  Vipul Bindra: Something like that.
• 1:34:21
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like clear, like, hey, this is how much for this, this, this.
• 1:34:24
  Vipul Bindra: Like I just took a call yesterday, very easy.
• 1:34:26
  Vipul Bindra: And then I'm like, obviously, we can work with you because if you don't need four, six cameras, we could probably work where we only bring one or two cameras or something like that.
• 1:34:34
  Vipul Bindra: You know, it's that is part is okay because it's production, every project is different.
• 1:34:38
  Vipul Bindra: And the advantage I have is I don't think of one production, I can have multiple productions going on.
• 1:34:42
  Vipul Bindra: For example, during that time, I had multiple productions happening where the gear is allocated because it's gonna make me money, but I can always pull it.
• 1:34:49
  Vipul Bindra: If this project's paying me more, guess what?
• 1:34:51
  Vipul Bindra: We can use my gear here, and then some other gear can go to that other production.
• 1:34:55
  Vipul Bindra: As long as there's money, we're good.
• 1:34:56
  Vipul Bindra: But now I'm like, bro, I've got so anyway.
• 1:34:59
  Vipul Bindra: So I find out because the DP's, it's not even the DP's thing because he's just inquiring, because I guess he was told that I'm bringing stuff, which nobody told me.
• 1:35:08
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, uh I have all this gear allocated, but I'm fine because that's the advantage of having so much gear.
• 1:35:15
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, I can bring everything, but I need to know budget because then I need to secure gear for other productions.
• 1:35:20
  Vipul Bindra: So, anyway, that miscommunication was the craziest thing to ever because what I was like going by is like if you have to think about uh that if somebody can bring a million dollars worth of gear for 1500 bucks a day is nuts to think.
• 1:35:33
  Vipul Bindra: Even imagine that I'm saying even in the indie world that is not financially viable.
• 1:35:38
  Vipul Bindra: So, why would somebody assume that that was the rate, right?
• 1:35:41
  Vipul Bindra: You know, for with everything included when the contract didn't say it, the conversation didn't say it, or anything say it.
• 1:35:47
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, plus like uh lenses, for example.
• 1:35:49
  Vipul Bindra: I charge that we don't even know the lenses we're using, but it's always an extra value add-on.
• 1:35:53
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying obviously, if I'm helping a friend out or somebody or it's a bulk thing, we can work on a discount.
• 1:35:58
  Vipul Bindra: But that was the craziest thing to me, bro.
• 1:36:00
  Vipul Bindra: Like that, uh, but anyway, uh talk about your perspective, yeah.
• 1:36:04
  Luis Pereira: I I would say that um again, it it was a great project.
• 1:36:08
  Luis Pereira: I love working in it.
• 1:36:09
  Luis Pereira: And as we were saying, like uh I would say like 40-50 minutes ago, uh, about you like every call sheet then how I nailed it and everyone's happy.
• 1:36:18
  Luis Pereira: There was uh a hundred uh like a hundred and twenty ones that I I actually like uh I messed up and I I had us uh rapping later and people on empty stomachs.
• 1:36:28
  Luis Pereira: Like uh No, you did great on that one.
• 1:36:30
  Luis Pereira: No, no, no.
• 1:36:30
  Luis Pereira: I mean I'm I'm talking about like planning wise, yeah.
• 1:36:33
  Luis Pereira: And now that I had to like I I I was put in a position where I uh again, the the this production company from Brazil, uh they did a a plethora of different projects there and they and and they're great.
• 1:36:45
  Luis Pereira: Like I went to their offices when I went back to uh in December, and uh it this was a new venture for them.
• 1:36:52
  Luis Pereira: So they they were trying to see and testing the grounds of how it worked in a way or another.
• 1:36:58
  Luis Pereira: I was sort of like their liaison, you know, or their liaison, I don't know how to say it, but uh liaison.
• 1:37:03
  Luis Pereira: And I and I mean and it was also a new experience for me because I was not only back and forth communicating what were because sometimes I I was trying to secure for instance we shot at the skate park, but then I was the then they they told me that I I wasn't required, uh like I wasn't allowed to to secure it for us as of right now.
• 1:37:24
  Luis Pereira: And I I it was always like um I would say that's probably my problem because I didn't communicate properly them and we hadn't aligned things sternly because we did a lot of back and forth on things that I wanted to get done, but then I had to wait on them and you know and again it it was it it was their first project in it.
• 1:37:44
  Luis Pereira: They're now trying to see uh how they're gonna sell it.
• 1:37:46
  Luis Pereira: And then and I I'm definitely like I'm 100% sure they're gonna sell it.
• 1:37:49
  Vipul Bindra: But I don't know if it's their fault.
• 1:37:50
  Vipul Bindra: That's my whole thing.
• 1:37:51
  Vipul Bindra: I don't even want to blame them because I don't know if they're it's a miscommunication.
• 1:37:55
  Vipul Bindra: If they don't even know that, because you know, like uh like what's included and what's not included, then how did they know?
• 1:38:00
  Vipul Bindra: And that's what I'm saying.
• 1:38:00
  Vipul Bindra: That conversation never happened, it was just assumed, and I'm like, that's crazy that that would be assumed.
• 1:38:06
  Vipul Bindra: Because even in Brazil, I doubt that the rate would fly.
• 1:38:09
  Vipul Bindra: But that was crazy to me.
• 1:38:10
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm glad at least I asked.
• 1:38:11
  Vipul Bindra: Because do you realize if that DP had not asked me that?
• 1:38:14
  Vipul Bindra: You know, like uh, like, hey, what are you bringing?
• 1:38:16
  Vipul Bindra: And I would have showed up on certain like just gaffing gear, and and I wouldn't have been wrong.
• 1:38:21
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, but at that point, and that's why what I was gonna come down to because look, at the end of the day, was I happy in that moment?
• 1:38:27
  Vipul Bindra: No, but I'm just scrambling at the point to get it done because I'm like, all my friends are on that shoe, you know, you're there, Bruno's there, uh, you know, my manuals, the the DP or whatever.
• 1:38:35
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, and Fernando's director, I'm like, all these people are our friends, and I don't want to screw over anyone.
• 1:38:41
  Vipul Bindra: That's my at that point, that's what I'm thinking.
• 1:38:42
  Vipul Bindra: Two things I'm like, hey, why is this being assumed?
• 1:38:45
  Vipul Bindra: Because I literally wouldn't have shown up with any of that.
• 1:38:47
  Vipul Bindra: But two, I don't not want to let anyone down.
• 1:38:50
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, which can, like I said, be a bad business decision.
• 1:38:52
  Vipul Bindra: Because at that point, I'm like, this is gonna cost me thousands and thousands of dollars.
• 1:38:57
  Vipul Bindra: And what do I do in that situation?
• 1:38:59
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm like, well, let's resolve it, like you said, and just getting it done.
• 1:39:03
  Vipul Bindra: And um, like I said, was I happy about it?
• 1:39:05
  Vipul Bindra: No, because it but at the end of the day, I'm not gonna let, you know, and you have to be flexible.
• 1:39:10
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is let any of my friends down or whatever and get it done.
• 1:39:13
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, now that I've booked the six days, it's not like in reality, you know, at that point also you want to back out.
• 1:39:17
  Vipul Bindra: You're like, I just don't want to go.
• 1:39:18
  Vipul Bindra: But now I'm like, six days calendar, that's I booked and I'm gonna lose that money, right?
• 1:39:22
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because your your calendar, I can't go rebook the people we said no to absolutely now on that calendar.
• 1:39:27
  Vipul Bindra: So it's one of those things where you just have to kind of pivot and do your best.
• 1:39:31
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but also I know it's like very important to be like communicative about things like that.
• 1:39:36
  Luis Pereira: And that was one of my my biggest uh takeaways from this um from this project, because um I I saw myself as a producer in in some way, because I I got the the skills on working on uh well my bachelor's degree and helping different students with their films, videos, you know.
• 1:39:54
  Luis Pereira: And now that I worked as an AD and having to step up as a producer for for this project, it it was a it was like a uh a new world for me.
• 1:40:06
  Luis Pereira: And with that, it comes with a little like um it it was like a flawed experience, but what experience was overall the great experience?
• 1:40:13
  Luis Pereira: It was positive, yeah.
• 1:40:14
  Vipul Bindra: I think the like sometimes the only one who lost was me.
• 1:40:17
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because I was like literally showing but I was like, there is literally nothing here on set that's not provided by me.
• 1:40:22
  Vipul Bindra: That is crazy, and I didn't even charge a dollar for any of my because even gaffing, I was like providing that for free because you know there's a van rate and my rate, I just gave my rate.
• 1:40:32
  Vipul Bindra: Um so it was it was crazy.
• 1:40:33
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, like I said, it felt good that I can supply enough gear to run a whole huge production.
• 1:40:38
  Vipul Bindra: So, but um, like I said, financially speaking, it wasn't the best thing.
• 1:40:43
  Vipul Bindra: But what but what I'm saying, which is why I come to, I think I'd recommend people don't buy gear because guess what?
• 1:40:47
  Vipul Bindra: Every single person there was hired to not bring gear, and they gave a rate and they were given the rate.
• 1:40:52
  Vipul Bindra: I gave the rate and it was assumed the million dollars gear come with it.
• 1:40:55
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, and it wasn't even like my rate was any crazy or anything, right?
• 1:40:59
  Vipul Bindra: So what I'm saying is, had I not owned the gear, let's assume I was hired to be a gaffer, I would have just been given a rate, and then the equipment would have still been factored extra on top of that.
• 1:41:09
  Vipul Bindra: So by owning gear, I lost money, if that makes sense.
• 1:41:12
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm saying a lot of times not having gear is actually better.
• 1:41:15
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, you have zero investment.
• 1:41:16
  Vipul Bindra: You show up, you do, everything's your profit.
• 1:41:18
  Vipul Bindra: Versus with me, once I paid for the gear cost, I actually was in negative on that project.
• 1:41:24
  Vipul Bindra: So, anyway, my advice usually is just that, because you're better off telling the production, hey, I'm a gaffer, go rent a truck, or I'm the DP, go rent the camera package.
• 1:41:31
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:41:32
  Vipul Bindra: Because then I'm saying you make so much more profit, actually.
• 1:41:35
  Vipul Bindra: And you can stay busy more because now your business is scalable.
• 1:41:39
  Vipul Bindra: Because let's say on the next level, they they get higher budget, they get picked up, they want a five-ton truck or whatever, right?
• 1:41:44
  Vipul Bindra: I'm out of business because I only have a two-ton truck, if that makes sense.
• 1:41:47
  Vipul Bindra: Versus somebody who get gaffer can come like call a rental company and get a five-ton truck, then they can have a five-truck truck, they can have a three-ton truck.
• 1:41:54
  Vipul Bindra: Whatever that I mean, I'm saying the business is then more scalable than owning the gear.
• 1:41:58
  Vipul Bindra: So that's why I give advice to anyone, like, because people get in the habit of like, let me buy the gear.
• 1:42:03
  Vipul Bindra: You're better off not owning the gear because you make more money and you're scalable your business, you know.
• 1:42:08
  Luis Pereira: But in a way, uh, like in some way, I can see why people would see as a benefit having their own gear.
• 1:42:15
  Luis Pereira: Because again, we're uh working on independent films or projects, especially in Orlando, which is even though an area where you have a lot of like cultural projects going on every time, um you you don't have like, for instance, Bindra productions there available for everyone to to get like a quote and get it.
• 1:42:36
  Luis Pereira: So I I see what why would they think that it's good for them to be profitable?
• 1:42:41
  Vipul Bindra: Because the whole thing is by owning more gear doesn't mean your rate goes up.
• 1:42:45
  Vipul Bindra: And uh the rates I've heard indie people get paid in locally is crazy.
• 1:42:49
  Vipul Bindra: You know, usually it's like what 200 bucks for 12 hour, 14 hour days, and you provide all the lighting gear.
• 1:42:55
  Vipul Bindra: That's unsustainable in a city like Orlando.
• 1:42:57
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm just saying, how do you sustain that?
• 1:43:00
  Vipul Bindra: You're right about the that you need to have some gear, obviously, if you can't have rental budget, because renting a 1200x is like a 200, 250 thing by itself, I'm saying.
• 1:43:08
  Vipul Bindra: So yeah, you can't afford that on everything.
• 1:43:11
  Luis Pereira: I'll say that you you either come into this industry as uh also a supplier uh of equipment like you do, or you can own a c uh some different set uh sets of gear, but you keep it minimal and just overexpended, or have it rented for uh from somewhere else, like yours, for instance.
• 1:43:29
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, but I don't think you you you'd you rent, right?
• 1:43:31
  Vipul Bindra: You actually to friends, so if I know someone like you came, I can I am happy to rent.
• 1:43:35
  Vipul Bindra: So I do I have some stuff on share grid, so it's either to share grid, right?
• 1:43:39
  Vipul Bindra: But or like I said, ideally to friends is I don't mind renting, but I don't like renting to just random strangers.
• 1:43:45
  Vipul Bindra: But I don't like I said, but sometimes I I don't mind helping because I find that to be a networking tool.
• 1:43:50
  Vipul Bindra: Financially, I don't recommend renting.
• 1:43:52
  Vipul Bindra: Now markets could be different, yeah.
• 1:43:53
  Vipul Bindra: You know, maybe better.
• 1:43:55
  Luis Pereira: If we're talking about renting gear, let's go into a little rent of yours on how uh like uh prob like problems as you being like a video production company who which supplies gear to different productions.
• 1:44:09
  Luis Pereira: I think it's Mar for you, and you told me uh ever since like our our first job back in Miami, uh, when we were talking inside uh the Airbnb about your production company, is that you didn't rely on uh rent like renting out stuff that you own for other people, and instead you you created packages of like you have the sound kit, you have the camera kit, and then uh you go into productions with your rate and your gears rate.
• 1:44:36
  Vipul Bindra: So uh you know what you're saying?
• 1:44:38
  Vipul Bindra: I can't believe nobody's asked me this before, but this is actually a very good business question.
• 1:44:41
  Vipul Bindra: I'll tell you, I I'll I'll I'll explain my entire business.
• 1:44:44
  Vipul Bindra: I I kind of know it, but I want to hear more.
• 1:44:46
  Vipul Bindra: No, this is amazing.
• 1:44:47
  Vipul Bindra: So this is what happens because I'm uh two things, right?
• 1:44:49
  Vipul Bindra: I'm Vipal Bendra, the director, DP grapher, whatever you can hire me, or the production company.
• 1:44:55
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so usually this is what happens.
• 1:44:56
  Vipul Bindra: Somebody calls me and they're like, hey, we're shooting a conference in Orlando, you know, convention center.
• 1:45:01
  Vipul Bindra: We need a videographer to come film this, or we need two people to film this four days, right?
• 1:45:06
  Vipul Bindra: Easy.
• 1:45:06
  Vipul Bindra: So here's what I do.
• 1:45:08
  Vipul Bindra: I am, you know, if I'm free, whatever I'm doing nothing, I'll go film it.
• 1:45:11
  Vipul Bindra: But usually I don't want to do that because you know, I want to do something nicer or fancier.
• 1:45:16
  Vipul Bindra: Not that those people don't need filming.
• 1:45:18
  Vipul Bindra: So I have a huge network of people.
• 1:45:19
  Vipul Bindra: I'll call a friend and I'll be like, hey, you want to go film this?
• 1:45:22
  Vipul Bindra: They're like, Great, everyone wants work.
• 1:45:23
  Vipul Bindra: And usually I like to tap into people who have no gear because they would have otherwise have no access to that.
• 1:45:28
  Vipul Bindra: Because usually it's agency or company they need, usually, again, this is I'm saying 90% of the time they want some kind of Sony, right?
• 1:45:35
  Vipul Bindra: And most I'm saying, people I know like in that role that are gonna go do this are very talented, but they don't have a Sony.
• 1:45:41
  Vipul Bindra: So this is where I come in, right?
• 1:45:43
  Vipul Bindra: I'm just like, here you go, here's your gimbal, here's your FX3, FX2, whatever camera I'm giving them, go do this convention shoot.
• 1:45:49
  Vipul Bindra: Easy for them.
• 1:45:50
  Vipul Bindra: They take it, like that talk about renting gear, right?
• 1:45:53
  Vipul Bindra: In that point, Bindro Production is taking the rental money, it's taking the production company money, and it's also supporting a filmmaker.
• 1:45:59
  Vipul Bindra: Now, the budgets may not be the highest, but all I did was give the reputation.
• 1:46:04
  Vipul Bindra: Now, there is an advantage.
• 1:46:05
  Vipul Bindra: Somebody would be like going through that person, no, because we supply the gear.
• 1:46:09
  Vipul Bindra: And when I'm sending somebody, I make sure they are gonna show up on time, they're gonna do a great job, and they're gonna leave on time.
• 1:46:13
  Vipul Bindra: And if they're not available, somebody else is gonna get there on time.
• 1:46:16
  Vipul Bindra: Then it's my reputation that makes sense.
• 1:46:18
  Vipul Bindra: But that's one part of the business why owning gear helps.
• 1:46:20
  Vipul Bindra: Because otherwise, I don't I have to go rent gear from another friend or something like that, and then guess what?
• 1:46:26
  Vipul Bindra: I am barely making any money, right?
• 1:46:27
  Vipul Bindra: Because I'm you see what I'm saying.
• 1:46:29
  Vipul Bindra: When it's like paying a shooter and a camera package, I there's nothing left on a conference shoot.
• 1:46:33
  Vipul Bindra: There's not that much budget, especially if you're not editing or something.
• 1:46:36
  Luis Pereira: You go like a sandwich and a Coke Zero, right?
• 1:46:38
  Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
• 1:46:38
  Vipul Bindra: So, so what I'm saying is this is what I do a lot.
• 1:46:41
  Vipul Bindra: Like where somebody just comes in, they just need something shot.
• 1:46:44
  Vipul Bindra: I send a crew out, either one, two, three people, one, two, three cameras with gimbals.
• 1:46:48
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because that's generally short, you know, cheap stuff.
• 1:46:51
  Vipul Bindra: You've helped me, like events, so it's easy.
• 1:46:53
  Vipul Bindra: We supply crear crew, and then the other element of that could be which is where the profitability now starts.
• 1:46:59
  Vipul Bindra: These are not as profitable, but they're good for networking, helping my friends out.
• 1:47:02
  Vipul Bindra: And then uh now it could be like, hey, we also need these sessions edited.
• 1:47:06
  Vipul Bindra: We also need we need a final video from it.
• 1:47:09
  Vipul Bindra: Now I can start edit editing, right?
• 1:47:11
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like, hey, it'll be this 5k package, 10k package.
• 1:47:15
  Vipul Bindra: You get three days of coverage from multiple shooters, and you get all this stuff edited.
• 1:47:20
  Vipul Bindra: Now we can make better profit than you know, pennies that we're just shooting.
• 1:47:24
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm happy to do that because it costs me nothing.
• 1:47:26
  Vipul Bindra: Being real with you, that's what the business model is.
• 1:47:29
  Vipul Bindra: Because yes, I have huge investment costs, but if I do enough of these projects, the rental costs pay for them.
• 1:47:35
  Vipul Bindra: I'm helping support my filmmaker friends, and I'm building a relationship with that client.
• 1:47:40
  Vipul Bindra: I hope that makes sense.
• 1:47:41
  Vipul Bindra: That's the business model.
• 1:47:42
  Vipul Bindra: It's very easy, but that's not my business model.
• 1:47:44
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying that's part of the company's the Brindle Productions business model.
• 1:47:47
  Vipul Bindra: So we can help basically with the stuff that they're local.
• 1:47:50
  Vipul Bindra: They need convention shoots, they need event shoots, anything business and brand they need, where I can just send shooters out.
• 1:47:56
  Vipul Bindra: We can also do editing, they need photography, event photography, drone photography, you know, stuff like that.
• 1:48:02
  Vipul Bindra: What I'm saying is, which is generally just that I'm hiring a photographer friend, go do it.
• 1:48:06
  Vipul Bindra: If that's why I own photography gear.
• 1:48:08
  Vipul Bindra: What flashes do you need?
• 1:48:09
  Vipul Bindra: Just take the gear, you go shoot.
• 1:48:11
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:48:11
  Vipul Bindra: Or you see how sometimes photographers they have a couple of flashes, so they don't need it.
• 1:48:14
  Vipul Bindra: Point is we have everything available, so they could don't have to bring anything.
• 1:48:18
  Vipul Bindra: Or if they have their stuff, like uh recently I hired uh Logan to go do a drone photo shoot for me.
• 1:48:24
  Vipul Bindra: He already I was like, hey, I have a Mavic 4 Pro.
• 1:48:26
  Vipul Bindra: He's like, I already have a Mavic 4 Pro.
• 1:48:27
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, great, just use yours.
• 1:48:29
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:48:30
  Vipul Bindra: Like it doesn't matter unless you know it changes the cost, but he wasn't gonna charge me any more, you know, and that was just convenience, see, so he doesn't have to come grab the thing.
• 1:48:38
  Vipul Bindra: Funny enough, I ended up going and giving him some batteries anyway, just so he has extra batteries.
• 1:48:42
  Vipul Bindra: Nice.
• 1:48:42
  Vipul Bindra: But point I'm trying to make is that makes it what what makes me be able to do me versus other people because you unless you have access to this much gear and these much this big network, you can't do that because I can tomorrow do 10 convention shoots, right?
• 1:48:55
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm willing to also make pennies on the dollar.
• 1:48:58
  Vipul Bindra: I find a lot of my friends, they want 90% profit.
• 1:49:00
  Vipul Bindra: They'll charge, let's say, $1,000, $2,000 a day to shoot this.
• 1:49:04
  Vipul Bindra: They want to keep $2,000.
• 1:49:06
  Vipul Bindra: And they don't understand that I'm looking from a business perspective, building these relationships.
• 1:49:11
  Vipul Bindra: Because sure, you know what I'm saying is if you say yes to this $1,000 shoot, five other thousand dollar shoots may be happening that now you're losing out on.
• 1:49:20
  Vipul Bindra: I don't want to do that.
• 1:49:21
  Vipul Bindra: And and and that works though.
• 1:49:22
  Vipul Bindra: I have a great friend, David Morfield, you know, I'm sure people have seen his podcast, but he's like Shout out, David.
• 1:49:27
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, David's amazing.
• 1:49:28
  Vipul Bindra: But but what I'm saying is he's like, he he, if he's not available, he's gonna pass it to a friend.
• 1:49:33
  Vipul Bindra: He doesn't want to be the the the company or whatever, right?
• 1:49:35
  Vipul Bindra: I want to be the company, I want to control the experience from how they get the invoice to how they get the project, how they get the files.
• 1:49:42
  Vipul Bindra: Everything is SOP, so it looks it's easy for the client.
• 1:49:46
  Vipul Bindra: It's not difficult because you know, if you're I'm saying a shooter, you're going, how do you want files?
• 1:49:49
  Vipul Bindra: Do you want Dropbox?
• 1:49:50
  Vipul Bindra: Do you want you know what I mean?
• 1:49:51
  Vipul Bindra: How do you want invoice?
• 1:49:52
  Vipul Bindra: How do you pay?
• 1:49:52
  Vipul Bindra: We have everything standardized, so it makes easy for companies to work.
• 1:49:55
  Vipul Bindra: Anyway, coming back to our and said, but that's what I do.
• 1:49:57
  Vipul Bindra: But then also then bigger stuff comes.
• 1:49:59
  Vipul Bindra: That's where I Come in like your vology.
• 1:50:00
  Vipul Bindra: They're like, hey, we want to do a whole series of videos.
• 1:50:03
  Vipul Bindra: Now I'm excited.
• 1:50:04
  Vipul Bindra: I want to be part of that myself.
• 1:50:05
  Vipul Bindra: Could I send a crew again and make less money?
• 1:50:07
  Vipul Bindra: Absolutely.
• 1:50:08
  Vipul Bindra: But now I'm available.
• 1:50:09
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, yeah, absolutely.
• 1:50:10
  Vipul Bindra: I'm committed.
• 1:50:11
  Vipul Bindra: If that makes sense.
• 1:50:11
  Vipul Bindra: Or they're like, oh, or a friend, like Adam is like, hey, let's go film on a farm.
• 1:50:15
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, dude, yeah, let's go on a flight, go film a farm.
• 1:50:18
  Vipul Bindra: Not that it was financially the most lucrative, but I can then choose which projects I want to go to.
• 1:50:23
  Luis Pereira: And then thirdly, which because you blend out your whole year in the whole business model, right?
• 1:50:28
  Vipul Bindra: I never sell me unless now that's what's going to be the third model is where they hire me.
• 1:50:32
  Vipul Bindra: Like Fernando shooted.
• 1:50:34
  Vipul Bindra: They hired me, right?
• 1:50:35
  Vipul Bindra: You wanted me, not the company.
• 1:50:37
  Vipul Bindra: I couldn't have sent a separate gaffer from me if that makes sense, right?
• 1:50:40
  Vipul Bindra: So that's the third model.
• 1:50:41
  Vipul Bindra: A lot of these other clients that I talked about before, they're not expecting me to show up.
• 1:50:45
  Vipul Bindra: I can if I'm free, I'll I'll go shoot a convention.
• 1:50:48
  Vipul Bindra: I don't care what I'm saying.
• 1:50:49
  Vipul Bindra: But typically, I don't have to show up and I don't want to show up.
• 1:50:52
  Vipul Bindra: If I get, I'm always hoping for something nicer, better, bigger, right?
• 1:50:55
  Vipul Bindra: Like any other filmmaker.
• 1:50:56
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:50:57
  Vipul Bindra: But there's some shoots, like I said, when they hire me as a crew, like they're like, hey, we want you to be our DP.
• 1:51:02
  Vipul Bindra: Then obviously I have to show up.
• 1:51:03
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying that doesn't mean I can't take five other projects.
• 1:51:06
  Vipul Bindra: And that's where helps I'm saying owning gear.
• 1:51:08
  Vipul Bindra: I could send five, like I was gonna hire our friend Guga for a project that kind of fell through, but I'm saying it came, somebody was like, Hey, I need a gaffer.
• 1:51:15
  Vipul Bindra: I was like, Great, I'm available.
• 1:51:16
  Vipul Bindra: I've got this van.
• 1:51:18
  Vipul Bindra: And they're like, we don't need that, we need just a couple of lights.
• 1:51:20
  Vipul Bindra: And I was like, Well, you know, I'm gonna go do something else.
• 1:51:23
  Vipul Bindra: But I've got a friend who's available, and he can I can give him the lights because he's not typically a gaffer, but he's a great DP.
• 1:51:30
  Vipul Bindra: And guess what?
• 1:51:30
  Vipul Bindra: If you're a DP, you know how to light.
• 1:51:31
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:51:32
  Vipul Bindra: And they were happy with that.
• 1:51:33
  Vipul Bindra: Obviously, the something changed on their uh dates or whatever, so it fell through.
• 1:51:36
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying that's the ability to, you know, and if Google is a great DP, but if he's available, he was like, dude, yeah, I'll go light the set and have fun.
• 1:51:45
  Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
• 1:51:45
  Vipul Bindra: And it costs him nothing because he doesn't have to bring any of the gear.
• 1:51:48
  Vipul Bindra: I'm gonna hand him the gear.
• 1:51:49
  Vipul Bindra: So I hope that makes sense the business model there.
• 1:51:51
  Vipul Bindra: It does and it makes it scalable because now I don't have to have 20 people sitting on staff ready to go shoot.
• 1:51:57
  Vipul Bindra: These are people with their own production companies doing great work.
• 1:52:00
  Vipul Bindra: What they get with Bindra is the standardized process, the whole ecosystem, and the scalability.
• 1:52:06
  Vipul Bindra: So today it may just be a convention shoot, tomorrow it could be a big commercial, and you can stay with the same company instead of changing 20 people.
• 1:52:13
  Vipul Bindra: Does that make sense what I'm trying to say?
• 1:52:14
  Vipul Bindra: It does, it does.
• 1:52:15
  Luis Pereira: And it sort of in in in in some way also answers uh my question that why wouldn't you just rent out your your gear like on ShareGrid, for instance.
• 1:52:26
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and I do, and like I said, but I don't want to rent out like some gear.
• 1:52:28
  Vipul Bindra: To be real, ShareGrid's horrible for me.
• 1:52:31
  Vipul Bindra: Uh half the time the gear comes broken.
• 1:52:33
  Vipul Bindra: I I don't have good experience with that, and I don't try to even rent cameras on there.
• 1:52:38
  Vipul Bindra: I'm just giving like lights, which are hard to break.
• 1:52:40
  Vipul Bindra: To break an aperture light, you have to do a lot.
• 1:52:42
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying I've seen some I've seen some people who were able to do it.
• 1:52:45
  Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
• 1:52:46
  Vipul Bindra: They show up.
• 1:52:46
  Vipul Bindra: I literally gave somebody a light and they came pieces, a metal light, and they were like, Yeah, we were doing a basketball shoot and the basketball hit it.
• 1:52:53
  Vipul Bindra: But what did it hit like that to break a metal light, you know?
• 1:52:56
  Vipul Bindra: So that happens a lot.
• 1:52:57
  Vipul Bindra: I had somebody rent a drone once and they came back in literally pieces.
• 1:53:01
  Vipul Bindra: And and what's crazy is I'm looking at the drone, they're looking at the drone, and they go, There's nothing wrong with it, and it's in pieces.
• 1:53:08
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, Are you not looking at what I'm looking at?
• 1:53:11
  Vipul Bindra: Like, bro, the arms off, the the things off.
• 1:53:15
  Vipul Bindra: And I always take and this is why like everywhere there's camera.
• 1:53:18
  Vipul Bindra: That's the point about being a legit business.
• 1:53:25
  Luis Pereira: You're like, Yeah, what up?
• 1:53:26
  Luis Pereira: This is the drone you can do.
• 1:53:27
  Vipul Bindra: And it's all in camera.
• 1:53:27
  Vipul Bindra: There's no hiding anything, as you see.
• 1:53:29
  Vipul Bindra: There's this is legit business space.
• 1:53:31
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying, point is people do that stuff.
• 1:53:33
  Vipul Bindra: So my experience with uh the uh renting is horrible, but I'll tell you the good part why I continue to still do it.
• 1:53:39
  Vipul Bindra: A I do it, that's why it's a share good, so at least I get my money back.
• 1:53:42
  Vipul Bindra: It's a hassle.
• 1:53:43
  Vipul Bindra: I lose the gear for a while because you know they take forever to give you money back, but you do get your money back, so it's fine.
• 1:53:48
  Vipul Bindra: The issue is or sorry, the positive is like I've told this story before, and I've even had my friend Xavier on here.
• 1:53:54
  Vipul Bindra: He's like a prime example, it's just one of them.
• 1:53:56
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, where I met him because he just wanted to rent a piece of gear, and we started talking, and then you realize, oh, this person's amazing.
• 1:54:03
  Vipul Bindra: And then you end up collaborating and you just end up doing projects together.
• 1:54:06
  Vipul Bindra: Same thing with like Christopher.
• 1:54:07
  Vipul Bindra: I've had him on podcast too.
• 1:54:08
  Vipul Bindra: I met him through renting gear.
• 1:54:10
  Vipul Bindra: And at first I was nervous because he wanted to rent two aperture lights.
• 1:54:12
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, who's this guy?
• 1:54:13
  Vipul Bindra: But then you know, I was like, whatever.
• 1:54:15
  Vipul Bindra: It's hard to break again aperture lights.
• 1:54:16
  Vipul Bindra: So I was like, sure, yes.
• 1:54:18
  Vipul Bindra: Um and like I said, he rented the guy, and the same thing, we started talking, and it didn't happen immediately.
• 1:54:24
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm not saying you go in with that intention, but year later, then he hired me.
• 1:54:27
  Vipul Bindra: I'm gonna make a you know video on that if I it's already not posted by the time this comes out.
• 1:54:31
  Vipul Bindra: But point is you know, it turned into him hiring me, exactly.
• 1:54:36
  Vipul Bindra: And building that relationship, and I've hired him.
• 1:54:38
  Vipul Bindra: That's already the videos up.
• 1:54:39
  Vipul Bindra: Point is that's what I was talking about.
• 1:54:41
  Vipul Bindra: It's just the incredible relationships that I can build and meet other filmmakers that I wouldn't have met otherwise.
• 1:54:47
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm sure there's other markets where there's more professionals, things don't break.
• 1:54:51
  Vipul Bindra: But in Orlando, at least in my experience, uh, financially speaking, it's a horrible experience, but it is very financially lucrative on the other side.
• 1:55:01
  Vipul Bindra: I meet a lot of people that eventually become clients, or yeah, you know, whether they hire me or hire them, so it's worth it because of that.
• 1:55:08
  Vipul Bindra: Does that make sense?
• 1:55:09
  Vipul Bindra: It does.
• 1:55:09
  Vipul Bindra: So that's why I tell people, that's why I keep telling me so smart, so smart.
• 1:55:11
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, you can copy my business model and it will work if you have a place, and it also works because we're a Lando.
• 1:55:17
  Vipul Bindra: We have a lot of these small shoots happening.
• 1:55:19
  Vipul Bindra: I don't know if this would work in a small town where you don't you don't have 10 shoots happening every day.
• 1:55:23
  Vipul Bindra: So that my business wouldn't stop that every day.
• 1:55:25
  Luis Pereira: If you had your infrastructure in the small town, you'll be mayor, probably.
• 1:55:28
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:55:30
  Vipul Bindra: No, not king either.
• 1:55:31
  Vipul Bindra: I think it would fail because if this work equipment's not working, it's actually a waste of capital.
• 1:55:36
  Vipul Bindra: You see what I'm saying?
• 1:55:37
  Vipul Bindra: The only reason it's worth it is because it's working all the time.
• 1:55:39
  Vipul Bindra: And I'm willing to take little money because I'm working on a volume basis, where I do low volume, high-quality stuff that I do, I don't have to be on a shoot at all.
• 1:55:49
  Vipul Bindra: I'm like, if I like a shoot, I go on that shoot, you know?
• 1:55:52
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, versus Bindra has to keep working, if that makes sense.
• 1:55:55
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm going on a two different models, right?
• 1:55:57
  Vipul Bindra: Where Bindra, me, I work Whipple Bindra on cool, nice, fun sets.
• 1:56:02
  Vipul Bindra: It doesn't have to be big as long as I'm having fun.
• 1:56:04
  Vipul Bindra: Like I did shoot with Ryan recently, it was so fun because you know it was a small set, but it was like high-quality interviews, but it was because we have fun, we had to go to Tampa.
• 1:56:12
  Vipul Bindra: I got to bring Mario with me.
• 1:56:14
  Vipul Bindra: That's great.
• 1:56:14
  Vipul Bindra: Got to meet another cool filmmaker there again, relationship.
• 1:56:17
  Vipul Bindra: But point is that I it doesn't always have to be big, but I enjoyed it.
• 1:56:22
  Vipul Bindra: But on the other side, like I said, if I don't have to be there, Binder can do five projects a day.
• 1:56:26
  Vipul Bindra: And we can support, we have enough gear here to do that.
• 1:56:29
  Vipul Bindra: And if not, I that's not even me tapping into other friends because I have so many friends with gear I could hire too.
• 1:56:34
  Vipul Bindra: But usually I have enough that I can take on three to five projects a day.
• 1:56:38
  Vipul Bindra: That's awesome.
• 1:56:39
  Vipul Bindra: Like I said, it's a unique business model, but it's nothing unique, like as in not copyable.
• 1:56:43
  Vipul Bindra: The thing is it would only work in a market like Vegas or here, where there's so many small shoots happening where you can sustain having a lot of gear.
• 1:56:52
  Vipul Bindra: Usually I'm saying you're better off like what a lot of people are doing, which which you know, you like Vibrant is such a great company locally, man.
• 1:56:59
  Vipul Bindra: They have a great set of crew members that they hire, uh, they get big projects, they have budgets, they don't need to shoot volume, they just do cool stuff and then they get done with it, if that makes sense, right?
• 1:57:09
  Vipul Bindra: And and I think that's another business model where they don't have to own a lot of gear.
• 1:57:13
  Vipul Bindra: I know they do, but they have enough reference like mine, people like me, that they can bring in or other people and have resources and then they can scale up and do nicer productions, and they don't have to do volume because they're not in investing million dollars in gear that they don't need to, you know.
• 1:57:26
  Luis Pereira: And on the long term, you still think that Orlando will remain a small ismore product, uh like sorry, uh small productions place, you know?
• 1:57:38
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, because I mean we did introduce incentives in Florida introduced broad incentives.
• 1:57:42
  Vipul Bindra: So, yeah, like like I said, we are trying to bring it, but the thing is look, here's the truth about film industry.
• 1:57:47
  Vipul Bindra: I've said this before.
• 1:57:48
  Vipul Bindra: We go, like there's a joke now, Lollywood, right?
• 1:57:51
  Vipul Bindra: London is it's huge right now because they have so much incentives.
• 1:57:54
  Vipul Bindra: Incentives, yeah.
• 1:57:55
  Vipul Bindra: Film industry will go wherever there's incentives.
• 1:57:57
  Vipul Bindra: So I I would I just don't chase that.
• 1:57:59
  Vipul Bindra: That's what I'm saying.
• 1:58:00
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, I love making movies, I love making short films.
• 1:58:03
  Vipul Bindra: That's why I've stuck to commercials and docs and corporate, because that's sustainable business.
• 1:58:08
  Vipul Bindra: I can provide that throughout the United States, and it's short-time commitment, and incentives can't take my work away, if that makes sense.
• 1:58:14
  Vipul Bindra: A brand uh wouldn't take, like Rivology, for example, wouldn't take their commercial to Europe just because they're getting some incentives.
• 1:58:21
  Vipul Bindra: Does that make sense, right?
• 1:58:22
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
• 1:58:22
  Vipul Bindra: Versus a movie will.
• 1:58:23
  Vipul Bindra: And so if you're in the and not saying that don't get in the movie industry, but I'm saying you have to then chase incentives.
• 1:58:28
  Vipul Bindra: Like right now London, and and you could commit and move to London, but guess what happens?
• 1:58:32
  Vipul Bindra: A year, two years later, it goes back to here or to Europe or Vancouver, whoever now is like, oh, we that government goes we can invest.
• 1:58:39
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like a it's like a different market again.
• 1:58:41
  Vipul Bindra: And if you're passionate, do it.
• 1:58:43
  Vipul Bindra: That's what I'm yeah.
• 1:58:44
  Luis Pereira: In reality, yeah, you just gotta follow the monopolies because basically they uh now London is uh is always trending because Disney because of incentives.
• 1:58:53
  Luis Pereira: Marvel's all over there, exactly.
• 1:58:54
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, not only Marvel, but also the uh Walt Disney Studios are there, and now they have a couple of offices from Pixar.
• 1:59:00
  Luis Pereira: And and when a huge monopoly does a company move like that, of course you're gonna attract capital and uh preparation.
• 1:59:05
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, that's good.
• 1:59:06
  Vipul Bindra: Nothing stops that from happening in Florida.
• 1:59:07
  Vipul Bindra: Tomorrow, Florida goes, hey, where here's a billion dollars, you know, like come bring more.
• 1:59:11
  Vipul Bindra: Can you imagine that?
• 1:59:12
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, bro.
• 1:59:13
  Luis Pereira: Which is one thing that uh it always bothered me because I like when I got here, I knew that Universal and Disney, they were huge theme parks.
• 1:59:21
  Luis Pereira: And uh uh I I visited once the Universal like backlot, and I knew they did that.
• 1:59:26
  Luis Pereira: I they did um some projects there.
• 1:59:29
  Luis Pereira: Uh I had instructors from full sale who worked there, and they had like the the production team there.
• 1:59:34
  Luis Pereira: And knowing that they do like two or three every once in a while, I don't know, it's a lot of people.
• 1:59:39
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I mean it's a decent market.
• 1:59:40
  Vipul Bindra: I don't want to say nothing happens in Florida, but it's less obviously, it's not a huge market, but it is a decent sized market.
• 1:59:46
  Vipul Bindra: And the advantage for us is which is like I said, it maybe helps what I'm trying to do.
• 1:59:50
  Vipul Bindra: Because there's indeed things seen that I've seen, but I'm not happy with the rates and stuff.
• 1:59:54
  Vipul Bindra: But what I do, there's so much work, like I said, because there's always theme parks here, there's always conventions happening here, there's always work, and there's enough then bigger commercials that come in and go that there's enough work, I'm saying, to sustain a decent size of working professionals.
• 2:00:11
  Vipul Bindra: Plus, I'm saying uh your market opens up if you're like flexible like I am.
• 2:00:16
  Vipul Bindra: Tomorrow I can get on a plane and be anywhere and get it done, right?
• 2:00:19
  Vipul Bindra: Whether you need equipment or not.
• 2:00:21
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying equipment's not that big of a factor that people make it because I say I can just send a van or I can fly with fly packs as you see, cases are ready to go, right?
• 2:00:29
  Vipul Bindra: With gear.
• 2:00:30
  Vipul Bindra: So it I'm saying nowadays flights are so cheap that it's worth it to hire somebody reliable that you know what I'm saying, and pay a couple hundred dollars in flight, then hire someone locally that you don't trust.
• 2:00:40
  Vipul Bindra: And especially if you're a big company, you're going, you know, every state I'm saying, your project, like a lot of medical people that I work with, uh they want consistency.
• 2:00:48
  Vipul Bindra: They don't care about a few hundred dollars here and there.
• 2:00:51
  Vipul Bindra: Let's like nothing matter.
• 2:00:52
  Vipul Bindra: Nothing for them, yeah.
• 2:00:53
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and and they'd rather not risk it.
• 2:00:55
  Vipul Bindra: It's not like, and that's why I'm saying a lot of filmmakers approach this I can be cheaper.
• 2:00:58
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying stop trying to be cheaper, start trying to be good and consistent and easy to work with.
• 2:01:04
  Vipul Bindra: Work will come, you know, because like I said, brands think differently.
• 2:01:08
  Vipul Bindra: If you're a movie, like you're trying to make your indie production, you're gonna go the cheapest route, right?
• 2:01:12
  Vipul Bindra: Because you are limited on funds, and that's fine.
• 2:01:13
  Vipul Bindra: But when you're a brand, a lot of times consistency and right people is so much more important than the trust.
• 2:01:20
  Vipul Bindra: You know, they're gonna work with the same people because they cannot risk trying to save $200 here, $300 there.
• 2:01:26
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because what if they don't show up?
• 2:01:28
  Vipul Bindra: Because that happens, that happens a lot.
• 2:01:30
  Vipul Bindra: That happens a lot, especially on lower rates because they have less commitment to show up, right?
• 2:01:34
  Vipul Bindra: Or or some type of gear breaks.
• 2:01:36
  Vipul Bindra: I have a backup camera ready to go, backup lens ready to go, backup standard, right, backup accessory.
• 2:01:41
  Vipul Bindra: You know what the same thing?
• 2:01:42
  Vipul Bindra: That's what you're paying for is insurance.
• 2:01:43
  Vipul Bindra: Because I've had sometimes, because I'm happy to do it.
• 2:01:46
  Vipul Bindra: Like I was telling you, like where the whole Googa story, I can happily offer people a small package, a truck package, they can do get it done.
• 2:01:52
  Vipul Bindra: Sometimes they just want an interview.
• 2:01:54
  Vipul Bindra: People will, just so you know, the financials of this, maybe other people want people will gladly hire my full package a lot of times for interviews, even though they only plan on using two to three lights, a couple of frames, because they want that safety net on set.
• 2:02:07
  Vipul Bindra: Because what if we show up and we need a 1200x?
• 2:02:10
  Vipul Bindra: Or what if now we need a panel, we don't have enough room to put a dome?
• 2:02:13
  Vipul Bindra: We want to put a panel so we can shoot from the bottom and only take two feet of space, still be big source light.
• 2:02:18
  Vipul Bindra: You cannot decide a lot of time on corporate sets because you don't have time or energy to pick, right?
• 2:02:22
  Vipul Bindra: And so I've had that where I've offered them like, hey, I can send a gaffer with a smaller package because they have a less budget.
• 2:02:28
  Vipul Bindra: Like, can we bring it down?
• 2:02:29
  Vipul Bindra: And then they come back and they say, No, we want you and the van because we don't know what we're walking into.
• 2:02:36
  Vipul Bindra: So they're paying for the safety net, if that makes sense.
• 2:02:38
  Vipul Bindra: Because as a brand, they cannot risk showing up and needing something and then not having it.
• 2:02:42
  Vipul Bindra: I hope that makes sense.
• 2:02:43
  Vipul Bindra: So it's like it's like a different mindset, and you have to just decide, like you said, you want to be a first AD.
• 2:02:49
  Vipul Bindra: So you have to look from the lens of where are the movies, where's the shows happening or commercials happening, or you can be first AD.
• 2:02:55
  Vipul Bindra: Versus if you're like a corporate shooter, you have to think from a different lens of yeah, where's the brand?
• 2:03:00
  Vipul Bindra: And that's where work happening, you know, where's the conventions happening?
• 2:03:03
  Vipul Bindra: Where can I go do more events?
• 2:03:05
  Vipul Bindra: And so you may have to move from a market that you're in or tap into.
• 2:03:08
  Vipul Bindra: I love uh shout out to by the way, Storyking Studios.
• 2:03:11
  Vipul Bindra: I met them in uh, you know, um at NAB.
• 2:03:14
  Vipul Bindra: They're such incredible guys, but they're in a smaller California market, but they're killing it over there because they've set themselves as the top dog in the market.
• 2:03:23
  Vipul Bindra: People want to work with them, right?
• 2:03:24
  Vipul Bindra: And they're finding opportunities in their small market, and then they can expand.
• 2:03:28
  Vipul Bindra: They can go to LA, they can go to Bay Area, whatever they need if a big project comes.
• 2:03:31
  Vipul Bindra: But I'm saying in their small little market, they're they're they're doing incredible work and they do have a YouTube channel people should follow.
• 2:03:37
  Vipul Bindra: But what I'm saying is you can do be in small market and do good work too.
• 2:03:41
  Vipul Bindra: You don't have to be in an Orlando or in LA or in Atlanta.
• 2:03:44
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, that's again, like you said, a lot of people just don't want to explore what they have.
• 2:03:49
  Vipul Bindra: You should go out there, like you, you went out to full sale and you explored your opportunities, and there was 80% students, like you said, who are not renting that gear out, who are not taking that gear and using it.
• 2:03:59
  Vipul Bindra: It it just comes down to uh filmmaking is very, I think, self um you have to be self-motivated.
• 2:04:06
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and not everyone is, and that's okay.
• 2:04:08
  Vipul Bindra: There are a lot of jobs at agencies that you can do, but if you want to be a freelancer or successful in the film industry, especially as an independent, I think you have to be self-motivated, right?
• 2:04:18
  Vipul Bindra: What do you think?
• 2:04:19
  Luis Pereira: Uh I mean, wow, you uh can can I drop this?
• 2:04:23
  Luis Pereira: Like because that was amazing.
• 2:04:26
  Luis Pereira: I I agree in everything you said, and um again, it's such an honor to be part of uh not only this podcast, but uh an honor to admit uh met you before and being part of different productions with you and learning your workflow, learning uh your business model.
• 2:04:42
  Luis Pereira: And yes, I I totally agree with you.
• 2:04:44
  Luis Pereira: I I would say that um maybe that I I don't know if we talked about this when we were in the premiere uh of the pilot a couple weeks ago, but uh I'll be moving to Atlanta uh this January.
• 2:04:54
  Luis Pereira: So as soon as uh Why Atlanta?
• 2:04:57
  Luis Pereira: So the main reason why is because I I have a lot of connections there.
• 2:05:02
  Luis Pereira: So uh that that will help me in uh in the short term and long term, but also because of my fiance.
• 2:05:09
  Luis Pereira: So she she's gonna be applying for uh MBA there.
• 2:05:13
  Luis Pereira: Uh she has a couple of universities in in her mind, uh, she has relatives there, and because we're trying to to to get into the American market and she works in finance, she has a couple of connections there too.
• 2:05:24
  Luis Pereira: So uh that that that seems to be the place.
• 2:05:27
  Luis Pereira: And uh again, I I I sort of I try to create like a uh a logical uh I always try to approach problems, uh problem solving with logic, of course.
• 2:05:38
  Luis Pereira: So uh I try to make create like a table and saying like, okay, so the here's LA, uh here's New York, here's Chicago, here's Austin, here's Atlanta, Orlando, and going over like um I would say uh the indexes of uh poverty, indexes of uh of the entertainment industry there, how much uh how much insurance, uh car insurance is there, uh renters insurance.
• 2:06:01
  Luis Pereira: Wow, you went deep.
• 2:06:02
  Luis Pereira: I did, yeah, yeah.
• 2:06:03
  Luis Pereira: And I mean and AI helped.
• 2:06:05
  Luis Pereira: This is why the you're the right guy for A for AD.
• 2:06:08
  Luis Pereira: I'm just saying, you know, it's a you have to go deep, yeah.
• 2:06:10
  Luis Pereira: No.
• 2:06:10
  Luis Pereira: So that that was one of the main reasons why I chose Atlanta.
• 2:06:14
  Luis Pereira: But I mean, I I don't know what the future holds, but for the moment, and considering both of our efforts of uh like my fiance and I, we uh she's in Brazil now, she's gonna be coming here.
• 2:06:26
  Luis Pereira: Um, it is the the safest place for us to start.
• 2:06:28
  Luis Pereira: And then you're the only guys calling Atlanta safe, but sure.
• 2:06:32
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, I we're the only guys calling Atlanta safe.
• 2:06:34
  Vipul Bindra: No, no, Atlanta is great, man.
• 2:06:36
  Vipul Bindra: Except for the traffic.
• 2:06:37
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, uh yeah, the traffic is awful.
• 2:06:39
  Luis Pereira: I've been there a couple of times already.
• 2:06:40
  Luis Pereira: Uh I worked in a production there once, but uh yes, I would say it it's similar to where you're talking about Lollywood, you know.
• 2:06:48
  Luis Pereira: So as of right now, I would say they're gonna be able to do that.
• 2:06:50
  Luis Pereira: Atlanta Wood?
• 2:06:52
  Luis Pereira: No, no, but now it's basically now it's basically Warnerland there.
• 2:07:00
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, so Warner Warner brothers still have a couple of things.
• 2:07:02
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, but how long are they gonna stay?
• 2:07:03
  Vipul Bindra: I don't I know the incentives have kind of gone.
• 2:07:06
  Luis Pereira: It depends on the how the Paramount merger um and ends too.
• 2:07:10
  Luis Pereira: I don't know.
• 2:07:10
  Luis Pereira: Oh my goodness, so many unknowns.
• 2:07:12
  Luis Pereira: But but independent-wise, uh at least from what I've studied, and um because I want to focus on uh creative works instead of uh going sort of like the route of corporate, um, at least for the for the moment, um Atlanta still is the the fourth or third biggest uh market in the United States, and it's projected to remain until like 2028, which is when like my my new visa after graduating will expire.
• 2:07:40
  Luis Pereira: So I that's a problem to worry like in the future.
• 2:07:43
  Luis Pereira: But yeah, it's uh only behind uh New York, New York, LA, California, and Chicago, Illinois.
• 2:07:48
  Luis Pereira: So that makes sense.
• 2:07:50
  Luis Pereira: That was one of the reasons why.
• 2:07:51
  Luis Pereira: And and like compared to Orlando, it is the it is the I would say the lowest change of of price that I would have compared to if I if I were to live in New York, I know I'm gonna I was gonna be paying like 2.6 times more.
• 2:08:06
  Luis Pereira: And in LA I was gonna be paying 2.8, 2.9, depending on if I were to be uh where productions are shooting, you know.
• 2:08:14
  Luis Pereira: No, that totally makes sense.
• 2:08:16
  Vipul Bindra: But look, that the the thing is, which is not to repeat myself, uh I think Atlanta's a good market.
• 2:08:21
  Vipul Bindra: And also remember, you're not limited, Atlanta.
• 2:08:24
  Vipul Bindra: You'll be there doesn't mean you can't come here, it's just a freaking four or five hour drive.
• 2:08:27
  Vipul Bindra: You can be in, you know, wherever you want it to be.
• 2:08:29
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying you can fly.
• 2:08:30
  Vipul Bindra: So, you know, you you'll have still access to the entire market.
• 2:08:34
  Vipul Bindra: You can be anywhere you want it to be as long as there's budget to fly you in.
• 2:08:38
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, and and as long as you're good, people will want to fly you in.
• 2:08:41
  Vipul Bindra: So I that's incredible, man.
• 2:08:42
  Vipul Bindra: This has been uh such a great conversation.
• 2:08:44
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, before we wrap this up, I do want you to talk to if there's any students listening, what advice would you give them to get the most out of their degrees or or even if they're starting out, what should they do to, you know, get out of there and get it done, you know, and and get the experience.
• 2:09:00
  Luis Pereira: I would say that, at least from my experience as a student, is if you are only going to class and uh doing your assignments that the professor requires, and then you graduate, I would say that you had wasted your degree.
• 2:09:16
  Luis Pereira: I would say that uh usually, especially in film schools, and that's uh probably a uh opinion that I have formed in film schools here in Florida.
• 2:09:25
  Luis Pereira: So you have Valencia, you have UCF, you have uh Folcale.
• 2:09:28
  Luis Pereira: Um usually they don't require you the uh that much.
• 2:09:32
  Luis Pereira: They if they usually ask you for the the basics of everything from composition to assembling uh sound, uh shot list, you know.
• 2:09:42
  Luis Pereira: Every single minimum basically it is it is literally the the bare minimum.
• 2:09:46
  Luis Pereira: So if you are only doing the the minimum, therefore you're not gonna be able to stand out.
• 2:09:51
  Luis Pereira: So I would say that if I hadn't uh be taken out of my comfort zone and messaging Guga and then networking with Fernando and Bruno, and I mean Fernando, Bruno, Guga, they are experienced professionals, and I I didn't know anything.
• 2:10:04
  Luis Pereira: I didn't know anything.
• 2:10:05
  Luis Pereira: So uh having the eagerness to learn and and like embrace yourselves, people are gonna yell at you saying like you don't know, you're stupid, you know.
• 2:10:14
  Luis Pereira: And you just gotta like chin up and be like, okay, I've learned my mistakes.
• 2:10:18
  Luis Pereira: I'm my bad.
• 2:10:19
  Vipul Bindra: You know what's crazy?
• 2:10:20
  Luis Pereira: We've been talking about Guga this whole time.
• 2:10:21
  Vipul Bindra: It's just sitting there, and is that like uh maddened as in third person, right?
• 2:10:26
  Vipul Bindra: That's crazy.
• 2:10:26
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, okay, good but uh yeah, people don't see that, yeah.
• 2:10:29
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, but I would say that uh this this is probably my my biggest advice.
• 2:10:33
  Luis Pereira: Out of full sale, so I I know the UCF for each master's student, they got they they create a feature film, and I think for the bachelor's they do a short film.
• 2:10:41
  Luis Pereira: I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but uh from my experience in full sale, we have around four classes out of our 12-month degree where you're obligated to check out gear in order to you to deliver, and it's usually like a two-minute short, uh, a six to fourteen when you're doing your thesis.
• 2:10:58
  Luis Pereira: So uh this one you're gonna get like the the big uh the big um gears that they have available for students.
• 2:11:06
  Luis Pereira: But I would say that we have around like seven, eight people per cluster.
• 2:11:10
  Luis Pereira: So the it's seven people shooting their own projects, uh checking out uh full sale gear, and they they're they're they're pretty decent for uh for what students because students won't be able to be uh they won't be able to manage like a an LF, you know?
• 2:11:27
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so I mean you never know if you put in effort like you say, like I said, to me, it doesn't matter.
• 2:11:31
  Vipul Bindra: You're a student, I would say you're a first AD.
• 2:11:34
  Vipul Bindra: It doesn't so what I'm saying is you can be a student but still be a professional as long as you put in your time and effort be on enough sets and just get the experience, right?
• 2:11:41
  Vipul Bindra: That's all that mattered.
• 2:11:42
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, because I mean I could have checked out my own gear and then I shot my thesis, and then that's okay, let's go to post, let's go to film assembly.
• 2:11:48
  Luis Pereira: But I I took time to go to other sets, and this is the only way you're gonna learn what is a good set, what's a bad set, you know, especially like doing corporate in Orlando, and in I would say one of Perks of independent film is that they're gonna show you like the shitty side of stuff, you know.
• 2:12:04
  Luis Pereira: So I I I lost count of how many projects I've been part of where I didn't get paid, like I was promised to get paid and I wasn't uh reimbursed, at least for mileage.
• 2:12:14
  Luis Pereira: Dude, I'm still waiting for that FX3 to be FX3.
• 2:12:18
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, you're responsible.
• 2:12:19
  Vipul Bindra: You're my point of contact.
• 2:12:21
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, your point of contact.
• 2:12:22
  Luis Pereira: And no answer, dude.
• 2:12:23
  Luis Pereira: No answer.
• 2:12:24
  Vipul Bindra: I'm sure people have watched that video.
• 2:12:25
  Vipul Bindra: You know, that video got a decent amount of views, so that everyone wants to know how is my FX6?
• 2:12:29
  Vipul Bindra: It's not fixed.
• 2:12:30
  Vipul Bindra: I am trying, guys.
• 2:12:32
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, let's I'm gonna do like then a shout out so I can like uh cut it and send it to them.
• 2:12:36
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, be like fixed the FX3.
• 2:12:38
  Vipul Bindra: It's not even my fault.
• 2:12:40
  Vipul Bindra: Like, I had nothing to do with it.
• 2:12:41
  Vipul Bindra: This is what I'm saying, why you don't bring gear because I was like gaffer, I'm not touching the camera and somebody broke it.
• 2:12:46
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, which before we go, Google, can you hand me the box?
• 2:12:49
  Vipul Bindra: We're gonna do a live unboxing.
• 2:12:50
  Vipul Bindra: So while we were talking, guess what finally showed up?
• 2:12:53
  Vipul Bindra: Oh my goodness.
• 2:12:54
  Vipul Bindra: So I ordered these like five, six months ago.
• 2:12:57
  Vipul Bindra: I can't believe it took this long.
• 2:12:58
  Vipul Bindra: So I have one that came in.
• 2:13:00
  Vipul Bindra: So I ordered three of these, so I've been using one.
• 2:13:02
  Vipul Bindra: Um, but uh I can't believe I've been really excited for this.
• 2:13:06
  Vipul Bindra: So before we go, look direct from yeah, BH.
• 2:13:10
  Vipul Bindra: Oh my god, this audio is gonna be carbon people.
• 2:13:14
  Vipul Bindra: That's gonna this is this is the ASMR ASMR full nucleus autofocus adapter kids.
• 2:13:20
  Vipul Bindra: So these this is the one with dual motors.
• 2:13:22
  Vipul Bindra: So I've been waiting for these.
• 2:13:23
  Vipul Bindra: I pre-ordered these, and I can't believe it took this long for them to come in.
• 2:13:27
  Vipul Bindra: So I'm excited to start putting them in test.
• 2:13:29
  Vipul Bindra: They already work great.
• 2:13:30
  Vipul Bindra: I already, like I said, the third one already came in.
• 2:13:33
  Vipul Bindra: I've been testing that and it's been working great.
• 2:13:35
  Vipul Bindra: So can't wait to have three cameras with auto focus.
• 2:13:37
  Vipul Bindra: Yeah, guys, subscribe to Bean in Productions.
• 2:13:38
  Vipul Bindra: Oh my goodness.
• 2:13:40
  Luis Pereira: Best YouTube channel ever.
• 2:13:41
  Vipul Bindra: But people think I paid you to say all this.
• 2:13:43
  Luis Pereira: No, no, I I just love him.
• 2:13:44
  Luis Pereira: He's he's amazing.
• 2:13:45
  Luis Pereira: He puts me so many geeks.
• 2:13:47
  Luis Pereira: I mean, you kind of pay me.
• 2:13:48
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, we're not right.
• 2:13:50
  Luis Pereira: Okay, oh my goodness.
• 2:13:51
  Vipul Bindra: All right, well, no, this was an incredible conversation, bro.
• 2:13:53
  Vipul Bindra: You're incredible.
• 2:13:54
  Vipul Bindra: Thank you for coming.
• 2:13:55
  Vipul Bindra: I had a great time.
• 2:13:56
  Vipul Bindra: I appreciate it, man.
• 2:13:57
  Vipul Bindra: And hopefully we continue to work and collaborate, but otherwise uh and people get some good takeaways from absolutely yeah.
• 2:14:03
  Luis Pereira: But uh, I don't remember if you put like uh sort of like the lower third so they can.
• 2:14:07
  Luis Pereira: I don't just shout them out, yes.
• 2:14:08
  Luis Pereira: Okay, yeah, so you you can follow me at uh luispereda.eent as in like entertainment.
• 2:14:14
  Luis Pereira: Uh I'll I'll be still be moving around.
• 2:14:16
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, I know, right?
• 2:14:17
  Luis Pereira: Super crazy.
• 2:14:18
  Vipul Bindra: Can you spell that for them?
• 2:14:19
  Luis Pereira: L-U-I-S dot yeah L-U-I-S-P-E-R-E I-R A and then point E-N-T.
• 2:14:26
  Luis Pereira: Okay.
• 2:14:26
  Luis Pereira: Uh I I've been doing a bunch of different uh projects here, especially like uh school related.
• 2:14:31
  Luis Pereira: Uh uh, even though I'll be graduating soon, I still have lots lots of friends that are still uh going there, like shooting their stuff.
• 2:14:38
  Luis Pereira: And I was just gonna say that full sale, it doesn't gatekeep uh projects as in students, only full sale students must be in the productions.
• 2:14:46
  Luis Pereira: So usually like maybe we're shooting uh sips uh bloom here.
• 2:14:51
  Luis Pereira: Uh I think that two or three crew members he reached out on uh Facebook or something, he he listed.
• 2:14:56
  Luis Pereira: And I I was just gonna say that even though I know that Facebook is like a millennial thing, like for old guys, you know.
• 2:15:03
  Luis Pereira: I I didn't point it out.
• 2:15:06
  Luis Pereira: I didn't find I didn't find I I I just did this.
• 2:15:08
  Luis Pereira: That's all I did.
• 2:15:09
  Luis Pereira: But uh I don't do Facebook, but yes.
• 2:15:11
  Luis Pereira: You you're if you if you if you're like in Orlando, there are so many different Facebook groups that you can go to, and they're always like, hey, we need help wanted.
• 2:15:19
  Luis Pereira: And again, I said you're not gonna be earning a thousand dollars on five five-hour shoot when you're being like a PA.
• 2:15:26
  Luis Pereira: That that doesn't work.
• 2:15:27
  Luis Pereira: But you can fly, makes sense.
• 2:15:29
  Vipul Bindra: Remember, if you need experience, don't look at it from money.
• 2:15:32
  Vipul Bindra: Yes, don't get taken advantage of, but that's when you're experienced professional.
• 2:15:36
  Vipul Bindra: If you don't feel like you're an experienced professional, then go get the experience first.
• 2:15:40
  Vipul Bindra: Because making money is easy for an experienced professional.
• 2:15:42
  Vipul Bindra: That's what I was like saying.
• 2:15:43
  Vipul Bindra: You bring value to set, you automatically get hired.
• 2:15:46
  Vipul Bindra: Because so many volunteer jobs you did for me, and now I'm like, if anyone ever asks for a first city, who am I sending like them to you, right?
• 2:15:53
  Vipul Bindra: And that's what what I'm saying is showing your skills comes into play and money will come, money will follow skills and a good personality.
• 2:16:00
  Luis Pereira: And then people like to say that oh, Orlando doesn't have a strong uh film production, it doesn't have a strong film industry, a video industry.
• 2:16:07
  Luis Pereira: But that that's a straight out lie, because even though you're not planning to stay here, again, full sale, we they require at least four classes to to shoot a film.
• 2:16:17
  Luis Pereira: Uh and they usually have like I'll I'll I'm gonna go even shorter, like five people per class.
• 2:16:22
  Luis Pereira: That means that every month in full sale, you're gonna have to at least 20 different projects being shot either on their sound stage now that it got back or uh outside.
• 2:16:31
  Luis Pereira: So and and they are using Instagram, they're using Facebook, they're trying to get crew because it's not all uh all the productions are gonna be able to uh uh shoot their their project with only five people, you know?
• 2:16:41
  Luis Pereira: Yeah, so I mean just reach out.
• 2:16:44
  Vipul Bindra: Even in the small market, there's enough six-figure commercials happening.
• 2:16:48
  Vipul Bindra: There's enough, even our pilot was that.
• 2:16:50
  Luis Pereira: I don't know the exact budget, but I mean I'm talking to students, like students.
• 2:16:53
  Luis Pereira: I I would say like don't don't think that in three months you're gonna be able to get a hop into like a six-figure project, but you're gonna get the experience in sooner or later.
• 2:17:03
  Vipul Bindra: But then you can get the experience and then you can.
• 2:17:05
  Vipul Bindra: Because even on a smaller market like Orlando, I'm saying there's enough three to you know, I'm saying six figure figure commercials happening, enough pilots like I like I say, that pilot definitely was at least you know, three to four hundred K.
• 2:17:16
  Vipul Bindra: I'm saying in budget that's happening here, which we're calling indie projects.
• 2:17:19
  Vipul Bindra: So there's enough money, yeah, you know, that you can make a career.
• 2:17:22
  Vipul Bindra: Uh, but I think the the the answer is at the end get the experience and then you can make the money, right?
• 2:17:29
  Vipul Bindra: Do we agree?
• 2:17:29
  Vipul Bindra: All right, awesome.
• 2:17:30
  Vipul Bindra: Well, thank you guys, thank you for watching.
• 2:17:32
  Vipul Bindra: Until next time, this has been Studio B sessions, and uh it's been Lewis with me.
• 2:17:36
  Vipul Bindra: See you, see you next Thursday.
• 2:17:37
  Vipul Bindra: Bye.
• 2:17:38
  Vipul Bindra: Bye bye.