Matt Aitia

Matt Aitia Director & cinematographer sharing projects I have worked on and experiences I have gained whilst doing so

What are the things you should look for on a location scout? 1. I always like to roam around the space with to find the...
04/20/2026

What are the things you should look for on a location scout?

1. I always like to roam around the space with to find the best frames. This app allows you to type in your specific camera and lens to see exactly how the frame is gonna look on certain focal lengths.

2. Established where you’re lighting from. Do windows need to be blacked out? Do you need to light the second story? This will help dictate how long it’ll take to set up a certain room and will help you figure out blocking.

3. Use Sun Seeker to find where the sun is going to be at certain times of day. This helped us specifically when I wanted a certain shot to take place during blue hour. That meant we needed to be facing a certain direction at a certain time of day. This will help you schedule your day.

4. Find out where it’s safe for crew to stash gear, hold talent, have HMU & wardrobe. If you’re shooting in every single room of a location, it’s going to be an absolute nightmare to move everything for every move. Speaking from experience here!

5. As much as we’d all like our creativity to flourish on the shoot day, they’re just isn’t enough time to have that luxury most of the time. So do your homework, figure it out in preproduction, go to the location beforehand and map out every detail possible.

Over the past 7 years I’ve invested over $20k into projects that never paid me a single dollar and it’s one of the best ...
04/14/2026

Over the past 7 years I’ve invested over $20k into projects that never paid me a single dollar and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made as a filmmaker.

Your portfolio is your calling card. Without it, you’re asking people to take a chance on you with nothing to back it up. Spec work and passion projects solve that problem. They’re the reason I get hired today.

Something I learned the hard way: locations, set dec, and wardrobe will do more for your work than shooting on the best camera and lenses. Invest in the things that actually show up on screen and your work starts to look like the level you want to be operating at.

The portfolio pays for itself. You just have to be willing to invest in it first.

If you want to go deeper on building a freelance filmmaking career, check out my eBook, link in bio.

How much does it cost to shoot on 16mm film? Here are the 3 main costs associated with shooting film.1. The film stock.Y...
04/11/2026

How much does it cost to shoot on 16mm film? Here are the 3 main costs associated with shooting film.

1. The film stock.
You can get 100ft spools or 400ft spools. 100ft spools are often shot on a mechanical camera such as a Bolex or K3. 400ft spools required cameras like the SR3, Aaton XTR, etc. There’s daylight film and tungsten film, the # on the stock refers to the ASA of the film.

2. Processing
Once you’ve shot the film, it needs to be processed so it can eventually be scanned. There’s a few laps across North America that can still do this.

3. Scanning
Once the film has been processed, it needs to be scanned into a digital format so you can view it and edit it.

But why not just shoot digital and make it look like film? Because the actual process on set of shooting film is a totally different vibe. Everyone is on their toes: the talent, the DoP, the 1st AC, etc. Because everyone knows there is no room for error. This makes you more intentional with your decisions with lighting, framing, exposure, etc. If you ever have the budget and opportunity to shoot on 16mm, I couldn’t recommend it enough.

These are prices from local labs in Toronto, Canada so prices may vary based on where you are in the world.

We’ve all thought about that idea for years, how do you actually go out and make it happen? It first starts with fleshin...
04/10/2026

We’ve all thought about that idea for years, how do you actually go out and make it happen?

It first starts with fleshing out your idea, and taking stock of what you already have access to. A cool car, a unique location, a friend with an interesting story. Start there.

Secondly, gather inspiration from resources like Frame Set, Vimeo, and Instagram. I use Milanote to compile everything in one place.

Make a treatment even if it’s just you and a camera because that makes your idea feel “official”. Check out some templates I have available in my bio.

Put a specific date in the calendar and tell your friends your shooting on that date. This will hold you accountable and it’s the moment it all becomes real.

Get your friends together and don’t wait for the perfect conditions. You know you can do it, don’t overthink it and just make it happen.

How I’m using my iPad as a filmmaker:1. On set & location scoutingI use apps like Cadrage to find my frame size. I like ...
04/09/2026

How I’m using my iPad as a filmmaker:

1. On set & location scouting
I use apps like Cadrage to find my frame size. I like using my iPad for this so I can show collaborators on a bigger screen opposed to using your phone. Instead of using camera to find the best angle, it’s just easier to do so on Cadrage.

2. Building moodboards
My go to apps for this are & .set. I’ll spend a few hours researching images that much my creative and drag them into Milanote. It’s great because it auto organizes it into a moodboard for you.

3. Second monitor for DaVinci
Most people are consuming content on a phone, so what better way to monitor colour than an iPad since they’re quite colour accurate. This gives you a clean feed to what you’re editing and serves more than just a second monitor.

4. Creating treatments
I create most of my treatments in keynote, the iPad is great because it’s small enough to bring around everywhere like if I wanna go right outside or in a coffee shop. I also have a few templates available if you were interested check them out in my bio!

Hope this was helpful.

04/03/2026

can we get the pinch and scroll timeline please? Tag them below 👇

03/06/2026

Like this if you overpack for your trips 😂 I find when I bring all this gear with me I never end up using any of it. That’s why I create a small sandbox for myself and give myself some restrictions with what I bring. I find it helps with actually shooting stuff because you spend less time deciding what to use and more time enjoying the moment and just capturing what’s in front of you.

02/14/2026

If you liked Mid 90s, Lords of Dogtown, DiDi, or any skate film, you’ll love Get Up, Try Again. It’s a core memory for most skateboarders and will bring you back to your childhood, go check it out and leave a comment if it hit home! rders

Address

Toronto, ON

Website

https://www.mattaitia.com/

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