03/24/2026
DIY video production: should you?
You already know I’m biased. But you don’t know if you should trust me.
We offer digital cinema productions, and mirrorless. Both types of cameras shoot beautiful footage, but many of my clients don’t really notice the difference.
I don’t push the more expensive digital cinema, saving those cameras for my documentary work. Or 4K 240 fps super-slow motion, but I’ll usually throw that in at no additional cost because how can I not shoot pearl white onions gracefully pirouetting through the rinse conveyor any other way?
Everyone has a camera in their pocket. Maybe it’s tempting to think everyone’s a filmmaker.
After seeing an iPhone promo shot on an iPhone, one of my clients recently opted to go “gorilla style” thinking that meant quick shooting and ditching tripods. That iPhone promo looked amazing due to art direction, wardrobe, camera support (e.g. tripods), lighting, and a full crew; not because of the phone’s camera.
“Gorilla style” means no permits and a shoe string budget, not lose the tripods and put speed over precision. It’s not a filmmaking style, it’s a production method.
The bottom line is brand image. Do you want it to look like you shot it yourself, or that you value detail and getting it right, while reflecting your culture’s sense of quality?
Filmmaking is a language, complete with grammatical architecture.
There’s a place for DIY footage. It can feel candid, and authentic. But just like AI writing needs to be filtered by a professional writer, deciding when and how to deploy your staff to shoot is usually best left to someone who knows how to do more than point the camera and press record.
