I work as a freelancer, so I collaborate with different production houses on each project. The production house is chosen by the client to produce commercials and video content. They hire the director, me, along with many others involved in bringing the commercial to life.

I work closely with the director to bring his creative ideas to life on screen, but I'm also responsible for the technical side of the job, like choosing and operating the camera and making decisions about lighting.

Each project is different, but the process generally includes:

• Pre-production — working on shot lists and creative ideas with the director
• On set — coordinating with the 1st AC (camera team lead), Gaffer (lighting lead), and Grip (camera rig technician) to capture the planned shots
• Post-production — collaborating with the colorist (color grading expert) to finalize the visual tone and mood of the film

Pre-production:

• Google Sheets, for shotlists
• Unreal Engine, for previz
• Cadrage app, for choosing framing and lenses
• Sunseeker app, for checking the sun's position at the location

Post-production:

• Frame.io, for color grading

Hard

• Technical operation — operating cameras, selecting lenses, and understanding lighting setups
• Solid grasp of exposure, frame rates, codecs, and resolution
• Knowledge of cinema history and visual storytelling
• Awareness of current visual trends in advertising, film, and streaming content

Soft

• Creative collaboration — working closely with the director, gaffer, camera crew, and production team
• Communication — clearly expressing visual ideas and giving/receiving feedback
• Problem-solving — adapting quickly to changes in weather, schedule, or equipment

People often don’t realize how much time and effort goes into pre-production before you even step on set to achieve the desired creative effect. Most of the prep work is invisible to the average person, but tasks like working with the budget, preparing shot lists, and choosing locations and gear all require a great deal of planning and coordination.

There’s no single path into the film industry — you can graduate from film school, or start as a freelance videographer and work your way up to become a DP. You could even begin as a photographer or game designer and then move into film.

Constant creative challenges and problem-solving. Each project is different — you meet lots of new people and visit places that are usually inaccessible to others. These are the main things that drive me.

To keep evolving as a DP, learn new creative and technical skills, and shoot a feature film.

I think, due to the nature of the film industry, it's hard to say exactly which skills I should focus on improving. However, I believe that meeting and collaborating with as many creative people as possible is the most important thing.

Don’t beat yourself up if something doesn’t go as planned. In a constantly changing production environment full of chaos, mental well-being is really important to me. Learning to go with the flow of the creative process rather than always aiming for 'perfect' results has helped me a lot.

The importance of staying flexible and calm under pressure. In the film industry, things rarely go exactly as planned, and being able to adapt quickly while keeping a clear head can make a huge difference in delivering a successful project.

I think personal projects and short films — where you have full control over the creative process — are the most fulfilling. Watching months of your work, alongside your crew, friends, and family, compressed into just a few minutes on the cinema screen is truly what makes it all worthwhile.

A couple of years ago, I worked as a Director/DP, which combines the roles of director and director of photography. Later, I started working solely as a DP, which allowed me to focus on what I enjoy most — creating images. In short, I’d say I regret not focusing on the DP role earlier.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm really involved in the pre-production process — all the prep work always pays off once you're on set. I'd say that being well-prepared and treating your crew as well as you treat yourself are the two principles I always stick to.

I like to believe that people who stay patient, embrace challenges, and don’t beat themselves up when things go wrong tend to make progress faster.

I believe that meeting and collaborating with people makes up nearly 50% of success in the film industry — it’s the essence of the job.

Yeah, I’m a strong believer in striving for that goal... even though it often feels just out of reach. When you're working on intense projects that take up weeks of your life, maintaining a work-life balance can be tough. But I always try to spend as much time as possible with my family and make time for sports every day.

At the beginning of my career, I valued technical skills more than creativity and soft skills, but now, it’s the other way around.

If we’re talking about work, I think I’d honestly do exactly what I’m doing now, just at a higher level.

Using Unreal Engine as a tool for previsualization and even for producing final shots.

Don’t stress too much about having everything figured out right away. Focus on building strong relationships, embrace creative challenges, and remember that things won’t always go as planned — and that’s okay.

Unreal Engine, Apple TV+

Podcasts:

• 99% Invisible
• Team Deakins
• Go Creative Show

Books:

• “Red Rising” series by Pierce Brown
• “Revelation Space” by Alastair Reynolds

Movies:

• Incendies
• Last Year in Marienbad