Commercial Cinematography:
The Foundation
Great projects are made in pre‑production. This is how commercial jobs actually work, from finding the work to walking on to set.
Who the key players are, how jobs get booked, how to talk rates, and what’s expected of the DP before the shoot.
DPs need more than technical help.
There are countless places to learn how to light and how to shoot. There’s very little on how to get to the place where you put those skills into practice.
Every week people write in after finding the podcast. The ones starting out keep asking for the same thing: a complete map of the commercial process, so they know what happens in each phase, who decides what, and where the DP’s knowledge actually gets used.
The Foundation is that map, built from more than a decade of jobs I’ve landed, prepped and shot, the good ones and the bad ones.
- How do you break into the industry?3.2 Where do the jobs come from? · 3.3 Identify your position · 3.7 The common paths
- Who are the key players in the commercial process?2.3 Understanding the commercial landscape · 4.1 The commercial process
- How should I build my network?3.4 Finding the work: warm relationships · 3.5 Cold relationships · 3.6 Being proactive
- How do I talk about rates?5.4 Talking rates · 5.5 Negotiating rates · 6.10 Pre-production pay
- What’s expected from a DP before a shoot?6.1 The main goal · 6.4 The director’s treatment · 8.2 The tech scout process · 8.6 Looking out for gotchas
The look comes before the shoot.
By the time the camera rolls, most of the decisions that shape the picture have already been made.
Here’s that order of work on four of my own jobs, each one broken down on the podcast. The course spends two full modules on it: treatment, boards, crew, scouting, the tech scout and the schedule.
BOARDFRAME
Cinematographers who want to work.
Built for people new to the commercial world who want step-by-step guidance. Experienced DPs moving into commercials get the most out of modules 3 to 6.
Take it if
- You can shoot, and you don’t yet know how commercial jobs are found, quoted and booked.
- You’ve been asked for your rate and didn’t know what to say.
- You want to walk into prep knowing what the director, producer, agency and client expect from you.
- You’d rather learn the process from someone who’s been doing it for more than a decade than by losing jobs.
Start elsewhere if
- You want lighting and exposure technique. That’s Mastering Exposure and the free breakdowns on the podcast.
- You want blocking and coverage for scenes. That’s The Playbook Approach.
- You need live, one-to-one coaching. This is a self-paced video course.
Every lesson, in order.
From defining what success means to you, through booking the job, to the tech scout and the gotchas that sink a shoot day.
Two lessons are free previews on Teachable, so you can see the course before you buy.
01Start Here
- Welcome! Watch this First3:39
- Teachable Introduction1:27
02The JobFREE PREVIEW
- 2.1 The First Step – Define Your Objective5:05
- 2.2 What is Success? – The Big Picture7:09
- 2.3 Understanding the Commercial Landscape?FREE PREVIEW ↗8:30
- 2.4 The Cinematographer's Job: Perception vs. Reality8:34
- 2.5 Your #1 Priority – Do NOT Forget This…10:04
- 2.6 The 3 Major Roles of a Cinematographer – Managerial14:41
- 2.7 The 3 Major Roles of a Cinematographer – Technical16:41
- 2.8 The 3 Major Roles of a Cinematographer – Creative6:08
- 2.9 Building the Core Foundation4:01
03The Business of Work
- 3.1 The Most Difficult Aspect of the Job7:45
- 3.2 Where Do the Jobs Come From?9:10
- 3.3 Identify Your Position6:52
- 3.4 Finding the Work: Warm Relationships12:37
- 3.5 Finding the Work: Cold Relationships6:18
- 3.6 Being Proactive6:14
- 3.7 The Common Paths9:23
- 3.8 The Never-Ending Story3:16
04Your Business
- 4.1 The Commercial Process2:21
- 4.2 Initial Contact7:23
- 4.3 You Need a Reel8:08
- 4.4 Do You Need a CV?3:00
- 4.5 The Social Media Dilemma4:52
- 4.6 Do You Need An Agent4:30
- 4.7 The Financial Elements3:49
05Phase OneFREE PREVIEW
- 5.1 The Commercial ProcessFREE PREVIEW ↗4:19
- 5.2 Initial Contact6:08
- 5.3 The First Conversation7:50
- 5.4 Talking Rates9:12
- 5.5 Negotiating Rates8:25
- 5.6 Positive Steps5:35
- 5.7 The Final Hurdle6:32
- 5.8 Calendar Etiquette9:03
- 5.9 Let the Fun Begin…4:22
- 5.10 Losing Jobs4:05
06Pre-Production
- 6.1 The Main Goal8:09
- 6.2 The Time is Coming1:57
- 6.3 The Cog Paradigm3:41
- 6.4 The Director's Treatment – V117:47
- 6.5 Utilizing Storyboards8:17
- 6.6 Finding the Right Crew9:03
- 6.7 The Joy of Admin5:29
- 6.8 Location Scouting5:25
- 6.9 Moving Forward1:45
- 6.10 Pre-Production Pay2:57
07The Gear
- 7.1 Determine Your Needs9:14
- 7.2 The 5 Categories: Camera2:14
- 7.3 The 5 Categories: Lenses3:54
- 7.4 The 5 Categories: Lighting3:27
- 7.5 The 5 Categories: Grip3:33
- 7.6 The 5 Categories: Specialty1:42
- 7.7 Owning Gear5:17
- 7.8 Going All In on Gear5:27
- 7.9 Camera Prep2:06
- 7.10 Gear Wrap-Up1:14
08The Final Stages
- 8.1 Setting the Tone4:32
- 8.2 The Tech Scout Process8:02
- 8.3 Tech Scout Essentials10:00
- 8.4 The Art of Solutions7:21
- 8.5 Tailoring the Schedule6:15
- 8.6 Looking Out for Gotchas7:10
- 8.7 Bonus – Dealing With Adversity2:39
09Where to From Here?
- 9.1 The Next Step4:03
10Course Updates (Q+A) Ongoing
- 10.1 What to Expect for Updates—
- 10.2 Working the Sandbox—
From people who shoot for a living.
Reviews from cinematographers who took the course, as published on its Teachable page. Their sites are linked so you can see their work.
“Hits the nail on the head with an easy-to-follow, no-nonsense approach.”“Commercial Cinematography: The Foundation really hits the nail on the head with an easy-to-follow, no-nonsense approach to get work in the Commercial Cinematography world. There’s countless resources out there as to how to light, how to shoot, but very little on how to get to a place where you can put those skills into practice. Patrick lays that out here and also how to be respected once you get there.”
“The absolute fundamental information.”“This isn’t just a brilliant and truthfully legitimate course by Patrick, it is the absolute fundamental information one would ever want to know in pursuing a career in cinematography.”
“Actionable lessons that will never become dated.”“It has actionable lessons that will never become dated and provides such valuable insights into industry workflow. Pair this with a boost in confidence because you learn how to manage key relationships with the relative department heads and the choice is obvious.”
Patrick O’Sullivan, working DP.
I’ve been a cinematographer for more than a decade and have shot hundreds of commercial projects. Landing, prepping and shooting those jobs taught me a lot about the different ways a DP can approach the role.
Since 2014 I’ve shared that on The Wandering DP Podcast, breaking down real jobs with the frames, diagrams and decisions behind them. This course is the part the breakdowns don’t cover: how the work arrives and what happens before the first setup.
Everything in the Foundation.
One payment, then it’s yours, including the updates as I test this workflow on jobs and add to it.
- The course66 video lessons across the full commercial process, from finding the work to walking on to set.
- UpdatesLifetime access, with new lessons added as the approach changes on real jobs.
- Guarantee30 days. If the course isn’t right for you, let us know within 30 days for a full refund.
30-day money-back guarantee. If it isn’t right for you, email within 30 days of enrolling for a full refund.
Before you enroll.
How is this different from the podcast and Patreon breakdowns?
Which course should I take first?
Is this a lighting course?
How long do I have access?
What if the course isn’t right for me?
When does it start and finish?
Can I pay with PayPal?
Where do I watch the lessons?
Commercial work changed my life. Here’s how it works.
Commercial cinematography let me build a career creating images behind the camera, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. The Foundation walks you through the whole commercial process and the business side of the job, so you can see for yourself how much understanding prep changes your results.
