Inspire Design Create with David Lee

Four weeks, one busted foot, and one on-set injury later, I’m back to wrap up our three-part series on the brand scoring rubric. This episode is all about the gray zone: what to do when a brand scores a 5 or 6 and your gut says “don’t walk away yet.” I walk you through how digging past a brand’s Instagram into their website, blog, podcast, and LinkedIn can flip a pass into a 7 or 8, and why that matters when you’re cold pitching dozens of brands with limited time. If you haven’t heard Parts 1 and 2 or tried the free rubric on my website, start there first. This one builds on both. Key Takeaways: A 6 isn’t always a no. Scores in the 5–6 range deserve a second, deeper research pass before you write a brand off. Instagram isn’t the whole story. Some brands put their real effort into their website, blog, podcast, or LinkedIn. Check all of them, then re-score. Two minutes buys back your time. When you’re pitching 50 brands in a few months and running a two-person shop, a fast, repeatable filter is essential. Every business needs content, but for different reasons. Big brands like Nike and Adidas use storytelling to stand apart. SMBs still need content to win new customers, and that’s your opening. A high score gets you in the room, not the job. A 7, 8, or 9 tells you to pursue. You still have to nail the pitch. 🔗 Grab the free scoring rubric on my website. No email signup, no gimmicks. www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

I'm back with part two on the scoring rubric, and this time I'm walking you through a real client — FitBrea, a strength and conditioning gym I scored an 8 out of 10 using this exact system. I break down how the rubric helped me confirm a warm-ish lead was worth pursuing, why I had to pivot my pitch from a retainer model to a brand film plus vertical deliverables, and the two social media "consistency hacks" I use to spot whether a brand is actually worth your outreach time. If you're doing cold or DTC outreach and tired of wasting hours on leads that go nowhere, this one's for you. Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ 5 Key Takeaways: Cold leads make up a small slice of real business (often under 10%) but they're still worth developing a system for — it sharpens your ability to pitch strangers on storytelling and filmmaking The scoring rubric only takes about two minutes to fill out, but do real research first — don't guess on the answers A score of 7+ means go; anything below 6 can usually be passed on, though borderline scores (like a 6) deserve a second look before you rule them out Real example: FitBrea scored an 8/10, which led David to pivot his pitch mid-relationship from a retainer model to a brand film with vertical deliverables once he understood the client's actual needs Two fast ways to gauge a brand's "consistency" before reaching out: posting frequency (are they active or dormant?) and content coherence (does their messaging actually tie back to their brand mission?) If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

Ever spend an hour chasing a lead that was never going anywhere? I'm breaking down the scoring rubric I use to evaluate potential clients before I waste a single minute on outreach — a simple point system based on timing, budget signals, and what's actually happening inside a company (yes, LinkedIn stalking is part of the process). I walk through real scoring scenarios, from CDFI/Fintech campaign cycles to spotting the red flags of a company in budget-freeze mode, so you can tell a "go" lead from a "pass" in minutes, not hours. Plus, a quick update on my next project: DPing my first full vertical drama series. 5 Key Takeaways: A simple 0-10 scoring rubric can tell you in minutes whether a lead is worth pursuing — saving hours of wasted outreach time Timing matters: reaching out during a client's peak planning quarter scores higher than reaching out during a slow period LinkedIn is one of your best free research tools — mass departures from a company's marketing team can signal financial trouble or leadership transition (a red flag for outreach) Scores of 0-3 mean pass, 4-6 mean do more research, and 7-10 mean it's time to build your outreach sequence Logging your scored leads in a Google Sheets archive over time helps you calibrate your own scoring accuracy for future leads

Hitting 201 episodes has me thinking about the one thing that separates a smooth client shoot from a nightmare: setting — and delivering on — expectations. In this episode, I break down how I use FrameSet and reference pillars to get clients on the same page before we ever hit record, using a real case study from a recent gym brand shoot to show exactly how it plays out when a client asks for "just one more thing." I also get into the 80/20 rule I use to stay creative without blowing up scope, and why this workflow has fundamentally changed how much time I get back in the edit. Key Takeaways: Set deliverable expectations (quantity, length, format) with clients before pre-production even starts — it's the single biggest thing that prevents scope creep later. Reference pillars aren't just mood boards — they should be close to the literal thing you pitch and deliver, so there's no gray area between what the client imagined and what they get. When a client asks for something outside the agreed scope, it's okay (and professional) to say you'll need to charge for it — most clients respect that boundary. Aim to nail about 80–90% of the final piece through your reference pillar, leaving 10–20% as "grace" for your own creative resources, locations, and talent. Editing from a strong reference pillar means less time guessing where cuts go and more time for sound design, color, and creative polish — which ultimately buys back your time for business development and being on set. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

This episode is a real walkthrough of how I sold a client on a vision before I ever picked up a camera. I'm breaking down the discovery call I had with Andrew, owner of Fit Brea, where I talked him out of the generic "gym hype video" he already hired someone else to make, and into a 90-second brand film plus member testimonials that actually served his business. Then I get into the exact tool I use to build reference pillars that sell that vision — FrameSet — and how pairing it with scene detect in Premiere or Resolve turns a vague brief into a real, accurate shot list. If you've ever walked into a pitch without a strong reference and watched the project turn out mediocre because of it, this one's for you. Key Takeaways: Listen before you pitch — Andrew didn't need another generic hype video, he needed content for an underserved part of his business (semi-private classes), and that only came out through a real discovery conversation A strong reference pillar (even an old one — David's key example is a commercial from 2008-2009) can sell a vision more effectively than anything you could shoot yourself Use FrameSet to search and pull reference stills/clips by keyword, then follow the link back to the full commercial, production company, director, and DP credits Run scene detect in Premiere or Resolve on your reference to get an exact cut count and shot breakdown (wide shots, etc.) — so pre-production starts the moment you sell the pitch, not after When a client sends you a reference that looks like everything else they've made, say so — it signals you're thinking about their business as a whole, which is what turns one-off gigs into long-term relationships If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

I used to walk onto set with a vibe and a storyboard that was more suggestion than plan — and honestly, that worked fine until it didn't. In this episode I break down how I stopped guessing on commercial shoots and started shot-listing every single frame using animated reference GIFs instead of static stills, and how that one shift changed everything from my pre-pro process to how much creative energy I had left in the edit bay. I get into the tool that made it possible (FrameSet), why "80-90% accurate" reference beats a still frame every time, and how this exact workflow saved a recent Honda spec spot. If you've been stuck in a creative rut — or you're the person who shoots everything on a 50mm and calls it a day — this one's for you. Key takeaways: Animated GIF references (camera moves, pans, tilts, parallax) remove the guesswork that static storyboards leave on the table — critical when commercial shoots don't have room for "let's figure it out on the day." A tighter, more efficient pre-pro and edit workflow frees up mental bandwidth to actually experiment again — sound design, color, tilt-shift blur in Resolve, mirror split screens, the stuff that gets lost when you're just surviving deadlines. On the recent Honda spec, nearly the entire shot list (roughly 60 shots) was pre-visualized with reference GIFs, with only a couple of shots left open for on-set improv. The edit you put more effort into — sound mix, color grade, intentional choices — will always beat the "just slap a track on it" version. Raise your own bar on purpose. Getting comfortable in one focal length (looking at you, 50mm shooters) is a sign of creative rut — variety in lens choice and reference gathering can pull you out of it. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

Sony just dropped the FX5 II — but does it actually deserve a spot in your camera bag? In this episode, I break down the FX5 through the lens of two questions every working DP should be asking before buying new gear: will it get you more clients, and will it make your workflow faster? Pulling from 9 years of real production experience — including award-winning shorts, branded docs, and global commercial work — I aim to give you the unfiltered truth on specs, pricing, and whether Sony and Lumix shooters can actually mix cameras on set. Key Takeaways: New gear rarely grows your business — I explain why 99% of the time, buying a new camera won't land you bigger clients or projects; that comes from proven work, not hardware. 5K recording has a real workflow use case — for feature docs and short films, punching in with a UHD timeline while maintaining a clean image is a legit reason to consider the upgrade. CF Express Type A is still a dealbreaker for some — the FX5 keeps using the pricier card format, which may not move the needle on your actual workflow. 32-bit float audio is nice, not necessary — I breaks down why I stick with DJI Mic 2s and wireless transmitters instead of paying extra for the XLR handle just for this feature. Sony and Lumix cameras can be matched successfully — good news if you're building a mixed-brand kit and don't want to fully commit to one ecosystem. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

David breaks down nine years in the Sony ecosystem — A7R II to A6500 to FS7 to the FX9, FX6, and FX3 — and the real lesson underneath all of it: your camera system isn't just a creative choice, it's a business decision. He gets into why agencies build workflows around specific gear (and why DTC clients couldn't care less), why he's sticking with Sony for at least two more years, and closes with a breakdown of the incoming FX5 — including why its rumored price tag might be a red flag rather than a win. Key Takeaways: Buying into a camera system means buying into the agency network built around it — DTC clients don't care about your gear, but agencies often require a specific camera on their job listings. The FS7's internal NDs, built-in XLRs, and strong 4K codec made it a true do-everything camera — until it aged out and the FX9 became the natural upgrade. The FX6 isn't just a cheaper FX9 — it trades away full-frame 5K crop and Super 35 mode for better low light and a smaller, easier-to-rig body. The camera market has caught up fast: cameras like the Canon C50 and Blackmagic Pixis 6K now undercut Sony on price while matching or beating it on features. The rumored FX5 pricing ($6K–$7K) without internal NDs is a concern — David argues that price point without NDs makes it a B/C camera, not a true A-camera successor. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

In this episode the I break down the rumored Sony FX5 due to be announced in mid-July, discussing expectations like a 5K open-gate Venice-derived sensor, potential frame rates, and comparisons to the Canon C50 and Lumix S1 II. I cover hoped-for features (CFexpress Type B, SDI/HDMI, improved battery and audio options), pricing speculation, and scenarios for how the FX5 could shape Sony’s lineup over the next five to seven years. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! Need to know if a brand is worth pursuing? Use my free scoring sheet that takes 2 minutes: https://atdavidlee.com/customer-story-film-score/ www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70

Your demo reel is the single most powerful marketing tool in your arsenal as a cinematographer — but most DPs are building it all wrong. In Episode 195 of Inspire Design Create, David breaks down how to stop treating your reel like a "best of" highlight dump and start treating it like a precision business tool that gets you hired in the exact lane you want to work in. Whether you're chasing corporate gigs, tabletop food & drink campaigns, or high-end narrative commercials, your reel needs to do one job: tell a story and show your style — all in 60 seconds or less. If you enjoyed this episode please rate it and let me know how i'm doing! Follow the podcast if you're loving the content and share it with your friends! www.atdavidlee.com | Instagram @atdavidlee | YouTube www.youtube.com/atdavidlee  For All Your Licensed Audio Needs 70% off 1 Year of Audiio Pro with CODE SAVE70