5 Lessons I Learned From My First Client Video Shoot

Every cinematographer remembers their first client shoot. For me, it was a two-camera interview outside of Memphis, Tennessee—and while the client was happy with the results, I walked away knowing I could have done better.

The truth is, my mistakes on that day taught me more than any class or YouTube tutorial ever could. If you’re a beginner cinematographer preparing for your first paid shoot, I want to share what I learned so you can avoid the same pitfalls.

Struggles With The Setup

Here’s what happened:

I was told I’d be filming in a school library, so I planned to arrive early and use the extra time to set up. When I got there, the space was occupied by a meeting no one had accounted for. I lost 30–45 minutes of crucial setup time before I could even unpack my gear.

That’s where my second mistake came in—I had overpacked.

I brought a cinema camera that takes extra time to assemble (the Sony FX6), a light I wasn’t familiar with setting up, and even tried rigging a DIY diffusion hack I had only seen on YouTube.

Meanwhile, my subjects were waiting. Teachers had just finished a long day and were ready to go home. I could feel the pressure of people expecting me to be ready while I was still scrambling to get cameras, lights, and audio set up.

The footage turned out okay. The client didn’t notice a problem. But I knew I hadn’t delivered to my full potential, and that didn’t sit well with me.

The 5 Lessons I Learned

Looking back, that shoot was invaluable because it forced me to tighten my process. Here are the five biggest lessons I took away:

1. Less Gear = More Focus

When you’re working solo or with a small window of time, keep your kit simple. Use the cameras, lights, and audio tools you know best. Every minute you spend struggling with unfamiliar equipment is a minute you’re not improving your composition, lighting, or white balance.

2. Time Is More Valuable Than Gear

Great shots come from having the time to experiment and adjust. If you’re weighed down by too much equipment, you’ll spend that time assembling instead of creating. Keeping your setup lean means you can dedicate energy to the creative side of cinematography.

3. Match Gear to the Budget

When I’m working with a larger budget, then the production and crew will be bigger to bring my clients vision to life. But when it’s just me handling setup and breakdown, scaling down is the smarter choice.

4. Stay Flexible and Adaptive

Things will go wrong—locations won’t be ready, subjects will arrive early, or gear might malfunction. You have to prepare for the worst and adapt to what’s in front of you. The faster you can pivot, the more professional you’ll look to your client.

5. Constraints Build Confidence

That shoot didn’t meet my personal standards, but it showed me I could still deliver under pressure with limited resources. Now, when I have more time, budget, and crew, I’m even more confident because I know what I can do with less.

Final Thoughts

Your first client shoot might not be perfect—and that’s okay. The key is to learn from every mistake and adjust for the next one. For me, this experience was a turning point in how I approach shoots today.

If you want to see the full story, including how I applied these lessons to future projects, check out the video on my YouTube channel!