Every client is different and every production has its own rules, different rates, project numbers, people to CC, and different payment windows. If you wait until the job is done to figure all of that out you’re already behind.

Here’s the habit that fixed it for me.

Two documents. Every job. No exceptions.

The first thing I do when a job is confirmed isn’t prep my kit or lock the schedule. I open Wave Accounting and create an estimate.

Not an invoice, an estimate.

The estimate goes out before the job starts. It has my service rate, projected shoot days, kit fee, and any additional costs we agreed on. The client approves it and we’re aligned on money before a single frame rolls. This limits any surprises and any awkward conversations about what we agreed to three weeks ago.

When the job wraps I convert the estimate to an invoice with one click via Wave and then I adjust anything that changed (an extra day, an added fee), and send it.

Why the estimate matters more than the invoice

Most freelancers skip the estimate. They do the job, build the invoice from scratch, and hope the client remembers what they agreed to. If you send a contract per client then this step may be included in your contract. Since I work as a hybrid (DP and as a production company) for work as a production company I provide a link to the contract inside of my estimate.

I created this two step idea because I would get lazy and wait 3-5 days to create the invoice after a project is done. If you create the estimate beforehand it takes 2 clicks (convert to invoice > Send as email) to send the invoice off.

Lastly, the estimate creates alignment upfront. It protects you legally and it makes the invoice a formality instead of a negotiation. IF they are doing partial payments then set the settings to allow partial payments.

If a client pushes back on your invoice, you point to the approved estimate. Conversation over.

For people who are new and need help! This is how you properly fill out an invoice/estimate

Here’s the clean split:

5thmedia Invoice Sample 1

5.19KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Keep in mind there is more than one correct way to do this, but this is what works for me.

Two minutes at booking saves you twenty minutes of frustration at billing.

If this was useful, subscribe. There’s more where this came from.

I Don’t Talk About This Publicly Often. But This Is Exactly What Nobody Prepares You For.

A client payment is now 60 days late.

Here’s every step we took — because if you’re in this situation right now or you ever will be, this is the playbook.

Step 1. Business manager, not you
After a few follow-ups, I handed it off. My business manager sent the first formal notice with the subject line: [ACTION REQUIRED — 1st Attempt Payment Status]. That’s part of why you build a team. The relationship between you and the client doesn’t get awkward over money because you never made it personal.

Step 2. The CEO call
When that went nowhere I made a direct call myself to get more information. What I found out: the person I’d been dealing with the entire time wasn’t the decision maker. She was the middle man. This is critical information we didn’t have before.

Step 3 — Formal escalation
My business manager sent a follow-up email: [ACTION REQUIRED — 4th Attempt Payment Status] with a clear message, if no response this week, we want to speak to someone who approves the payroll.

Step 4 — Intel gathering
We researched the owner and their representative directly. We called past clients who had worked with them. We connected with someone who had a personal relationship with our client and gave them a heads up about what was coming. This step is underrated because it creates soft social pressure before you ever file anything legal.

Step 5 — Small claims prep
Internally we started the paperwork for small claims. Before we filed, we received confirmation that the payment is arriving July 15th.

Leave a comment

What actually made this survivable

None of this would have felt manageable if my expenses weren’t already covered. Below are some financial goals I set to ensure I can survive these moments

Read more

Many billionaires, millionaires, financial celebrities and people with a net worth that ends in 7 or more zeros, they all often say the same thing when someone points a camera at them.

“Just buy index funds.”

Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world says it, Former NBA owner Mark Cuban says it, and many guests on most financial podcasts eventually gets there.

I used to take that at face value until I started paying attention to what they actually did, not what they said.

Subscribe now

The Billionaire Lie

“Buy index funds” is the most repeated piece of investment advice in the world.

Here’s what none of them lead with.

Jeremy Schneider is the guy behind Personal Finance Club, the account with 400,000+ followers preaching index funds, yet he didn’t get rich from index funds.

• He built a company called RentLinx in his twenties, paid himself a modest $36,000 salary while he grew it, and sold it for $5 million at 34.

• The index fund investing was happening quietly in the background the entire time. The real wealth event was owning and selling a business he built.

Matt Kaplan, founder of ACE Entertainment which is the production company behind Netflix hits like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, didn’t build his wealth investing in index funds. He built it producing films and owning equity in the company that made them.

Even the founder in Moneywise’s anonymous interview series who sold his business for $80 million put it plainly

I’d always had a little bit of money in index funds, but I never would put a big chunk in there, because the risk part is my business.

They built wealth through ownership, a company, equity, real assets they controlled and understood. Once the money existed, they moved a portion into index funds to protect it while still receiving dividend/interest payouts. This strategy is considered preservation.

The Two-Phase Playbook Nobody Talks About

There’s a framework investors actually use, even if they don’t describe it this way publicly. Researchers call it the core-satellite strategy.

The “core” is passive: low-cost index funds that track the market and will more than likely hold value steadily over time. The “satellites” are high-conviction positions in individual stocks, real estate, or sector-specific plays designed to outperform the market.

The data backs this up plainly. Concentrated, conviction-based investments create fortunes. Index funds preserve them. So when you are working your way up as a small business owner it’s smart to split your savings with these two styles of investments.

What the S&P 500 Actually Does

Index funds are genuinely good. I’m not here to trash them. The S&P 500 has delivered an average annual return of roughly 10% since inception. Over the last 10 years, that number climbs to about 15.6%. That’s real, compounding wealth.

But here’s what the averages hide.

Year S&P Index Return

The “average” of around 15% almost never actually happens in a given year. You’re either up big or dealing with a real drawdown.

When you buy an index fund today, you’re not buying the diversified product your parents invested in. You’re buying a product heavily weighted toward mega-cap tech.

If you’re going to have concentration risk anyway, the question becomes whose concentrated bets do you want to ride?

Share

Gene After Hours is a newsletter about the financial and business side of building a life that compounds as a creative, the part nobody teaches you in school.

Subscribe below to get the next issue when it drops.

Subscribe now

Read more

The internet is full of advice on how to get the client, land the promotion, grow the side hustle, or finally make enough money to breathe, but very few people talk about what happens next.

• How much should you keep in cash?

• Should you invest or reinvest into the business?

• Should you buy the gear or rent it?

• When is it time to hire?

• How will the company make money without you?

• Should you buy real estate?

• How do you build something that doesn’t reset every month?

What do you do once the money starts coming in?

I’m Gene, a freelance cinematographer, media production company owner, investor, husband, and father. Over the last decade, I’ve learned how to get paid for the work. More recently, I’ve become obsessed with a different question:

What do you do once the money starts coming in?

Being a high income earner building a full life for your family and generations to come aren’t the same thing.

I’ve invested outside of my income. I’ve built systems inside my business. I’ve navigated taxes, pricing, hiring, investing, real estate, and the constant tension between enjoying life today and planning for tomorrow.

I’ve had good judgment.
I’ve made expensive decisions.
I’m still learning.
No one was perfect but Jesus.

Subscribe now

Share Gene After Hours 🌒

Why After Hours 🌒?

You don’t need a guru. You need someone in your corner willing to show you the numbers, trade-offs, and decisions in real time while building beyond the paycheck.

For less than the cost of an hour with a consultant, you'll gain access to the lessons, frameworks, and real-world decisions I wish someone had handed me before learning them the expensive way.

This is what comes after the paycheck clears.
The part where income becomes ownership.
The part where small decisions start to compound.

Leave a comment

Welcome to After Hours.

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

I’ve written before about keeping my family close when I travel for work, bringing them along when I can, building the business in a way that doesn’t cost me the things that matter most.

When you’re moving that much for jobs and for family, the systems that held everything together start showing their limits. My organization is not a mess, but is slightly disorganized feeling like my old way of managing life is overdue for an upgrade.

Lastly, I do want to mention how grateful to God I am to make these memories with my wife and my dad. These are moments that you never forget.

Does A Physical Calendar Work?

My wife put it plainly… she told me I need to physically see things. That I’m the kind of person who needs both a physical calendar and a digital one running together. She’s probably right. I’ve resisted it because I don’t love clutter, and digital feels cleaner. But clean doesn’t always mean effective. If the system keeps me too hands-off, things slip.

After Hours isn’t just something I write for you, but it’s something I’m building alongside you. That means sometimes I’m the one asking the question. If you’ve figured out how to keep it together when life is full, I want to hear it. The best answer might end up in the next blog post.

Drop your system in the comments; app, physical journals, lessons, organization hacks, whatever. I am not too good to listen.

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

Gene After Hours,
Talent creates income. Ownership creates freedom.

Everyone told you to niche down. Pick one thing, be known for that one thing and build your whole identity around it.

So you did. Somehow the money still feels inconsistent and the right opportunities still aren’t coming. You’re doing everything right and it still feels like something is missing.

Here’s what nobody told you.

Niching down is a positioning strategy, not a business strategy. If you only built one without the other, you’ve built half a career.

Subscribe now

The Advice Is Incomplete

Specializing works, yes..

• The market rewards clarity

• Clients hire specialists

But the people who niche down and actually stay there didn’t just get good at their craft. They gained knowledge and became good at everything around it.

• Negotiation

• Attracting an audience

• Finding clients directly

• Building relationships

• Reading what someone actually needs versus what they’re saying they need.

That’s not craft, that’s business and most freelancers treat it like an afterthought.

What This Actually Looks Like

My Instagram says cinematographer. That’s the positioning, the flag I’ve planted so the right people can find me.

But I also run a production company. Here is an example;

When I’m sitting across from a business owner, I’m not just selling a Cinematography services. I’m solving their problem. Sometimes that’s a DP. Sometimes it’s full production. Sometimes it’s ideas on a future product launch or sharing ideas to attract a certain audience. I move based on what they need.

That’s the business strategy and it’s what’s kept me working for almost ten years. Positioning gets you in the room, business strategy keeps you in the game.

The Two Types Who Make It

Type one niches down so precisely, and executes so well, that one lane is enough. The volume and rates inside that niche sustain everything. This is real, but it’s rare.

Type two niches their identity but diversifies their income. Known for one thing, but behind the scenes things like consulting, marketing, weddings, designer or other adjacent work that offers optional streams of income feeding the main thing. The niche is the flag. The hybrid thinking is what keeps the ship moving.

Many people who are actually making it are type two. They just don’t talk about it that way.

What You Need To Build

• How to negotiate, not just quote

• How to build relationships that last past one project

• How to identify what a client actually needs and solve for that

• How to create workflows that make your business run smoother

Hybrid thinking, forming great friendships and relationships within and outside of your circle has helped me sustain during the best and worse economic years.

So do you think niching down is the best play? What value can you add to the subject that may help someone else? Leave a comment or enter chatroom

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

01. Prepping three films simultaneously is a different animal

Coming from a commercial background where you might have two days to shoot a 45-second spot, narrative film demands a different kind of mental preparation. Normally I’d read a script, revisit it, and refine my notes over time. But when films are back-to-back-to-back, you’re essentially prepping for all three at the same time.

Adding to that, working with the different directors and writers, you have to be intentional about approaching each film with a completely clean stylistic slate. The goals and visual language of one film can’t bleed into the next.

02. Asking “what’s unexpected?” changed how I shoot

The biggest shift in my process this year was a single question I started asking before each shooting day:

“what do people expect to see here” and “how can I give them something they’re not expecting?”

Then I would follow-up with;

“does that unexpected choice enhance what the audience needs to receive from this scene, or does it take away from it?”

That question pushed me out of the standard DP thinking and into something more intentional. It wasn’t just about shot selection anymore.

It bled into white balance decisions, color temperature choices, leaning hard into cool and green for a nightmare-interior-blue hour-awakening scene rather than finding a neutral temp and adding the style it in post.

The director noticed. There were moments on set where the look we were developing genuinely excited the room. Here are some moments from a few scenes.

You can view our Instagram post for more examples HERE.

Leave a comment

When to add eye light?

03. The right tools for the moment, not just the right tools in general

We had a scene that called for a jib high-to-low move pushing into a close-up on someone’s eyes with no focus puller available that day. A motorized head wasn’t on our jib. Manual focus during that move wasn’t realistic. So we swapped to an autofocus lens.

The key thing I communicated to our gaffer and AD was “you want an autofocus lens that doesn’t call attention to itself.” Same color rendering, similar contrast, nothing that makes it feel like a foreign shot cut into a sequence of primes. Sigma, G Master, certain Zeiss options all work well here. The lesson extends beyond lenses too: if you’re shooting on a Venice or C400, having a small mirrorless body in your kit that gives a close enough representation of your A cam is genuinely useful for mounting cameras, dashboard shots, tight spaces, and unexpected situations.

A lot learned and much more to share. We haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s to come.

Past Readings:

1. Why Talented Filmmakers Are struggling - And What the Ones Winning Are Doing Differently

2. The Illusion of Stability + Did I choose Correctly?

3. Nobody taught you what to do with the money after the invoice clears. (Paid)

Upcoming:

1. How I shot a feature and still took other bookings?

2. Podcast Ep. 1: A conversation with a video freelance who owns multiple commercial real estate!

Subscribe now

For years, freelancers were sold a simple dream.

The new game is not about only being talented.
The new game is about building leverage around your talent.

What is "leverage around your talent?”

Being good with a camera is no longer enough to create a substantial amount of money in a freelance career by itself. Now, “substantial” can be different from person to person but for this reading lets call it 350k-1/M a year after taxes.

Freelancers and small business owners were taught “Get better at your craft and the opportunities will come,” but now, even talented people are struggling because the industry itself changed.

Most video/photo freelancers surviving this shift aren’t relying on just one skillset anymore.

They’re:

• building direct relationships with clients instead of waiting for agencies

• creating audiences online instead of waiting to get discovered

• learning business and money management instead of only learning cameras

• using commercial work to fund narrative projects or give them leverage when bidding/pitching.

• building brands, communities, or products around their creativity

I used to think the ‘Youtube creator look’ would devalue a person.

Then a few years later, seeing many bring in their own clients, brand deals, while Freelancing, streaming, etc. I realized they saw a change in the film industry very early.

Need Proof??

It’s going on even with the top tier Directors and Cinematographers in our industry.

1. Shane Hurlbut with Filmmakers Academy

2. Masterclass partnering with elite directors, writers, actors, and cinematographers to monetize knowledge directly to audiences

3. Roger Deakins launching the Team Deakins podcast and community

4. Peter McKinnon building an entire business ecosystem around filmmaking and photography

5. Natash Braier ASC member created Deep Light mentorship programs

This is ownership. This is leverage.

Old vs New

The old freelance model depended heavily on constant client work, referrals, and being chosen by the right people.

The problem is that when the market slows down, budgets shrink, or industries change, many talented freelancers suddenly feel stuck living project to project again.

That’s why the new generation of creatives is starting to think differently.

Instead of relying only on talent, they’re building leverage around their skills through direct client relationships, recurring revenue, personal brands, audiences, investments, newsletters, products, and multiple income streams.

The goal is no longer just to stay booked.
The goal is to build a career that can survive even when the industry changes.

This doesn’t mean filmmaking is dead, it means the career path became less linear. The people adapting the fastest are the ones treating filmmaking not just like art, but like a long-term business and survival strategy too.

If you enjoyed this reading, help us grow by subscribing and leaving your thoughts in the comment section!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

My Personal Thoughts…

The discouraging part is that a lot of filmmakers were trained for an industry that doesn’t exist the same way anymore, including myself.

The new industry is rewarding people who build proof, audience, relationships, and business infrastructure before anyone picks them.

That doesn’t mean talent doesn’t matter. It means talent alone is becoming harder to survive on.

The Business Literacy Layer

Underneath all of this…

A lot of freelancers are not actually struggling from lack of talent.
They’re struggling because the industry they were depending on became unstable before they built an infrastructure outside of it.

This is why I’m always on Instagram talking about being more than your day rate.

It’s not so you wont be the best at your position, because trust, I am putting in my hours; but since the industry has shifted and I want substantial money… not ‘decent money’, naturally we are forced to learn things many never thought they’d need to understand:

• investing

• taxes

• audience ownership

• brand positioning

• licensing

• business systems

• marketing

• contracts and negotiation

• client retention

• networking beyond Hollywood

• personal branding

• sales and pitching

• distribution

• content strategy

• sponsorships and partnerships

• retirement planning

• how algorithms and platforms affect visibility

• social media strategy

• email lists and owned audiences

• how to turn one project into long-term opportunities

• how to operate like a business, not just an artist

Creatives didn’t become greedy, it’s that survival has changed.

The old industry rewarded access.

The new industry rewards leverage.

Other Readings.

If you enjoyed this reading, help us grow by subscribing and leaving your thoughts in the comment section!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Stats / News

• LA on-location production fell 22.4% in Q1 2025, with TV down 30.5% and feature films down 28.9% year over year.

• FilmLA reported LA finished 2025 with 19,694 shoot days, down 16.1% from 2024.

• Hollywood employment has reportedly dropped around 30% since late 2022, with roughly 41,000–42,000 industry jobs lost depending on the report.

• Michigan’s film incentive program was eliminated in 2015, which is a major reason Detroit has talent but not the same production pipeline as states with stronger incentives.

• Michigan lawmakers and industry advocates have been pushing to bring back credits, with proposed plans offering up to 30% tax credits for qualified in-state production.

• Sundance still matters, but the market is weaker. Sundance 2025 was described as slow, with fewer bidding wars and more measured acquisitions.

• Even Sundance 2024’s box office was concentrated: roughly half of its reported $57M box office came from only three films — Thelma, A Real Pain, and Love Lies Bleeding.

Sources

Reuters — LA production fell 22.4% in Q1 2025
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/on-location-filming-los-angeles-falls-22-first-quarter-2025-04-14/

FilmLA — 2025 production decline / shoot day stats
https://filmla.com/rising-california-film-tv-tax-credit-productions-signal-growing-industry-momentum-amid-2025-production-losses/

New York Post — Hollywood job losses / industry contraction
https://nypost.com/2026/04/02/us-news/fears-grow-of-detroit-style-decline-as-hollywood-jobs-evaporate/

Michigan Business — Michigan film incentive background
https://www.michiganbusiness.org/industries/mfdmo/film/

Bridge Michigan — proposed return of Michigan film tax credits
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/lights-camerafilm-credits-lawmakers-consider-michigan-movie-incentives

Mark Litwak — Sundance market slowdown / indie film landscape
https://www.marklitwak.com/blog/the-new-reality-for-independent-filmmakers-navigating-a-transformed-industry-landscape-in-2025

IndieWire — Sundance 2024 box office concentration
https://www.indiewire.com/news/box-office/sundance-2024-box-office-report-57-million-to-date-1235086953/

You land a big job. The deposit hits. Then the final payment. For a few days, the account looks healthy and everything feels fine.

Then the next month comes… and the month after that. You soon realize the money you thought you had was already spoken for; taxes you forgot to set aside, gear payments, slow weeks you didn’t see coming.

This is the cycle most freelancers live in. Not broke, not thriving, just always a little uncertain.

Earning well and building wealth are two completely different skills. Most creatives only learn the first one.

Here’s how I think about money now, broken into the order it actually matters.

1. Separate your money the day it lands.

2. Build the buffer before you build anything else.

Check out our Freelance Stability Calculator.
If your income stopped today… how long would you actually be okay?

This tool helps you learn…

3. Pay yourself a salary — even from your own business.

4. Open a SEP-IRA or Solo 401k. Now.

5. Invest in assets, not just upgrades.

THE SIMPLE CASH FLOW

Invoice clears → move 25-30% to taxes → pay yourself your → put the rest toward the buffer/emergency fund until it’s full → after that, invest in retirement, then you decide what comes next. Once you go from Single member LLC to sole proprietor things could shift but the general concept remains the same.

The creative industry will keep you focused on the next job. Nobody is going to tap you on the shoulder and remind you to think about where you’ll be in 10-20 years.

That part is on you.

The sooner you start managing money well, investing, and building ownership, the less pressure you’ll have to constantly chase massive income later.

Example:

• Someone making $90k/year but investing consistently for 15 years may end up wealthier and less stressed than someone making $250k/year who spends everything.

• A DP who starts building retirement accounts, assets, and business systems at 30 may not need to grind nonstop at 50.

Other Details worth noting. Most financial gurus says “invest” without saying where. Here is where:

• First - Solo 401k or SEP-IRA up to the match or limit (use Fidelity.com for max control) if you want full automation (recommended for most people who are not great with stock picking and trading) go with Wealthfront.com.

Use our link, and get a 0.50% match on investing deposits for 3 months

• Second - HSA if you have a high deductible health plan Fidelity.com

• Third - taxable individual brokerage account in low cost index funds, etf’s or individual companies for advanced investors

• Fourth - real estate or ownership stakes when capital allows

Subscribe now

Your camera gear is not an investment.

At least - not the way most people are buying it.

I hear the same justifications constantly.

“I’ll rent it out.”
“It’ll pay for itself.”
“I just need to have it.”

That sounds logical, but it isn’t because every one of those sentences is built on something you don’t control… other people’s demand for your stuff. Relying on rentals to justify a purchase isn’t investing. It’s hoping and hope doesn’t pay off debt.

The rule I follow:

If I can’t pay the gear off within 12 months, I don’t buy it. No exceptions.

Once that payment bleeds into the next year, you’re not building anymore. You’re carrying weight. Interest stacks, options shrink and the gear that was supposed to free you up starts making decisions for you.

The real ROI on gear isn’t rental income. It’s usage.

1. Can I use this on work I’m already getting?

2. Does it help me move faster or shoot more consistently?

3. Does it let me say yes to jobs I’d otherwise pass on?

That’s the return is not “how much can I rent this for?”, but “how often will I actually use this in my own work?”

I’ve shot on high-end cameras, but there are moments where the budget doesn’t support a full package and you still have to make the shot happen. That’s where something like an FX3, C50, Pocket 6k, or a Komodo earns its keeps. Immediate access has a value most people never calculate.

That $5,000, in most cases won’t come from random rentals, therefore, it needs to come from your actual workflow. If you can’t clearly see where that $420/month comes from before you buy it, you shouldn’t buy it.

(Leave comments here after reading)

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

There are two ways creative freelancers think about gear:

1. Spec-based: Is this the best camera I can get?

2. Return-based: Will this consistently make me money within a year?

Most people stay stuck in the first one.
The second one is what actually moves you forward.

I’m done chasing upgrades. From here, I only buy tools that fit into my current workflow, get used regularly, and pay themselves off fast. The goal isn’t to own more gear. It’s to own gear that works for you, not the other way around.

Thank you for reading and I have more readings in the chamber.

If you think entrepreneurship is about riding off into the sunset with you million dollar idea, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Most entrepreneurs are in bondage. Most don’t have time to build their business because they are too busy working in the business.

Click above to comment

Here are a few scenarios…

1. After you spend years in the trenches of figuring out strategies, marketing, improving your craft, developing a client list, hit financial milestones, just to feel like you’ve max out your potential in year 5,6,7 or 8? Then you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

2. When you have family drama, miss multiple birthday parties or family vacations due to a shoot that you believe will uplift your career or due to life changing money, just for a client that you thought would be a long term client ghost you; Then you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

3. Imagine having a deadline for you bread and butter client, and you have a death in the family, or you catch the Flu. The client still needs to present regardless of your “feelings”. Finding a last minute replacement that will represent you well because the client renewing their retainer depends on it can be mentally draining.

I’ve often felt these pressures… I usually deal with them by saying, “you don’t have a choice”. Though, I always have a choice, with a wife and children my options are very limited.

• Bad news doesn’t wait for a slow week.

• Stress doesn’t check your calendar.

• Family concerns, grief, disappointment, unexpected life moments, they all arrive whether you have deadlines or not.

• Somehow, the client still expects the edit tomorrow, the meeting still happens in the morning. The deliverables are still due Friday.

Is this toxic thinking? Maybe. Could I get better at outsourcing some of my work? Maybe. It’s hard to alter a mindset that was used as a tool to fuel your career when you felt like giving up.

Building Beyond Myself x What is true Freedom?

If I’m being honest, this is one of the clearest reminders of why I think so much about building beyond myself.

True freedom isn’t just about making more money. It’s about building a life and business with enough structure, leverage, and support
that when life inevitably demands your attention everything doesn’t stop.

A business that only works when you’re functioning at 100% isn’t freedom. It’s dependency disguised as success.

So if anything, difficult weeks remind me of what I’m building toward. A business that can breathe without me for at least a moment. A life with systems, support and flexibility.

Gene,

A lot of freelancers feel stable until they’re not.

You can have a few good months. Money is coming in. Leads are hitting your phone a few times a week. For a moment, everything feels like it’s working.

Then a week or two passes…

And the same question shows up again:
What’s next?

What’s next?

Subscribe now

That’s the problem with freelance income. It’s not just about what you made this month. It’s about how long you can go if nothing comes in next month.

That’s why I built a simple tracker for myself. Click the link below.

Freelance Stability Calculator

Nothing fancy. Just a tool that shows

• how much cash you have saved

• what your monthly burn looks like

• how many months you can operate without new income

• you suggestions on where to shift your focus

Once you know that number, your decisions change. You stop panicking, you stop forcing bad projects and you start thinking longer-term.

Pivoting Isn’t Failure - It’s Direction

One thing I’ve learned is that where you start isn’t where you finish.

In 2020, I made a decision to step away from shooting music videos and weddings. Not because I wasn’t making money, but I started to think deeper about the environments I was in, the people I was around, and the type of work I wanted to be connected to long-term.

Was every artist bad? Absolutely not. Many were very respectful, reliable, and paid on time. Were weddings a headache? The headache didn’t come from the client. My transition occurred because I wanted something different.

A New Diection

I knew I wanted to be in rooms where ideas were being built to influence or grow communities. I felt in my heart that my expertise would be best acting as the visual puzzle piece for companies that are shaping the future.

My conversations about investing, finding tax write offs, pitching to receive funding for a startup, building a team, etc didn’t fit in my previous network. This pivot was a decision about who I was becoming.

I’ll speak more on pivoting within industries in the next read, as my transition through the media production industry has been a great ride.

Up next?

• I may have some news soon about a new service 5th Media will be offering if things go as planned.

Until next time… For now, check out the Freelance Stability Calculator and give your feedback below!

We are spending time developing unique tools for freelancers so any feedback is helpful!

Leave a comment

Interested in a group zoom call for a conversation regarding pivoting in a volatile economy? Type “Yes” below! (Open to subscribers only)

Leave a comment

The Line Between Confidence and Awareness

There’s a fine line I’ve been thinking about lately.

On one side, you have to be confident in your work. You have to know your value. When you’ve put in the time, built the relationships, and delivered consistently, you shouldn’t shrink yourself when you walk into rooms with clients or partners.

But on the other side, there’s also the ability to read the room.

Not everyone you interact with are in the same situations. Some colleagues you work with are extremely busy. Some are moderately busy. Others may not have much going on at all.

Some clients may not have industry standard budgets, some colleagues could be in different tax brackets, have employees instead of being a solopreneur, or be in a different stage of life in general. How you communicate with different groups matter.

You want to carry confidence without sounding arrogant. You want to represent yourself honestly without making others feel small. This translates to speaking to clients; you can be clear about your value without sounding dismissive.

I recently witnessed a situation…

A guy was talking amongst a few very successful entrepreneurs and throughout the conversation he kept trying to validate his status and experience so the other two individuals would see him as an equal. This is what I thought to myself on the ride home.

1. I should have pulled him aside after the conversation. That’s my mistake because it could have been a start of a positive and genuine work relationship.

2. You don’t need to validate yourself to anyone. If people around you choose to walk around looking down on others then that’s a personal problem for them.

This balance has been on my mind lately because as your career grows, it’s not just about the work you do, it’s about how you show up in conversations in-person and when you are not around.

Missed last week? Read it now.

This Week

1. Shot a few more productions with NASCAR. That relationship continues to be a phenomenal experience.

2. Started pre-production for a feature film I am shooting in April.

3. Continued exploring ways to build beyond just production work.

   1. I have started the process of buying land, but more details will be shared privately on another post.

Interested In A Group Virtual Meetup? (Available for subscribers only)

Lately I’ve been thinking about what building beyond weekly thoughts looks like for this newsletter.

The idea isn’t just to ramble alone, but to gather a group of people who are also thinking critically about their careers, businesses, and decisions. People who are trying to figure out how to do meaningful work and build something sustainable long-term.

I’d love to start experimenting with group conversations, maybe small Zoom sessions where we can compare notes, talk through real challenges, and share perspectives.

If that’s something you’d be interested in, comment “yes” below. I’d love to see where that goes.

Leave a comment

Expanding My Impact

Another area I’ve been expanding into is working directly with schools. Recently I’ve been consulting with a few high schools about their film and media programs.

What I’m trying to show them isn’t just the technical side; the cameras, the software, or the editing. Students already learn that in class or from Youtube University. What they don’t always learn is:

• How do you actually turn these skills into a career?

• How do you sell creative ideas?

• How do you position yourself in the real world?

It’s been interesting helping bridge that gap between classroom learning and real industry experience. After speaking on a 8 person panel in front of 1,700 high school students, we split up into groups and during that time I spoke to a variety of creatives. I will upload and share audio in my next posting.

What I’m Thinking About

Out of everything that happened this month, the thing I’m most proud of actually has nothing to do with film.

It’s the balance.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I handled work and family in a way that felt healthy. I was present when I needed to be and for the first time in years, I opened my Bible.

What’s Next

– I’ve booked my first international shoot, that is not “Canada”!
– Sharing the process of buying acres of land and future plan of use.
– Expanding conversations with people willing to connect.
– A Freelance Stability Tool will be shared for free by mid April.

We’ll see where it all leads.

Gene,

This week wasn’t heavy, but there’s something about light weeks that expose something deeper.

When you run your own company that feeds your family there’s always a quiet question in the background:

What if it all just stops?

Currently, there’s no signs of slowdown, I’m building very strong relationships with partners, but if you’ve built something yourself, you may have felt similar anxiety.

It’s not panic. It’s awareness. You don’t get a guaranteed check. You create it.

Have you felt this way before?

Leave a comment

The Week

Work was steady with post production work and two corporate jobs (bts below) I worked with Baity Films and GoTakeMedia.

I had a conversation this week that stuck with me. We talked about entrepreneurship and balance. It came down to something simple:

You only have two schedules.

1. Work.

2. Personal.

There is no third lane. If you don’t schedule personal time intentionally, work will take it.

Subscribe now

Trade-Off

I have feature films booked for April, May, June and July.

Here’s the real debate I live in…Narrative vs Commercial. Commercial pays more. Narrative feeds something deeper. Some people only chase the money. Some chase only the art. It’s the balance of being a business, but still treating your work as art that can be influential to society.

What This Is Really About?

Most creatives focus only on filling the calendar which leaves little to know room for building relationship equity, innovation within the business, long-term positioning strategies or diversifying income lanes.

For those wondering a “Long-term positioning strategy” would be

Step 1: pitching to an organization just so you can start the relationship

Step 2: If they respond, convincing them it could be nice to do b-roll of an upcoming event, paid or non paid;

Step 3: After a few weeks tell the client, “if we did a few interviews we could really put a complete story together mixed with the b roll from the last event”, which would lead to

Step 4: them paying for a production day and editing services.

Does this deal take 2 months to land? Sure. But this is chess not checkers. I’m not saying you can’t be hyper focused on 1-2 crew positions as a Freelancer because not everyone is equipped to manage teams and clients. The point I’m making is once I realized most jobs have a fulfillment ceiling that creatives chase, I started looking for outlets that took the roof off of what will be my legacy.

Two things I wrote in my notes to end the week…

1. Life only has a ceiling when you continuously search for satisfaction and approval in the wrong places. Nothing on earth or any amount of business success can fulfill me more than the love that comes from Jesus Christ.

2. Diversity is good. I don’t have to be put in a box creatively. I can work primarily as a DP and do very good things in that role, but I can also be a owner, an investor, an educator, have a large family, live in an RV, grow a garden and not be considered “unfocused” or “distracted”.

Subscribe now

Next week: Three shoots, a few phone calls to make and a panel discussion at a local high school guiding students how to navigate in this video/photo industry. I will give an investment update in the next reading.

Share with a friend, colleague or family member if you enjoyed this reading.

Gene,

My last two readings focused on business wins, investment changes, a few learned lessons, and more. To read those click here.

Tonight’s After-Hours reading is more personal.

Leave a comment

Family Time

We spent the day just running errands. Nothing glamorous.

• Groceries

• Camera store to get my Sony Sensor cleaned.

• HotPot Restaurant (My wife’s favorite)

I’ve learned not to underestimate days like that. When your schedule is usually shoots, edits, travel, and deadlines, a normal day becomes valuable.

Valentine’s Project

I worked on a Valentine’s Day themed project with Fola Studios. I’m excited for this one. When it releases, I’ll drop some BTS in here so you can see how it came together.

Something Changed, Personally…

This week, Casey and I both got certified for our CPL license. We went to the range and got some shots off! They have ladies night where women shoot free, that might make a cool inexpensive date!

We’re currently learning more about self-defense and protecting our home.

The reason? One day, we received an alert from our Ring camera about a home break-in. Not ours of course, but close enough to feel real. Then it hit us at the same time, “If someone broke into our home at that exact moment”

• We only had our hands and random household objects

• We had zero plan
  – No strategy
  – No coordination
  – No protection beyond instinct

That realization didn’t sit well with me. As a husband, father and protector, that’s not a comfortable place to be in.

Protection Isn’t Paranoia

This isn’t about fear. It’s about responsibility. We insure our cars. We insure our homes. We build businesses with strategy. Why wouldn’t we have a plan for protection?

Knowing where everyone goes, what happens first, how to protect the kids, who called 911. how to move with clarity instead of panic

That conversation alone was worth it.

Growth Isn’t Always Financial

Sometimes growth looks like:

– Learning something new
– Facing a blind spot
– Realizing you were unprepared

This week wasn’t loud. It wasn’t massive business wins. It was alignment. Family first. Preparation second. Everything else after that.

Money/Investments

Added to my swing investment account. marketing AI, cloud services, and is driving a 600% return for users. I also took this dip to invest in and

Chinese companies have been doing well. I added to my position and which has announced their first quarter profit during their earnings call.

Lastly, as per usual… I am always adding to retirement accounts so I am not solely dependent on independent companies.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice, nor would I tell anyone to ever buy or sell anything. After Hours newsletter is simply a personal journey open to subscribers showing my journey as an Entrepreneur, Investor and Creative.

See you next week!

Gene,

Some contracts take time.

When you’re pitching five-figure or six-figure annual agreements, you’re not selling a project. You’re asking someone to commit to you for a year.

That’s different.

I sent an annual proposal back in November to a company I’ve already worked numerous events for;

– No response in December
– Followed up in January
– Still quiet
– It’s February now and… I finally got a response.

One company said yes and the other that was 2x the amount said “At this time, this is not something we are interested in”

This week reminded me that bigger deals move slower. Relationship equity matters. A “No at this time”, doesn’t mean no forever. Maybe they will check in mid-year or I could present another offering 2 years down the line.

I was reminded patience is part of scale.

The Week

Holding My Ground

A client and I couldn’t agree on a price that worked. They didn’t disrespect my worth, it just wasn’t a fit. They soon went another direction.

Sometimes that’s the best thing that can happen is you stay firm on your price. A few days later they actually came back later asking for a rush delivery. We worked through the details and made it happen.

Another project didn’t land clean.

I worked on a trailer with a tight deadline, and the client didn’t give feedback in time.

So we had to move on our own discretion:

– we adjusted elements without direction
– tried to protect the deadline
– made the best calls we could with what we had

In the end, the project got passed to another editor since the deadline passed, and I was no longer available to make adjustments when they called due to being on set for a few days.

That’s part of it. You can’t control every outcome.

Travel

I’m writing this while traveling on a plane to Orlando, then I’m driving to Daytona. Daytona 500 NASCAR weekend!

People don’t talk about what travel feels like when you have kids.

Last year I made a rule:

If it’s drivable, the family comes.
Michigan. Ohio. Chicago. Even Virginia.

It’s not just “bringing them along.”

It’s:
– keeping balance
– keeping the marriage close
– letting my girls grow up understanding what we do
– giving them real exposure to creativity + work + lifestyle

This Florida trip was solo due to distance and a few other logistics.

Start a conversation, ask a question, tell me about your week. Our chat is open 24/7

Conversations That Matter

One thing I’m grateful for is having a wife who is a forward thinker.

We’ve been having the kind of conversations you should be able to have with your spouse:

– growth opportunities beyond work
– staying connected
– education for our children
– what kind of world they’re growing up in

We talked about the kids’ digital footprint, pros and cons.

The reality is: the digital footprint is already out there in some form. And with AI, you can generate future versions of people from childhood photos. That’s a wild thing to even have to consider.

So the conversation isn’t “post them vs don’t post them.”

It’s more like:

– what’s intentional?
– what’s necessary?
– what serves the moment vs what serves the brand?
– how do we protect their innocence without living paranoid?

We don’t want to pretend our kids don’t exist. We just don’t want the brand to rely on their cuteness, even though… they are cute. haha

Land (5+ Acres)

We also talked about why we want 5+ acres in the future.

Not for aesthetics, for utility and legacy.

– growing fruit
– vegetables
– teaching the girls how to build, plant, sustain
– having space that isn’t dependent on systems we don’t control

The older I get, the more I understand: ownership isn’t just money.

Ownership is also resources, space and having options.

AI Is Inevitable (So I’m Adapting)

As a business owner, I understand AI is inevitable and I don’t want to avoid it at all.

I’m actively adapting:

– note-taking tools
– visual effects for media production
– developing ideas more efficiently
– lightly dabbling in software development
– learning how to integrate it into workflow without losing the art

The world is moving. My business has to move with it.

But…

I also want separation when the camera is off because the mind can’t live in the constant motion of the digital world. It’s like being on a treadmill that never stops; always moving, never arriving.

So my goal isn’t to reject technology. My goal is to control the relationship with it. Adapt when it’s time to build. Detach when it’s time to breathe.

Leave a comment

What’s Next

– Easy week ahead. 1 Post project, no shoots, a few meetings. I will be giving more time to family if the schedule remains light.

Gene

My goal for 2026 is to say focused. I wasn’t not focused in 2026, but I allowed many business/growth opportunities outside of film to slip past. That’s why you see the shift in outline of this newsletter compared to our previous readings that you re visit here.

Once called DPG Cinema, now focused on my thoughts in the “after hours”, meaning off camera, away from shoots, making decisions for my family’s future when no one is watching in attempt to be the best creative, business owner, and leader I can be.

If you do not like the slight change in scenery, no hard feelings. The unsub button is somewhere attached to this email and I thank. you for following along this journey.

The last 2 weeks

Week 1

• Traveled for a NASCAR Documentary. Worked as the DP. Shot on Sony + DZO Arles Lenses.

• Finished up a Feature film called “CASS”

• Shot some event coverage for a Bday party.

• For the first time ever, I had two shoots in one day. I was in Charlotte, NC and my wife drove down to Toledo with some amazing crew to handle a corporate brand project while I was away. I EP’d this and coordinated details, alongside the wife.

• Here’s how the video turned out.

  • Got behind on some emails, but used the weekend to catch up.

Week 2
- Wrapped and delivered multiple edits (insurance client + Apellix drone work)
– Submitted new bids for March and September projects
– Prepped invoices and down payments for upcoming work
– Organized footage and started restructuring remote NAS access
– Spent time reworking personal + business financial flows

What went well
January closed out as our busiest January to date. #Grateful; Projects moved forward, feedback was positive, and another production lined up for later this year. Casey’s social page passed 1,000 followers, which felt small on the surface but meaningful when you’re building momentum from scratch. A lot of work happened quietly this week; the kind that doesn’t look exciting but keeps everything moving.

Decision I’m sitting with
I’m rethinking gear purchases. RED RAW is great, but realistically the FX3 is doing most of the heavy lifting. I’m debating whether a simpler B-cam makes more sense right now versus chasing higher-end bodies. The real question isn’t which camera I want, it’s whether I can confidently pay it off through actual use within one year. Many people would give themselves 2-3 years, but I don’t like debt.

Money/Investments & ownership thinking
Bank interest rates shifted again, which forced me to look harder at where cash is sitting and whether it’s still working efficiently. I’m also spending more time thinking beyond stocks; cash-flow businesses like laundromats feel more tangible in the next 1-2 years. The stock market’s been choppy, earnings have been mixed, and I’m focusing on keeping cash available rather than forcing trades. I will be liquidating some and with the purpose of having cash on hand + adding some when the time is right.

What I’m thinking about
I watched a video this week where a DP talked about no longer wanting to be boxed into a single identity. That hit home. Here is the video below.

I love being a cinematographer, but I don’t want my entire future tied to one label. I want creative fulfillment and ownership. I don’t think those things have to be in conflict.

BTS
– Finish edits and lock post schedules

What’s next
– Finish edits and lock post schedules
– Finalize a cleaner financial workflow
– Maintain a clear mind
– Stay present with family before travel picks back up

Gene