DAY 01
Mindset
Why "Cinematic" Isn't a Filter (And Why Most Creators Get This Wrong)
The reason elevated content is no longer optional, and why the look you want isn't a preset. I show you how I think about cinematic on a Marvel set and how that exact thinking scales to a phone.
ExercisePick 3 clips you love. Identify one cinematic principle in each (lighting, framing, movement). Write what you see.
DAY 02
Camera
Camera Choices: Phone, Mirrorless, Cinema (And Why It Matters Less Than You Think)
The honest answer about gear after a decade on Marvel and John Wick sets. We break down phone, mirrorless, DSLR, and cinema camera so you stop overspending and start shooting.
ExerciseShoot the same scene on whatever camera you have. Don't change anything. Save the file.
DAY 03
Settings
24fps, Shutter Speed, and Why Your Footage Looks Like a Soap Opera
The single most common reason phone footage looks "off." 60fps is for action. 24fps is what your eye reads as cinema. I explain shutter speed (1/48), framerate, and what to lock in once and never touch.
ExerciseReshoot Day 02 in 24fps with 1/48 shutter. Compare side by side.
DAY 04
Lenses
Lens Compression and Choosing Your Focal Length
Why 35mm flatters faces and 85mm separates subjects from backgrounds. The same principle applies to whatever lenses you've got, including your phone's wide and telephoto. I show you when to use each one and why directors pick what they pick.
ExerciseShoot a portrait at every focal length you've got available. Pick the most flattering. Now you know.
DAY 05
Composition
Beautiful Composition (Even For Vertical Video)
Rule of thirds tweaked for vertical Reels. Negative space, frames within frames, foreground elements that draw viewers in. The same composition cheats I use on a feature, scaled for whatever you shoot on.
ExerciseRecreate 5 cinematic compositions you love. Whatever camera you've got. Post them or save them.
DAY 06
Lighting
My Personal Lighting Setup (And Lighting For Shape)
The exact lights I use in my own studio, plus how to think about shape: flat light makes faces look average, shaped light makes them look cinematic. Why it works on Marvel close-ups and on your face on a Reel.
ExerciseLight yourself with whatever you have (window, lamp, phone flashlight). Create one shaped portrait.
DAY 07
Lighting
Lighting Hack #1: The Shadow Side Principle
The single biggest lighting upgrade for any creator. I show what real DPs do on Marvel close-ups (and what most YouTubers don't) and why your face will instantly look 10x more cinematic on camera the moment you apply it.
ExerciseReshoot Day 06's portrait using the shadow side principle. The difference is the lesson.
DAY 08
Lighting
Lighting Hacks #2 and #3 (My Two Favorite Cheats)
Two more cinematographer-grade tricks I use on my own content. Both work in tight apartments, hotel rooms, or anywhere you can't roll in a 6K HMI light from a film truck.
ExerciseShoot the same subject in 3 different moods using only Hack #1, #2, and #3. Notice what shifts.
DAY 09
Lighting
Natural Light + Lighting On A Budget
No lights? Window light is one of the most cinematic light sources on Earth. I show you how to read it, when to shoot, and how to fake fill light with a $9 piece of foam core.
ExerciseShoot a 30-second clip of yourself outside or near a window using only natural light + a reflector.
DAY 10
Lighting
Changing Mood by Changing Ambient Exposure
Same room. Same subject. Three completely different feelings. This is one of the most-used tricks on a Marvel set: the lights aren't always loud, the ambient exposure is doing the heavy lift.
ExerciseShoot 3 versions of the same scene at 3 ambient exposure levels. Pick the one with the most feeling.
DAY 11
Color
Color Grading Foundations (It Starts Before the Camera Turns On)
The biggest mistake creators make in post: trying to fix color that wasn't captured well on set. Good color grading enhances. It doesn't rescue. I show you the prep that saves you hours of grading later.
ExerciseTake one of your past clips. Identify what's wrong with the color. Note what you'd change on set next time.
DAY 12
Color
DaVinci Resolve and the 3 Things I Always Do When I Color Grade
DaVinci is free and it's industry standard. There's a reason every colorist in Hollywood uses it. I'm going to walk you through the 3 moves I do on every clip, in order, before I ever touch a LUT.
ExerciseOpen one clip in DaVinci. Apply the 3 moves in order. No LUT yet. Save the result.
DAY 13
Color
Applying LUTs The Right Way (And Adding Contrast)
A LUT is not a one-click cinematic button. It's a starting point. I show you how to apply one, when to dial it back, and how to add contrast that holds up on a phone screen.
ExerciseApply one of the LUTs from the bundle to your Day 12 clip. Adjust to taste. Compare to the original.
DAY 14
Mindset
Adding Blue To Shadows + The 80% Rule (Becoming Unstoppable)
The final color move that makes everything feel filmic, plus the mindset rule I learned the hard way: ship at 80%. Perfectionism kills more creators than bad lighting ever did. I'll close with the 1.5 years I had zero growth and what changed.
ExerciseFinish your Day 12 clip. Add blue to shadows. Post it. Don't wait for "perfect."
