Frequently Asked Questions
Booking & General Services
How do I know whether to book Cinematography or Videography?
Cinematography is built for productions that already have a director, producer, or dedicated post-production team in place and strictly need visual storytelling, camera operation, and lighting setups.
Videography is an all-in-one solution. If you need a complete production handled from start to finish—filming, dialogue audio, editing, sound mixing, color grading, and final delivery—choose Videography.
How are shoot dates reserved?
Dates are secured on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of a signed agreement and a 50% retainer.Reaching out at least 2 to 4 weeks before your target shoot date is recommended to ensure calendar and gear availability.
What is the travel policy?
Standard package day rates cover shoot locations within a 50-mile round-trip radius of my home base. Shoots requiring travel beyond that radius, overnight lodging, flights, per diems, or specialized location permits are quoted separately during your consultation.
Do you take on micro-budget projects or indie collaborations?
Yes, on a selective basis. While standard client commissions follow the published day rates, I occasionally partner with independent filmmakers, musicians, and artists with non-traditional financing. Because below-market budgets require a heavy personal investment of time and cinema equipment, these are treated as Creative Co-Productionsrather than work-for-hire:
Creative Direction: I operate as a co-director or creative producer, requiring input and joint approval on concept, script pacing, visuals, and final cut.
Shared Ownership: I retain non-exclusive co-ownership of the finished footage, including the right to share,promote, and monetize the material across my portfolio and platforms without extra approvals.
Production Time Limits: Indie co-productions are capped at a maximum of 6 total hours of filming time(scheduled as a dedicated half-day). Any shoot time beyond 6 hours transitions to standard hourly rates.
To pitch a script or project under this arrangement, reach out through the contact form with your lookbook or script draft.
On Set & Production
Why don’t Cinematography packages include sound?
High-end cinematography requires total focus on camera movement, lighting design, lenses, and composition. Dedicated sound recording requires its own gear and boom/lavalier operation. If your set needs clean dialogue capture, you can bring on an independent sound recordist or book a Videography package, which includes audio capture as standard.
Can I provide my own crew members (such as an AC, sound recordist, or gaffer)?
To maintain on-set efficiency, technical quality, and equipment safety, packaged tiers (Enhanced and Premium) are staffed with vetted, trusted crew members who work together regularly.
If your production already has an established crew and simply requires my direct services as a Director of Photography or Lead Operator, you can book my Cinematography (DP Labor-Only) day rate or the Essential Tier, integrating into your existing crew structure while your production carries standard gear insurance and crew payroll.
How are shoot dates reserved?
Dates are secured on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of a signed agreement and a 50% retainer.Reaching out at least 2 to 4 weeks before your target shoot date is recommended to ensure calendar and gear availability.
How are long shoot days handled?
All tiers are based on a standard 10-hour shoot day from call time to wrap. Time past 10 hours is billed at flat hourly overtime rates based on your package tier. To protect crew safety, any shoot day reaching 14 hours automatically transitions into a second full day rate.
What happens in the event of bad weather?
If rain, high winds, or severe conditions make an outdoor shoot impossible or unsafe, the shoot will be rescheduled to the earliest mutual date.
Milestone Shifts: Because billing is split into standard 50% upfront and 50% upon completion milestones,the final payment date simply moves to reflect the rescheduled shoot.
Direct Expenses: While I do not charge rescheduling fees for my own labor, the client covers any non-refundable third-party costs already locked in (such as external equipment rentals, location permits, or crew cancellation fees if called late).
Weather Calls: Final weather-related calls are made jointly at least 24 hours before call time to prevent crew cancellation penalties.
Post-Production & Delivery
What software do you edit in, and can I request a specific platform?
My default post-production pipeline runs on DaVinci Resolve Studio for picture editing, sound mixing, and dedicated color grading.
If your in-house team needs the project delivered in a different editing environment, you can specify an alternative platform during pre-production:
DaVinci Resolve Studio (Default / Standard)
Adobe Premiere Pro (Latest release)
Apple Final Cut Pro (Latest standalone release)
Important notes on custom software requests:
Included in Premium: Choosing your NLE platform and receiving full project timeline archiving is built standard into the Premium Videography and Premium Post-Production tiers.
Essential & Enhanced Tiers: Requesting a specific NLE outside the default pipeline requires an add-on workflow setup fee of $250.
Tied to Project Archival: Requesting a custom NLE is typically done to take over the project files internally. This requires adding the Project Archival Add-On ($450) along with a RAW footage transfer so you receive the working project file and linked media.
Software Version Compatibility: Projects are built using fully licensed studio editions and current releases. To open and link your timelines successfully without missing features or corrupted metadata, your editing system must run matching, up-to-date paid versions (for example, DaVinci Resolve Studio rather than the free version).
If your team does not need the working timeline files or has no software preference, you don't need to choose anything. I will handle your edit through the standard DaVinci Resolve pipeline for maximum efficiency.
How do revisions work?
Every Videography package includes dedicated revision cycles (3 rounds for Essential, 5 rounds for Enhanced, 10 rounds for Premium). Feedback must be submitted within a 14-day review window after receiving each cut to keep the edit moving forward smoothly.
What happens if edits are needed after the 14-day window?
Any revision requests sent past the 14-day review window, or beyond the number of rounds included in your package, are billed at a flat add-on rate of $175 per edit cycle.
What if the final video needs to be longer than 20 minutes?
For Videography packages, full editing, color grading, sound design, and music licensing are included for finished videos up to 20 minutes. If a project exceeds 20 minutes (such as a 30-minute broadcast cut, mid-length documentary, or feature film), production day rates still cover the shoot, but post-production moves into the structured Long-Form Post Schedule:
Half-Hour Cut (20–30 min): +$8,300 post package
Extended Pilot / Mid-Form (30–50 min): +$12,500 post package
Feature Length (50+ min): +$22,500+ post package
How are long shoot days handled?
All tiers are based on a standard 10-hour shoot day from call time to wrap. Time past 10 hours is billed at flat hourly overtime rates based on your package tier. To protect crew safety, any shoot day reaching 14 hours automatically transitions into a second full day rate.
How is music licensing handled?
All packages include commercial web distribution licensing for tracks sourced through partner music libraries (like Epidemic Sound). If your project requires mainstream commercial tracks, theatrical distribution, or national television broadcast clearance, music licensing fees are quoted separately.
Archival, Raw Footage & Working Files
What happens if I lose my final video?
Losing a completed video file is nothing to worry about. Standard bookings include permanent archival of your final exported master cut. Finished files are mirrored across redundant cloud and off-site backup drives for as long as R Jay Molina, LLC remains in active operation. Your completed cut stays hosted online for 1 full year for instant download, and if you ever misplace it later on, an offline replacement copy can be retrieved from storage at no additional cost.
Can I get the unedited RAW footage?
That depends on the service you book:
Cinematography: Because raw footage is the deliverable, your camera files are handed over digitally or via hard drive as soon as the final shoot invoice is settled.
Videography: The deliverable is the polished, completed video file. If you would like the unedited LOG/RAW camera files and original audio files as well, that hand-off is quoted case-by-case based on total drive storage (GB/TB) and transfer logistics, delivered after final invoice payment.
Can I purchase the native editing project file?
Yes. The working timeline file (Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve project file, audio stems, and color assets) is available through the Project Archival Add-On for a flat $450 (already included in the Premium tier). Keep in mind that a project file is simply an instruction blueprint. It cannot open or function without the original camera files. For that reason, getting the project file requires that you also secure the RAW production footage.
What happens to project files and footage if I don’t buy archival?
Unless Project Archival or a raw footage hand-off is part of your agreement, working cache files, temporary project files, and un-purchased raw media are only kept until final delivery and payment settlement. Once the project wraps, scratch drives are safely wiped to make room for upcoming shoots. A courtesy reminder is sent a few days prior to data deletion; after that date, un-archived raw footage cannot be recovered.
Was something not answered here? Click the “Let Chat” button below to get in touch!