135. From Moms Basement to MILLIONS of Views: The Story of Brady Bessette

What's up Rock Nation, today we welcome Brady Bessette. In this episode we dive deep into Brady's YouTube journey, how he's balanced YouTube and his cinematography career, and what he feels makes an incredible DP. Brady is a Cinematographer and lighting extraordinaire! Whether it's on YouTube or making movies, Brady just wants to create. This was our first podcast ever outside, so we hope you enjoy!The Creator Pricing Guide - The No BS Guide to Pricing Your Creative ServicesCoupon Code: ROCKNATION10 gets you $10 off at checkout for the bouldershttps://courses.thecreatorcoach.com/pricing-guideCollab with Artlist and get 2 extra months for free here:https://artlist.io/artlist-70446?artlist_aid=the505podcast_2970&utm_source=affiliate_p&utm_medium=the505podcast_2970&utm_campaign=the505podcast_2970Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/xgEAzkqAvsKostas’ Amazon Storefront:https://amzn.to/3GhId25Concert Photography Masterclass:www.kostasgarcia.com/masterclassChase’s Totality LUT pack:https://www.chasealexanderfilm.com/color/totalitylutpackCOP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.thecreatorcoach.com/BFIGGYSFXPACKKostas’ Amazon Storefront:https://amzn.to/3GhId2515% OFF Prism Lens FX with code: KOSTAS15https://bit.ly/42sNdejTimestamps: 0:00 - Trailer0:54 - Intro2:03 - One Handed Crack3:43 - Brady’s first big YouTube video5:24 - Motion Array5:53 - Brady started making videos in his mom’s basement6:23 - Creators need time to be bored6:52 - Brady’s vlogging era7:44 - When YouTube pressure hit8:58 - Understanding his YouTube audience9:58 - Brady was a fraud11:09 - Brady posted on YouTube for 2 years straight without missing a week12:35 - YouTube lead to DP work for Brady13:34 - Brady’s first brand deal15:24 - The business side of YouTube17:32 - Brady hates YouTube17:50 - Brady’s outsourcing system18:23 - Brady’s process for YouTube videos21:20 - Brady talks camera gear23:33 - Brady’s process evolution on YouTube24:40 - Brady gets nerdy about lighting26:17 - The role of a DP28:03- How Brady decides the lens he wants to shoot with30:50 - When Brady decides to try something new31:55 - Prep days33:59 - Story is #1 priority34:57 - How important pre production is35:56 - Balancing YouTube and being an actual DP37:29 - Repurposing content for Social Media and YouTube38:36 - The most slept on gear for a DP40:42 - Why soft light sucks42:11 - Brady stopped playing it safe43:18 - Why Brady doesn’t shoot wide open45:08 - The importance of learning all aspects of filmmaking47:47 - What makes a great gaffer48:50 - Brady wants to scale50:23 - Brady dropped out of college52:24 - Brady gave himself 2 years to make this career work54:35 - You have to have delusional confidence57:40 - How to get to the next level in your career as a DP59:49 - Dealing with burnout as a creator1:03:34 - No longer wanting to be a gaffer1:04:19 - What Brady hopes to take into 20251:06:42 - Why Brady doesn’t really watch YouTube1:08:35 - Where Brady draws his inspiration from1:09:27 - Advice to your 18 year old selfIf you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ Chase: https://www.instagram.com/chaseronii/ TikTok:Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/