The Director & The D.O.P

In Episode 2, Ethan and Liam break down their Destination NSW Central West content capture project with Mint Films — a 9-day, multi-location shoot across regional NSW on natural light only, with a lean crew and no lighting team.They get into how Ethan selects a DOP for a long-form road job on emotional intelligence as much as skill, how Liam chose his First AC Molly Sutherland ("Little Miss Never Miss"), the terrarium approach to directing non-actor talent, why recces are non-negotiable on tourism work, and the key takeaway — always aim higher than the brief.Then in Gear Chat — Liam breaks down the Sony virtual production tracking system using SLAM technology. Camera-agnostic, no external markers, and why he thinks handheld is back.Plus — why we changed the name from The Director and the DP.

In our first episode, Ethan and Liam break down Grant Burge Leave Your Mark — a TVC, social, and OOH campaign featuring Dylan Alcott, where Ethan served as both Creative Director and Director.They get into the Panavision H Series lens choice and why it defined the look, working with non-actor talent who calls their own takes, the decision to bring Dylan's dad on set, and Liam's handheld-on-dolly solution when time ran out.Then in Life of a Freelancer — the DOP/Director coffee date. Who reaches out, what makes it work, and the age-old question of who actually pays.0:00 Introduction3:35 The Breakdown — Grant Burge Leave Your Mark ft. Dylan Alcott7:17 Lens choice — Panavision H Series & Alexa Mini LF14:14 Working with non-actor talent18:18 The handheld-on-dolly decision19:43 What we'd do differently22:45 Life of a Freelancer — The Director/DOP coffee date27:55 Tips for the coffee dateThe Director & The DOP is a video podcast for the commercial production and advertising industry. A director and a DOP break down real projects — no theory, just the work.New episodes weekly.🎙️ Hosted by Ethan McLean (Director) & Liam Brennan (DOP)