What It’s *Actually* Like Working on a Six-Figure Production

A very professional answer to a not-so-subtle prompt from our social team.

Every few weeks our social media team sends me a list of questions they hope I’ll answer in a way that ends my career. This week’s winner: “What’s it like working on a six-figure production?”

Here’s the professional version: It’s incredible.

Here’s the honest one: It’s a circus. But the tent is bigger, the stakes are higher, and everyone’s wearing nicer shoes.

From $300 Portrait Sessions to Monthly Six-Figure Sets

10+ years ago we were shooting portrait sessions for $300. I had no photo internships. No production mentors. Just a lot of YouTube, late-night gear returns, and panic-Googling “what is a C-stand.” Fast-forward to now, and we’re regularly producing six-figure shoots with major agencies and global brands.

There was no roadmap. Just trial, error, imposter syndrome, and an unreasonable level of belief that we could figure it out. And somehow, we did.

High Budget = High Pressure

Here’s the thing most people don’t tell you: the bigger the budget, the more people are involved—and everyone is answering to someone above them. That means more pressure, more tension, and more fear of failure wrapped in business-casual email threads.

If you’re running point, your job isn’t just creative direction. It’s emotional triage.

You have to become the most optimistic, grounded person in the room—or everyone’s going to spiral.

Hire People Who Can Handle the Heat (and Maybe Have a Little Childhood Trauma)

Big-budget production is not for the faint of heart. It’s fast, high-stakes, and totally unforgiving. You want a team that thrives under pressure—people who don’t flinch when plans change or when five clients are watching the monitor with crossed arms.

For me, the pressure flips a switch. Probably from years of playing competitive sports. I may not sleep the night before a big shoot but once I’m on set, I lock in. The focus becomes almost meditative. (Until we lose light and batteries.)

Pre-Pro is Everything

On productions of this size, there’s no winging it. Everything has to be airtight before you roll camera.

• Shotlists, storyboards, casting, call sheets, crew schedules—they all need to be built, reviewed, and signed off well in advance.

• Your director’s board needs to be detailed to the point of obsession. No, “we’ll see what we get."

• And yes, you need the client’s initials on it, because once you're on set, the chaos begins.

  
  

If you don’t have every angle planned, every shot approved, and every coffee order accounted for... good luck.

It Has to Look Easy (Even When It’s Not)

Clients don’t care how hard it was. They want results that feel effortless.

That only happens when you’ve put in 3x the prep time: once in pre-pro, once in production, and once again when it all inevitably blows up and you fix it in post.

You need a team that’s locked in. People you trust. People who make it fun even when the pressure is suffocating. Because when things go wrong (and they will), the only thing keeping everyone together is that shared belief that somehow, this is still going to work.

So... What’s It Like?

It’s intense. It’s not casual. But it’s worth it.

There are moments where you’re laughing with the client, improvising something incredible, and realizing—this is the job. This is the magic.

And there are other moments where you’re sure you’ve ruined everything and are mentally preparing to go back to family mini sessions in a public park.

Both are true. That’s production.

The only difference at this level? You’ve built systems, hired better, prepared more, and learned how to turn stress into creative momentum.

That, and the snacks are usually better.