About this role
The brand studio at Perplexity is building an in-house visual identity and film presence to showcase the company's product and people more vividly. This senior cinematographer role establishes a practical cinematographic language by partnering closely with the Creative Director and Video Lead on daily content and major brand films. The person in this position will spend most of their time prepping, testing, lighting, and shooting across diverse formats while helping design and operate the physical studio space.
Candidates should thrive in a hands-on environment that requires moving fluidly between solo shoots with minimal gear and leading full camera and lighting crews on larger productions. Successful team members combine strong technical mastery of camera systems and lighting with narrative instincts and collaborative problem-solving skills under tight timelines.
What you will do
- Collaborate with creative leadership to establish and scale a repeatable visual standard for lighting, composition, and movement across all video outputs.
- Capture a diverse mix of daily content, executive interviews, product demonstrations, and documentary-style stories.
- Manage camera, lighting, and movement choices from the initial creative phase through final capture and technical scouting.
- Design, construct, and maintain the internal studio space while keeping equipment packages organized and ready for deployment.
- Execute color grading tasks within DaVinci Resolve and assist with selects and preliminary edits when delivery schedules demand quick turnaround times.
- Direct freelance crews and external vendors on set while maintaining high production standards within practical constraints.
What you need
- Bring over six years of professional experience working as a cinematographer or director of photography across commercial, documentary, and branded formats.
- Provide a strong portfolio reel demonstrating personal visual authorship, technical lighting capability, and a talent for capturing unscripted moments.
- Demonstrate thorough knowledge of modern camera packages, lenses, exposure techniques, color pipelines, and grip equipment.
- Maintain working proficiency in DaVinci Resolve for color grading and basic editing tasks.
- Reside in San Francisco or demonstrate the ability to work on-site with flexibility for travel and extended shoot days.
Nice to have
- A strong Bay Area and Los Angeles network of camera, lighting, grip, sound, production, and rental partners.
- Experience within an in-house brand studio at a technology or consumer company.
- Strong documentary instincts and experience working with founders, executives, talent, or people who are not professional performers.
- Experience with multi-camera interviews, live events, tabletop or product cinematography, motion-control systems, or virtual production.
- Color-grading experience and a strong understanding of how capture decisions carry through finishing and delivery.
Benefits
- Offers Equity
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the compensation for this role?
The salary range is $150K to $180K with equity offered.
Where is the job located?
The role is based in San Francisco, with flexibility required for travel and long shoot days.
What tools are used for editing and color?
The team uses DaVinci Resolve for color grading, selects, stringouts, and light edits.
Who does this position report to?
You will report directly to the Video Lead while working alongside the Creative Director, Video Producer, and other internal stakeholders.