Dallas cinematographer and director of photography
I’m Joey Arcisz, a Dallas DP and cinematographer. As a Dallas director of photography, I shoot commercials, brand films, and documentary television for agencies, production companies, and brands across Dallas-Fort Worth. Send me the job and I’ll quote it. I bring the camera, lighting, and grip package with me through Geared Like A Machine. My last job, Tigé’s 2026 Z3 film, took Telly Gold for Cinematography.
Tigé Boats · Starlink · U.S. Polo Assn. (every season since 2018) · Telly Gold 2026 · ADDY Best of Show 2014
The full picture.
Film · Joey Arcisz
Music · The Seige · I Am Defiant (Instrumental)
What I do on your shoot
I run the camera department. That means the lighting plan, the lenses, the frames, and building the schedule so the important shots land in the right light. On agency jobs I come in as your DP. On direct jobs I can produce, direct, shoot, and cut it myself, the way I did both 2026 Tigé flagship films from the estimate to delivery.
Cinematographer, director of photography, DP: same job, same person, same rate.
The work is commercials, brand films, product, tourism, and documentary television. I take the jobs where the pictures have to hold up on a website, in a spot, or on a stage, and where the day has to move. Cars, boats, food, and music each have their own page because the setup changes even when the rate does not.
If you already have a director and a producer, I come in as the DP and run that department. If you do not, I can take the job from the first call to the last export. I will tell you which seat I am in before we lock the date. Either way the camera department is mine: the light, the lenses, and the order of the day.
How a job runs
Before the day. I walk the locations, talk to the people, and let the place come before the script. Then I build the frame with boards, references, and lens tests, and plan the lighting in Set.a.Light 3D so we are not figuring it out on the clock. When the job is mine to produce, that also means the estimate and the crew. On Tigé I ran both 2026 walkthroughs from the estimate forward, hiring the crew for the shoot days.
On the day. Small crew, sharp plan. I run the camera department and make the calls on lighting, lenses, and how the schedule is built so the important shots land in the right light.
After. Sometimes my job ends at the camera. Sometimes I edit and deliver. I’ll tell you which up front. On Tigé I directed, shot, and edited both films. On Conn-Selmer I cut more than 150 video lessons after four days with eight musicians. On other jobs the role stops when we wrap.
The first email is for dates, locations, what you are delivering and where it runs, the crew you already have, and whether you need the package. I come back with a plan and a number. That is the same list I ask for at the bottom of this page, because that is what I need to quote.
The gear comes with me
Geared Like A Machine owns the package I shoot on, so you book crew and equipment in one call, prepped by the person who uses it.
Cameras: RED V-Raptor (X) 8K, RED Komodo-X, Sony FX3, underwater housing. Lighting: Aputure Storm 1200X, LS 1200d Pro, full LED and tungsten kit. Grip: Sprinter grip van, dollies, 20 ft crane, Easyrig, gimbals.
Every item and price is on rentals.gearedlikeamachine.com. The rentals page lists the inventory in full. You can build the package yourself and see the number, or tell me the job and I will send one number for me plus the package. If you already have a camera vendor, tell me on the first call and I will plan around it.
Dallas DP day rate
Every job is quoted. Send me the job and I’ll quote it for work anywhere in DFW. A day is 10 hours, half days are available for short calls, and overtime past 10 hours is billed at 1.5x. Gear is priced separately. How I quote is on my Dallas DP rates page, including travel and how the camera package is handled. Still comparing options? My notes on how to hire a cinematographer in Dallas and DP versus videographer cover what to check first.
Work that shows how I think
The long credit lists live on the case pages. These four are the jobs that show how I work: a flagship I produced from the estimate, a client who has come back every season since 2018, a local-producer job for a company out of state, and a lesson series cut in four days.
“You set such an exceptionally high standard that is now what I demand from the crews I work with.”
“GLM was a standout partner on our Houston interview shoot in May. Their crew was skilled and professional, their equipment was top-notch, and they were responsive and dependable throughout. The synced, color-prepared media they delivered made our editors’ work seamless. They’re a team I’d recommend without hesitation and would happily work with again.”
Where I shoot
Dallas is home. Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, Irving, Las Colinas, Richardson, Addison, McKinney, Allen, Garland, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Denton, and Rockwall are all local, same rate, no travel fee. If the job is in the Metroplex, it is local work, and the package drives over with me. That includes the west side. Fort Worth, Grapevine, and the rest of Tarrant County are the same rate as Dallas. See my Fort Worth cinematographer page for the west-side search. The rate does not change.
I travel for the work too: Kubota across four states, Tigé on Texas lakes, U.S. Polo Assn. coast to coast. Out-of-town travel days, flights, and lodging are quoted with the job. There is no travel fee inside DFW.
Cars, boats, food, and music each have their own page: automotive, boats and watersports, food and beverage, and music. Aerial work has its own guide: commercial drone video in Dallas, including the airspace and Texas drone laws.
How I got here
I rode wakeboards professionally before I picked up a camera, and in 2005 the sport was what I pointed it at. After the Art Institute of Dallas I co-founded Ultralite Films in 2012, started Arches Media in 2013, and founded Geared Like A Machine in 2026. More on my about page.
Arches Media is the Dallas company I have run since 2013. Geared Like A Machine is the company I founded in 2026 that owns the camera, lighting, and grip package I shoot on. The about page has the longer version. This page is for the job in front of us.
Case studies
Questions producers ask me
How much does a Dallas DP cost?
Every job is quoted. Email me the job and I'll send a quote for work anywhere in Dallas-Fort Worth. Camera, lighting, and grip are quoted separately. How I quote is on the rates page.
Is a cinematographer the same as a DP?
Yes. Cinematographer and director of photography are two names for one role. DP is what goes on the call sheet.
What's the difference between a DP and a videographer?
A videographer usually brings a camera, shoots, and often edits for one price. A DP owns the look: lighting, lenses, and how the day is built, and runs the camera department.
Do you bring your own camera package?
Yes. It comes from Geared Like A Machine. If you already have a camera vendor, tell me on the first call and I'll plan around it.
Do you charge travel inside DFW?
No. Anywhere in the Metroplex is local. Out-of-town travel days, flights, and lodging are quoted with the job.
Can you produce and direct too?
Yes, quoted per job. I produced, directed, shot, and edited Tigé's 2026 flagship films.
Do you work with out-of-state production companies?
Yes. On Starlink I was the local producer in Texas for a company out of state.
What kinds of jobs do you take?
Commercials, brand films, product, tourism, and documentary television. Cars, boats, food, and music each have their own page.
What awards has your work won?
Five 2026 Tellys for the Tigé Z3 film, including Gold for Cinematography, and ADDY Best of Show for Broadcast in 2014 for Words Alone.
How do I book you?
Email joeyarcisz@me.com with the dates, locations, deliverables, and whether you need the package. Or call (682) 229-7699.
Tell me what you’re shooting
Send the dates, the locations, what you’re delivering and where it runs, and the crew you already have. I’ll come back with a plan and a number. If you want the short version first, the day rate, the package, and the reel are all on this page. Email or call and we will go from there.
joeyarcisz@me.com · (682) 229-7699 · Dallas, TX