Summary of the Cinematographer job at Zipline

About You and The Role 

Zipline’s communications team shapes and shares the company’s story and impact. We develop and implement strategies and tactics to educate our target audiences about Zipline, tell stories that raise awareness about what we’re doing and the impact that we’re having, increase acceptance of and excitement for our system, and cultivate ambassadors. We are passionate storytellers and make complex topics simple and understandable.

Zipline is expanding in the U.S. and will be delivering food, medicine, retail items and more directly to people’s homes in many states over the next few years. We are seeking a Senior Cinematographer to capture launches, demos, operations, customer experiences, interviews, events, and the people behind the work. 
You will translate shot plans and creative references into practical camera and lighting approaches for real-world production. You will work across planned productions and fast-moving field capture, operating independently when a small footprint is appropriate and collaborating with a crew on larger shoots. You will partner closely with a Video Producer, Editor, and Motion Designer, as well as Communications, Brand, Social, Marketing, engineers, and operators. This is a hands-on role centered on camera, lighting, composition, movement, exposure, equipment readiness, and reliable media handoff.

What You'll Do

• Capture high-quality footage for social and brand video, product launches, technical explainers, customer stories, interviews, events, recruiting, and internal communications.
• Collaborate with the Video Producer and creative partners on shot lists, references, location scouts, technical scouts, camera tests, lighting plans, equipment needs, and production schedules.
• Select and operate cameras, lenses, filtration, support, monitoring, and movement tools appropriate to each production.
• Design and execute lighting and grip setups for interviews, products, demonstrations, operational environments, studio work, and location shoots.
• Make deliberate choices about composition, framing, lensing, movement, focus, exposure, frame rate, and coverage while working within the production plan.
• Operate effectively as a solo shooter, within a small crew, or as part of a larger camera and lighting team.
• Capture documentary and observational footage in changing conditions while maintaining technical quality, situational awareness, and respect for the people and environments being documented.
• Coordinate clean production-sound capture with audio crew and manage camera, lighting, and sound essentials on single-operator assignments.
• Work with engineers, operators, safety partners, and site leads to prepare for capture around aircraft, robotics, vehicles, facilities, customers, and live operations.
• Prepare, test, organize, maintain, and track camera, lighting, grip, monitoring, audio-support, and media equipment.
• Maintain on-set media integrity through consistent camera settings, timecode and metadata practices, card management, verification, and documented handoff to the Editor.
• Review footage with the Editor and communicate relevant continuity, exposure, color, coverage, and technical considerations for post-production.
• Contribute to practical camera tests, equipment guides, checklists, and capture workflows that improve repeatability across productions.

What You'll Bring

• 6+ years of professional cinematography or camera-department experience across documentary, commercial, brand, editorial, product, technical, or comparable productions.
• A strong reel and portfolio demonstrating visual storytelling, camera and lighting craft, and range across controlled and field production, with your role identified for each project.
• Deep proficiency with professional cinema camera systems such as ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon, or Blackmagic, and the ability to adapt quickly to other systems.
• Strong knowledge of lenses, filtration, exposure, monitoring, color science, LUTs, codecs, frame rates, timecode, camera movement, and production workflows.
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing lighting and grip setups in studios and on location.
• Experience working as a solo operator, with a small crew, and within larger camera and lighting departments.
• Strong documentary instincts and the ability to anticipate action, find meaningful moments, and build useful editorial coverage in uncontrolled environments.
• Experience capturing interviews, products or hardware, demonstrations, events, and observational footage.
• Strong equipment, media, metadata, and handoff discipline.
• Clear communication and the ability to work effectively with producers, editors, engineers, operators, customers, executives, and production crews.
• Sound judgment around location conditions, access, safety requirements, schedules, and the practical limits of a production plan.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 30% for productions and work occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends when production schedules require it.
• Experience capturing robotics, autonomy, aviation, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, infrastructure, or another technically complex subject is a plus.
• Experience with high-speed capture, long-lens tracking, stabilized remote cameras, gimbals, motion control, time-lapse, aerial cinematography, or FAA Part 107 operations is a plus.
• Working knowledge of DaVinci Resolve, on-set color workflows, still photography, or location audio is a plus.

You’ll Thrive in the Role If:

• You are happiest behind the camera and enjoy solving visual and technical problems in the field.
• You can move between carefully controlled setups and fast documentary capture without losing attention to image quality.
• You prepare equipment and capture plans thoroughly and adapt calmly when conditions change.
• You are curious about complex technology and diligent about documenting it accurately and safely.
• You collaborate well with producers, editors, production crews, and technical subject-matter experts.
• You care about complete coverage, media integrity, and reliable handoffs as much as individual shots.
• You are passionate about Zipline’s mission, impact, and products.

What Else You Need To Know

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!