Skip to content
Paul Cain Commercial Cinematographer · Aerial

Cinematic storytelling for brands that care how they're seen.

Director of photography for commercials, documentaries and branded films, with a licensed aerial unit on the same call sheet. Sixteen years, Nashville-based, working worldwide.

See the work Get in touch
Based Nashville, TN Experience 16 years Aerial FAA Part 107 · Insured Travel Passport current Booking Open 2026

Trusted by teams who create for

Plus agencies, studios and production companies under NDA.

Reel

Two minutes

The fastest answer to whether I'm right for your project.

Reel embed goes here

An extended reel cut to your sector — automotive, food & beverage, product, documentary — is available on request.

Ask for a sector cut

Paul Cain — Commercial Cinematographer

I help brands tell visually compelling stories.

Cinematic advertising, documentaries and branded content — shot with the same craft, crew and care as the work I do for agencies and studios.

I've spent the last sixteen years photographing commercials, documentaries, feature films, branded films, music videos, live events and broadcast for agencies, studios and production companies.

I'm now partnering directly with brands who want that same cinematic approach for their own stories.

Selected work

Frames

A cinematographer's product is the frame. Where the finished film isn't public, the specs stand in for it.

Netflix — Marriage or Mortgage dir. + director
Camera operatorUnscripted seriesHandheld · gimbal · aerial+ camera2021
Tanya Tucker — Bring My Flowers Now dir. + director Director of photographyMusic videoAvailable light+ camera2019
Chinet — "Tips" dir. + director DP · editorBroadcast commercialTabletop+ cameraBroadcast + social
Under NDA
Beverage brand — global campaign dir. withheld · three markets Director of photographyFull crew · 6 daysAerial unit+ camera2025
Under NDA
Streaming platform — launch film dir. withheld DPSmall crew · 3 daysHero + social+ camera2025
Under NDA
Consumer tech — product film dir. withheld DPProduct cinematography16:9 · 1:1 · 9:16+ camera2024

Full credit list, references and additional frames available on request.

Request the reel

Aerial

From the air

A licensed, insured aerial unit run by the same person shooting the rest of the film — so the aerial matches the ground footage instead of looking like it came from somewhere else.

Most productions hire a drone operator who has never seen the rest of the shoot. Mine is already on it.

Same eye, same grade, same call sheet. No second vendor to brief, no separate certificate of insurance to chase, no extra crew call. And when the weather turns or the board changes, the aerial plan changes with it — on the day, not next week.

Remote Pilot Certificate Current & insured
Certification FAA Part 107
+ certificate no.
Insurance + liability limit
COI on request
Waivers held + night / over people / BVLOS
Aircraft + what he flies
One vendor

One call sheet, one invoice

The aerial unit isn't a separate booking with its own minimum, travel day and paperwork. It's part of the crew you already hired.

One eye

Aerial that cuts

Matched to the ground footage on lens, exposure and grade — so it edits in cleanly instead of announcing itself as drone footage.

Cleared

Airspace handled

Airspace checks, LAANC authorisation and the certificates your production insurer will ask for — sorted before the call time.

Available as a standalone aerial hire, or as part of a full shoot.

Book the aerial unit

Fire Plug Films · Est. 2009

Need the whole production, not just a DP?

I run Fire Plug Films for brands who need the film made end to end — crew, kit, schedule, edit and delivery. Same camera, same eye, one invoice.

Fire Plug Films →

About

Paul Cain

I'm a commercial cinematographer and director of photography based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sixteen years photographing commercials, documentaries, feature films, branded films, music videos, live events and broadcast — for agencies, studios and production companies. The camera work is the craft I've spent that entire time on, and it's still the reason people call.

I'm now partnering directly with brands who want that same cinematic approach for their own stories, without an agency in between.

Passport is current. I travel.

Bios — copy and paste

Short — 40 words, for call sheets

Paul Cain is a commercial cinematographer and director of photography based in Nashville, Tennessee. Over sixteen years he has photographed commercials, documentaries, branded films and broadcast for agencies, studios and production companies. FAA Part 107 licensed. Works internationally.

Long — 120 words, for treatments & decks

Paul Cain is a commercial cinematographer and director of photography based in Nashville, Tennessee. Across sixteen years he has photographed commercials, documentaries, feature films, branded films, music videos, live events and broadcast — working with agencies, studios and production companies including Netflix and CMT, and on campaigns for brands across food and beverage, spirits, consumer tech and entertainment. He shoots with small crews and large ones, and is an FAA Part 107 certified, licensed and insured drone pilot, which puts the aerial unit on the same call sheet as the main unit. He works throughout the United States and internationally, and is now partnering directly with brands who want a cinematic approach to their own stories.

Title
Cinematographer / Director of Photography
Experience
16 years in film production
Based
Nashville, Tennessee — works worldwide
Company
Fire Plug Films L.L.C., est. 2009
Aerial
FAA Part 107 certified, licensed & insured
Also
Directing, camera & gimbal operating, editorial, VFX
Formats
Commercial, documentary, feature, branded, music video, live events, broadcast
On request
Reel, résumé, references, full credit list

Contact

Tell me what you're shooting

A script, a deadline, or a rough idea — all fine. I'll tell you quickly whether I'm right for it.

Email

hello@example.com

Nashville, TN. Available for travel, domestic and international.

What to send

Day-rate DP hire
Dates, location, format and who's directing. I'll confirm availability same day.
Full production
The idea and roughly what it's worth to you. I'll come back with an approach and a budget.
Aerial only
Location and dates. I'll check airspace, confirm what's flyable and send the Part 107 and insurance certificates the same day.
Not sure yet
Just describe the job in a sentence or two — I will ask the right questions back.

Elsewhere