In today’s fast-scroll world, your product has less than 2 seconds to make an impression. That’s where I come in.

I’m Drew Lauer — a commercial director and director of photography in Los Angeles — and I specialize in product cinematography that doesn’t just look good, it sells. Whether I’m shooting a cosmetic product reveal, a rotating household appliance, or a chrome-drenched car hood under sunlight, the goal is always the same:

📸 Create craveable visuals that tell your brand’s story in milliseconds.

From skincare to sports cars, I’ve shot it all — often using Phantom slow motion, motion control filmmaking, and high-end cinematography techniques that deliver repeatable, scalable, and high-converting content for global campaigns.

Let’s break it down by category.

Beauty & Cosmetics Cinematography: Fluid, Textural, Precise

If you’ve ever seen a cream swirl, a serum drop gliding across skin, or a brush fluttering through lashes in slow motion — that’s not luck. That’s intentional beauty product cinematic video work.

As a beauty product videographer, I focus on:

Light diffusion and gradients that mimic skincare’s softness
Macro cinematography to highlight textures and shimmer
Slow motion cameras to elongate emotional moments
Motion control rigs for perfect choreography between camera and model

I’ve directed and shot cosmetics commercial videos for both indie brands and global powerhouses. Every project requires careful pre-visualization, testing, and collaboration with product stylists and makeup artists to ensure products look stunning under extreme scrutiny.

🧴 Tools of the trade:

Phantom Flex 4K for slow motion
Macro and tilt-shift lenses
Skin-safe modifiers and bounce boards
Studio LUX for controlled stage lighting

Whether it’s a beauty product advertisement video or a stylized product sequence for broadcast, I build each campaign to feel elevated, aspirational, and clean.

Automotive & Cars: Power, Precision, Detail

Shooting cars is a different beast altogether. It’s not just about speed — it’s about precision, control, and form.

As a cinematographer in Los Angeles, I’ve worked on everything from close-up car product shots to commercial production rolls featuring interior details, infotainment systems, wheel rims, and light movement across metal.

🔥 Key goals in automotive cinematography:

Control reflections with polarizers, softboxes, and flags
Use motion control photography for reveals and sweeps
Highlight brand cues — logos, lighting, trim, color
Use macro techniques to shoot stitching, controls, and surfaces

Whether we’re indoors at a Los Angeles video stage rental like Studio LUX or outside with drone support and daylight modifiers, I treat every angle as a chance to elevate the brand’s craftsmanship.

🚗 And yes — I shoot DP reels and BTS so you can share the process as well as the product.

Household Products: Real Function, Elevated Look

Shooting things like blenders, vacuums, air fryers, or water filters doesn’t sound sexy — but with the right techniques, it becomes visually magnetic.

As a commercial product director in Los Angeles, I’ve learned how to:

Animate user journeys in clean, intuitive ways
Film “invisible” features like suction, filtration, temperature control
Build tabletop production rigs for dynamic reveals and transitions
Use motion control filming to simulate user interactions

Product demos can feel dull without the right cinematography tips — which is why I bring a director’s eye to every scene. Even if it’s a button click or steam puff, I make sure it adds to the story.

💡Pro tip: Phantom slow motion isn’t just for beauty or food. It's amazing for demonstrating fluid motion, light cues, and internal product behavior — especially for product video in Los Angeles where competition is fierce.

Combining Motion Control, Robotics, and Drones

For complex product shots, I often integrate:

Motion control rentals (for perfect, repeatable camera paths)
Drone cinematography in Los Angeles (for exteriors or wide reveals)
Phantom camera rentals (for ultra-high-speed slow motion)

Whether you’re filming a slow motion commercial, a stylized product tease, or a cinematography reel, I can scale the crew and tools to match the vision.

Most of my shoots include:

Art department for product rigging
Lighting crew with HMI and RGB support
Food/beauty stylists as needed
Full DIT and playback system
BTS video content (because content about your content performs too)

Recent Product Cinematography Examples

🎥 Laneige Skincare Drops
Slow motion serum application across skin using Phantom and motion control rig. Textures and shine preserved in-camera. Shot at Optimist Studios.

Who Should Hire a Product Cinematographer?

If you're launching or refreshing any product in these industries:

Skincare / Beauty / Cosmetics
Automotive / eMobility
Household appliances / Kitchenware
Tech gadgets / Consumer electronics
Wellness and fitness products
You need a product cinematographer who understands the mix of aesthetic and engineering, sales and storytelling, precision and visual flow.

You need someone who knows how to design “thumb-stopping” moments that hook a viewer and drive the scroll-stopper into a click or conversion.

Final Word: If It’s Worth Selling, It’s Worth Filming Right

If your product needs to:

Pop off the screen
Tell a clear brand story
Stand out in crowded markets
Perform across digital and traditional channels

…then product cinematography isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

I offer end-to-end production or standalone DP/director services — whatever your project needs. I shoot in LA, but travel worldwide, and I bring decades of experience, top-tier gear, and a team that delivers under pressure.

🎬 Let’s make something iconic.
📍 Director + DP based in Los Angeles
⚙️ Phantom, motion control, stylists, lighting — all in-house
🎥 Watch my director of photography reels here

Product Cinematography That Sells: From Beauty to Automotives