Time-coded notes
Second-by-second notes on the hook, pacing, retention dips, cuts, B-roll, audio, lighting, framing, graphics, story and whether your title, thumbnail or promo matches what's on screen. Each one is marked Fix, Try or Keep.
New book · Coming soon
Production Cheat Codes: How to Make Professional Videos for Every Social Media
by Scott Pellegrino
Video drives emotion, and lighting is everything. When the sound, lighting or framing is off, viewers don’t complain. They just tune out.
I’ve spent 15+ years in media production and operations, starting with Radio-TV degrees from SCCC and SIU, and I built RollWithIt, the bus-conversion YouTube channel now called SjPellegrino, to 71,000+ subscribers and 17 million plus views. Production Cheat Codes puts what I’ve learned into one practical guide to making professional-looking videos for every social media platform.
- PDF digital downloadLaunches first
- HardcoverComing soon
- SoftcoverComing soon
Not on sale yet. Email scott@sjpellegrino.com and you’ll hear when the PDF is ready.
Look inside
What’s inside this book
Seven real pages from Production Cheat Codes, exactly as they appear in the book.
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P. 4Table of Contents
The whole map
Six parts and 18 chapters, from lighting and sound to the rules for every platform.
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P. 6Introduction
Who this book is for
The first page of the intro: who the book is for and why you should listen.
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P. 8Introduction
What a cheat code is
Six pro shortcuts that cost nothing, plus what this book is not.
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P. 22Chapter 2 · Lighting
A Cheat Codes box
Five lighting tips you can use today. Every chapter ends with a box like this.
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P. 51Chapter 7 · Gear
Gear picks by budget
Specific mics, lights and editing apps, with ballpark 2026 prices.
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P. 139Stories from the set
Working with Joan Rivers
The first page of Scott’s story from Joan Knows Best?, and the wardrobe lesson Joan taught him.
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P. 169The Evidence
On set with Billy Crystal
“Mom, I made it!” One of the photo pages from the book’s evidence section.
Email me when it’s out
- PDF digital downloadLaunches first
- HardcoverComing soon
- SoftcoverComing soon
Page images are from the final draft and may shift slightly in the printed editions.
Media & video consulting
Producer's notes for every kind of video.
I watch your content the way a TV producer and YouTube executive producer does, then hand you time-coded notes, production upgrades and niche research your team can act on right away. YouTube, broadcast, branded, streaming, social and podcasts.
Notes and direction, not editing. You or your editor make the changes.
- 15+ yrsoperations, media production & sales
- 16M+combined subs across 5 gaming channels I executive-produced
- 4.5M+subscribers across 3 family channels I produced for
- 3–7 / daypieces executive-produced for a daily YouTube news network
- 71K · 17M+Channel I built in under a year
Past credits include
- Storage Hunters
- Container Wars truTV
- Invention USA History Channel
- The Strongest Man in History History Channel
- Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?
- SourceFed / DeFranco Creative
- Sky Does Minecraft Productions
- Twin Toys
- Meatball Inc.
- What's Trending
- NBC Universal
- RollWithIt
What you get
Three things that make video better.
Production-quality upgrades
Practical gear, lighting, audio, set and workflow changes sized to your budget: free fixes this week, small-budget upgrades and the next big step. I recommend; you buy and set up.
Custom niche research
Who's winning in your space and why: outlier videos and episodes, format and packaging patterns, content gaps and audience demand signals, turned into specific ideas you can make.
Better production gives viewers, and the algorithms that serve them, more reasons to stick around. I can't promise numbers, and nobody honest can. I'll show you exactly where your content is losing people and how to fix it.
Services & pricing (USD)
Start with one video. Go deeper when it's useful.
Single-Video Review
$120
one video or episode under 20 min · $170 for 20–30 min · +$75 for each additional 1–10 min
- 25–40 time-coded notes, each marked Fix / Try / Keep
- "Top 3 Fixes" summary your editor can act on without a call
- 3–5 production upgrades at your budget
- Title, thumbnail or promo alignment check
- Delivered in 5 days as a doc, with optional screen-recorded walkthrough
+$100 for a 30-min live call
Pay $120 · under 20 min Pay $170 · 20–30 minOver 30 min? Pay the $170 tier, then add +$75 for each additional 1–10 min. Paste your video link at checkout. Questions first? Email me.
Channel / Show Deep-Dive
$650 / $950 / $1,200
3 videos · 5 videos · multi-format or long-form
- Time-coded notes on 3–5 pieces (best, worst and most recent)
- Patterns report: the issues that repeat across your content
- Production upgrade plan in three budget tiers
- Custom niche research: competitors, outliers, gaps and 10 ideas
- 60-min review call and a prioritized 30-day action list
Delivered in 10–14 days
Book a deep-diveMonthly Content Coach
from $900/mo
ongoing notes as you publish
- 4 pieces reviewed per month (pre-publish cuts preferred)
- Monthly niche update with fresh ideas
- Async title, thumbnail and promo checks between uploads
- One 45–60 min call a month
- Production check-ins as your setup evolves
3-month minimum, then month-to-month · limited spots
Ask about availabilityAdd-on: Production Systems Session $300–$500
For teams adding uploads, editors, crew or their first sponsors: production calendar and workflow design, editor and crew brief templates, talent and post-production handoffs, and sponsor-segment structure. A 90-min session plus a written workflow doc, drawn from years of running studio crews and daily production.
I don't edit. I give the notes; you or your editor make the changes. No guaranteed views, subscribers or ratings, just specific, actionable fixes and a fast turnaround.
Who it's for
If it's video, I can give you notes on it.
YouTubers & creators
Long-form, Shorts, vlogs, gaming, family and how-to channels that upload regularly and want to hold viewers longer.
Brands & marketing teams
Branded content, commercials, product videos and sponsor integrations that need to land in the first few seconds.
Local TV & production companies
Broadcast segments, local programming and client work that would benefit from an outside producer's eye.
Podcasters & video podcasts
Multi-cam setups, audio, framing, pacing, clips and episode packaging.
Streaming & social video
Series for streaming platforms, plus vertical video for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Churches & nonprofits
Livestreams, services, event recaps and fundraising videos from volunteer and small-staff teams.
How it works
Three steps. No passwords.
- 1
Book or buy
Start with a free 20-minute fit call, or request a review directly. I'll recommend the smallest option that actually helps.
- 2
Send your video
A link to a published video or a private/unlisted cut, plus your title, thumbnail or promo and any analytics screenshots. I never need your login.
- 3
Get your notes
A time-coded document (and optional walkthrough video) your editor or crew can work through line by line.
Sample notes
This is what a review looks like.
Notes are specific, timestamped and written so someone can act on them without a meeting. Every review opens with the three changes that will matter most.
Example only. The video, timestamps and notes shown here are fictional and illustrate the format, not client work.
TOP 3 FIXES
1. Payoff arrives at 0:48. Move the reveal tease to 0:05.
2. Audio drops ~6 dB outdoors (6:10–7:45). Re-level or add a lav.
3. Thumbnail promises a "challenge"; video is mostly unboxing.
HOOK / FIRST 30 SECONDS
0:00 FIX Logo sting + "hey guys" = 7 sec of nothing. Open on 3:12.
0:12 TRY On-screen text with the stakes ("Can they finish in 10 min?").
0:24 KEEP Reaction close-up. Great energy, hold 1 sec longer.
PACING / RETENTION
2:05 FIX Dip starts here: 40 sec of setup, no new info. Cut to 12.
9:40 FIX Second dip. Same joke repeated. Cut.
AUDIO / LIGHTING
1:10 FIX Music fights dialogue. Duck music −10 dB under voice.
0:30 TRY Window behind host blows out. Turn camera 45° or add a key.
PRODUCTION UPGRADES
$0 Film facing the window, not with it behind you.
Small Wireless lav for outdoor segments.
Next One soft key light for the indoor set.Case study · RollWithIt
I built a channel from scratch, on camera and behind it.
After years producing for other people, I created and co-hosted RollWithIt: a series documenting the conversion of a school bus ("Number 93") into a tiny home on wheels. In under a year of bus content it grew to 71,000+ subscribers and 17 million plus views. I ran it like a show: formats, a fixed publishing schedule, packaging and a growing library.
- The run
- Under a year of bus-conversion content, covering the May–December 2017 build on Long Island, NY
- The library
- 180+ videos in the channel library
- The positioning
- Billed on the channel's own pages as the most-viewed school-bus-conversion series on YouTube
- The reach
- Covered by TinyHouseDesign, Alternative Missoula and Life in a Bus; a local press write-up said the videos got "hundreds of thousands of views"
- The business
- Monetized through YouTube network partnerships, with inbound brand-collaboration offers
71Kpeak subscribers
17M+17 million plus views
Most-viewedschool-bus conversion series on YouTube, per the channel's own pages
Watch the channel on YouTube at @SjPellegrino.
About Scott
Control room to creator studio.
Scott Pellegrino is a television and digital video producer born in Queens, NYC and raised on Long Island. He studied Radio and TV Production at SCCC and Radio-TV at SIU. He was a studio production manager at NBC Universal on Jerry Springer, Maury and Steve Wilkos; worked on History Channel’s Invention USA and The Strongest Man in History; field produced for CNBC through ITV Studios; was production manager on Logo’s In the Big House (developed as WeHo Wiseguys); and line produced for Sullivan Productions. He was executive producer of What’s Trending live at SXSW for Samsung and Director of Programming and Production for Discovery DN’s DeFranco Creative.
His own school bus conversion series, RollWithIt, grew to 71,000+ subscribers and 17 million plus lifetime views, and about 90 percent of it was shot on cell phones.
He brings a serious depth of production insight from experience: not just technical know-how, but an emotional toolbox too. It’s experience he was paid by high-end networks to acquire.
Scott is the author of Production Cheat Codes: How to Make Professional Videos for Every Social Media. His autobiography, The Life and Journey of S. Pellegrino: Not the Water, is coming soon.
His children’s picture-book series, The Adventures of Butter and Dr. Bob Latte, is out now: Book One is available as a $4.17 PDF, with the printed softcover and hardcover coming soon. Buy Book One at ButterAndBob.com.
You can also find Scott online at ThePellegrinoFamily.com.
Follow Scott on Instagram at @dr.bobscoach & @howtocheatsocialmedia.
Watch Scott on YouTube at @SjPellegrino.
Credits listed are past work. I'm independent and not currently affiliated with any of these companies or channels.
Selected credits
- 2020Meatball Inc. (Night Media)Operations Director / Executive ProducerMultiple YouTube channels; writers, puppeteers and producers making daily family content
- 2020NewScape Studios Inc.SupervisorProduction management, oversight and support for an animation studio with multiple branches
- 2019Sullivan ProductionsLine Producer / Senior Field ProducerBudgets, permits and a traveling and local crew of 22; floor director for A-crew scenes
- 2018–19The Strongest Man in History (History Channel)Production ManagerFreelance contract with Entertainment One
- 2018Twin ToysConsulting COO / Executive Producer3 family channels, 4.5M+ subscribers; sponsorship videos with guaranteed view thresholds
- 2017RollWithItCreator, Host & ProducerSchool-bus conversion series; 71K peak subscribers, 17 million plus views
- 2015–16Sky Does Minecraft ProductionsConsulting COO / Executive ProducerDaily content across 5 gaming channels, 16M+ combined subscribers
- 2015What's TrendingExecutive Producer / Director"LIVE SXSW" for Samsung: 6 hours of daily live coverage over 3 days at South by Southwest, interviewing A-list talent premiering films
- 2014ITV Studios (CNBC)Field ProducerClassic car sales and build series; story development, field directing and episode writing
- 2013–14DeFranco Creative / SourceFed (Discovery Digital Networks)Director of Programming & Production3–7 pieces daily for a daily news network; 1M+ combined views on average in 2013
- 2013Container Wars (truTV)Field Producer16 episodes
- 2012–13Invention USA (History Channel)Segment Producer (S2) · Production Coordinator (S1)
- 2011–12Storage HuntersProduction Manager16 episodes; supervising location producer on 1 episode
- 2010–12Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?Production Coordinator
- 2010–11Southern Fried StingsProduction Coordinator
- 2010Niecy Nash's Wedding BashProduction Coordinator
- 2009–10NBC UniversalStudio Production ManagerJerry Springer, Maury Povich and Steve Wilkos
- 2008Southern Illinois University CarbondaleB.A., Radio-TelevisionElectronic Media Marketing & Management
- EarlierSCCCDegree, Radio and TV ProductionJunior college
TV credits per IMDb and ProductionBeast; work history per LinkedIn. View IMDb profile →
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Do you edit my video?
No. I give producer notes and direction. You, your editor or your crew make the changes. My notes are written so they can be acted on without a meeting.
Do you guarantee growth?
No, and no one honestly can. What I guarantee is specific, actionable fixes and a fast turnaround. Better production gives your audience more reasons to stay, and that's what drives growth over time.
Is this only for YouTube?
No. I review YouTube videos, broadcast segments, branded and commercial spots, streaming series, social/vertical video and video podcasts. The fundamentals of hook, pacing, sound, picture and story apply to all of them.
What do you need from me?
A link to the video (published, private or unlisted), your title/thumbnail or promo, and, if it's published, screenshots of your retention or audience analytics. I never ask for passwords. If you'd like me to see analytics directly, you can add me with a view-only role.
Can you review a cut before it's published?
Yes, and that's the best time. Pre-publish notes mean fixes land before your audience ever sees the video.
How fast will I get notes?
Single-Video Reviews are delivered in 5 days. Deep-Dives take 10–14 days. Monthly coaching clients get notes on each cut as it comes in.
When are you available?
Evenings (Central Time) and weekends. Calls are booked by appointment, and email replies come within 48 hours.
Will you keep my unreleased content private?
Yes. Unreleased videos and analytics stay confidential. I only quote clients or share excerpts with written permission.
The autobiography
Coming soonThe Life and Journey of S. Pellegrino: Not the Water
by Scott Pellegrino
From a college control room in southern Illinois to network reality TV, YouTube studios and a school bus turned tiny home, this is the story behind the credits: the work, the people and the life in between.
Want to know when it's out? Email scott@sjpellegrino.com or follow @dr.bobscoach & @howtocheatsocialmedia on Instagram.
Let's roll tape
Not sure where to start? Let's look at one video together.
Book a free 20-minute fit call, or email me a link and tell me what you're making.