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Lucky Bandit is a documentary and commercial production company based in Gainesville, Florida. We've been making films since 2017 in the Florida and beyond.

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A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing a black sleeveless top, standing outdoors with a man in front of her. The woman has tattoos on her arms and is holding the man’s hand. The man has short brown hair, is smiling, and wearing a black T-shirt with a skeleton holding a wine glass and the words "Volta Coffee". They are in a patio area with white decorative concrete blocks and greenery in the background.

Human stories. handled with care.

Lucky Bandit started in 2017 as Rhyme and Reason Films, a collaboration between filmmakers Zach Read and Lex Read. That partnership has taken us all over the map and into documentary, commercial, and branded work for clients big and small.

The name changed. The approach didn't. We came up in video journalism, and it shows: we're drawn to naturalistic, human stories, equally fascinated by the grit of the human spirit and the absurdity of life.

We're also hard to rattle. Our work has taken us into sensitive, delicate territory again and again, and we know how to move through it with care. We stay steady under pressure, adapt fast when plans change, and leave our egos at the door. Clients, crew, and the people in front of our camera all get our best, and we work to leave everyone better off than when we started.

Today, Lucky Bandit is a full production company. Zach and Lex lead every project, backed by a trusted crew of cinematographers, editors, and producers we bring on to match the job. You get the same eye and the same standards, at whatever scale you need.

Work With Us

Documentary

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Commercial

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Branded Content

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Production Services

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Stills

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Documentary ✳︎ Commercial ✳︎ Branded Content ✳︎ Production Services ✳︎ Stills ✳︎

The Crew

  • A woman with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a white t-shirt with black overalls and tattoos on her arms, standing in front of dark curtains.

    Lex Read

    Director, Writer & Producer

    Lex is here to make good work that means something. With ten years of experience telling stories for national and global audiences, and a PMP certification behind her producing, she writes, directs, and produces with a big heart and a sharp sense of what will connect. She cares deeply about the people in front of the camera and the people watching. Her work has been made for Spotify, NBCUniversal, and Memorial Sloan Kettering, and she also runs Bandit, our sister creative studio.

  • A young man standing outdoors looking up at the sky, with trees around him and a clear blue sky in the background.

    Zach Read

    Director of Photography & Editorial Lead

    Zach makes it look real, because it usually is. With roots in nonfiction, he shoots grounded, naturalistic images for brands like Meta, Pfizer, and The New York Times, and for Oscar-winning directors. He leads our camera and editorial teams, from first frame to final cut. You can view more of Zach’s work on his website.

  • Logo with the words Katie Baird and a yellow illustration of a bow and arrow on a dark background.

    The Bandits

    Behind Zach and Lex is a bench of cinematographers, editors, producers, and crew we trust. We build each team around the project, so you get exactly what the job needs and nothing you don't.

    Our crew's work has been commissioned by Meta, Spotify, Pfizer, The New York Times, Vice, NBCUniversal, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

SELECTED WORK

Partner with us

Agencies, studios, and production companies: we're your crew in Florida and your partners anywhere else. We can take a project from concept to delivery, or plug into yours as camera, editorial, or local production.

PMP-certified producing keeps your project on schedule and on budget, and we work easily under your brand, your process, and your NDA.

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