Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin May.
Hi Justin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born to two loving, blue collar parents from the Midwest and was raised in a small farming community outside of St. Louis, Missouri. From a young age I always had a camera in my hand, taking photos and videos of anything and everything I could find. Once I got into high school, I took a huge interest in the school’s morning news program, eventually working up to become the executive producer. It was there that I met a local assistant director, who introduced me to the industry. After graduation I went on to film school where I fell in love with narrative and commercial work more than live broadcast and decided to focus my efforts on cinematography. My freshman year of college I had the opportunity to work on my first feature film and was instantly hooked. I cut my teeth working 12-14hr overnights during the night and going to school during the day.
From there, I used my new found connections to begin working in the local industry first as a PA and then a key grip. Working while also attending school forced me expand my knowledge and network quickly. It also allowed me to take things that I saw happening on set and apply them to my own projects, empowering me to push myself and experiment in school. As I was graduating, I immediately transitioned to fulltime freelance work mostly in the grip and electric departments. I am so thankful to have been a key grip for several years during this phase and learn from some incredible cinematographers. Getting to be a part of creative discussions and hearing other cinematographer’s logic behind each frame really helped me to continue honing my own tastes as DP. From there I spent several years climbing the rungs of grip and electric, working hundreds of different commercials, movies, and music videos before making the transition to DP full time in 2021.
In 2022 my wife, my gaffer, and I made the decision to make the big jump out to LA. For me the move to Los Angeles was about continuing to push myself, learn, and grow every day. LA has allowed me to meet so many amazing people who have each taught me something new. Since being here I have had the chance to travel around the country and around the world doing what I love! I am so so thankful to have an amazing family and wife who supports me on this journey as I continue to chase the next project. I am also blessed to have worked with some extraordinary teams who have helped me to get to where I am at now.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road. Every journey has its bumps and mine is no exception to that!
I think that some of the biggest challenges that I have faced all have to do with finding my place in industry and knowing when to take big risks and when not to.
I can recall specifically my frustration with my lack of upward development in the years leading up to my move to LA. Stagnation can be a tough problem to shake off. I have always been the self starter type, but it can be immensely frustrating not seeing results come to fruition. In these situations I have found that it is extremely important to have a great group of people around me. For me it is not only my family but also some wonderful collogues and mentors,
It is so easy as a DP to feel like you are the only one experiencing these frustrating situations, whether they be financial, professional, or situational. Having a great network of people around me has been so important to remind me that I’m not alone on the journey. They have taught me how to be both resilient in the face of unprecedented times and patient with myself as I grow. Like with life outside of filmmaking, I have found that each new carrier challenge pushes me to be both a better person and a better cinematographer.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a cinematographer, also called a director of photography. I specialize in taking what the director sees in their head and bringing it to life visually. This consists of two main areas: creating a visual language that will help to convey the message that the director or client wants and leading a team of technicians to reach a common goal. Creating a visual language is something that I think is an ever evolving skill that is unique to each director and DP combination. Something that I would say that I am known for is helping to translate a directors creative thoughts into actionable and concise goals that I can discuss with my gaffer, key grip, and assistant camera team. Having come from a crew background before becoming a DP, I am uniquely suited to be fluent in conversations with both above the line logistics and below line creative technicians.
I would say the one thing that I am most proud of is also the thing that I hope sets me apart from others and that is the teams that I bring to the table. I have always prided myself on creating a collaborative environment where everyone feels like they have creative authorship over the film we are making. It is super important to me that the people I bring on to set are not just great creatives but also great people. This has led me to having some incredible teams on projects I shoot.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something some people might not know about me is that I love to play volleyball. I even play in a league down on Santa Monica beach on Sunday afternoons and have ever since I moved to LA.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.justinmayfilmmaker.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinmay_dp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.may.334839
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-may-31254917a/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9750636/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Image Credits
Spencer Peck
Justin Usami
Graham Bishop
