Today we’d like to introduce you to Preston Maestri
Hi Preston, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a Cinematographer born and raised in Los Angeles. Most of my work is focused in music and narrative mediums at the moment. I can honestly say I feel incredibly fortunate to work in these spaces, both of which have been passions of mine since I was young.
A lot of my taste was shaped by early Youtube. Music videos like “Hey Ya” by Outkast, “Breaking the Habit” by Linkin Park, and “Gives You Hell” by the All-American Rejects really were what sparked my interest in filmmaking. I probably spent hundreds of afternoons as a kid just watching old music videos and short films. I was always drawn to the visual side of storytelling. Eventually I started learning to shoot and cut things together in middle school. Something about pairing images with music always captivated me, and it’s a itch that never really went away.
By high school I had begun actively making short films with a group of friends. At first I thought I might be an editor, but after seeing the film “Birdman”, I fell in love with the art of cinematography. I was blown away by Cheevo’s ability to capture such visceral, intimate moments, despite all the challenges of shooting long takes. I felt like it really opened up a lot of creative avenues for me.
I started attending CSUN in 2015, where I met a lot of my current collaborators. I was accepted into the cinematography program. Around the same time, I got a job as a tech at a local rental house. I often found myself getting off work exhausted, and having to drive across town to spend hours in night classes. It was tough juggling both, but I think it really gave me a healthy balance of practical and creative experience. I was always very interested in how technical elements could open up new avenues for creativity, so cinematography really felt like it came naturally to me.
Since graduating, I’ve thrown myself into making Cinematography my career. It hasn’t been an overnight journey, but I’ve been fortunate to work on some fun projects with incredibly talented people.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all, I think any filmmaker can tell you it’s an incredibly challenging career path to undertake, especially in recent years. I graduated right before than pandemic, so any momentum that myself or others had coming out of college came to a sudden halt with lockdown. Then came the industry-wide strikes and the general slowdown over the last few years, it’s been challenging to the say the least. Early on I was always very frustrated by the lack of external opportunities, but you quickly learn that you just have to get comfortable making your own, and try to find others who are doing the same.
But, by far, I think the most difficult part about it all has always been the uncertainty. There’s really no secret recipe to finding success in this industry; you just have to learn to accept what’s within your control and what isn’t. Once I embraced that mentality, it became easier to focus more on the things that matter—improving the quality of my work, putting myself out there, and finding meaningful ways to collaborate with others.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always aimed to be a cinematographer who makes bold choices. My goal is to create work that feels instinctual, visceral, and energetic—something that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. Maybe I’m a bit selfish in that way, but there’s so much content out there to compete with. I think if you’re not spending as much time as possible polishing your work, then it’ll never really stand out.
Lately I’ve been really focused on heightened realism. I want images to feel natural, but somehow more beautiful and powerful-dream like even. I’m becoming more comfortable with taking liberties in my pursuit of more contrasty, colorful imagery. I’m constantly pushing myself and my team to explore those principles in everything we do. That’s one of the reasons I love working on music videos. They provide a platform to experiment with new camera movements, lighting techniques, and opportunities to capture surreal visuals that you can’t see anywhere else.
What makes you happy?
Well, a lot of things come to mind—my friends, my family, and my hobbies—but above all, it’s being around people who truly care. We live in a world where it’s very easy to not care about anything. We’re becoming increasingly detached from each other, and so many just want things faster and not better. But, to work in a creative industry, you really have to be passionate and gentle with your work for it to be rewarding. The paychecks aren’t always huge, The hours are long, and often you’ll find yourself doing much more for much less. But I’m fortunate to collaborate with people who are just as invested in their work as I am—people who are willing to work long hours, sacrifice their free time, and pour their energy into making the world a little more interesting. There’s no better feeling to me than watching the crew light up when we finally capture that perfect shot. It’s those moments that make it all worthwhile. So at the heart of it, I really just want to create stories and images that people connect with. It’s simple, but I think it’s something worth living for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.prestonmaestri.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestonmaestri/
Image Credits
Jeremy Colegrove
