MAESTRO AND STEBS

These kids are killing the web video game right now.

LEVI MAESTRO

This is actually a video shot of Levi but not made by him - I felt like it introduced him better than most of the videos he shoots himself - see the link below to check out his actual work

This kid moved out to LA a couple years ago and wanted his own television show. So he started making it himself. He grabbed a Panasonic camcorder and shot, hosted and edited his own online show called Maestro Knows. Along the way he made a ton of connections and now he also shoots video for some of the biggest brands and musicians in the world.

This guy travels all the time but I still manage to run into him every once in a while out in LA. You may not love all his videos, and you might not understand the underlying plan behind all of the moves he's making, but you cannot knock this kid's hustle. Plus, a lot like Stebs, he has a really positive attitude that seems to shine through in his work.

Check out MaestroKnows.com for all of his videos including footage of him doing everything from touring Japan with Eric Koston to partying in Vegas with Jermaine Dupri and Nelly.

STEBS


About two weeks ago I came across a video this kid made and then I tracked down his website. Matt and I ended up watching almost his entire portfolio of work in a single sitting. I never let the fact that someone is a complete stranger keep me from contacting them - so I wrote this guy an e-mail, just to say 'Good work, keep it up' and ask a couple technical questions about the equipment he was using. I never really expect a response but this kid actually wrote me back the very next morning - and he answered all my questions and then some.

Anyway he has a studio outside of Boston. He's shot a few things for some large sites online but nothing too major yet. It's just a matter of time - he has a very rare level of cinematic style. Trust me, this kid is going to blow up one day soon. Check out his stuff at PaperFortressFilms.com

P.S. Why web videos and who cares about random guys filming themselves riding their bikes? Well, as bandwidth expands over the net - online video is becoming even more ubiquitous. And because of advances in technology, large ad agencies no longer have a monopoly on production for major brands. Now all that matters are your skills, a decent portfolio and a handful of connections. Plus most content is going straight to the web - so brands like Nike can afford to be riskier and hire some punk kids with a DSLR to shoot something for them and it's virtually no risk because the production budget is negligible and there's no cost associated with the 'media buy' like paying for television commercial time.

Now you start to see why guys like Levi and Stebs are a bit more noteworthy than the average 25-year-old juvenile delinquents. And now you understand why we've been spending Lakers-Season-Tickets-type-of-money on high-end lenses and European imported camera equipment.