We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucas Preti and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucas, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“You will succeed if you persevere”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a director of photography and Filmmaker working and living in Santa Monica, CA. I have a background as architect and professional athlete (ten years of World Cup climbing for Team Italy). The sport experience heavily shaped my character and dedication to what I do now. I retired from professional climbing at 28 and moved from Italy to California. Transition from being a world class professional to a “cinematographer like many others” in the very competitive Los Angeles market was an interesting challenge. What I soon learned was that success in the film industry can not be achieved the same way as you would with sport: dedication, hard work and motivation are not the main ingredients for a brilliant career, that was an hard lesson for me. I used to work as good as possible expecting proportional rewards but that’s not the case when you create art. Personal connections, positive attitude and networking can become assets way more important then the quality of your work. That was very difficult concept to accept. Nevertheless I was able to transition valuable skills to my new career, the most important was perseverance. Keep trying and never forget your final goals. Now, I’m managing the US branch of Coral Climb: a boutique company based in Santa Monica with expertise in documentaries, virtual reality and augmented reality. Sport is still a big part my life since we shoot a lot of the projects for climbing brands and outdoor companies. I’m experimenting a lot of ideas with augmented reality and coming out very soon with a project connected to the Covid-19 emergency. http://coralclimb.com

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Considering the fact that I’m an international citizen, I might be affecting my inputs for my friends visits. Something that I always like to suggest is. On the happy side: -a surf session in Malibu or Venice. Who lives here gives it for granted but we are very very lucky to be able to surf every day if we like… -enduro MtB in Sullivan Canyon. The first time I rode in the Santa Monica mountains I was so impressed to find out great trails so close to the city! -Happy hr at the Perch in Downtown LA, I really like the rooftop lounge and vibe of this place -Dinner ar In-n-out burgers, such a classic! -Sunset at San Vincente Mountain Park, not as crowded as Griffith and a real 360 view of LA. Sad but real: -a drive through skid row and Venice beach homeless situation just to show what’s really happening to people in need

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I really need to thank my dad for teaching me that you can always push yourself a little further than you naturally would do. He is a world renowned climber and director who produced documentaries and adventure films all around the globe for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC and RAI. He was my trainer when I was a young athlete and also my mentor when I started as a cinematographer. https://www.coralclimb.com/marcopreti

Website: https://www.coralclimb.com
Instagram: coralclimb
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-preti/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJShr-dN25PPBbL8K6MHxA
Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/coralclimb Virtual Reality 360 content: https://www.coralclimb.com/virtual-reality Personal Website: http://lucaspreti.com/Lucas_Website_Oct_17/CINEMATOGRAPHER.html