Meet Max Grebenshchikov | Videographer

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

Hi Max, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I finished school, university, and completed my military service in a different part of the country (I’m originally from Russia), I was already 19 years old. I began contemplating who I wanted to become and started paving the way for my adult life. I explored various fields, working as a salesperson for electronics and cell phones, repairing computers, installing surveillance systems in stores, and much more. I love the IT sphere; being a tech enthusiast has always been a significant part of my life.
You can call me a Nerd 😁

Nevertheless, I still felt out of place until I landed a job as a camera operator for an events organization company. There, I first held a camera, and within a week of work, I realized that this was my calling. Since 2015, I’ve been enjoying my choice and loving my profession. I found my passion as a videographer and later as a photographer, understanding that it suits me best. I love evoking emotions in people through video, constantly creating something new, and drawing inspiration from others’ work. I confidently consider myself a creative individual, but I still merge this with computers, IT, and everything related to it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In the early stages of my career, once I learned to shoot and edit, I immediately started capturing weddings. This choice was driven by my love for shooting videos in a documentary style and always capturing people’s emotions. Each year, I honed my skills, delving into storytelling, editing techniques, watching numerous films, analyzing videos from other filmmakers, and learning from them.

In 2019, I earned a diploma from the prestigious wedding award WEVA (Worldwide Event Videographers Association), securing fifth place in the Best Cameramen category. This achievement provided immense motivation and self-belief. I intensified my efforts, experimented extensively, and delved into all aspects of filmmaking, from handling the camera to sound, color theory, framing, effects, and lighting.

I am grateful to my clients for their trust because each of my videos was crafted uniquely. Some of my works, including weddings, could resemble art-house movies, and my clients appreciated that. Perhaps this is how my signature style in video creation emerged, setting me apart by approaching my work comprehensively and always differently to deliver a unique product.

In 2021, I moved from Russia to Los Angeles, starting a new chapter in my life. It took sacrifices and perseverance, but arriving here was a dream come true. Yet, that’s a whole different story.

Continuing to experiment, evolve, and explore, I watch many educational videos, and alongside wedding videos, I’m involved in other projects. With friends, we launched a music video production (SMILE WRLD prod.), making music videos for artists. I have a deep passion for music and everything associated with it, deriving immense pleasure from this.

Additionally, I engage in creative projects, and lately, I’ve been taking more breaks from work to maintain a balance. Fearing burnout in my profession, I diversify my routine, using my DJ controller, occasionally playing music, or going hiking with my FPV drone. This allows me to recharge and accumulate energy to invest in my next video project.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Perhaps it was the road to Mount Rainier, the one in Seattle – a magical place! A few miles from the volcano, there’s a small town called Mossyrock, and there’s a little bar there called Pioneer Bar & Grill that serves absolutely fantastic burgers! Highly recommend if you’re ever there!

I discovered this place when we were driving to Seattle for shooting a music video. I would definitely go back to this bar with my friends! For those burgers, I’m ready to drive from Los Angeles to Seattle 😁

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course ! A significant role in my development is played by my close people: Tatyana G., Dmitry Z., Mike P., Igor T., Max B., Alexander A., and Stas P. These individuals have supported me from the very beginning, and I miss you guys a lot. I hope we’ll meet again soon.

After moving to the USA, I gained new friends who provided me with a tremendous amount of energy, knowledge, support in learning the English language, belief in me, and much motivation to become better!

Arina Balerina, Frank (Kerrigan Production), Narzi Nazhmudinov, Alex Mercurij, Abdulrahman Hamdi, Sasha “Pocketski”, Lev & Nina Camalov, I love you immensely and am grateful to you!

Instagram: Mg.flm