STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MATTEO MORETTI
DEEP FOCUS
Talented young cinematographer Matteo Moretti speaks on his award-winning short film , Just Being Here , his passion for flyfishing , and the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
For as long as Matteo Moretti can remember , he has always been fascinated by the beauty of nature . Long before he began to pursue his creative aspirations as a professional cinematographer , he would venture out into the wilderness and trek to local fishing ponds around his hometown of Cranford , New Jersey . As his love for fishing and natural exploration continued to blossom , he began to develop his filmmaking skills through a series of short video projects . Moretti didn ’ t know it then , but his budding cinematic efforts would eventually win him awards and accolades from several renowned independent film festivals , such as the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival .
“ I started making videos just for fun when I was twelve years old ,” recalls Moretti . “ I would take my parents ’ camera out in the woods and shoot funny films with my friends and upload them onto YouTube . As I got older , I became more interested in the technical aspects of filmmaking .”
In 2017 , Moretti enrolled at Middlebury College , where he majored in Environmental Studies and Film . Once there , he wholeheartedly immersed himself in his studies and became an active member of MiddFly ( Middlebury ’ s collegiate flyfishing community ). According to Moretti , the professional connections that he made as President of the MiddFly didn ’ t just allow him to enjoy his favorite sport – they also helped to launch his cinematic career .
Moretti was offered work opportunities by several flyfishing media companies as a result of his involvement with the MiddFly Fly Fishing Club . The time he spent working for them introduced him to the more formal aspects of the filmmaking and editing process and also stimulated his interest in cinematic storytelling . “ I spent hours on online platforms like Vimeo every day watching short films , documentaries and branded content . I learned a lot about visual storytelling by studying the work of exceptionally-talented outdoor filmmakers such as Ben Knight and Renan Ozturk . I ’ m grateful to be able to apply those lessons toward the films that I make today .”
Moretti is also thankful for the creative insight that he gained from working with his professors at Middlebury College . “ Middlebury ’ s Film Studies program places a large focus on the intellectual and analytical sides of film – which have proved valuable – but the opportunities that I had to learn about production really stuck with me . A professor named Ethan Murphy runs the production studio there . He taught me how to use film gear correctly and effectively , and he was always there to help me .”
Moretti adds that the two advisors that oversaw his senior thesis film project , Jason Mittell and David Miranda Hardy , also played an instrumental role in his creative development . “ They helped guide me throughout the entire filmmaking process for my thesis project , which ended up being the film that I submitted to the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival . Even
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