Pietro Villani, a cinematographer with some serious roots in Brooklyn, calls LA home these days. He’s been around the block—scratch that, he’s been around the globe—shooting everything from indie flicks to big-deal commercials and docs for the last couple decades. That’s twenty years, give or take, hustling behind the lens and making stuff look killer. He didn’t just fall into this gig, either. The guy’s got the paperwork: a BFA from Chapman University, and then he doubled down with an MFA from AFI, where, fun fact, he scored an internship with Allen Daviau ASC. Yeah, *that* Allen Daviau. Not exactly your run-of-the-mill mentor. You can imagine the kind of stories Pietro picked up during those days—probably more than a few late-night shoots and wild set tales. People in the industry have taken notice, too. He snagged the Emerging Cinematographer Award from the International Cinematographer Guild Local 600, which is kind of a big deal if you’re into that side of the business. You don’t get that kind of nod unless you’ve got genuine chops and a bit of grit. All in all, Pietro’s not just another camera jockey. He’s got the training, the experience, and the creative vision you want if you’re trying to make something that actually looks good—not just slapped together. Brooklyn edge, LA polish, and two decades of grinding—it all shows up in his work.
