Few words about me:

Pentru limba românǎ / For Romanian version Click HERE

I am the Director of Photography of one of most popular romanian tv commercial ever:”Teletech, Starwars / Laser bro’ “ Link here: Laser, bro TVC

My Love for taking photos (and for the Light) started while I was my Father's "assistant", back in the days. He loved to take pictures on film, on a Contax / Kiev photo camera, he was the first to teach me about framing, measuring the lights and how to develop the film and photos. It was kind of magic to see how the black and white pictures started to appear slowly, in the red light, on the photographic paper, in the developing chemicals tray.

Later, while being in the UNATC Bucharest College, I started to be also attracted to the Portrait and also in the TV Commercial kind of lighting and Image.

There is nothing accidental in the frames filmed by me, my Light, the way the image looks and how it is composed, the acting game. Basically, each frame contains a part of me, of my soul, of that particular "I" existing on the set at the time of filming.

In 1994, I graduated from UNATC, film and TV image section, in the class of teachers Vivi Dragan, Vlad Păunescu, Radu Nicoară, Alexandru Solomon (well known romanians Directors of Photography).

During college (and a few years later), I collaborated mainly as an Director of Photography on my college friends films: Radu Muntean and Vali Hotea

I then continued filming some documentary shorts (some awarded), directed by Radu Muntean, courtesy of Vivi Drăgan / Visual Arts Foundation:

In 1994 ”Lindenfeld 1994”, directed by Radu Muntean, FAV

In 1996. “Life is elsewhere ”, directed by Radu Muntean, FAV

In 1995, I collaborated as an operator/ director of photography on the first fiction short film (out a total of 5), for a French television.

In 1996, also directed by Radu Muntean, a fiction short film, this time: “The tragic love story of the two”, TVR, 1996. (image in collaboration with C.Chelba).

In 1998, I was a cameraman at Castel Films, for the feature film “Shrunken City”, cinematography by Vivi Dragan, directed by Ted Nicolaou.

The same year I was invited by Tudor Giurgiu to film videos for Atomic TV, where I collaborated mainly with the director Vali Hotea, but also with Giurgiu.

From the music videos I would mention: "Don't forget me" / RACLA & Anda Adam, "Stop pulling us over / Vama Veche,"Casino / IRIS, "Adeline" / Timpuri Noi, "With burnt soles "/ BUG Mafia, "Family problems"/ La famiglia, "I want to forget you"/ 3SE, “By your heart"/ Vunk & Maria and then, a few years later:

"I'm going to Mars" / Smiley & Cheloo, "The Child Who Runs to the Sea" / VAMA, "Scandal" / Spike, "Turnin'" Fat XXL ft Alex Velea and others that can be seen on this link: Max's Music Videos

Returning in 1998: I started (for 8 months) collaborating with Prima TV, where I have worked with the director Titus Muntean and Vali Hotea.

At the same time, I filmed the musical feature film, “Legacy”, directed by Vali Hotea.

At Prima TV I have filmed - as a TV Director of Photography - the New Year’s Eve show “ Revelion 1998-1999”.

In the following years, I have started to be requested for TV commercials (Castel Films) on which occasion I've met the directors:

Ovidiu Bose Paștina,

Cristian Mungiu,

Cristi Puiu,

Bogdan Naumovici.

Naumovici is the director for whom I filmed with great joy some of the commercials which have remained in the memory of many, respectively those containing the expressions: “Laser, brother!”; "The black one heavily breathing, was his pops, yo!”, “But you kept on: Batman Batman!”, “How much for the robe? Over there it was cheaper!”

In advertising, I also collaborated with the directors: Henri Bassil, Tudor Giurgiu, Vali Hotea, Gus Olafsson, Tom Wilson, Jose Maria Del Orbe, Chris Bartle, Radu Bărbulescu, Matt Vane, Anton Groves, Enrico Satta, Tony Fiori, Ziad Barazi, Howard Guard, Ram Baruch, Eduardo Vasquez, Florin Serban, Iulian Moga, Spike, Olivier Legan, Liat Dahan, Marius Moga, Can Ulkay, Christoffer Vibenius, Annika Westerhult, Andrei Cohn, Hypno and others.

After 2003-2004 I began to be asked to film liquid and food in slow motion frames, that would later be integrated into other commercials already filmed or, independent slow-motion commercials, becoming the first Romanian professional in this field.

I became very interested in how the frame should look, how a slow-motion frame should be illuminated, what type of projectors can be used, and also, how to make the frames look very tempting, especially since many of them were images of fruits, beer, food, etc.

Also, the high-speed digital cameras of that time did not have the technical performance they have now, and a suitable technical lighting formula had to be found.

In 2008, I filmed as director of photography, a fiction short film, “Nina”, directed by Ruxandra Ghitescu.

Since 2009, my professional activity in high-speed / slow motion filming and what is called in English “tabletop”, attracted the attention of some foreign producers who invited me to work high-speed and tabletop commercials in:

India (3 times), Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, France, Italy and others. Sometimes as a director, other times as director of photography.

I became the first Romanian tabletop director and also the first Romanian to film such commercials in other countries.

I love the Light and its processing on set, but I also had the very pleasant opportunity to direct some actors who appeared in the food project commercials.

I also want to mention some of the advertising agencies I collaborated with:

McCann Erickson Bucharest (many beautiful years), McCann Erickson Bangalore India , Leo Burnett Bucharest, Ogilvy & Mather, Grey, Draftfcb, Y & R, Graffitti BBDO and many more.

The production houses I worked with: Castel Films (kindness of Mr. Vlad Paunescu, who was also my teacher), Mitra Film Bucharest, Film Factor, Avanpost production, Family Film Bucharest, Multi Media Est Bucharest, Saga Film Bucharest, 116 Films VIetnam, Dijital Sanatlar Istanbul, Bang-Bang Film India, Rising Sun Films India, Global Films Lebanon, Silver Gray Saudi Arabia.

In recent years I have had the pleasure of directing beautiful commercials, recommended by Tino Furtuna (Holograf), with his production house "Film Factor".

I recently directed some acting commercials, again with great pleasure.

I really like working with Light and actors and adding elements that can improve (or even create, sometimes from scratch) the story of an advertisement.

Thanks to customers for their trust. Among them, I would mention: Vodafone, Pizza Hut, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Staropramen, C2 Vietnam, Britannia biscuits India, Al Marai Saudi Arabia, ETI Turkey, Carrefour, Edenia, Lidl, Always, Devin Bulgaria, Müller, Dr. Oetker, Gerovital, Orange, Olympus, Dada Kazakhstan, Ülker Turkey, Danone, Hochland, Solnechniy Kazakhstan, Cotnari, OMV, Nutline, Bergenbier, Agricola, Pate Ardealul, Cocor store, Tofu Inedit, Ciuc, Albalact, Leroy Merlin, Morarita, Altex, Maggi, Ursus, Scandia, Dorna, Telekom, Policolor, Dedeman, Caroli, Cif Domestos, Rompetrol, Holcim, Napoca ice cream, KFC, Chisinau beer, Lenor, Biscuits Poieni, FocusSat, OvidiuRom, Banca Transilvania, Râureni.

Many thanks also to the advertising agencies and collaborators.

You can find my ads and videos on maxlemnij com - the first page that opens, Director works being the one with my work as director.

If you want to see a montage of my best images (the montage is not the shortest, well, many beautiful images have gathered over time) you have a direct link here: For my best pictures montage click here

In the year of the pandemic, I have directed, on my own, (and with humor, I would say 😊) an interview film entitled „The pipe overhead”, about the Paralympic champion Florin Milciu Click here for the Film about Milciu

If you want to know more about my new Image and Light course in Photography and Film, you can access this link: link info course Max

Thanks for your attention.😊

Max Lemnij