MATTHEW FERRAIOLO (PAL)
Justin Hartley - Newport Beach Film Festival x Nobleman
At 17, I photographed major celebrities at the Newport Beach Film Festival and landed two published images in Nobleman Magazine. Five days. Three massive events. Zero time to waste. If you want to make it in entertainment press, you don’t get handed prime access just for showing up with a camera. You have to earn it, stay sharp under high-pressure chaos, and outwork everyone else in the room.
| "You’ll never know what’s possible until you give it 100% and believe."
- PAL
EVENT 1: NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL (THE MAIN STAGE)
The Prep & Floor Tag Reality: The week kicked off at the pre-party to scope out the venue, photograph guests, and get
completely set up before the chaos hit—the smartest decision of the night. On the red carpet, floor tags matter
because they dictate where you’re officially allowed to stand. You can’t force your way into a zone you aren’t credentialed for,
but once cameras start firing, people crowd them anyway. Holding your ground requires absolute physical precision
and confidence. I didn’t make it onto the red carpet, but I got behind the scenes and positioned myself near it,
capturing shots of the talent posing and photographing everyone around me. That way you still get red carpet shots and stand out,
since you’re covering both behind the scenes and the red carpet. Once the carpet wrapped, the night moved
to the after-party and since I was under 21, I wore a special wristband to cover the 21+ after-party,
shooting a DJ violinist on stage to capture the electric atmosphere while capturing striking portraits
and group photos of high-profile attendees through the night.
DJ Violinist - Newport Beach Film Festival x Fashion Island
The Gear & Field Setup: Keep it simple. You don't need complex rigs to execute high-level press coverage. In my
bag, I keep it minimal so I can move fast: a Canon EOS R6 paired with an RF 24–105mm and an RF 100–
400mm, powered by a Godox V1 PRO C flash. Add extra batteries, high-speed SD cards, rapid export tools, and
Lightroom Classic pre-configured with my presets, and I'm ready to roll the moment I step into the pit.
Variety Celebrity Breakouts: Day 2 brought out Variety’s Top 10 Honorees, including Inde Navarrette, Miles
Teller, Mckenna Grace, KJ Apa, Esmé Creed-Miles, Mariana di Girolamo, Guitarricadelafuente, Summer H.
Howell, Jaafar Jackson, Ray Nicholson, Joseph Zada, Jack O'Connell, Sosie Bacon, and Sarah Finn.
Photographing main stars like Inde Navarrette and Jaafar Jackson requires a keen sense of urgency and
solo/group posing under extreme time constraints. The most important asset I learned as a solo creator when
competing against wire services is "speed is non-negotiable": I edit and deliver assets within hours so publicists
have immediate social media coverage.
Nobleman Collaboration & Finale: Day 3 delivered a massive career milestone: a direct collaboration with
Nobleman Magazine. I secured clean solo and candid shots of actor Justin Hartley, resulting in two of my
images officially published. While also being able to connect to other talented artists and people in the field for future collaborations.
Day 4 wrapped up the festival run at the gardens where we got to photograph a live-performance, sponsors, and attendees.
Then ending the night at the theater premieres capturing the red carpet action and the introductions of the film.
EVENT 2: THE BUREAU LA FASHION WEEK
Sandwiched right in the middle of the film run, I covered two fashion shows in a single night. Fighting for
runway position in a packed photographer pit is exhausting, requiring rapid thinking and zero hesitation on the shutter.
Once the runways wrapped, I spent the rest of the night networking with organizers and artists to build high-value industry connections.
House of Grace Hurley - The Bureau LA Fashion Week
EVENT 3: SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Covering indoor and outdoor panels alongside red carpets required constant adjustments to changing lighting
conditions. Though, connecting with other professional photographers in San Diego triggered a eye-opening mindset shift: pushing past 100%
capacity to 200%. Listening to how they market their skill sets to businesses, consistently growing multiple media platforms,
and the steps they took to build every aspect of their business and life.
The Real-Life Balance & Late-Night Reality: People ask about balance, but at 17, the truth is simple: there is no
magic balance. It's about eliminating time-wasters. I have zero games on my phone because they are an
unnecessary distraction. I prioritize sleep as much as possible because your body can't recover or grow without
it, but sacrifices are mandatory. Lastly, you’ll only learn from the consistent work you put in and the connections you make.
6 Rules to Beat 99% of Your Competition
1. Master the mechanics under pressure: Flash management, shutter settings, and spatial positioning must
become automatic muscle memory.
2. Enforce the 6–to–12 hour rule: As a solo creator, rapid delivery turnarounds dictate your value to publicists
and festivals.
3. Genuine Outreach & Clear Terms: Nobody wants a cold, generic email. Build genuine connections, present
real value, and clarify marketing requirements, image usage rights, and copyright the moment you get in the
door.
4. Learn from veteran creators: Put yourself in rooms where you get mentored and forced to level up.
5. Don't skip from A to Z: Respect the micro-improvements and grind through the journey.
6. Do so much work it's impossible to fail: Put in the sheer volume, eliminate distractions (zero games on
phone), and show up every single day.
Live A Life Worth Fighting For
- PAL
