Max Gutierrez is a Director/DP with a knack for capturing those sly “wink and smile” comedic moments that make audiences feel like they’re in on the joke. He’s most at home working with celebrities and pro athletes: high standards, short attention spans, and a hard out before lunch? Perfect. As a proud dad, Max brings humor, heart, and a healthy dose of chaos-wrangling to his lifestyle and narrative work. Years of parenting, coaching youth sports, and pretending he’s still cool enough to hang with the teens have honed his storytelling instincts — and his patience.

His work has been recognized by industry giants including Adweek, Ad Age, The Drum, The One Club, The ADDYs, and the Young Director Awards at Cannes. Recent spots for DraftKings and HBO brought home a Clio and an Emmy, which look great on the shelf.

A San Francisco native, Max graduated from UC Berkeley, got his start at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and later earned his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and a garage full of half-built LEGO sets and retired cleats. He’s still learning to surf — a work in progress — with a style best described as a bear balancing on a log.