Max Ferigo's Journey from MySpace to Madonna

For Modern Post’s Max Ferigo, music has always been a major source of inspiration. His project highlights include Madonna’s two-hour ‘Rebel Heart Tour’ concert film, collaborations on numerous music videos with Warner Music Group, and high-profile campaigns for luxury brands such as La Mer and Tom Ford. Blending impeccable attention to detail with extensive hands-on experience, Max brings a holistic approach to post-production.

Max was born and raised in Italy but moved to New York almost 10 years ago, a blend of cultures that has allowed him to refine his understanding and appreciation of beauty and style. Growing up in Rome established Max’s foundational mindset that “every detail matters”, which is exemplified in his campaigns for luxurious high brow brands.

As an editor, colourist, and finisher, Max’s unwavering enthusiasm never fails to fuel a fresh project. LBB’s Lucy Briggs caught up with Max to discuss all about visually striking work, evoking emotion and why creativity has no boundaries.

LBB> Your passion for creativity started when you were a teenager. Can you share one of your favourite, or most memorable experiences from when you first started filmmaking?

Max> I started with small projects, like music videos in Italy, which I posted on MySpace. After a few of those, a producer from Universal Music France came across my work and hired me for one of his projects. It was my first time working with directors and photographers instead of handling everything myself, which was overwhelming but exciting too. At the time, I thought the work was great, though I probably wouldn’t watch it now. The first big project I cut was Sushy’s 'Don’t Kiss Me, Just Eat Me’ music video, which I think is a hilarious experience looking back, and it ultimately led me to other opportunities.

LBB> You’ve worked with artists like Madonna and Selena Gomez. To what extent is music a source of inspiration to you? What is your relationship with it like?

Max> Music is a major source of inspiration to me. I always have my headphones in, playing something, and I often go through phases with different music genres–whether it’s movie soundtracks, deep house, techno, electronic music. It tends to have a pretty powerful effect on both my mood and the work I create.

LBB> Do you have an editing hero and if so, who? Why?

Max> I think I would have to say William Town. His editing feels like it exists in another dimension–it’s almost 5D–and every time I watch one of his edits, I feel like there’s so much to learn. Sound design is a major part of Will’s vision, so you need a great sound system to fully appreciate the depth of his edits. A perfect example of this is Mugler ‘Alien Hypersense’, which I find myself listening to on repeat. His editing has this quality that is beyond natural, and once you see it, you can’t help but watch it on loop.

LBB> Your professional career began working on music videos throughout Europe. How did this experience help you as you stepped into the commercial market?

Max> When I first started editing music videos, the budget was limited, but the references were expansive, with artists drawing inspiration from the U.S. and London. Even with a tight budget, the work had to be polished and precise to meet the artists' expectations. In commercial and beauty projects, it's quite similar—every detail matters and the goal is to make everything look as expensive and flawless as possible. Working on those music videos helped train my eye to recognise what is visually striking, desirable, and cool. And the experience refined my understanding of beauty, style, and what resonates with audiences.

LBB> Commercially, you’ve worked with luxury brands such as La Mer and Tom Ford. Are beauty and fashion brands a particular passion of yours, and how do you approach the creative challenge that they pose? What makes those challenges unique?

Max> I started working in beauty by chance, but I’ve always been drawn to fashion because it offers more room to be weird, creative, and experimental. It allows for flexibility to create something unique. Creativity has no boundaries in this space. Even though some brands and agencies are more traditional, you can still introduce nice colours and evoke certain feelings. Sometimes, you want to make a project fresher and add a bit of spice and the edit becomes about striking a balance between what a brand is known for while still making it feel new.

LBB> Moving from Rome to New York, what differences did you notice in the working cultures and styles between the two markets?

Max> They really are two different worlds. When I lived in Rome, everything had a more conservative and modest feel, both in lifestyle and in video work. There were clear boundaries, and there were things you just couldn’t dare to do. Italy, with its insane luxury—clothes, cars, architecture—has an elegance that comes with its own set of rules. But New York is a completely different story. Here, I can take more risks, be more open, and let my creativity go wild. The energy in New York invites me to push boundaries and explore new ideas.

LBB> You have hands-on experience across all aspects of the filmmaking process, but what relationship would you say is the most important to you today in your practice? 

Max> I believe every relationship is important today because things move so quickly, and it's great to be able to speak with people in real-time. The creative vision often comes together through a combination of production and post-production work. Since production happens in real-time, post-production is often the only way to make things work and fix the issues that arose during production—the details the client dreamed of but got lost in the process.

LBB> You are an editor, colourist and finisher. How does your ability to move across disciplines help when you’re working on a project? 

Max> As someone in post-production, being able to switch between editing, colour grading, and finishing gives me a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of how to approach a project. It helps guarantee that the client’s vision comes to life and streamlines the process, as all adjustments can be made by one person. After learning colour grading and retouching, I’ve trained my eye to know what something will look like even before it’s finished. This allows me to save footage that would otherwise be considered unusable. Moving across disciplines not only lets me improve elements that aren’t working, but also helps me visualise the final product by paying attention to colour, finishing, and overall flow. This ability to integrate all stages of post-production helps streamline the process and make the final product exactly what the client envisioned.

LBB> What are your thoughts on AI and incorporating it into your creative process?

Max> I haven't learned much about AI yet, but I don’t feel threatened by it. I think, in my line of work, it's more about quality versus quantity. Those who are deeply invested in film and art aren’t likely to fully embrace AI. The precision required for some tweaks simply isn’t something AI can replicate, and the results often look like video game graphics. AI will help us in many ways, but you'll always want to work with clients who value the art and the creative process—those who enjoy collaborating side by side to shape the final product.

LBB> Which other technological advancements are you excited by right now and why? 

Max> I wish there were faster machines that would allow you to play every heavy effect in real time because once the timeline reaches many layers, everything starts lagging. Rendering takes forever, slowing down the entire process and interrupting the workflow.

LBB> Finally, can you share a recent project you are particularly proud of? 

Max> I worked on a Mugler campaign that I'm excited about. There are lots of visual effects, and great sound design, and the talent involved was top-notch. It was such a cool project all round.