Motiejus Barauskas – Visual Empath & Storyteller – Gaffer

I am Motiejus Barauskas, a Los Angeles-based gaffer and AFI Conservatory graduate with a passion for visual storytelling. My journey began in the contrasts of Lithuania’s unspoiled nature and urban life, evolving through a global path of learning and exploration—from London to Korea, Singapore to Hollywood.

I see filmmaking as an art of empathy—a dance between light and shadow, intuition and collaboration. With a background in cinematography, I adapt to every project’s scope while amplifying the vision of talented cinematographers worldwide. Together, we craft stories that resonate deeply, evoking the universal emotions that connect us all.

My work spans feature films, shorts, music videos, and commercials, collaborating with brands like Disney, Nike, and Chanel, and working alongside talents such as Hamish Linklater, John Carroll Lynch, Zachary Quinto, Asia Kate Dillon and Margarita Levieva. From Tribeca premieres to SXSW showcases, the films I have contributed to have been celebrated across the globe.

To me, storytelling is about living the questions, embracing the unknown, and daring to perceive the world with open eyes and an open heart. It’s an ongoing journey—seeing, feeling, and creating with honesty and depth. To express a perception, not an impression of reality. Poetic, one that is perceived by the heart, not the eye.

The collaboration between the departments with a unified effort to tell one story, working towards the same goal, is the most inspiring story of all.