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Serious work. Light touch.

Stories that lead, edits that land, ideas that stick.

Commercial director, cinematographer and editor creating branded and documentary work.

A smiling young man wearing a baseball cap and black jacket standing outdoors among a group of people in a park with trees and grass.

Hi! I’m AARON LY


I’m a story-driven director, cinematographer and video editor based in Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau, creating emotionally resonant work across film, digital and commercial worlds.

My work sits between emotional sincerity and understated humour, grounded in a focus on authentic human behaviour - the subtle moments, reactions and connections that make stories feel real and engaging. I aim to create work that resonates with audiences by balancing emotional clarity with a distinctive visual approach.

Known for a thoughtful and collaborative approach, I work closely with artists and teams to build trust and creative ease, creating environments where ideas can evolve naturally and authentic performances can emerge. Visually, I combine stylised realism with strong cinematic craft, using light, atmosphere and composition to shape tone and bring stories to life.

With over a decade of award-winning experience across commercials, branded content, online campaigns, documentaries and short films, I bring strong narrative leadership alongside hands-on expertise in cinematography and editing - shaping projects from concept through to final delivery.

At my core, I love collaborating with great people and creating work that feels honest, purposeful and human.

Think of me as an extension of your team, let’s chat about bringing your next project to life.

select projects

SERVICES

An director and editor working across commercials and branded content, comfortable leading projects end to end or integrating seamlessly into agency and production teams, bringing together trusted collaborators as each job requires, with a focus on craft, clarity and delivery.

OFFLINE EDITING

ONLINE EDITING

COLOUR CORRECTION & GRADING

SOUND DESIGN & EDITING

2D MOTION GFX

VFX - COMPOSITING

PHOTO EDITING

cinematography

VIDEOGRAPHY

LIGHTING

CAMERA OPERATION

CAMERA, LIGHTING & SOUND GEAR

tvcs

BRANDED CONTENT

DIGITAL

FILM & TV

POST PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Three people behind the scenes of a filming set in a kitchen. One man with headphones talking to two women; one in a red shirt with hands on hips, and one in a black shirt with a hand on her chin. There is camera equipment around them.

visual storytelling

A man operating a professional film camera on a green screen set, with film equipment and crew members in the background.

POST PRODUCTION

Astronaut in spacecraft holding a green Carlsberg beer bottle in space with earth visible through the spacecraft window.

selected brand work

Lead director and video editor across campaigns for notable brands:

The image features the word 'AUT' in large, outlined white letters on a black background. Below, there is a red banner with white text in Māori that reads 'TE WĀNANGA ARONUI O TĀMAKI MAKAU RAU'.
Text that reads 'THE ROCK' in bold red letters.
Close-up of the IMDb logo in yellow and black.
The logo of 'The Edge' in light blue text on a black background, with the words arranged diagonally.
Mitsubishi Motors logo with three red diamonds above the black text 'MITSUBISHI MOTORS'.
Warner Bros. Discovery logo with a shield emblem and company name in blue text.
The Wendy's logo featuring a smiling girl with red hair in pigtails and the word 'Wendy's' written in red.
Logo with the words "The Breeze" in bold teal lettering, with a curved line underneath.
Black logo with a feather and the text 'All Blacks Tours'
Air New Zealand logo with black text and a stylized black fern leaf to the right.
More FM logo with the text 'Today's Best Music Mix'.
Logo of 'The Sound' featuring black concentric circles with a yellow banner displaying the words 'The Sound' in black text.
Close-up of a black cat with yellow eyes, resting on a dark background.
Rova logo in orange text
Text reading 'EMROD' with a lightning bolt inside the O.
Colorful neon sign with the word 'LOVE' in pink and blue lights.
Logo of Te Tahuhu o te Mātāuranga, Ministry of Education, on a purple background.
Close-up of the red KYK logo on a white background.
DoorDash logo with a stylized red 'D' and the company name in red letters below.
Logo with blue steam rising from a bowl, and the text 'Te Mângai Pâho' underneath.
Black and white line drawing of a wizard or sorcerer wearing a pointed hat, holding a staff, and casting a spell.

Get in touch

A young boy and an adult male sitting at a dining table having a conversation, with bowls of food in front of them, in a cozy indoor setting.