Live from Nashville: A Multicultural Approach to Filmmaking with Diego Cacho

Based in Nashville with roots in Mexico City, Diego Cacho is a cinematographer — and sometimes director — whose work spans feature films, commercials, music videos, and branded content. Fluent in both Spanish and English, he brings a distinctly global lens to every set he steps on, balancing cinematic precision with an instinct for people and atmosphere.

His portfolio includes collaborations with Hometeam across projects with artists and brands such as Maluma, Thomas Rhett, and TED. His work has reached audiences at massive scale — including one of the projects we’re most proud to have produced, the music video Según Quién by Maluma and Carin León, now approaching one billion views on YouTube. But beyond the numbers, Diego is known for something less tangible and arguably more important: his ability to create and protect the energy on set. The “good vibes” that turn productions into collaborations.

"It's empathy and it's keeping your peripheral view open and being aware of a situation and especially if you're doing something sensitive, like, let's say a doc interview and you feel like an emotion is about to come out and happen and just being aware and ready for it…maybe that's not this project where we want to have show tears or we want to push the subject too far and put them in a corner where they don't want to be in. Or maybe they are ready to just let it all out on camera, you know…camera and lighting is, obviously half the work. You know, the other half is just being human"

At the core of it all is a simple philosophy: filmmaking is a human experience first. Because in the end, the camera captures more than just images — it captures energy.

Diego’s path into filmmaking wasn’t traditional. It started in the early days of YouTube, inspired by the raw, chaotic creativity of Jackass, filming with friends in Mexico City and learning by doing. That curiosity evolved into a global journey — living between El Paso, Canada, Austin, Florida, and eventually Nashville — shaping not just his career, but his worldview.

Having worked across more than 30 countries, Diego brings a deep sensitivity to the nuances of place. For him, global filmmaking isn’t about imposing a vision — it’s about absorbing one. Whether navigating cultural differences on set or capturing stories in unfamiliar environments, his approach is rooted in empathy, openness, and respect for the space he’s in.

"You never want to make a space look inauthentic... it was all about embracing it, and, you know, all the color and, the lighting, the environment, not trying to hide it or making it overly pretty or overly grim... it's kind of like, just trying to be faithful to, to the, to the space."

That mindset extends directly into his process.

From small, high-stakes international shoots — where he’s worn multiple hats at once — to large-scale productions, Diego sees collaboration as the foundation of great work. It’s not about control, but trust. Not about hierarchy, but shared ownership of the final result.

And in a city like Nashville — where the production landscape is rapidly evolving — that flexibility matters. As music video budgets shift and commercial work expands, Diego has found a balance between creative exploration and sustainability. Commercial projects fuel the pace and variety of his work, while longer-form storytelling continues to satisfy the deeper artistic drive. 

From advocating for better working conditions and faster payments for crews, to emphasizing the importance of listening, adapting, and showing up with respect, Diego believes the success of a project is directly tied to how people feel while making it.  

Looking ahead, Diego continues to push toward new collaborations, larger-scale campaigns, and the kind of creative freedom that allows him to be selective with the stories he tells. But no matter the scale, the goal remains the same: to stay curious, stay open, and keep chasing the same sun — wherever in the world the story leads next.

To hear the full conversation, check out Hometeam’s Podcast series, Chasing the Same Sun: Global Adventures in Filmmaking below.

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