Powers That Be
Janssen Powers is a native Seattle filmmaker currently based in New York City. His career as a young cinematographer has taken him all over the globe, from Iraq to Antarctica — he never seems to stop. We found a few minutes to chat with him between shoots about how he got his start, and where he’s going next.
Tell us about yourself a little. Where did you grow up and what got you into film?
I’m originally from Seattle. I moved to LA for college but dropped out when I was offered a job playing music at a church back in Seattle. The church’s video team needed help making videos for weekend services, so I got involved, and quickly fell in love with filmmaking.
A year later I sold my guitars, bought a 5d, and left the church to work as a freelance filmmaker.
What were some of your first big jobs, and how did that impact your career?
One month after my 21st birthday I responded to an unbranded ad on Craigslist for a temporary motion graphics editor at an unnamed company. I sent through some examples of my After Effects work and was asked to come in for an in-person interview. The day of the interview I plugged the company’s address into my GPS, and after a 45-minute drive found myself sitting in the parking lot at Amazon headquarters.
The interview went well, and I was hired on a three-day job. When the job was over, I was asked to work on another project, which turned into another project, which eventually turned into almost two years of exclusively freelancing at Amazon.
During those two years, I saved enough money to buy a RED camera and eventually transitioned from an in-house editor at Amazon to freelance DP
What prompted your move from Seattle to NYC?
My wife and I moved to New York looking for a change. At the time we had only ever lived on the West Coast, and New York represented an exciting new challenge for us both. We didn’t know anyone in the city but decided that we’d try it out for a few years and see what happened.
What’s it like working as an independent filmmaker in NYC vs. Seattle?
It’s similar in some ways and different in others. You don’t need to live in a major market like New York or LA to tell make compelling films, but my work has definitely improved since the move. In New York, I am surrounded by so many other talented filmmakers and artists, which is simultaneously challenging and inspiring.
What are you working on right now?
This year I’ve made a conscious effort to invest in personal work. I purchased an Aaton XTR PROD 16mm film camera in January, and have used it on a personal project in Iraq as well as a personal project filmed in Alaska.
Since moving to New York I’ve been shooting less and directing more, and just wrapped a branded piece I directed for Stella Artois shot on 16mm.
Tell us about the most technical or difficult shot you have pulled off recently. What did you do to prepare physically and mentally?
I’m currently shooting a series of live one-take performance videos for VEVO using a techno-jib on a stage. I tend to be pretty hands-on with the camera on set, so directing camera movement from behind a monitor 50' from the camera has been a fun new challenge.
How has using Freefly gear changed the way you shoot, or what you shoot?
The MōVI eliminated the gap between many of the shots that I imagined in my head and the shots I was actually capable of pulling off.
My first MōVI was an M5, which I purchased at a time when I was primarily shooting low-budget documentary work in developing countries. Shooting with the M5 made a massive impact on my work, effectively allowing me to capture “big budget” looking shots while in remote locations by myself.
What are the specific skills or outlooks that have allowed you to stand out in such a competitive space?
I invest a lot of time into building relationships with other filmmakers. Nothing has had a more significant impact on my work than the artists that I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with.
Project 5 years into the future, what do you want to be doing?
Making films that inspire me with people that I enjoy!
