A house, 2022-06-20
The DIY career and the importance of being a geek
Photographer, copywriter, filmmaker and creative. Creative John-Jamal Gille has done more than many. From working for several years in the advertising and music industry, he has now taken the plunge into the world of Stockholm fashion. We talked about frostbitten fingers on set in Luleå, learning on your own and tips for those who want to get into the film industry.
What is the situation?
– It feels like the world is waking up right now and I’m really looking forward to sharing all the creativity that comes as a result.
There are rumors about a new job, do you want to tell us more?
– Life can take some really crazy turns, one day I’m a freelance consultant doing my best to time the medicine right every day – and the next day I wake up and am a senior project manager at the Swedish Fashion Association (and still struggling to time the medicine). They have entrusted me with the leading role for Stockholm Fashion Week and I can’t be anything but grateful, it’s a great responsibility and I look forward to working with the rest of creative Sweden to show our best face both abroad and at home.
What is your next dream project?
– I’ve rarely had dream projects for myself, my work has always been in service to others. Somewhere because I’m a fan first and creative second – but also because I’ve really only worked to stay above the surface. Right now my dream project is to make a Stockholm Fashion Week that can grow. But I also notice that my creative thoughts that come just for the sake of creativity are starting to grow again now that I’m not freelancing anymore.
How did you get started in film?
– It actually started with graphic design when I was in high school, because it was the only creative thing I understood how to do on the computer. Later I learned to animate in After Effects, and after that I bought a video camera and started fantasizing about light and shadow. I’ve used whatever was available to be creative, and try to do a lot with very little.
You’ve done a lot of challenging recordings, do you have any funny anecdotes from sets?
– One recording that I will never forget and often mention when asked is the music video recording for “Goose” with Michel Dida and the Bennett brothers, now Deki Alem. Dida wanted a winter video and I suggested a snowy location in Stockholm – “But I want really winter!” he says. So we went to Luleå and got help from the Lejonhjerta sisters and others, but I had never been that far north. It was -27 degrees in the sun and I thought my Timberland boots would protect me. If it hadn’t been for a family we worked with during the day who had a heated van for their snowmobiles and extra coveralls, I don’t know what would have happened to the shoot and the team (which, by the way, consisted only of myself and Sofia Aedo Zahou).
Sam and Johnny lost feeling in their little fingers for almost two weeks after filming.
Is there anything you would like to say to people who are just starting to make movies?
– Do exactly what you want, and get to grips with the technicalities of story, image and equipment. When you know your equipment and understand the relationship between your idea, your conditions and your subject, you are much more likely to deliver something that makes an impression.
What inspires you and your aesthetic?
– There’s a painting by Alexander Roslin that my mom had a print of in the living room when my brother and I were little that I could stare at for a long time every day, The Lady with the Veil. There was something about the colors and the feeling that painting gave me that I think shaped my aesthetic to some extent. People often say that my productions don’t feel Swedish and I can take that as a compliment, but social realism seems to be a theme my work constantly revolves around.
If you could change one thing about the film industry, what would it be?
– The price to start and the visibility of the doors. Many people don’t see film or photography as an option just because of the cost of getting a camera or because they don’t know about the programs. I myself have not attended a program outside of high school for what I do, but I see the value in a program as an entry point for those who do not want to rely solely on luck and timing. That said, “showing up is 80% of success”.
Are there any movie creators you would like to recommend?
– I rarely find inspiration from Sweden, but there are a couple of teams that I feel are doing their own thing and doing it well without a larger team. ofbendz from Malmö, Romantic Synergy in Stockholm, Sofia Aedo Zahou, and everything that Paul Adamah does.