Rising Stars: Meet Johanna Brooks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johanna Brooks. 

Hi Johanna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was recently asked when I was a child, what did I want to be when I grew up? The obvious hit me hard. I have always said an artist, and here I am making that my reality… which is pretty rad because not everybody is doing what their 6-year-old self imagined. In high school, I filled up my schedule with as many photography & painting classes that I possibly could until I went off to attend The Kansas City Art Institute to get my BFA in Digital Filmmaking, never actually having made a film before. I graduated in 2014 and took a small break from art. Around 2015 I stepped on my first commercial set and was hooked. All of the art I had previously done was more video installations and performative art, and I had no idea how lucrative the commercial industry in KC was. I production assisted for a few years, assisted in wardrobe, production coordinated, worked as an AD, and still shot video content for smaller businesses under my own name. I really just tried to dip my toes into all aspects of production that I possibly could. I started to Direct Castings which I found to really love and that is honestly one of my main streams of income at this point. In December of 2019, I started working at Sprint as one of their in-house Director of Photographers, and for the first time, I felt seen as a DP. Not only a DP but a woman of color working in an industry filled with white men. That job, unfortunately, didn’t last very long due to Covid shutting everything down in March and it was a big bummer but in the midst of the pandemic, my friend and creative partner, Alison Peck and I decided to do something “crazy” and open up a studio; Story School. At first, the space was simply a home away from home. Story School was somewhere we could get away and focus on our work and be around like-minded creatives, but it has become so much more than that now. Essentially overnight, it became an all-female ran production company, and we have been able to snag some larger clients in the last year, which I honestly never imagined. 

This past year, I have been able to truly feel more confident in what I do. Obviously, imposter syndrome will strike every once in a while, but I have had the opportunity to shoot some really cool things for NFL, MTV, Sprint, and as of recent, a docu-series that will premiere on HBO in the spring. I just feel really good about where I am headed and I am excited to be involved in this industry that’s finally starting to create space for women, LGBTQIA, and people of color to tell their stories. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I mean, it hasn’t been a smooth road necessarily but it hasn’t been a complete mess. I have always felt like I have a ton of support from the people I work for and with though and that has made all of the difference. I guess sometimes I feel like I am still having to prove my myself to others as a DP, but honestly, those are my own insecurities peeping out. I used to (still do) have really bad imposter syndrome. Sometimes so bad that I would completely disqualify myself for a job and that has been one of my biggest personal challenges to overcome. I take jobs now even when I “feel” unqualified for, because I know I am actually very qualified. Sounds silly and cliche but lately when I feel like that, I tell myself out loud, “I literally can do *anything* I want to.” 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
A lot of my work that I currently create is more docu-style commercial stuff. I don’t really know what I am known for, but I feel like maybe I specialize in capturing the moments that are right in front of us, but we might not pay as much attention to the details? It’s sounds so simple, but I can get DOWN with shooting b-roll all day. Like shooting up-close shots of random shit on the mantle during an interview, or close-ups of people’s hands creating things. It’s all just butter to me and I get too excited about it. I would also say that I have ALWAYS been attracted to shooting the human body. My work in college contained a lot of naked bodies and topics surrounded by being a woman, and what femininity means to me. The human figure is just so damn mesmerizing to me and re-watching recent work, I still see that seeping through what I shoot to date. The intuition I feel around body movement has now gotten me to shoot a lot for dancers. I have created pieces for KC Ballet, Quixotic, and several other choreographers. I consider my movements with my camera to be a dance within itself and having the ability to dance with my camera and capture the dancers feel so good. I am honestly just proud of where I am at right now with my work and the confidence I have found over the last few years. The more I create, the better I get, so I just hope to continue picking up my camera, even if it’s just for me. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Just do it. Do it all. Hop on set and watch everybody in each department do their job. It is still always so WILD to me how much of a team is needed to create a video production, and everybody has put their own individual expertise into it – it’s just really cool tbh. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Walk up to the Director and DP on set (when they are not busy lol) and ask them things about their job. I don’t know if there is necessarily anything I wish I knew before because I think a huge part of the process is to make mistakes and learn from them. I am still learning every day and that part of my job will literally never end. 

Contact Info:

• Email: JohannaBrooksFilms@gmail.com
• Website: https://JohannaBrooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johannabrooksfilms/

Image Credits
BobbiLo Studio