If 2019 goes anything like 2018 did for Laura Jansen, director of photography, then it’s a good thing we are catching up now. The past year was a whirlwind of commercial, narrative and music-video filming.
“A lot of new doors opened professionally for me,” said Jansen. “I expanded and worked with bigger brands, names and directors than any other year.”
And that list of names is impressive, including: The Black Eyed Peas, Shakka, AlunaGeorge, Nissan, Telemundo, NBCUniversal, SYFY, Google, YouTube, Herbal Essences, Bissell, and Volta.
Jansen’s work as a DP also included two feature films, one filmed on location in Virginia and one in Burbank, California.
In Virginia, Jansen worked on the feature “Brie’s Bake Off Challenge” with director Emily Aguilar, who also attended LMU School of Film and Television. When Brie hears of a spring bake-off challenge happening at her school, she does everything she can to win first place. The only thing standing in her way is her arch nemesis, Vanessa. Who will win this battle of the cake mixes? “Brie’s Bake Off Challenge” is in post-production, with a release date in early 2020.
The second feature Jansen worked on is “Complex Living,” in which an aspiring fashion designer quickly finds herself falling for the noisy new neighbor next door. The movie is directed by Joseph Brandon and stars Cissy Wellman, Diana Matlak and Cameron Place. Jansen’s work on “Complex Living” will be seen in the middle of 2019.
Jansen also worked on an animated feature film, “The Adventures of Bunny Bravo.”
“I shot the live-action scenes that will bookend the film,” Jansen said. “I consider it to be some of my best work. I am blown away by how well the crew all worked together and what we accomplished – we really did create magic.”
“The Adventures of Bunny Bravo” was directed by Daniel Lusko and stars Katherine McNamara, Gregg Sulkin and Steve Guttenberg. The feature was produced by SuperDopeTV, which is in talks with a bigger animation company to secure distribution.
While we wait to see more of Jansen’s cinematography on the big screen, if you click on the music video for Shakka’s “Man Down,” that’s all her work there. Shakka has a large following and the video for “Man Down” has now surpassed 17 million views.
Repeat business has played a key role in Jansen’s success and that foundation gave her the courage to expand into new areas. “I continued my working relationships with a lot of the same directors and producers,” Jansen said, “but I also got to work with some people who I’ve really wanted to collaborate with for some time.
“In 2018, I had my eyes opened and my beliefs challenged and I’m so excited to see what 2019 will bring.”
