We sat down with Leif Johnson, a newly-signed director at Movidiam Talent to find out what makes him tick as a creative.
Who is Leif Johnson? What’s the deal?
I’m from Manchester and grow up there in the 80’s and 90’s when it was deemed to be the coolest city in the UK. I was obsessed with the music, art and pop culture coming out of the North West at that time. As well as the influx of creativity at home in Manchester, I was starting to be influenced by filmmakers from Hong Kong and Japan. Working in a kitchen for £2.50 an hour at the age of 13, I managed to pay off a hi8 camcorder to shoot short films with my friends on the weekend. I would show the films at school and parties in front of a packed room, which seemed amazing. This was way before you could upload to YouTube etc. I was hooked and I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Where did the name Nordic Neon come from?
My name is nordic and I have a penchant for theatrical and interesting lighting in my work. I’m a child of the 80’s and I love the neon aesthetic, plus I like the alliteration.
You list martial arts as an interest, has this ever come in use on set?
I have always loved filmmakers such as Sammo Hung, John Woo and Jackie Chan. Their editing techniques and understanding of how to capture big physical sequences are as good, if not better than the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Busby Berkeley. I learned how to edit by watching their films and ended up taking up Kung Fu in my teens. Working with martial artists and stunt guys on set was made easier by having a good physical understanding of the choreography.
With a background in editing, how important do you feel this is to inform your directing?
For years I couldn’t call myself a director, more the editor on set making sure I got the shots needed for a good edit. I now feel very much like a director, having learned the many facets of the job over time. But I still approach every shoot with an editor’s mindset. I think it’s very important that a director’s vision should include pace, tone and coverage.
How did you get into the industry?
I guess everyone’s journey is different. Mine has not been a straight line and I’ve darted about a lot. Starting my career as an editor in TV before moving onto studio direction and videography for social content. Then I moved in-house in different ad agencies, working closely with creative teams and clients to produce cost effective TVC and online adverts. Now I’m freelance and still love working closely with clients to help the production process run as smoothly as possible.
Do you think your agency experience gives you an advantage over other directors to better understand the client’s goals?
Most definitely. I have more empathy when it comes to agency and client side. I’ve had a lot of time exposed to them and what they have to deal with. I think it’s important to keep that in mind and understand there’s more going on behind the scenes.
You bring a hyper-real aesthetic to a lot of your work, where do you draw this inspiration from?
My on-going mission as a director is to make life seem more interesting, entertaining or poignant. Film/Video is an amazing medium that allows you to take things to the next level, give you multiple options on how to tell a story, engage and entertain. Part of my job can be to draw on obscure pop culture references then adapt them to bring a video to life. Whatever the project, it must stand out from the noise and make an impact.
How has the way you create content changed over the last couple of years?
I’m constantly adapting and learning. Over the past couple of years I’ve started to really enjoy working with actors more than ever, collaborating to get great performances.
Do you see a place where music videos and branded content could meet?
For sure! I think some bands have been playing it safe way too long and the fun has been sucked out of a lot of advertising and content.
What motivates you about making content?
I will always try and find the humanity, humility or humour in something. People will resonate with the content you produce. My favourite films or adverts have always made me feel something.
Where do you see the challenges coming in the industry over the coming years?
Online content is forever changing and as the goal posts continuously move, it’s going to create more problems and confusion. The main issue I find at the moment is shooting for drastically different aspect ratios to accommodate different platforms. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it does create practical challenges when shooting.
Let’s talk about your recent short Kowloon Killers, a martial arts film based in Hong Kong or was it? I understand that the whole film was shot in London?
Kowloon Killers was my homage to Hong Kong action cinema in the late 80’s, early 90’s. It seemed like a fun project and something I knew a lot about. The stunt team I worked with were amazing and the choreography was on point. Shot on location in Hastings and Portsmouth, but art directed to look like dark neon lit Hong Kong.
What were some of the biggest challenges of shooting film?
Shooting anything comes with challenges and they seem to be different every time. You’re kept on your toes and should always be ready to adapt and think around problems in a creative way, sometimes for the better. I would say that time and money are the biggest or most common issues. I don’t think this ever really changes regardless of the size of the production.
You don’t make things easy for yourself either… I hear you’ve also recently shot a period drama. What’s next…?
I tend to push myself and try and go that extra mile. It’d be pointless to make something mediocre. The period film was a learning curve and I discovered a lot about the 18th century and how difficult it is to shoot period in the modern world. The next venture is a feature film called “Freitag”. A stylised thriller/horror based on the Italian Giallo Horror genre. It’s based in the Austrian Alps and follows estranged siblings with a dark secret.
You have a mixture of comedy, corporate and commercials in your reel. Do you think it’s important to work on a diverse set of projects to keep fresh?
I think it’s a shame that directors can be pigeon holed into making the same kind of content over and over. Great for keeping in work, but I like to explore different projects and play with a variety of styles and narratives. My one constant is my approach to the subject matter and heightened aesthetic.
One of our favourite projects is the ad for Logic that involves a domino-style sequence that ends with the vape coming together. How many takes did you have to do on this to get it right or did you practice a lot of camera movements in advance?
The only real thing in that video is the hand at the start and end, the rest is CGI. The product wouldn’t fall like dominos and the physics were all wrong to do it for real. I loved the process of directing the CGI work flow and managing the clients exceptions without slowing down the process.
In a crowded industry, how does Leif Johnson stand out?
There are a few key things I pride myself on…
I try and make sure there’s a fun atmosphere on my shoots. When you have long days and need to concentrate for long periods of time, the last thing you want is a stale atmosphere. Also, my energy and enthusiasm. I’m not the type of director that hides behind a monitor. I’m more at home stood with the DoP engaging with with actors. I’ll always strive for more and tend to over deliver, I can’t help myself. Above all I feel that all that energy is seen in the final product.
