Meet Johnny Ferro

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Johnny Ferro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Johnny, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I started out as an actor 20 years ago, which I think has given me a pretty good base for both dealing with rejection, and knowing how to give something a shot and let it go if it doesn’t work out. The second part took a long time, and I definitely used to attach my self worth to whether or not I was booking roles. Over time I’ve learned that it’s much healthier to have other irons in the fire, creatively speaking, and to let those roles come up when they come up. So now I’m always working on making something myself, whether it’s with friends or for hire as a cinematographer, editor etc.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

About a year and a half ago, I went to Malta to shoot a documentary with 2 friends. I’d always shot things here and there for myself, but this experience pushed me towards being behind the camera in a real way, and opened my eyes to how good it feels to use the skills I’ve acquired over the years working on sets of all different sizes, and paying attention to how things work at a high level in film. I came back from that trip, and bought all my own gear. Since then I’ve made a few short films and other projects that have been really fulfilling creatively, and while I love and have so much passion for acting, it’s been wonderful to work without waiting for someone to cast me.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the number 1 quality that has always helped me is just paying attention on set. On Hand of God (Amazon) I would hang out in video village whenever I wasn’t on camera. I think if that show had gone past 2 seasons I would’ve found a way to direct an episode. Talking to people, being curious about how the other parts of the machine work. Never stop learning, would be my advice.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

I’ve really been honing in on what my style of cinematography and photography is. The way I see things and how to capture moments in a way that feels unique to my eye. Ive been working a lot recently with Jordan Rountree. He’s a long time friend and creative partner on a number of projects including Tandem, a comic book we co-created that I illustrated, and he’s been really encouraging in my development of my visual creativity, and we have a few projects coming out soon that I hope people will love. I wish I could share these now, but hopefully you won’t have to wait long.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.johnnyferro.com
• Instagram: @johnnyferro
• Other: Johnnyferro.photography – separate website for photography and cinematography (still in progress)

Image Credits

Profile photo of me: Melissa Blue
Other photos: Johnny Ferro