John Barrett is a Hollywood, CA based cinematographer, steadicam operator and certified drone pilot, with his own production company called Barrett Media Co. Throughout John’s career, he’s relied on Core SWX batteries to power him through on set for a variety of different music videos and corporate commercial shoots. Keep reading below to see how his Core products are beneficial, his creative process when tacking a project, and more.
1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your company, Barrett Media Co.
My name is John Barrett and I am a freelance Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator and Drone Pilot. I started Barrett Media Co in 2015 as a video production company, but quickly realized what I love most is filming. I still take on projects as a producer quite often, but my main focus these days is production.
2. What is your creative process when tackling a project?
When we enter pre-production on a project I try to be as involved as possible to not only help the team pull things together, but also to gain insight on how to make something meaningful. Location scouting can be tedious, but I honestly find it inspirational to each project. Gathering crew members I can trust and have faith in is a crucial step. When it comes to camera equipment, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has spent more time researching and testing pretty much every piece of technology out there. On the shoot day, I like to start off by checking in with each member and making sure they have a strong idea of what I am looking to achieve. Communication is key on set. Also, try to keep a cool head as things moves 1,000mph around you. Even after the shoot, I like to stay involved and make sure the client is happy. Color grading can make or break and project, so I often prefer to be deeply involved to ensure the final look is as intended.
3. What was one of your favorite projects you’ve worked on and why?
I recently shot a music performance with JXDN and Travis Barker for MTV. Working with these legendary artists was pleasure enough, but I recently heard that we are nominated for a VMA and that really excites me.
4. What Core SWX power solutions do you rely on, and how are they beneficial to your productions?
I have been using Core products for over 7 years now. I chose to work with Core products mostly because they are reliable but also because they look sleek. Honestly, that’s important – image is everything in this industry. I work with all gold mount batteries, I have 6x 98 Neo, 6x 150wh Neos and 2x Volt Bridge chargers. On my DSMC2 Monstro, I use the EVO battery plate for hot swap action – my 1st AC loves it!
5. Do you have any exciting project releases coming up that we should keep an eye out for?
Not right now, all of my most exciting projects have released, here are a few of them:
Check out more of John’s work on his website here, and stay connected with him on Instagram.