Meet the #Superfreelancers: Jens-Peter Sjoberg
Directing, editing, VFX and even cinematography... It's safe to say that Jens-Peter Sjöberg is a jack of all trades kind of guy.
Embedding himself into the industry at the tender age of 14, Jens now has an impressive reel of work to show for himself, having contributed to blockbuster hits such as Superman Returns, Harry Potter and even The Lord of the Rings.
Now working as a freelance director, we managed to sit down with Jens to find out how he thinks the industry is changing for freelancers…
What I do…
I am a film director and creative that works both with agencies and as a creative working directly with end clients. I also usually DOP in my films. I love working with a camera and taking the images that I’ve envisioned from the start. I also do all the editing/grading/VFX on my own work (if I have time).
And what I love about what I do…
My passion is learning new, interesting things, and this job opens up that passion: to explore and experiment with new ways of making something beautiful, to create that feeling that you are after in an interesting way.
How I got into the industry…
I started as a runner on feature film shoots and TV in Sweden at the age of 14. Then at the age of 17 I went to film school and from there got many assistant jobs. I always knew I wanted to get into VFX so I came upon a cracked copy of a compositing software and learned compositing. I then applied for a job as a Junior Flame artist. I worked on many international campaigns. Then I moved to New Zealand to work on The Lord of the Rings, and that snowballed into working on blockbusters for 10 years.
The most important lesson I've learned in my career…
The grass is always greener on the other side.
The piece of work I'm proudest of and why…
I’ve just finished production on a small film for a company making LED lighting for the metal industry.
I am really happy about how the piece came out. I did this work from start to finish, starting with the idea and script. It came out on the other side just like I wanted.
The person I most admire in the industry…
My wife who is a great queen of detail and my rock. She is a director at Visual Art in Stockholm.
Why I decided to go freelance…
I love the freedom of it, being able to travel and get more out of the world.
How I think the industry is changing for freelancers…
I think that the industry will become more and more built in clusters, where teams are put together for a specific project more than it is today.
So the future for freelancers is looking good.
Find out more about Jens-Peter Sjöberg and his work here.
