LA
USA

Johnny Valencia

Cinematographer, Director

Johnny Valencia

Music Videos, Features, Commercials

Johnny Valencia is a Director, Director of Photography, and Photographer whose lens has captured the essence of the biggest names in music and entertainment. He cultivated creative partnerships with artists and creators like Terrence Malick, Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, Kesha, and Imagine Dragons. Among his many achievements, Valencia's cinematography on Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" has garnered billions of views, solidifying its place as one of YouTube's most viewed music videos. What truly sets Johnny apart is not just his extraordinary talent for filmmaking, but his genuine kindness and ability to make every production a joyful experience.

The Art of Music Videos and Collaborative Filmmaking with Cinematographer/Director, Johnny Valencia

Johnny Valencia is a renowned cinematographer and director who’s built an impressive career collaborating with a "who's who" of music artists and brands. His journey began in the vibrant Seattle indie scene, where he started documenting the emerging careers of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

We’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Johnny on several Hometeam projects, including the Apple TV+ special, "Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” which earned an Emmy nomination for its cinematography, and Walmart's "Homecoming," a Clio Award-winning branded content docuseries. Together we’ve filmed videos with artists like Walker Hayes, Kesha, and Mark Tuan, and created impactful work for Fontana School District

Hometeam Partner Lagan Sebert had the chance to catch up with Johnny on a recent episode of Chasing the Same Sun to chat through origin stories, filmmaking adventures together, and how Valencia's collaborative spirit has been a cornerstone of his many successes.

Johnny shares how his intro to filmmaking emerged through his photography studies while attending school at the University of Washington. At the time, Johnny and his friend, director Jason Koenig, took on their first major project for family friend Ryan Lewis for a college thesis called "Fake Empire.” Without access to cinema gear, they filmed with an early DSLR, the Canon 5D Mark 1, and an outside-the-box approach left them with a video that still holds up in 2025.

“We just shot burst mode on these cameras, which created a really cool atmosphere on set. When you're on a set with a film camera and people can hear the film moving through the camera, it creates an energy that really lights people up and brings life to the set. And hearing these shutters go, I think did a very similar thing because people were like, “oh, we're filming now.”

Fast forward to the present day, and his career has grown alongside his early collaborators and friends. He’s shot videos for numerous smash hits, including Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” and “Shape of You,” one of the most streamed videos on YouTube of all time. And yet, at the same time, it's Johnny’s roots in collaboration that have brought these projects to life and kept him grounded in his “why.”

“The community aspect of having fun with friends is such an important part of filmmaking. And I just love the idea of being able to come together and look around us and be like, okay, how do we make this grow together? How do we all rise up together? I'm a big believer in a rising tide, raising all boats.”

Alongside DPing and directing, Johnny runs a post-house with some of the team that he came up with back in Seattle. Looking ahead Johnny is excited to dig into more feature opportunities, after a profoundly influential experience apprenticing for Terrence Malick and ultimately working as 2nd Unit DP on his upcoming film, The Way of the Wind.

His upcoming ventures include developing a feature documentary about a South African fishing community and a docuseries exploring theology with religious scholars worldwide—projects that reflect his passion for global storytelling and community.

To hear the full conversation, check out our Original Podcast, Chasing the Same Sun: Global Adventures in Filmmaking below: