ABOUT

John McDougall is an accomplished commercial film director and photographer. He brings a photographer’s eye to his directing projects and a director’s sense of storytelling to his photography, crafting each frame with a precision rooted in his studies in fine arts.

With a background at ad agencies, John speaks the language of the creatives, and of clients. His disarming and collaborative approach brings a certain ease and levity to a shoot. And while he loves to draw those around him into the process, he always wears the hat of the protector and maker of the project. He’s known for always trying something unorthodox to see how it turns out (just ask him about taping his iPhone to the bottom of a peanut butter jar).

John gravitates towards finding human truth in a moment. The unscripted moments. Something you cannot really predict, things that come to life the moment you shoot. He tests what’s funny, and always allows for some time on set for those special sparks to happen. He patiently observes, waiting for those moments to emerge and be captured.

His work has garnered widespread recognition, appearing in prominent Canadian outlets such as The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and CBC, and even being humorously parodied on the satirical show The Mercer Report.