Rising Stars: Meet Jhana Parits

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jhana Parits.

Hi Jhana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I moved from Sweden to LA almost 14 years ago, in 2007. Initially, I moved here to go to college and to pursue a career in dance since I had been a dancer since age three. About a year in, I was bored with Santa Monica College because I felt like I didn’t have a clear direction of what I was studying, I was not so interested in pursuing dance anymore, and I just felt really stuck.

I think this was partially because I got distracted by this big and very entertaining city and partially because I wanted to dabble in other creative outlets, I just didn’t know which. This is when I found FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising), I got accepted into their Visual Communications program where I studied everything from Set design to graphic design to visual merchandising, while I was at FIDM I started taking photos and instantly fell in love with the art, it was a way for me to express myself, at first it was just a hobby but it quickly became a career. I started shooting different artists and musicians around LA, then I got into fashion and worked with different brands shooting their campaigns, etc., I also worked on film sets doing behind the scenes photography but ideally I wanted to be a fine art photographer and show my work instead of just shooting for other people. I actually did end up having two exhibits, one in LA and one in Gothenburg, Sweden which both ended up being very successful.

As much as I loved doing photography, I still felt like something was missing and once photography became a job it wasn’t as fun anymore, I found myself shooting things that didn’t mean much to me just to get paid and it quickly became something I didn’t want to pursue on that level. Around the same time, my producer friend asked me if I wanted to art direct a music video, I wasn’t really sure what it entailed but I said yes, I always had a creative eye so I figured it would be something I could do. After that one video project just started rolling in and I found myself doing more art direction and set design than photography. Since then, I have production designed feature films, music videos for artists like Janelle Monae and Big Sean and campaigns for Adidas and Timberland. My favorite part about being a Production Designer is that I get to create these fictional and magical worlds for some of our generation’s biggest artists and brands.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a freelancer is never smooth. There were plenty of times I wanted to give up and times where I had to take odd jobs just to get by because freelance work is so unpredictable. I can say that I’ve lived comfortably for the past four years or so, anything before then was always uncertain, sometimes it still is. With this type of work, you go through a lot of high and lows, you can get booked for a month straight and then not have any work the following month. And of course, each project has its challenges too. But you can’t progress without struggles and I believe I had to go through it all, the good and the bad, to be where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a production/set designer and art director. It’s hard to explain what it all entails because there are so many layers to it but I basically create worlds for film and video. My job is to take a concept and bring it to life and in the process think of every single detail that it needs. It can be anything from choosing the style and color of a cup to designing the entire kitchen. For music videos, a director will show me a concept or treatment and it’s my job to source and create the different sets as close as possible to the reference. When it comes to film, I receive a script and have to break down the different characters, who they are, what they like and how to convey that message through the different environments in the film. Like where they live or what kind of cars they drive. When we watch movies and music videos, we usually always notice the character or artist and what clothes they’re wearing, etc., but we don’t really focus so much on the environment they’re in even though it sets the tone for everything we see. Thats my job, I create those environments.

I have two feature films that are in post-production right now and I can’t wait for them to be released, but some of my favorite work has been Ari Lennox BMO music video that we shot in 2019, I still consider it some of my best work, that video really took my career to the next level. Other videos I’m proud of are D Smoke – Black Habits, we shot this video in New Orleans and it was a challenge working with a team that I didn’t know but we made it work and the video came out amazing, Janelle Monae Turntables which was recently released has a really strong message so it was cool to be a part of that, Big Sean – Harder than my demons music video was really cool to work on, I actually did behind the scenes photos on the Big Sean and French Montana Mula music video back in 2012 so this was a full-circle moment for me. I am honestly proud of all the work I do no matter how big or small. I am just happy I get to work with so many amazing artists who’s music I really love. And of course the directors that bring me on to these jobs and trust me to execute their visions.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think the biggest risks I’ve taken besides following my passions and dreams are the risk of missing out in order to achieve something greater, the risk of failing, the risk of changing careers and not knowing the outcome of those changes. I really believe in the concept of “No risk no reward” I don’t think we can play it safe and live a life without risk and still be successful. I think that success comes with risk and uncertainty and to achieve greatness, we have to risk and sacrifice something.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @jhana.jpg

Image Credits
Moncef Outiche Jairo “70” Cruz