We had the good fortune of connecting with Janae Schiele and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Janae, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think that each step I’ve taken to get to this point has been a risk in itself. You don’t always have to take a risk to do something great, but it’s rare if you find an opportunity that doesn’t require one. For me, it comes down to “is it worth it?”. If it is worth the struggle, the payoff, and the failure, it is worth trying. Sometimes you need to take a risk and learn how to fail. Other times, you need to take a risk so you can learn that going out of your comfort zone is often the key to your goals and dreams.
If I hadn’t taken the risks I did to get to where I am today, I would still be stuck in places where I wasn’t even close to achieving my dreams. Every risk has brought me here and this is where I want to be.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Stories are waiting to be told and begging to be told well. I can only attempt to grant their wishes.
My art is visual storytelling. There’s something so special about creating and telling stories that can’t fully be described, only experienced. It’s in the subtle details. It’s that little sound effect you don’t necessarily notice, but it ties everything together with a hint of mystery. It’s the big cinematic element, like a drone shot that draws you in to a new world you’ve yet to experience. This is what I try to bring into every video I create, whether it is a wedding video or a short film, I bring every ounce of creativity to the table that I can.
One of my favorite projects is when I made a movie trailer for a movie that doesn’t exist. It was written, filmed, and edited within a very short time frame in order to meet the holiday deadline, but it was so much fun to make. The premise was, what if Cupid was a vigilante? I took inspiration from Daredevil and Arrow to create a dark and gritty world for Cupid to reside in and went from there. This was made as an opportunity to stretch creative limits and to try something new. It was a challenge to pull off within such a short time frame, but I’m proud of how it turned out.
It’s posted on my social media if you want to watch it and there’s a possibility I’ll turn it into an actual mini series.
One of the lessons I’ve learned through all of this is believing in yourself. Trusting that the ideas and talents you have aren’t just good, they’re amazing and unique and you should go after them.
Something I’d want people to know about Long Shot Studios is that we aren’t afraid to take a risk. I want to try the weird ideas we all have, but are hesitant to try. I’m willing to step away from the “normal” video and throw away the rules in order to tell your story how YOU want it to be told. It’s a long shot, but just might work.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My friends and I love trying new things and experiencing new places, so I would imagine we would hop on a Instagram account like @dallassites101 and pick out a bunch of new small businesses and hidden treasures to explore.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to Bart Herje of Salty Roan Productions for bringing me into this industry and showing me the ropes on all things film and editing.
Instagram: @long.shot.studios
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelongshotstudio
Other: thelongshotstudio@gmail.com
Image Credits
1. Travis McAfee 2. Jake Gonzales 3. Janell Schiele 4. Travis McAfee