If you’ve taken a look at the photos we’ve posted from the recording sessions with East Hundred and {{{SUNSET}}}, you’ve seen this guy behind the HD video camera. The Director of Photography for the Weathervane Project Series, Andrew David Watson is a Philadelphia native and Multimedia Producer who’s shot for The Independent Film Channel and NBC, and whose work has been screened in over 100 festivals around the world and earned more than a few awards. Shooting in Super-8, 16MM, Super-16, HD & SD, he achieves a visual aesthetic which comes off effortlessly artful and clean, and seems to capture an honesty in its subjects which for me has always been what distinguishes great from average art. See his demo reel after the jump.

I got the chance to ask Andrew some questions about his work and involvement with Weathervane and here’s what he said:

KC: How long have you been working in film and what inspired you to do it?

AW: I’ve been supporting myself as a Freelance Filmmaker and Director of Photography for about 4 years now.  I always had an interest in photography and originally started studying film because I wanted to become a cinematographer on narrative features. Somewhere along the way my focus shifted towards documentary and I’ve been primarily working in non-fiction for the last 4 years… the highlight of which included traveling with Obama during the primaries while shooting a documentary series for the IFC.

KC: What would you say guides and inspires or describes your style?

AW: Actually my style and influence has a lot more to do with still photography.  I love classic documentary photographers such as Robert Frank, Bruce Davidson, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and the rest of the current and past Magnum photographers.  I think my original fascination with photography has led me to always think of subjects, topics or stories from a very visual point of view.

KC: How did you get involved with Weathervane? What made you want to work on the project?

AW: Andy Williams (Shooters / DIVE) told me about Weathervane and asked if I wanted to be involved.  I’ve known Andy for a bit and if Andy believes in something, then it must be good.  Andy introduced me to Brian and I liked what he had going on. Obviously there are a lot of connections and comparisons between independent music and independent film, so this project interested me.  All and all, it seemed like a cool idea with some really cool bands and people involved. [KC’s note: Hell yea!]

KC: I saw you recently got back from a trip to Colombia, where you screened work at the environmental film festival, VOCES. What was the experience like and how did people there respond to your work?

AW: I love traveling, especially with a purpose.  I was invited to screen work at the first environmental film festival of Colombia, which was being held in and around Medellin (previously one of the most dangerous cities in the world during the Escobar days). The projects were well received and the hospitality I experienced was remarkable.

Before leaving for Colombia I spent considerable time talking to Pablo Velez Tobar (the founder of the festival), and decided to shoot a photo story about the screenings.  I found the idea of “the first eco film festival of Colombia”  very inspiring.  I spent most of my time in Colombia working on the project. The photo essay is currently being featured on MotherJones.com.

Colombia is a very complex country with some intense current social issues, yet at the same time, I met many amazing, progressive-minded individuals that it really gives me hope for the country’s future.  I made many life long friends in Colombia and I have a feeling I’ll making multiple trips back for years to come. 

[KC’s Note: Check out some more of Andrew’s amazing pictures from the trip at Mother Jones, and the complete set at his website, here.]

KC: Anything else you’d like to say about your work?

AW: The one thing I’m most interested in currently is taking very visual approaches (typically used in creative work, commercials, narratives, music videos, etc) and applying them to documentary work.  Weathervane was a perfect opportunity for me to try some of these approaches.  

KC: About Weathervane?

AW: I think it’s an awesome idea and I saw first hand all the hard work Brian put into it while shooting.  The songs that East Hundred and {{{SUNSET}}} recorded sound great, and I look forward to seeing what other bands get chosen down the road and what comes out of their recording sessions.

Check out more about Andrew at andrewdavidwatson.com, where you can watch some of his short films, read his blog, and see more of his photography.

-Katonah