Who is The Video Whisperer?
Old school
Hi, my name is Joe Caneen and there I am with my sculptor wife, Laury Dizengremel in our house in Chalabre, France.
I’ve been in the film and video business all my life–that would be almost 50 years. So I’m old school–but that’s a good thing. I learned long ago that the true fundamental of cinematography is story telling and getting your audience completely immersed in the story. Yes, I’ve used plenty of fancy, expensive equipment back in the day, but truth be told, I was trained in photography using a Kodak Instamatic camera. My mentor was making a point. It’s not the camera that determines a great picture. It’s the photographer. It’s not the equipment that tells a story–it’s the director, cast and crew.
And here’s the funny thing: After shooting with equipment that costs more than the very house I’m sitting in (in the 80s and 90s), and after downsizing to lightweight, high tech cameras and equipment as The Video Whisperer (early 2000s), guess what my weapon of choice is these days?
You guessed it. An iPhone.
From Kodak Instamatic (1982) to iPhone (2025). Full circle.
But don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.
The Video Whisperer
Where did that name come from anyway?
,I’ve always believed the camerawork or cameraman should be invisible.
When I lived in Montana I shot a music video with my step-daughter. I knew the local deer would show up curious about the piano and I counted on it and waited. Sure enough, the deer came but didn’t know I was there. And I got a bunch of cool still and video shots which I incorporated into the video (which, uploaded in 2010 has since been lost somewhere on the World Wide Web so thoroughly Google can’t find it)
Afterwards my wife had me show the video to some friends over for dinner. I left the room, but when I came back I overheard the husband saying something about it. The only words I remember him saying were ‘…the video whisperer…’
I immediately Googled the URL. No one had it. I bought it right then and there.
Oh, and it’s true. People in Montana always keep their pianos outside.