Hop In The Seat With John Deere

Janssen Powers combines immersive camera techniques, sweeping aerial FPV, and artful cinematography to create a visual experience representative of the feeling you get in the seat of a John Deere.

John Deere has over two centuries of innovation under their belt, and that commitment to their customers serves as the cornerstone of their latest series, made in partnership with Farm League, director Janssen Powers, and agency EP & Co. 

'Real people in real places' is a concept Farm League knows well. Capturing true authenticity requires a genuine respect for the way of life and sacred spaces of the people featured. The subculture of agriculture and farming has been a frequent subject of exploration for Farm League, as well as a culture with deep personal ties to many of the team.

Director Janssen Powers brings a unique ability to inject a larger-than-life feeling into the everyday moments that may often go unnoticed. He began as a true documentarian, capturing beauty in the harshest of conditions, including the Arctic Circle, an Iraqi war zone, and the depths of the Red Sea. In his eyes, authenticity and humanity are already inevitably infused in the world around us -- you just need to set the scene and let the magic unfold naturally.

This approach was foundational to the original brief from EP & Co: To craft a film series featuring real John Deere owners and the connection they have with their machines. The goal was to show how these machines are trusted tools that enable tough everyday work, but more importantly, to highlight how that connection feels. The end result is a combination of sweeping aerial FPV, macro cinematography, unique camera mounts/movements and human performances at the center of it all.

“When they get in the seat, the people in these films become conductors of their own symphony. Everything works in harmony… Pistons fire, gears turn, blades cut grass…Their John Deere becomes more than a machine – it’s a finely tuned orchestra, performing in sync to create an undeniable feeling.”

- Janssen Powers

Filmed in Michigan, Central California, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina over the course of two weeks, each film in the series features an interview with a different John Deere owner on their own property. As the characters speak to their personal experiences, each film takes on its own unique visual approach and cinematography to simultaneously show the capabilities of the machines while also emulating the emotions described. From whirring mower blades to rotating tires tracking through grass to pistons compressing, the viewer feels the power of the John Deere and the grace of the owner in the seat.