By CHRIS SURPRENANT
Managing Editor
When you walk around campus, you have a good chance of seeing John Janitz armed with a camera shooting footage for one of his many projects. Janitz, though, is no amateur videographer. A communications major at The College of Saint Rose, Janitz will be graduating with his degree at the semester’s end.
Janitz, though fond of video, has always had an affinity for all sorts of technology ever since high school. In his spare time, he builds computers. He even built one specifically for editing his pieces for his communications coursework. However, this passion has evolved over time into something that blends both of his passions together.
“It’s been something I’ve been passionate about and would enjoy doing for the rest of my life,” he said. “However, I did not want to be stuck behind a desk.”
Currently, he is a member of The Chronicle, and has been since 2011. During his time there, he has worn a few different hats. He first met former Executive editor Ian Benjamin at the Clubs and Activities Fair as a sophomore where Benjamin asked if he had any interest in creating videos for the publication. Initially, Janitz created small clips for The Chronicle’s YouTube channel, covering various events around campus, and eventually uploaded them directly to its website.
After being the club’s official videographer, Janitz then transitioned to the position of Layout Editor. He had mentioned to editors Jackson Wang and Sunshine Osella that he had skills in Photoshop, a tool regularly used to produce the paper. Accepting the position, Janitz acquired the responsibility of finalizing the aesthetic feel of the paper, rearranging and tweaking articles and photographs to create visually pleasing pages.
Jackson Wang, current Executive editor of The Chronicle, knows first-hand how much Janitz means to the staff.
“He’s a very hardworking student and we’re really going to miss him. When he comes in on Sunday and puts the finishing touches on it, it puts the paper on a pedestal to look at on Tuesday. I wish him the best,” Wang said.
While Janitz spends a fair amount of time with print media, the visual arts are his passion. He watches a lot of film, but does not necessarily consider himself a movie buff. Instead of focusing on the narrative of a film, he looks at what the visual impact of the film can make.
“When you look at a story or a movie, dialogue only does so much for it. Most of the impact comes from what you’re seeing. There’s so much emotion you can portray in one shot. If you don’t get the shot right, you might not get the emotion,” Janitz said.
One of Janitz’s more prominent projects is the alumni video that plays in the vestibule of CCIM. While it looks polished and professional, it was not produced without difficulty.
“It was almost a disaster, but we managed to pull through in the end,” Janitz said.
Janitz though, is his own worst enemy sometimes. No matter how many times he edits a video, it never fully satisfies him. “When you make your own stuff and start to critique it, especially as time goes by. There are some things you look at and say ‘I’m really proud of it’ but it changes,” he said.
News Editor Lauren Halligan has recognized his dedication and perfectionism. “John is a dedicated member of The Chronicle staff. He has a real talent with video and I’m sure he will do well in his future,” Halligan said.
Whatever his future holds, Janitz is ready for it. Hoping to get into television someday, he would love to edit comedy or adventure programs. However, if he could land any job, his ultimate dream is to put together pieces for the Discovery Channel. But such a goal cannot be achieved without hard work.
“Professional quality work comes later in college,” Janitz said. “It takes a while to get to that point. You’re going to make a lot of crap before you make a lot of good stuff.”
