Reel Good Yarns with Johnny Barker

Get to know the faces behind the camera in Reel Factory’s spotlight series, kicking off with director Johnny Barker.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” – a comment Johnny Barker receives more than most. And while people usually run through high schools, previous workplaces and children’s schools trying to place him, the truth is the familiarity comes from Barker’s eight-month reign of terror playing Shortland Street’s Ferndale Strangler, Joey Henderson.

A father of two, avid musician and one of the nicest guys in the industry, Barker couldn’t be further from the on-screen character that made him a household name nearly two decades ago.

After transitioning from in front of the camera to behind it, Barker has gone on to direct comedy TV series Jono & Ben, Funny Girls & Homebound 3.0, commercials for Air New Zealand, BMW, Sanitarium and The Warehouse, New Zealand’s first children’s web series and a multitude of music videos in New Zealand, London and New York.

A big believer in finding talent, working with ‘real people’ and giving them all the support he can in developing their onscreen presence, Barker has a desire to be constantly evolving as a director and master the craft of filmmaking with beautiful cinematography, innovative effects and sensitive performance.

Go behind the scenes, into Johnny’s mix-media lair and learn more about the NZ’s most infamous fictional serial killer.