Liverpool-based creative Jonathan Turton, 39, has worked with some of the biggest names in sports, thanks to what he calls his "superpower" of connecting with stars as "normal people." Now working with the Liverpool-based creative agency All Our Friends, he has recently worked on campaigns with Adidas featuring stars including Andy Robertson, Robbie Fowler, Scott McTominay and Liverpool actor James Nelson-Joyce.
Early career breakthrough with Sugar Ray Leonard
Turton took his first steps into the industry when he was just 21, interviewing famous boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. He told the ECHO: "When I realised that I could just hold my own talking to Sugar Ray Leonard, surrounded by loads of people at 21-years-old in the middle of a boxing gym, and conducting that face-to-face interaction on camera, and actually getting a good response out of somebody, that is when I went, 'Oh, s**t, I felt good doing that.' And I felt so exhilarated, I was so scared going into that, but I did it. Having the courage to do that set me off then, to keep developing."
Since then, he has worked alongside dozens of sports stars. While he stressed that his work has always been part of a collaborative process with colleagues, he thinks that being able to instantly connect with the stars and treat them as "normal people" has always been a "superpower" of his.
Connecting with celebrities on shoots
He said: "I think my real superpower is being able to plan, direct and interact with people on shoots. That's been the cornerstone of success, whether it's big video production adverts for Adidas, or whether it's Paddy the Baddy or Haaland's YouTube, it's just me and them, and I'm operating the camera as well. It really is about the interactions, but also being able to be aware of the story whilst you're doing it."
"I don't treat them differently than I would treat anyone else. What you realise when you're around some of these bigger names, celebrities, the vast majority of them want to be talked to in a normal way. There are a few exceptions, but most actually find it refreshing when you can talk to them in a way that's quite normal."
He added: "I worked on bars for 10 years, and every single customer that came up, I'd try and make that interaction special in some way. I kind of do it in my everyday life. I try and give people time and listen to them, and whilst I'm with them, be present and interact with them all the time. So, with these celebrities, it's an extension of that."
Pirlo moment and recent Adidas work
One of the moments he remembers being able to really connect with a player was back in 2016, when he was tasked with photographing legendary Juventus and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo for the football publication Mundial Magazine. He said: "When I photographed Andrea Pirlo for the front cover of Mundial Magazine, I'd already been doing photography alongside writing for a couple of years, but when I did that with Pirlo, walking around New York and really directing him, that's when I was like, 'Oh no, no, I can do this at a really top level.' I always thought I could, but then when I did that with Pirlo, I knew I could."
After honing his directing ability down the years, the creative studio that he co-founded in 2020, All Our Friends, have recently worked on a new advert for Adidas featuring Scottish international Scott McTominay. Jonathan said: "When you've got a shoot, you want to take away as many decisions that need to be made on the day, because when you're with talent you have to be so locked in with them, and everything else has to be prepared so thoroughly in terms of your location, where you're doing it"
"With Scott McTominay, I want to know exactly what his movements are on the day, and to be so thoroughly prepared that on the day I'm not expending any other energy other than getting the best out of them and making that connection with them and making them feel comfortable."
Where it all began
While in more recent times he has established himself as an accomplished director, videographer and photographer, he took a moment to look back at where his passion for it began. He said: "I've got a video from the 2001 treble year [the year that LFC won the league cup, FA cup and UEFA cup]. I stayed in the same hotel as the players when Liverpool played Birmingham City FC, and I just took my dad's camera and I was just interviewing Markus Babbel, Stephane Henchoz, got a little bit with Steven Gerrard. That really is when it all started. I think I was 12, and I've still got that video."
"I do look back at that moment and go, well, that is actually where it started, because I was interviewing or holding the camera just like I do on Haaland's YouTube, just like I did with Paddy the Baddy, and it's trying to direct and produce as you're filming. It is funny when you look at little moments in your life, and you go 'that was actually a key moment'."
