Meet Mil Cannon of ImageMil & MomentUS Studios in Buckhead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mil Cannon.

Mil, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When we think about who in our GA Arts, Entertainment and Film community deserves this award, We think of an individual who:
1. Gives unselfishly to develop GA projects and GA people interested in the industry
2. Works tirelessly with all scopes of projects – from “International A-listers” to children just starting out – to deliver the highest quality work
3. Has labored in the arts & entertainment community for over decades to raise the ethical and professional standards of our Industry.

We find Mil Cannon to be such a person.He works on movies, industrials, broadcast commercials, web shorts, music videos, and video curriculums, Mil goes beyond the required standards of excellence to ensure each project he is involved in is both professionally exceptional, and personally gratifying to cast, crew and client alike.

Mil Cannon has labored in a community for over 35 years to raise the ethical and professional standards of our Industry.

Mil Cannon has put his signature as an image maker on many celebrated media artists like Usher, Whitney, Mariah Carey, Puffy, TLC, Pink, Collective Soul, Toni Braxton, Outkast, and American Idol. He has also created national media campaigns for fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, McDonald’s, BellSouth, NFL, HGTV, MLB, DIY, Fine Living, Direct TV, NASCAR, to name a few.

As Director, Cinematographer, Editor and accomplished Photographer, Mil is comfortable in the role of Auteur. At 17, Mil won the coveted “Excellence in News Film”, signifying Georgia’s top news cameraman, the youngest recipient to receive this prestigious industry nod. Over the years, he has consistently helped clients achieve top recognition including CINE, EMMY, ADDY, ITVA, LETVA, and TELLY awards.

In 1996, Coca-Cola signed Mil to an extensive Olympic contract with a primary focus on developing Coca-Cola’s Olympic image. Cannon’s contribution included the award-winning Olympic torch film ‘”Reach Higher”, the anthem from Gloria Estefan, as well as the Celine Dion pre-opening feature entitled “Power of the Dream.” Seen by billions of people, Mil’s years of training paid off as he experienced his own world debut as a filmmaker. Mil quickly turned his Olympic success into gold, producing product for corporate clients such as IBM, Nike, McDonalds, Burger King, BellSouth, AT&T, and Ford Motor Company. Mil’s passion for music and entertainment moved him quickly into the music entertainment arena, completing major work for the top labels in the world: Arista, Universal, Bad Boy, LaFace, Columbia, Atlantic, Sony, and Zomba.

Cannon was chosen to create the music videos for 2004’s largest world tour – Usher’s “The Truth” Tour. Cannon also designed the inter-active stage performances for Usher’s MTV awards performance, World Music performance, the Billboard Music Awards, and the 2005 Grammy Awards. Cannon has not only earned awards and recognition but respect as one of the most successful creators of film and video in the industry. Mil has produced and directed with some of the industry’s most creative music features for MTV, VH-1, BET, and HBO including “Behind the Music,” “Making the Video,” “’Biorhythm’ the HBO Concert Series” and the award-winning ” “FanMail,” TLC’s Pay Per-View special. Mil Cannon’s momentum continues in national television campaigns including DYI (Do It Yourself) network, The Weather Channel, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Bell South, NASCAR, Burger King, Coca-Cola, The DISH Network, and Starz Encore network.

In 2014 Mil continued his prolific output by scripting, producing, directing, and editing over 40 music videos, movies, and short documentary films for recording artists, foundations, and other corporate clients.

In 2015, Canon was called on by Mariah Carrie to create 13 videos for her highly successful world tour. He followed this project by producing, filming and editing a 20 camera, 2 hours, live concert film for Connor Christian entitled “Shuffle & Stomp”, as well as a live concert filming of Collective Soul. He was also chosen to produce and edit a 2 hour documentary on T Boz of TLC entitled “Sick Life”.

In 2016, Cannon was picked to collaborate with Carrie Underwood on her record-breaking “Storyteller” tour. Cannon created the on-stage digital assets for the song “Dirty Landry, and produced and directed a 20 camera crew to film the show in Madison Square Garden. He then created a 2-hour concert movie entitled “Carrie Underwood: The Storyteller Tour – Stories In The Round – Live From Madison Square Garden”, which was released November 17th, 2017.

In 2017, pursuant to his lifelong dream to produce and direct a film showcasing his home town of Savannah, GA, Cannon opened a second production studio in Savannah to facilitate production of his full-length feature film project “Low Country Boil.”

2018-19 Can is producing several films in Savannah Ga including “The Greatest Baseball Game Ever Played….in Kilts” and the unscripted show “SHOWBALL.”

“Mil delivers art through film, video, and photography. He is a turnkey talent and his clients rely on him from conception to completion. Mil’s work is a reflection of his life – the consummate talent who looks through a lens everyday and decides how to make something extraordinary happen”…..L.A. Reid.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Come from very humble beginnings in Savannah GA. Took 1st photo at age three, lived in a trailer park…The Salvation Army…and with other family…..very working poor, Father was a struggling drug addict and left my mom, sister and I when I was a teenager.

An honor student, left home at 15 and put myself into arts school (SCAD) on an art scholarship….and working three part-time jobs. Have won over 100 industry awards. While serving on many boards (Notable) 10 year Grammy Governor. Served on many super panels and music in the schools, a self-proclaimed work-a-holic……just love to do what I do.

ImageMil & MomentUS Studios – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Who is Momentus? From concept to completion, your media project deserves the creative visual luxury that MOMENTUS can deliver. With years of production experience in the music and entertainment industry and the industry awards to show for it, we are committed to turning success into support for your project. We’ll use cultural surveillance to focus your message and develop media that delivers results. Or we’ll meet you where you are to reposition and renovate your brand. From rebranding a struggling product line to creating an award-winning product and music videos, MOMENTUS has the creative horsepower to design and deliver media that captures the heart of your audience. We visualize, manifest, and execute media initiatives that will define who you are in your industry. We are creative problem solvers that can fix other people’s broken media. Allow MOMENTUS to give you the visual impact your organization needs to differentiate yourselves in a crowded marketplace.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me has changed over the years…..I always chased performance-based approval and the standards set by the industry and our society. Today I just seek Gods approval and its a lot less pressure to process. So success to me is mental and emotional contentment…..I’m in it for the joy, not the money.

Contact Info:

• Website: milcannon.com
• Phone: 404-797-6676
• Email: mil@imagemil.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mil.cannon

Image Credit:
Imagemil

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.