Will Greenawalt, also credited as William Greenawalt, is a Tokyo-based commercial director, cinematographer, and documentary filmmaker with over 17 years of experience working in Japan. He works across commercials, branded films, documentaries, and narrative projects, collaborating with Japanese and international clients, agencies, and production companies.
His work leans cinematic, fluid, and practical, with a preference for movement, in-camera ideas, and the occasional happy accident. Depending on the project, he can step in as director or cinematographer, or help shape an idea from its earliest stages.
Creative Approach
Good filmmaking starts with figuring out what actually makes something worth watching. Whether I’m directing a commercial, shooting a documentary, or working on a narrative project, I look for the human details, visual ideas, humor, and imperfections that make a film feel specific rather than generic.
After years of working in Japan, I’m especially interested in showing the country as it actually feels, beyond the familiar shorthand of neon streets and misty landscapes. I want the work to look great, of course, but more importantly I want it to feel alive and like somebody actually had fun making it.
