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Rocking the Lens (Working Title)

Janet Macoska’s singular vision captured rock and roll’s defining moments, creating a lasting legacy that reshaped how we remember music history.

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About the Film

Blinding stage lights. The roar of a crowd. A flashbulb pops, and time freezes. David Bowie mid-spin, Freddie Mercury airborne, Joan Jett wielding her guitar like a weapon. Behind the camera, always, is Janet Macoska. This documentary dives into the electrifying world of rock and roll through the lens of Janet Macoska, a pioneering photographer who captured the sound of rebellion with her camera. As a young woman coming up in the 1970s Cleveland rock scene, Janet didn’t just document music history: she helped shape how we remember it. Now reflecting on a lifetime behind the lens, Janet guides us through her career by sharing stories and revealing the untold legacy of how her work shaped how we see rock and roll. The film captures intimate moments of Janet, alongside interviews with contemporaries and a new generation of women photographers inspired by her path. Interspersed throughout are stories behind her most iconic images, told in her own voice, capturing the humor, grit, and humanity behind the rock legends she photographed. The film traces a lineage of creativity, resilience, and artistry that continues to shape the future of concert photography. Her story is one of bold creativity and cultural impact. A woman who carved out space in a male-dominated arena with nothing but a camera and a fierce vision. Janet’s legacy comes into focus in a film that fuses archival power with intimate portraiture, taking us backstage, into the pit, and deep behind the lens.

About Janet Macoska

Janet Macoska’s work has been shaping the way we remember rock and roll for over five decades. She began taking photos at just 12 years old, when she brought her camera to WKYC radio and photographed Sonny and Cher. Her images have appeared in Rolling Stone, People, Vogue, American Photo, Creem, MOJO, The New York Times, and The London Times, and have been held in the collections of the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Grammy Museum, and in Hard Rock properties around the world. Yet despite the reach and recognition of her work, Janet’s own story remains largely unknown to the general public. Now decades into her career, she’s ready to step in front of the camera and reflect on a life spent documenting music history from just outside the spotlight.

Janet Macoska

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Directors

Sedona Hyde

Sedona Hyde

Sedona Hyde is an award-winning Independent Documentary film producer, director, and photographer with a BA from Cleveland State University’s School of Film and Media Arts.

Her documentary filmmaking highlights untold stories of individuals facing the challenges of entrepreneurship and reflects on how they impact their communities.

In 2022–2023, Sedona produced and co-directed “Kyler Smith: Unfiltered,” following the young Cleveland prodigy DJ Kyler Smith as he transitioned to the restaurant industry and navigated the fine-dining scene as a young Black entrepreneur.

Emma Grosklos

Emma Grosklos

Emma Grosklos is an award-winning director and screenwriter with a BFA from Cleveland State University’s School of Film and Media Arts.

Her narrative filmmaking focuses on stories of young women—their challenges, experiences, and growth.

From October 2023 to March 2024, Emma produced a music documentary titled “Look and Listen: Inside Cleveland Music,” which followed four local musicians through their creative process and culminated in a concert showcasing the city's local talent.

Shape Cleveland

Non-Profit Fiscal Sponsor

Shape is a professional photography and videography firm and an educationally-based nonprofit.

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