Do you prefer Comedy or Drama?

I like working in both comedy and drama, but I tend to prefer drama since the genre is usually more serious and worthwhile than comedy, but comedies are still good if they are cleverly satirical and put forth a good message. I like to go back and forth between the two genres or sometimes mix the two that way I do not get stuck in one genre and I can create a variety of artistic works. For example, in college, I worked on a serious crime drama short film, and then the next project I made was a lighthearted comedy aimed at kids and teenagers. After I finish the next Sister film, I want to make a comedy so the cast and I can have a little more humorous fun and I can develop my filmmaking skills outside of the horror/drama genre.

Life imitates Art or Art imitates Life?

I would say art often is a creative reflection on the world and thus imitates life, but art also can motivate and inspire viewers. Thus, life can be an imitation of art. One could argue that art transcends life and serves as a medium for change in our world. I often incorporate subtle references to my own life and interests in my work to add a personal touch to my films.

Which is the best Moment on set?

The best moment on the set of Sister was when we shot the scenes in the apartment and nightmare sequences. In between takes during those shoots, our assistant director Giorgio Giudice would pull out his guitar and play songs that brought some fun and lightheartedness to the set. The shoot for the scene at the character Jim Smith (Joshua Scantland)’s house was exciting since we got to play with a bunch of lizards and snakes. Vasudha (who plays the main character Sister Jowi) had one of the snakes wrapped around her neck which was a fun shock for her! I greatly enjoyed all the moments I got to spend with Vasudha during shoots because she is such a talented actress/filmmaker and amazingly kind individual, and I am at my most creative and confident when I am with her on set. Her recent award wins for best actress are well deserved, and I look forward to making more projects with her in the future!

Did anyone ever tell you weren't good enough?

I had a professor in film school who used to be a prominent actor/filmmaker who led me to believe that he could help me break into the film industry, but that ended up not being the case, and he told me that I would never work in Hollywood. I also had a female classmate in film school whom I was romantically interested in and had hopes that she and I would collaborate on professional film projects and go on to become the “John & Yoko” of film, but our relationship didn’t work out and she said I would never be a “real” filmmaker. I was upset by their criticisms, but I never let their pessimistic comments or negative feelings toward me stop me from pursuing my creative dreams, and they likely would change their opinions if they could see the recent successes I have achieved as an independent filmmaker. Looking back on it now, the whole ordeal was kind of laughable like those scenes in musical biopics where someone tells the music artist “you’ll never succeed” and then the music artist proves them wrong and becomes successful.

How can you stay focused on your goal?

I stay focused on my goals by thinking of the success that will come from achieving them. I think about how no matter how hard it gets or the challenges I face along the way, things will work well in the end if I just maintain a positive attitude and keep pushing forward and have faith that my collaborators and I will succeed in our endeavors.

Have you ever had a breakdown because of your Job?

I have had moments in previous projects where they had to be canceled in the middle of production due to unforeseen circumstances, but I wouldn’t say I ever have had a breakdown. I learn from my missteps and make sure they do not happen again in the future and just move on to pursue better things.

Talent is a blessing or a curse?

Talent is definitely a blessing. I have a real gift for seeing the world through a creative lens. I have a clear and active imagination that helps me to craft ideas into an actualized state of being. It is such an amazing feeling when I visualize a scene in my head and then see it come to life in its filming and editing exactly as I imagined it. It shows the incredible power of the medium of film in how it can be used to create something from nothing.

What would you like to improve about yourself as a Filmmaker?

I would like to improve some of the equipment I use during production. I currently film most of my projects using the Canon 6D DSLR camera, which is the same camera that many prominent filmmakers such as Ron Howard have used to record their films, but more advanced cameras have come about in more recent years that I would like to use on future projects to increase the picture quality of my films even further. I ultimately would love to shoot on 35mm or 70mm motion-picture film cameras if I had the option and the budget to do so since those formats yield the best picture quality possible.

What's the worst critic you have received?

The worst criticism I ever received was one of the first screenplays I wrote in a class at college. I had followed all the instructions correctly and wrote the script in the way our professor wanted, but the professor hated my screenplay, and it was at that moment I realized that even when you do everything right, there will always be someone who will find some reason you are wrong, and I learned to not let these people and their irrational criticisms stop me from proceeding with my creative endeavors.

If you weren't a Filmmaker what would you like to be?

If I weren’t a filmmaker/TV producer, I would like to be a scientist. As a kid, I was fond of Bill Nye the Science Guy and enjoyed going to science museums. Science classes also were some of my favorites in school, especially the fun experiments and doing projects for the science fair. Even today, I enjoy reading science books and watching science documentaries. Some of my interests, including Transcendental Meditation and Freemasonry, also have their basis in science, and there is a great overlap between science and religion (another great passion of mine) though many believe that one cannot exist with the other. Science documentaries or science fiction may be a genre I tackle in future film projects.  If Cinema was a color what would it be?  If Cinema was a color, it would be Prussian blue like the color of Heaven described in Donovan’s song “Wear Your Love Like Heaven,” since I see Cinema as a window to a heavenly realm created by artists who are divinely inspired to craft their visions into reality through the film medium.

A day without a movie is...

A day without a movie is like a day without food or sleep. Movies and by extension narrative works in other mediums such as books, television, and web series provide necessary intellectual stimulation that could cause one to fall into a state of boredom or even aggravation if gone without.

If someone offered you to direct/produce a movie that you despise but that for sure will make you rich and famous...would you accept the job?

If someone offered me a movie job I despised but would make me rich, I would decline the offer because I can only feel comfortable making a film I actually agree with or would want my name associated with since I see my creative work as a reflection of my self. I also would not see a film where I am not the creator or a major collaborator as my own work as I am at that point just helping someone else to achieve his or her vision and not my own.

What's your greatest ambition?

My greatest ambition is to become a successful and innovative independent filmmaker and eventually get to a point where I have my own production company, developing films and other creative projects across multiple platforms. I also intend to serve in leadership roles and continue to advance in organizations in which I am involved such as The Freemasons, Transcendental Meditation, and my church.

What's your biggest fear?

My biggest fear as a filmmaker is the possibility that I might eventually lose my creative spark or no longer be able to make movies for whatever reason, but I tend to stay focused on the positives and work towards the optimum outcomes and find new ways to keep my creative juices flowing and better myself as a creative and a person in general.

Does music help you?

Music definitely helps a lot when I write outlines and ideas for films. I usually create playlists of songs that inspire me for the particular film I am developing almost as if they were the soundtrack of the film. I will listen to these songs constantly to construct the vision of my idealized film and then write down what I imagine in script form. Some of the songs that inspired me while writing Sister are “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles, “Cymbaline” by Pink Floyd, “St. Matthew” by The Monkees, “She’s Lost Control” by Joy Division, and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths.

You have the chance to make a Silent movie, what's your message to the audience?

If I had a chance to make a silent movie, I would make sure the visuals are engaging and are able to make the story presented easy to understand. In some ways, the opening cosmic sequence of Sister is like an artistic silent film as there is no dialogue but the story is made clear by the visuals and the actresses’ facial expressions and movements. I especially was impressed with the performance of Anza (who plays the deity Sophia) in these scenes as her face and body movements were so expressive and clearly state the emotional feeling of the character. Anza is a rising pop star in the music scene, especially with her recent hit single “Too Late,” and she will continue to make great strides in her music and acting career.

Share your speech if you should win an Oscar.....

If I were to win an Oscar, I would thank all the individuals and organizations who helped me achieve the award and then lead the audience in The Lord’s Prayer and close by saying “Jai Guru Dev!”