We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sahil Juneja. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sahil below.
Sahil, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I believe the root of my confidence is the knowledge I gained from my past experiences and education from two prestigious universities. When I look back, I also think , I always backed myself in whatsoever situation, it’s because I try and listen to my gut and then reason with it, but with that being said, I wasn’t always this confident. Earlier everything use to scare me, but my mom played a major role in helping me out, she always backed me and my brother to speak up, go on a stage, perform in front of a live audience, etc.. etc…and for the rest life taught me how to be present in the situation and handle the pressure.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am Sahil Juneja, an award-winning Director & Script supervisor, born in Gujarat, India, now situated in Los Angeles, CA. I have been creating compelling narratives for over a decade now. My recent short-film “Surprise”, is not only winning hearts in the festival circuit but also awards for some exceptional performances. My films are also said to resonate with assorted audiences.
In my diverse career, I have successfully undertaken various roles for feature films, web shows, short format films, and music videos. From writing compelling narratives to supervising each performance, I have consistently worked on high-concept projects. In addition to my directing skills, I have a strong background in editing and visual effects.
There are so many things that excite me about my job. I not only get to create something new everyday but also get to work with some amazing individuals along the way. Every single step in the process of creating cinema unfolds new perspectives, open new windows and shed more light on the story that we try to bring to life. It is a profession that always keeps you up on your toes, it taught me that not just every frame but every moment is important for creation of something magnificent. Despite having received a master’s degree in filmmaking and certifications in six significant editing softwares, there is a drive in me to learn more.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The qualities that I think stuck with me through my childhood are planning, hardwork and patience. These are the things that allowed me to survive in this cutthroat industry. Planning involves, learning and thinking ahed. Hardwork requires discipline and presence in the moment and last but not the least, patience teaches you how to be calm yet persistent. On top of everything else we as a filmmaker do, we are responsible to educate, entertain and inspire the audience around the globe. Therefore having strong a strong backbone is not just a necessity but our responsibility.
In terms of being a film director having a strong background in writing, editing, and cinematography, combined with your passion for storytelling is the key to survive in the long run. The best way to gather this knowledge is what’s it like in any other field, that is gathering first hand experience and/or formal education.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My go to people with any problem are my brother and my father, be it a business or a personal issue, these are the two people that I can blindly trust. Other then them there are a lot of people who has helped me along the way, for me to reach this stage where I’m at.
Most of them have been my professors, people who shared their uncut knowledge with me. If not my professors, I learnt a lot from my supervisors, be it any producer or director that I’ve worked under, and last but not the least the talented individuals with whom I got a chance to work side by side, be it an actor, musician, cinematographer everyone paid their bit to shape me in the way I am today. Overcoming any challenge would have been difficult or to an extent impossible without the love and support from these talented individuals.
Now that I’ve started making my own movies my biggest tutor has been the audience which never lies and always shows me a map to where I stand. Be it good or bad, they never back down to give me a reality check.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahil_juneja___?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahil.juneja.927?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sahil-juneja-films
- Twitter: @sahil_juneja_
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/7GvY8nJepp8?si=mPkOh72FGbdttWzK
Image Credits
Pranav Mehta and Steve Escarega
