George Sefer’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

George Sefer shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi George, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Bruce Springsteen has re-entered my life after the recent release of “Deliver me from Nowhere”. I’ve always been a fan but the film drew my attention to his album “Nebraska” again. “Atlantic City” is such a soulful track, I can’t seem to get enough of it these days.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a film director and writer originally from Europe. I’m coming off one of the busiest years of my life, probably. Last year I worked on a feature film titled “Adam” and a pilot titled “Dorian”, which we just premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival in November. I’ve been living in New York for the last six months, which has allowed me to focus on finishing the aforementioned projects while also working as freelance Post Producer.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
I’ve referenced Petros Maliaras a trillion times in my life, but he’s my main influence when it comes to work. I met Petros over a decade ago when he was a director and acting coach for a Municipal Theatre company in Greece. His work ethic is relentless and truly admirable, but it never comes at the cost of decency or human connection. Petros has since shifted gears into Film and TV production, and he was one of our producers on “Adam”. I’m not sure the project would have been possible without his involvement.

I continue to enjoy the privilege of having a continued professional and personal relationship with him.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
That consistency will work its magic eventually, and that I am (or was) doing okay. It’s difficult to visualise how things can materialise when you’re in the midst of things. I think at a certain point in my life I just decided to aim up and do the work anyway, and it’s been for the best.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
At this stage in my life I’m pretty much married to the pilot I directed for “Dorian”. It’s a contemporary retelling of Oscar Wilde’s “Picture of Dorian Gray”, re-imagined as a limited series. I think we have a great angle on the story, which lends itself perfectly to a Gen-Z retelling. We’ve been working on the idea of incorporating the internet and social media into the narrative, which is a tricky thing to get right with a Victorian classic, but a concept that works well with the overall conversation about beauty and aestheticism. There’s also something appealing about bringing the story over to the American East coast for this adaptation. There’s a greater palette of settings and aesthetics to play with, while still referencing the original novel.

We had the pleasure of premiering the project at the Big Apple Film Festival a couple of weeks ago, and people seemed receptive to our version. It was very rewarding having the opportunity to present the project and seeing it on the big screen with the cast and crew,

Speaking of which, I really do love the people we had working on this project. A lot of them ended up in New York anyway and some made it to the city for the screening.

We’re working on hopefully making more of “Dorian” in the future.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m sitting at home, it’s about 10am in the morning and I’m reviewing footage over a cup of coffee. The beautiful thing about post production is that it takes the pressure off to a certain extend. There’s still deadlines to be met, but you’re not rushing to get a shot done because the sun is setting in 10 minutes. I do enjoy just sitting with ideas between sessions, asking people for their thoughts, and smoking a cigarette in-between.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gsefer01/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-sefer-1a8116244/

Image Credits
Lindsey Susor