Stanley Kubrick once stated that "A filmmaker has almost the same freedom as a novelist has when he buys himself some paper." He was so right. his peers and loyal fans marveled at his story-telling and visual capabilities, and he left everyone in awe with his cinematic masterpieces.

As a filmmaker I totally relate to what Kubrick was speaking about, as there are filmmakers and there are visual poets. People like Kubrick were profound authors and visual artists, balancing commercial film with artistic cinema with a great depth of field. He is one of many artists that inspire me to continue this fiery career path that I have chosen. I’ve always believed that to create some sort of lasting expression in films, you must of had some sort of experience in your subject matter first hand to really feel and be truthful to yourself and most importantly,
your audience. But then you have to ask yourself, what makes a good film and what makes a great filmmaker? Well, the truth is that you won’t get a good film if the person behind the lens isn’t good. It’s like, to read a great book you have to have read a great author/novelist.

You can literally have the finest cameras and tools, pens and paper and canvases, but they are just mere instruments to get our thoughts and actions across. We are the true sculptures and
chess players strategising every move till we check-mate, or at least we think we have until it’s time for another project!

This is where the artistry comes in. This is where your life experiences come in and this is really where your ‘true talent’ fires in. This is the test now, the ultimate test as a filmmaker,
can you practically execute your thoughts and visions, converting them into reality? To be a great filmmaker, you must also be a great writer, a great painter and above all, a very courageous and tenacious person, otherwise the game might eat you into quick sand. Our job is to survive the longest. As artists, we thrive in the midst of chaos and elements of turmoil, constantly battling ourselves in the forefront to let our life experiences breath again through the beautiful art form of motion pictures.

I’ve found myself at times to resemble a journalist in my writings and visual demeanor but overall I am glad that I have chosen this path as a profession, not because I wanted to, because I truly had to! Like many iconic filmmakers, past and present, for them this craft was also a need, not a want. I’ll always encourage the younger generation to take a step into whatever they believe in because "dreams are always for real, making sure that you hustle hard" When you’re an artist, and you execute that great inception from within your minds eye, I promise you that it is one of the greatest satisfactions, God bless - BA

You can also check out my new short piece that I have entered into this year's Virgin Media Shorts.