01Proof of concept · 2026
The Prologue
A 16-minute cinematic director’s treatment introducing three original mythic worlds through live action, visual effects, and atmospheric storytelling.
Director · Writer · Producer
Stories built
to become worlds.
Neil Karunatilaka is a California-based filmmaker creating mythic, character-driven cinema at the intersection of practical filmmaking and visual effects.
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Director-Driven CinemaCinematic World-BuildingCharacter Before SpectaclePractical + Visual EffectsGenre Without BoundariesA Singular Point of View
Neil Karunatilaka · Los Angeles, 202601 / THE FILMMAKER
A singular
creative vision.
Neil Karunatilaka is an American film director, writer, producer, and visual effects filmmaker based in California. He is the founder of Studio VII, A Motion Picture Company.
With over fifteen years of experience across writing, directing, producing, cinematography, and visual effects, he has created narrative films, commercials, music videos, fashion films, travel films, and visual campaigns for clients and talent worldwide. His work is defined by bold composition, atmospheric world-building, high-concept imagery, and an approach that treats technical innovation as a tool for emotion.
Through Studio VII, Neil develops original mythology, fantasy, horror, and science-fiction projects under a unified creative vision. In 2026, he presented The Prologue: The Dead Do Not Return, a 16-minute proof-of-concept director’s treatment that combines live-action filmmaking, concept imagery, and visual-effects-driven storytelling across the Studio VII slate.
02 / DIRECTOR’S VISION
Make the impossible
feel human.
I believe spectacle matters most when it reveals something human.
I’m drawn to stories that feel larger than life: ancient myths, impossible worlds, monsters, gods, and the unknown. But every image must begin with character. Beneath the scale, there has to be a choice, a wound, a fear, or a consequence that the audience can recognize as their own.
My process brings writing, directing, cinematography, practical production, and visual effects into one continuous creative language. I don’t see VFX as something added after the film is made; I use it as part of the earliest storytelling decisions, designing worlds around performance, atmosphere, composition, and emotion.
After over fifteen years behind a camera, I’m still driven by the same instinct: find an image that feels impossible, then discover the most honest human moment inside it. The goal is not simply to create something visually striking. It is to create an experience that stays with the audience after the final frame.
03 / SELECTED NARRATIVE WORK
Worlds in
motion.
01
02Feature · In Development
The Last Breath
An Arthurian dark fantasy about death, resurrection, and the terrible cost of becoming legend.
03Feature film · In Development
The Serpent’s Snare
A ruined temple. An ancient curse. A character-first reimagining of Medusa and the mortals drawn into her world.
04Ancient Egyptian fantasy · In Development
The Obelisk
Gods, forbidden power, and a human struggle set against the monumental scale of ancient Egypt.
Original Science-Fiction Horror · In Development
They Came
from Above.
When unexplained lights appear over a quiet suburb, one sleepless night becomes a terrifying close encounter inside the home.
BEYOND THE STUDIO VII SLATE
VFX Proof of Concept
A visual-effects proof of concept was developed to explore creature design, compositing, color palette, atmosphere, and the film’s contained visual language while development continues.
WATCH THE PROOF OF CONCEPTOPEN ON VIMEO ↗
EARLY RECOGNITION · 2015
A signal from
the beginning.
Earlier in his career, Neil’s visual-effects-driven short was selected by Lucasfilm as one of 25 films in the official 2015 Star Wars Fan Film Awards and featured on StarWars.com for Audience Choice voting.
LUCASFILMOFFICIAL SELECTION2015 STAR WARS FAN FILM AWARDS
04 / FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Studio VII
Neil founded Studio VII, A Motion Picture Company, to develop ambitious original films under a singular creative vision. Its flagship slate, The Last Breath, The Serpent’s Snare, and The Obelisk, unites mythology, horror, and fantasy across interconnected cinematic worlds.
05 / BEHIND THE WORK
The work between
the frames.
From the edit bay and performance capture to proof-of-concept shoots and premieres. A selective record of the process, people, and decisions behind the finished images.
IN POST · ON SET · IN THE ROOM
PRODUCTION + VISUAL DEVELOPMENT
Recording, directing, performance, and screen tests from selected projects.
Voice, performance, and digital-capture sessions for the proof-of-concept film.
Neil was invited to direct Savannah, a proof-of-concept short developed and written by the project’s original creative team.
Costume, lighting, and green-screen tests for a separate character concept.
THE PROLOGUE PREMIERE
The finished film, its collaborators, and the moment it met an audience.
CONTINUE THE STORY
Explore the worlds
of Studio VII.
Visit Studio VII to discover the feature slate Neil is developing, including The Last Breath, The Serpent’s Snare, and The Obelisk.
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
Behind the work.
Beyond the frame.
Follow Neil for filmmaking, works in progress, visual studies, travel films, and moments from the creative process.
07 / START A CONVERSATION
Let’s make something
unforgettable.
For directing, writing, producing, representation, press, and professional correspondence related to Neil’s work.