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.
Writer · Director · Producer
Neil Karunatilaka is a California-based filmmaker creating mythic, character-driven cinema at the intersection of practical filmmaking and visual effects.
Neil Karunatilaka · Los Angeles, 202601 / THE FILMMAKER
Neil Karunatilaka is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and visual effects filmmaker based in California. He is the founder of Studio VII, A Motion Picture Company.
With more than twenty 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
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 more than twenty 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
01Proof of concept · 2026
A 16-minute cinematic director’s treatment introducing three original mythic worlds through live action, visual effects, and atmospheric storytelling.
02Feature · In development
An Arthurian dark fantasy about death, resurrection, and the terrible cost of becoming legend.
03Short + feature · In development
A ruined temple. An ancient curse. A character-first reimagining of Medusa and the mortals drawn into her world.
04Ancient Egyptian fantasy · In development
Gods, forbidden power, and a human struggle set against the monumental scale of ancient Egypt.
Original Science-Fiction Horror · In Development
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.
04 / FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
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.
Enter Studio VII ↗05 / BEHIND THE WORK
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

Development, performance, location, and early visual-effects work.









The finished film, its collaborators, and the moment it met an audience.






Selected moments from public premieres and film-community events with filmmaker Zack Snyder.




06 / FASHION + EDITORIAL FILMS
Selected fashion and editorial films exploring movement, composition, natural light, location, and cinematic portraiture.
DIRECTED + CINEMATOGRAPHY BY NEIL KARUNATILAKA
A San Diego fitness-lifestyle film built around natural light, environmental portraiture, color, and a relaxed sense of movement.


A warm, intimate fashion film created to explore the character and rendering of XEEN cinema lenses.


A cinematic modern pinup film with Whitney Cordray, pairing retro-inspired interiors with warm light, bold styling, and a provocative contemporary glamour aesthetic.


Before building mythic feature worlds, Neil directed and filmed narrative shorts, commercials, music videos, fashion films, travel films, and visual campaigns with established talent worldwide.
This film archive reflects the same instincts that continue through his narrative work: shape the light, direct the performance, use the environment, and make every frame feel intentional.
07 / START A CONVERSATION
For directing, writing, producing, representation, and creative collaboration inquiries.