Meet Arnav Banerji | Previs and Postvis Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arnav Banerji and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arnav, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’d always loved reading and storytelling growing up, and like a lot of kids I was a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy movies Star Wars and Harry Potter. Right before starting college, I got the chance to intern at a small studio and learned about the world of 3D modeling and animation for the first time and I was in awe of the sheer possibility afforded by the medium. I’ve also been extremely lucky to find amazing mentors who answered my questions, gave me feedback, and taught me how to approach the 3D and visualization pipeline.

While daydreaming about the epic spaceship battles and dystopian cities I would create while learning 3D modeling and animation, I also found out about video essay channels like ‘Every Frame a Painting’ and ‘Lessons from the screenplay’. Then it was just a matter of finding a role that would allow me to combine the freedom of 3D and the storytelling choices of directing and cinematography and that was how I found out about Previs!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work in previs and that’s a field that not a lot of people outside the film industry know. The job entails figuring out action or complicated sequences for cameras, vehicles, characters and effects like explosions, fire in 3D. I had to learn the general 3D pipeline (modeling, texuring, lighting and animation) along with more cinematic concepts like how camera movement effects a scene, cinematography and storytelling. There have been countless lessons along the way but the most important one for me was how to work with a team and collaborate with people with different roles to make an amazing final result that would have been impossible with just 1 person. At Carnegie Mellon University, and later my job, I’ve had the joy of working with some of the most creative and technically strong people and I’m inspired by the projects I see everyday and at events and showcases when traveling, Finally I love exploring the outdoors and taking photos of the amazing vistas out in nature. That’s taught me a lot about how to think about lighting, composing a scene and color palettes!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Numero Uno would be the beach! I love surfing (making progress incrementally haha) and would always recommend a surf lesson or session in Manhattan Beach or Sunset for anyone visiting. I’m big on the outdoors, so hiking spots in Topanga and Griffith Park would be on the menu too. And finally, the food and nightlife – LA has so many amazing restaurants that you can try out a new place every time you go out and depending on the experience you’re looking for – from dive bars to dance spots, there’s a bar or club for everyone! And for chill days, I’d take them out to a movie or comedy club on the westside before a hipstery coffee shop in Silver Lake!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve got a long list of people who’ve inspired and supported me! My parents who were very supportive of a career in the movie industry. GL Kumar who gave me my first internship and taught me all the fundamentals of 3D asset building and the look development pipeline, Maike Fiene who answered all my questions about previs when I just had a small idea of what the role entailed and then, gave me feedback and spent a lot of time looking at my projects and teaching me the shot building workflow. There are many more of course and I’m grateful to all the people in my industry who’ve shared workflow tips, offered advice and taken time to inspire younger creatives!

Website: www.arnavbanerji.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/arnavbanerji8