Conversations with Stanley Asiegbulem

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stanley Asiegbulem.

Hi Stanley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where I was raised till I was about nine years young. My family then emigrated to the U.S. and I began here in the 4th grade, in Franklin, New Jersey. The first meal I remember having here was pizza. I think it says a lot about this country’s ethos that my first meal was one with origins of immigrant heritage. I actually didn’t like pizza much at all because it was just so out of my palate, but naturally it’s now one of my favorite things. I remained in Jersey till I was about 19 living in Bound Brook, NJ. It’s a small town where my father had purchased a house not up to three years after we’d just arrived in this country as a whole family of six. I remember being really proud of how rapidly we’d assimilated structurally; house, family car -the quintessential American dream sans the white picket fence. My father was a kung-fu black belt in Nigeria, a harmonica-playing musician, and an entrepreneur with his own retail business. I think this largely influenced my gravitating towards everything in high-school. I participated in sports as a Wrestler, was in chorus, and played Oliver Twist in a school play. I was “demoted” to play Artful Dodger instead because my priorities weren’t where a lead role needed to be since I wanted to do everything. That was a great lesson in doing less, with amplified focus and intensity on where one does allocate their attention.

After high-school I went to Raritan Valley Community College for two years. There, I was inspired by a particular professor (among others) – my good friend, Mark. In Mark’s film theory class, I got to really immerse myself in cinema. His class made me realize how deeply I’d fallen in love with the art form over the years. I think sometimes, certain people that we meet can really initiate a life-changing level of perspective within our awareness. I remember watching Leone’s westerns in Nigeria since they were always on repeat on this specific channel. Eventually, we got the tapes! Staying up for hours watching classic martial arts films & dramas. Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradiso” was one of those films. On most days, if you were to ask me what my favorite film is it’ll be that one. Other days it’s probably any of Nuri Ceylan’s films like “The Wild Pear Tree” or any other one of the films that I’ve recently seen and fallen in love with. With Mark’s guidance, I applied to Emerson College to study film. Emerson has a campus in Both LA & Boston, and after my acceptance I lived in Boston for about 2.5 years living off-campus enrolled in their directing program. I moved to New York not too long after graduating and began working independently; music videos that were selections for the Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem, and a few commercials, while working as a host at the Nomad Bar downtown in between gigs – you know, the classic routine that most young gig-workers in any metropolis do. A year into my stay in NYC I, along with a group of acquaintances fundraised successfully via Indiegogo to produce a short film which was my first SAG project post-college. As of the Pandemic, it’s currently in distribution-limbo pending some semblance of normalcy within the festival-going industry.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I get older, I often reflect gratefully on the opportunity to have experienced life growing up on two different continents. It’s a blessing that I don’t take for granted because of the perspective that such a foundation has given me. So the short answer to that question is YES. The long answer is NO. Adversity is an evolutionary imperative and is also specifically relative to the meaning we find within those experiences.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a creative that specializes in writing & directing film. I enjoy working with actors, writing screenplays and short stories. I believe that I have a strong sense for curating and design and thrive in positions as a taste-maker executing a vision.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Robinhood (or any other brokerage app) has been an indispensable tool during this pandemic since the entertainment industry is essentially on pause and with it, our livelihood. So the ability to continue to grow wealth/equities and pivot towards learning another new skill in the midst of all this has been cathartic. I believe that democratizing access to the market through this type of tech is a really powerful tool. Seamless. Because Seamless. I love the podcasts Philosophize This, The Marianne Williamson Podcast, Doug Loves Movies, Under The Skin with Russel Brand, Joe Rogan Podcast, & The A24 Podcast. I read The Women Who Run With the Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés recently and would have to be my favorite read of the year. 2nd would be “Everyday is For The Thief” by Teju Cole. And finally, Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charlie.” Such a timely read in what’s still such a divided country almost 60 years later since it was published.

Contact Info:

• Email: stanley.asieg@gmail.com
• Website: Vimeo.com/stanleyasiegbulem
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trimalchio__

Image Credits
Dan Caron. Steven Szmed. Luke Becker. Andrew C. Lawrence