New York Film Academy musical theatre alumnus and Netflix’s “Brown Nation” star Jaspal Binning has made a big splash with his directorial debut, “Doomsday,” which qualified for Emmy nominations and received a write-up in Emmy magazine.
“Doomsday” is an independently produced short-form series created by a team of actors who decided to go ahead and make the kind of series they always dreamed of working on. The series is written by Sonja O’Hara, who also portrays a leading role as a futuristic cult’s recruiter.
The article on “Doomsday” in Emmy highlights the series’ diversity: as distinguished from current series that tackle similar subjects like post-apocalyptic worlds or eerie cults, the world portrayed in “Doomsday” is a youthful and diverse cult led by a Swedish woman and her British-Indian second-in-command (portrayed by Binning).
Binning explained to Emmy that the show’s emphasis on diversity and uncertainty is particularly relevant in today’s world: “”There’s complete unpredictability over what’s going to happen next. That’s the political climate in England and in America, and it’s exactly the same for a cult.”
The series is carving out a unique place with its brooding tone and edgy subject matter, which served to attract a group of passionate creators to join forces. As Binning, who co-directs with O’Hara, explained to Emmy magazine, “We were lucky to find very committed actors. They’ve taken it to a different level.”
“Doomsday” won Binning and O’Hara the best director award at New York Television Festival. Binning shared that it was actually the process of using the Meisner acting technique that inspired him to want to direct, saying, “Working with actors and also seeing them get better really excited me.”
Though “Doomsday” was not nominated for an Emmy, the series’ award-winning journey through the big three television festivals (New York Television Festival, Independent Television and Film Festival, SeriesFest ) and it’s surprise qualification for the Emmys have delighted its creators. As O’Hara told Emmy, “We didn’t think that we, outside the Hollywood system, could make a show that was Emmy-eligible … It’s incredibly exciting to even qualify for the Emmys.”
Read more about NYFA musical theatre alumnus Jaspal Binning’s recent visit with the “Brown Nation” team as a Guest Speaker, and about his short film “Ovum.”