Phone: 973.635.0545

About Us

We are a full-service film, video and digital content production company. These are the values that guide our work: understanding your business goals and creating films of stellar creative vision, work within your budget, with superior production quality and get results.

Our creative vision is driven by this simple belief – Every client is unique. And every client’s story is unique. Hence our tagline: Everyone has a good story. What’s yours?

We believe that stories are the most fundamental and basic level at which all connections are made – stories define, entertain, compel, engage, and drive just about every interaction amongst us.

Cave dwellers told stories through drawings on walls some 30,000 years ago. Since then humans have continued to tell stories orally, in writing, and today through film, video and the Internet. The mediums change often, but the power of storytelling has remained constant.

Today businesses and brands are realizing and leveraging the power of storytelling to connect them with their audiences across multiple platforms.

The Chakra Media Group Story

Genevieve Castelino and Kiran Merchant, the principals of Chakra Media Group, met as students in Architecture School. A passion for architecture was a given, but they also discovered a shared passion for movies and theater. Over the next 23 years, Kiran and Genevieve pursued this passion relentlessly across different platforms – film, video, print and the Internet.

Genevieve and Kiran founded Chakra Media Group, a film, video and digital content production agency specializing in creating superior quality and high-impact messaging films for businesses. We produce films of creative vision backed by a sound strategy and value-conscious approach.

Genevieve and Kiran personally produce each project to maintain standards of quality, budget and schedule.

What This Means For Our Clients

– Our clients can be confident and trust that their projects with expert, hands-on producers who have experience at every level of the production process – from concept to delivery.
– We’ve worked modest to large budgets projects – we understand ROI and know how to get the best value for the resources we have available.
– Over two decades we’ve built a roster of the best and brightest in the industry across the world. Our connections help us match the best quality crew and technicians for every project.

Our Process

Our process ensures a series of client reviews and approvals so that we set the right expectations before we start and that there are never any surprises during any phase of the project.

There are five parts to the production process

1. Development

We develop a script for every film through pre-interviews with the client. This helps us know exactly what we’re filming on the day of the shoot. It makes for a productive and thoroughly thought-through shoot day.

2. Pre-production

This phase is critical to a smooth production that ensures we stay within budget and schedule. This part of the process includes:

– Sheduling
– Finalizing equipment and crew
– Location scouting
– Finalizing interviewees
– Permits – as required for production needs, locations, etc.,

3. Principal photography (Production)

– This is the actual production of the films. Based on the schedule determined in phase 2, crew and talent assemble at a location to film the commercial.

4. Post-production

– This phase of the production includes editing the films along with adding sound, music, visual effects and color correction.
– Having already scripted and approved the final film, we offer clients the ability to review the edited film three times before the ‘final cut’ of the films is ready for delivery.

5. Delivery

– We deliver the films in specified aspect ratio, frame rate, stream type, audio, interlacing and other specifications for use on the Internet as well as any physical media that might be chosen (DVDs, thumb drives, etc.)
– We also provide our clients all the footage filmed that they might need for potential other uses (e.g.: creating different versions of films, using imagery in print and social media campaign needs, etc.).

Who We Are

GENEVIEVE CASTELINO

Producer/Writer

Genevieve has been producing films for over 10 years and writing for over 15. Before that she was a successful senior executive in information technology. She is as passionate about stories and telling them as she is about making sure that projects are completed on time and on budget.

Genevieve produced ‘QuarterLife Crisis’ in 2007, an award-winning Romantic Comedy starring Lisa Ray (Academy Award nominated WATER) and Russell Peters (SOURCE CODE) the acclaimed standup comedian who made his debut as an actor in this film. Quarterlife Crisis was released world wide in 2007 and has been sold in more than 25 countries around the world including Showtime in the U.S.

Genevieve’s writing credits include articles published in India’s leading magazine India Today. She also wrote A Random Act of Kindness, a one-act play produced by the Director’s Lab, Lincoln Center Theater New York.

Genevieve holds a BFA in Communication, Film and Video from the City College of New York, and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from L.S. Raheja School of Arts and Architecture, Mumbai, India. She is a member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

KIRAN MERCHANT

Director/Producer

Kiran’s credits as a Director/Producer/Actor spans over 25 years in Film, Television, Advertising and Theater in the US, UK and India.

Kiran co-wrote, directed and produced CMG’s maiden feature film ‘QuarterLife Crisis’ a quirky romantic comedy about singles dating scene in New York City, Starring Lisa Ray (academy nominated ‘Water’), Maulik Pancholy (‘30 Rock) and Russell Peters (Source Code). Quarterlife Crisis was released world wide in 2007 and has been sold in more than 25 countries around the world and on Showtime in the U.S.

Among his many acting credits include popular TV shows like Law and Order and acclaimed films like 200 Cigarettes and Trust The Man.

He is an alumnus of the prestigious Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab of New York where he directed plays such as ‘On Caring For the Beast‘, ‘Mahatma Gandhi.com‘ and ‘Phyllis Wheatley: The African Muse.‘ Kiran is currently partnering with The Lincoln Center Theater to develop the first LCT director’s lab in India

Kiran holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture from L.S. Raheja School of Arts and Architecture, Mumbai, India and a Master’s in Urban Planning from the Pratt Institute, NY.

Thank you for taking the time to read about us and how we work. Please let us know how we can help you.