We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eli Asnien. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eli below.

Eli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I started Next Wave Studios in 2023 as a way for local Madison area artists/filmmakers to have a production space with total creative freedom. I was working in the film Industry in New Orleans, and got burnt out by my lack of creative control over projects I was working on. After returning to Madison, and realizing there wasn’t really any production spaces available to the public, I purchased a dilapidated warehouse stacked to the ceiling with auto parts that needed a complete renovation. The vision was clear, but figuring out the logistics of turning an old warehouse into a high end production studio by myself was daunting. Half the battle was just getting all the junk out & returning it to square one. After a year of hard work, the studio was able to open. Since then, the goal of Next Wave Studios has been to serve artists, as well as higher end productions, for a reasonable price. Since opening, Next Wave has branched out into live events, and is expanding in the spring to open a mixed-use artist space unlike anything else in Madison.

Eli, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been working, or wanting to work with film from a very young age. When I was 3 years old, when asked what I wanted to be, I said “I want to make the movies” From childhood films with friends, to production classes in high school, to ultimately moving to New Orleans and working in the film industry, I have always had an interest in motion pictures. I immensely enjoy pushing boundaries and experimenting in filmmaking, and this move to New Orleans continued that pursuit of experimentation even further.
When my journey brought me to New Orleans, I began learning the intricacies of the filmmaking world first hand. I started as a P.A. in the art department learning all about set design & Prop making, eventually working in various departments and learning a tremendous amount about how the film industry functions. Through it all, I never lost sight of the idea that I could one day use all these tools to make my own films. Working in film was an amazing experience, but working in that rigid system was something I knew I couldn’t do forever, although the paychecks were nice. After 10 years of working on bigger productions I had accumulated a decent savings, but had no time/energy to spend it. When I came to the realization that this career in NOLA was unsustainable long term, I had to make a decision to change things or I would go insane.
After a lot of soul searching, I made the decision to move back to Madison, Wisconsin to be closer to family, and distance myself from the nonstop, hectic work environment that I had been in. At that time, fortuitously, I was able to purchase the warehouse where Next Wave Studios is currently located. From there, a whirlwind year of moving, removing, and then building out the space had me wondering if I was actually insane. Was this something that Madison would want? Is it crazy to try doing this all by myself? If I build it, will they come??
It turns out that Madison was ready for the vision, and was indeed searching for an affordable space where filmmakers/photographers and visionaries could be able to create. Since we’ve opened, we’ve put together a talented creative team that focuses on assisting clients with their video needs. When we are not working on our own productions, the space is able to be rented out by the hour for passion projects. It has not been an easy process, but the satisfaction of building a space that helps the local community has been worth its weight in gold.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Next Wave Studios is founded on breaking away from conventional, and often-times played out norms in the film and video world. Currently it seems that projects (esp. films) can only be green-lit if they follow a formulaic pattern that has already been proven to earn money. We feel that the overused “Hollywood” movie formula, where every plot point has to happen on a certain page, leaves the viewer with a bland and unoriginal end product. We think that this method of production needs to be reimagined so creativity can once again shine. Next Wave Studios strives to come with a unique vision and spice it up a bit. That’s why we work with a smaller creative team that focuses on thinking outside the box & bringing creative approaches to whatever current project we are working on.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

First off, when I moved to New Orleans, the only thing I knew, was that I was going to work in the film industry, even though I had no idea how I was going to do it.
After getting a copy of a production report from a friend, I literally went down the list sneaking onto sets and trying to give anyone who would listen my ‘resume’. After being laughed out of the first couple productions, and having to talk with security, I figured out I would need a smoother approach. This is definitely the wrong way to go about doing it, but this is how I went about getting myself into the film-industry.
One time I remember discovering that the production office of an eventually scrapped film was right next to the Superdome and being excited to go see it in person. When I got there, I realized that the building was not open to the public, and that there was nowhere to park. After talking with the local clean up crew, I wound up leaving my truck in a hidden service entrance and going in to try & find the production coordinator. Well, as it turns out, there was nobody even in the office. On the way back down to my car, discouraged, I struck up a conversation with a woman in the elevator. Upon discussing my desire to work on the project she stated: “oh, you’re trying to get on set? My dad runs that, I could probably get you on that,” It’s amusing because half of the battle in Hollywood is simply just meeting people at the right place and the right time. While the film was eventually scrapped, I met people on the project that continued to help me find work, firmly establishing me as a mainstay in New Orleans’s film crew scene.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nextwave-studios.com
• Instagram: @nextwave-studios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091933055134
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-wave-studios1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv_XnzWyyab3zTSj1e3bN5Q

Image Credits

Eli Asnien, Ethan Yepiz-Foat