We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robby Piantanida a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Robby, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My most recent venture, SUNLIGHT FILM + STORY STUDIO, is a creative agency whose focus is raising awareness about climate change and scientific literacy. I feel like our most important objective as artists is to create a consciousness shift in the public, thus changing our views on the climate crisis.

Much of the content in this climate crisis space is very “doom-centric.” The shift in narrative we aim to bring through positive stories and education is a new approach built on deeper psychological feelings we see in the public.

Our intention is to be a resource within the science community for effective communication, education and genuine storytelling. As we see it, “Our Mission is to Amplify Yours” sums up our approach to effective content built with climate science and equity in the driver’s seat.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist who studied Fine Art (drawing and sculpture) at university in Mississippi where I began experimenting with video. I started a production company in Mississippi, Borrowed Productions, focusing on commercials and music videos. After meeting my wife in Arcosanti, I relocated to Los Angeles and started General Usage, focusing on documentary television and narrative films. General Usage has been awarded an Emmy for our work on Fertile Ground, a documentary on food access in MS. My short films have won Audience Awards in Italy, and have been nominated for craft and cinematography in Australia. General Usage also works with brands to make short and long-form content.
In 2023 I created the series Ambient Film, focusing on nature, civilization, and infrastructure films for relaxation and meditation, soon airing on PBS. Ambient Film is a experiential project, soothing visuals for turbulent times. I also make music and radio plays under the alias “Magnetic Dispatch”, as well as “Space Escape” and “Natural States”, which should be releasing soon.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Climate change and all it’s ramifications for the future livability on this planet is such a monumental problem, and I believe artist need to play a crucial role in the shift in consciousness needed for us to avert the worst case scenarios predicted. I am interested in forming any sort of creative partnership that can address this need.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When i graduated university, my grandmother told me i could have a trip to Europe, or the $$…. I took the money and bought my first camera. That investment into my video career has continued with almost every job, always thowing a portion of our paychecks into equipment. I have amassed over $100K in film equipment, allowing me to make lots of types of films and content. I think investing into my business has been a key thing for the health of the company and types of work it is capable of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://generalusage.com
• Instagram: general_usage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbypiantanida
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ambientfilm
• Other: https://linktr.ee/robbypiantanida

Image Credits

MAIN PHOTO credit Shelly Bevilaqua Piantanida

additional photos credit Andy Johnson