‘The Stage’ follows the journey of professional MMA fighter Kris Barras who retired from the ring to pursue his dream of becoming a rock musician. Tommy explains: “This film showcases the transition from the cage to the stage; it’s an interesting one with lots of parallels to be drawn from what is ultimately two forms of art.”
Tommy wanted to capture Kris in his natural environment and take a stylised approach by experimenting with distinct colours. “My goal was to create a piece that had a balance between a movie trailer-like feel with documentary elements, Tommy explained. “I sought after getting a variety of footage for post production, so I shot through objects and used reflections and foreground elements to obtain some interesting effects.”