day zero: Robert King

An electrifying snapshot of Robert King - a 20-year-old artist and producer on the brink of his debut album. Set against the vibrant and explosive pulse

of downtown London, this short documentary flows through late-night sessions - solo and with collaborators - underground gigs, and museum

halls that fuel his vision. This short documentary captures a young artist not without fear, but

moving through it - crafting his sound, sharpening his voice, learning his limits, and pushing beyond them in real time.

In May 2025, I set out to make a five-minute observational documentary as part of my final third-year assignment for the Film, Television and Digital Production course at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I chose to centre this documentary on Robert Vladimirov (aka Robert King), an artist, producer, actor and frequent creative collaborator who composed elements of BURDEN, and starred in both ZAY and What About The Devil. We had previously considered documenting the initial phases of his debut album, and this project provided the perfect opportunity to do so.

We planned a series of locations that reflect Robert’s creative world. These included his bedroom and music setup; a live performance by his friend and fellow artist, Lucas Manwaring (Mnwa Echs), who previously starred in What About The Devil; a museum that often fuels his thinking; and a recording session with Gratsi Petrova, an artist and supporting actor in American Wedding.

Visually, the piece drew inspiration from several key references, including jeen-yuhs (2022, Dir. Coodie and Chike Ozah), Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010, Dir. Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg), and Downtown 81 (2000, Dir. Edo Bertoglio). Their handheld, intimate approach - often framed in 4:3 - helped shape the visual tone of this piece, alongside the cover art, which was hand-drawn and enhanced with photoshop by Robert.

Shot on both a Nikon Z9 and a Canon EOS 2000D, the film offers an intimate portrait of an artist at the start of his journey. While not currently intended for public release, this documentary is shared here with Robert’s consent, with plans underway for a longer version that will delve deeper into his creative process.