Category: film

Where’s My Pie?

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I recently met a film producer who, after congratulating me on Sita’s admission to Berlin, patiently explained that I’m a “shiny little fish about to enter a shark tank.” I’ve long avoided thinking about the real business side of my feature film endeavor, but suddenly I’m paying attention.

Which calls to mind this audio clip. Sound Designer Greg Sextro recorded numerous improvised conversations for the ironic “Intermission” scene. Some of these are very clever; some take advantage of Indian accents; and one is even in Hindi. But I’m thinking of this one, where Will Franken channels a Hollywood executive discussing the film’s sales potential, or lack thereof. Enjoy.

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Credits Locked!

As of midnight, I locked and rendered the final credits for Sita Sings the Blues. Finally! At last! I set up my machine to render the final reel of the film overnight and went to bed, exhausted.

Lying there, drifting off, I remembered I’d forgotten one name. Just one name. Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow? No! Must take hard drive to lab tomorrow! No time to re-render whole reel! So I got up, hit “cancel”, re-did the credits, and again set my machine to render reel 4 overnight. Sweet sleep at last…

Until I remembered another important credit I’d overlooked. You’d think with all the preparations I’d made, I wouldn’t have to wait until entering fugue state to recall the damn credits correctly. It’s now 1:18 am, and I’m rendering the credits for the third time in as many hours. I suspect I’ve nonetheless left out some important things and people. So, an advance apology to anyone or anything whose name is missing: I’m very sorry. I’ll correct it before it’s released, if a distributor ever picks it up. Mea Culpa.

On the other hand, the list of names and things that are included is pretty staggering. I used to joke about how short the credits would be, since I wrote, directed, produced, designed, animated, and edited the whole thing myself. But that was before “Re-Recording Mixer,” “Dub Facility” and “Dolby Sound Consultant” were even a twinkle in Sound Designer Greg Sextro’s eye. Happily, the longest addition to the credits is the list of names of generous people who donated or loaned me money to make this 35mm print. There’s like 160 of you!

Now it’s 1:30 am, and reel 4 is once again beginning its overnight render. Estimated Time: About 9 Hours. Good night!

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Finance Report

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Praise be to Laxmi!

Laxmi is both the eternal form of Sita and the Goddess of Wealth. I never really thought about her wealth aspect until now. Because my mind is so blown by the donations coming in for the 35mm master of Sita Sings the Blues.

Folks, you are kind and generous beyond my dreams. So far over $13,000 have come in. Some is from people I know in real life, but most is from people I’ve never met, mere electronic impulses from other synapses in this great hive-mind we call the Internet. I’m sitting here in awe and disbelief. I’m so grateful, so touched, so dazzled my little pea-brain can’t quite handle it. So it’s time for me to envision this as divine and offer thanks.

I thank all of you, I thank the Internets, I thank the Universe, I thank Laxmi.

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Credits deadline extension

The lab making the 35mm print master of Sita Sings the Blues has been delayed receiving the requisite film stock, due to a delivery error. That means they can’t print the final reel – with the credits – until Monday. And that means I don’t have to render the credits until Sunday. Which means anyone who wants their name in the credits still has until 10pm Sunday January 27 to make a donation! All donors will be thanked in the credits, but donors of $1K or more get a credit of their choice (Key Grip, Caterer, etc.) in a larger font.

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