The Killing Moon

Starting January 2006, filmmaker Sridhar Reddy accounts the process, thoughts, and musings during the creation of his second feature film, THE KILLING MOON.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Off to India

I'm off to India for the next month. Unfortuantely in a country whose IT industry is exploding, internet access remains spotty at best. I will try to update the blog as much as I can!

Friday, January 06, 2006

Genre genre genre

Or in the words of Henry David Thoreau, "simplify, simplify, simplify."

I just read an article in Hollywood Reporter about how the smaller "independent" studios are going to go back to the formulas which made them successful in the first place- genre films.

Now as a fiery independent filmmaker you'd probably expect me to throw my arms in rage, but I actually agree with the studios. Yes, you heard it right. I am defending the genre film, my artistic integrity be damned.

It's a matter of perspective, as every film must fall into some category. Even the most off-kilter, strange, abstract films will fall into some sort of genre. "Donnie Darko" was a science fiction film, "Pulp Fiction" a caper noir, and so on and so forth. Many films that we dem as "unclassifiable" are classified by that very distinction. What do we call a film like "The Cremaster Cycle"? In the end, Matthew Barney made a convincing drama, no matter how convoluted the narrative.

But that's just semantics. What we're dealing with, in terms of the studio perspective, is money. "Genre" to an independent filmmaker may be interpreted as "predictable," or "limited" or "conservative." A genre is limited in terms of its creativity, because getting the title of a genre means you have, in some way shape or form, follwed a set of rules that defines that particular genre. A genre film is a shure shot, there's no artistic integrity and the studios like them because they are tested formulas that make money.

Yes, that is true. But one has to admit that a good genre film ultimately works. Conventions exist for two reasons- to follow and to be broken. I'm not advocating that when making a genre film that you follow every rule to the t- rather, you must acknowledge those rules and operate within its internal logic, whether or not you are following the rules or not. The difference is in the execution when it comes to genre films.

Rian Johnson made a film called "Brick" which I was fortunate to see when i served as the Marketing Director for the Chicago International Film Festival. Rian's film was a genre film, a classic noir, a film which was deemed by the critics who saw it in Chicago as one of the rare films that was amazingly true to the noir genre. But what Rian did with his film was make it fresh through its execution- the twists and turns that he took, decisions that he made as a director, is what made his film fresh and unprecedented. He made an extremely unique genre film, and lo and behold his film was picked up for distribution by Focus Features.

It's called a calculated risk when it comes to filmmaking. By sticking to a genre, your chance of reaching an audience has been given a boost. That doesn't mean you have to make a conventional film, but stick to your genre. It's what we're planning with "The Killing Moon," and what I didn't do with "19 Revolutions." When I was writing "19 Revolutions" I wanted to make it a noir, but I intentionally strayed from the conventions of noir, thinking I would make something that had no precedent. My thinking was if I make something so different, if I hit I hit it big, and because of the cost of my production if I don't hit it it'll be easier to recoup my costs. I realize that my thinking was not wrong but flawed. I have to think differently, I have to think outside the box, but conversely i have to make sure it makes sense. If it doesn't, I've lost the battle even before I've begun.

Film, by design, is not for conservative souls. Every step is a risk. given this level of risk, why not reduce at least some percentage of that risk by following the tried-and-tested rules of a genre? It doesn't mean go out and copy "The Searchers" when you want to make a western. Rather, understand the rules of the west, the credo of the cowboy, and the laws of the land. Once you ascertain and accept those laws, by all means violate and destroy those laws. But in order for a law to be broken, it must first exist in perpetuity.

Studios need to make money, and so do I. But we create the art, and they sell it. There is some connect between the two: we give them something they can sell, and they give us the means to make our art. When negotiated smartly, I think it's a tragically fair arrangement.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Cover images


As part of our package for THE KILLING MOON, we've devised a clever little 10-page comic book that is a prelude to the film's story. It's a section of the story that will never be filmed, but it sheds light on the overall mythology of our film's universe. I wrote and illustrated the book, and it was a true labour of love.

I grew up with comic books, and for so long I was ashamed to admit that I read them because of the tag of them being immature. But as i've grown older I've come across many filmmakers who share the same passion for comics as I had. Almost every major studio exec has, at some point in their life, indulged in comic books. So we have an entire generation of filmmakers who have, to some extent, seen the comic book as a pure storytelling format.

It makes sense because comics do indeed marry the written word to visual images, although probably not as visual as cinema. But more than a 30-page business plan, a 10-page comic book can probably elicit more information about the tone, texture, and quality of a film than plain text. Which is why we decided to go the comic book route. Plus it fulfills a dream of mine to make a comic book- that's one more thing to check off my "to do in life" list.

Anyway, back to the comic itself. We've been going back and forth about the cover image on the comic. Previously I had painted a cover that highlighted the mythology of the story, and its connections to Kali, the destroyer goddess of the Hindu pantheon. It was an image that was more tribal in nature, akin to an Indian cave painting. While it was artistic, we felt it really didn't "sell" the film in a filmic sense. This is where we had to take our artistic hats off and put our business hats on. We referenced today's comics and video game covers and tried to ascertain what sells today.

T&A. It's unfortunate- almost every image featured women so disproportionate you would think you were looking into a fun-house mirror. I am not opposed to using sex as a draw to a product, because the oldest rule in the book is that sex sells. But we both felt that there had to be some standards of decency. Our lead character in the film, a young woman by the name of Anjali, was a beautiful character both in character and appearance. It would be of highest disrespect to her as a character and woman to simply reduce her to a sexual object for the sake of selling a film. Some might argue that she's just a fictional creation, a figment of our imaginations. But she is real to those who watch her, and we have to be mindful of that. But then we're back to square one- how do we make our product "sexy" without reducing to disrespect?

One of the base wants of people, man or woman, is to feel attractive, both sexually and intellectually. When we someone across the room that draws our fancy it is, at least by our standards, because they exude a confidence in their constitution and bodies. They are at ease in their own skin, and we just can't help to want to touch that skin because of it. Let's face it- confident skin electrifies, reserved skin is cold. Sex is about confidence and comfort- so how can i capture that on canvas, and later on, on film?

I tried several versions of the cover art that started as purely erotic and introduced levels of confidence into the character. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a weird experience. I remembered those days that every young boy goes through in their lives- the day you drew your first naked woman. it was exciting and forbidden at the same time, but always more the former. I finally arrived at a painting that I felt exuded both sexual and intellectual confidence, that which embodied the character of Anjali the best. I'm quite happy with it, eventhough it is not as revealing of skin as my previous paintings. I love the fact that this looks like a woman whom you want to get close to but turn around you know that if you touch her or disrespect her you'll get your ass kicked.

That's what Anjali is all about.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The Producer vs. The Director

Anthony and I have been hard at work for the past year putting our comprehensive package together, and we're now getting ready to test the waters with pitching it.

The package can be daunting- you want to have enough brevity to hold people's attention, but turn around our project has so many layers we have to fight the urge to indulge. Studio execs and independent production companies are insanely busy people, and I figure we'd be luck to hold fifteen minutes of their attention.

But we've been told over and over that we've got on e of the most unique and compelling products out there. We call it a "product" because while it may be art to us, it'll only get made if people can see dollar signs from it. Film is a product when it is released, it is art when it is being created. This is one of the definitive things I've learned being in the film business. I've previously had issues "distancing" myself from my artistic product. We have to think how this thing will actually sell, not just how cool it would be to watch.

Anthony did his MFA at the Peter Stark Producer's program at the University of Southern California. Well, we both did an MFA because I lived vicariously through him and we both learned the ropes (I already have an MBA). One thing I have to give USC is its pragmatism- they understood that art comes from within, and it cannot be taught. Business, however, is a game and one must have real-time strategies for getting a film made.

And from this I've understood the distinction between a director and a producer. A director makes a film, the producer gets the film made. They're two totally different spectra, but incredibly interlaced. As a director it is my responsibility to create an entire lucid vision of the project, from start to finish. It's also the director's responsibility to make sure that he works within the budget. I know that many of my directing compatriots will cringe at this notion, but it is very important. The director needs to be an integral part of establishing the budget, and then the producer will know exactly how much money she needs to raise. One this budget is attained, it is up to the director to stick to her word and make the film given the parameters that they themselves laid out. If, due to unforseen circumstances, not all goes to plan, that is what the contingency is set out for.

Conversely, the producer must understand the vision of the director, and in order to do that they must have a comprehensive knowledge of film. It's a pitfall when producers see directors as "pretentious artists" becuase a producer themselve is an artist. That may seem hard to stomach, but it is true. If the producer cannot see the entire vision of the film crew, then they can't be a successful producer because they simply "don't get it."

I guess every part of filmmaking has its share of pretension, and this needs to be quelled by a healthy dose of humility. While what we do is hard work, it is still work like any other. We are doing a job, a job that requires a lot of money had is statistically stacked against us. We have to understand that we are not the only people on the Earth with a unique vision, and that we have to compete with the best to get our film made. Which is why our product has to be unique, it has to have a competitive advantage. We think we've got it with THE KILLING MOON. I'll let you know more about the film later as this blog develops.

I sent my reel to Oil Factory yesterday, and now I can just hope for the best. Let's hope they like what they see. Man, I hate having my fate in the hands of others, but that's a bitter pill I have to swallow, at least for now.

I don't know who to root for in the Rose Bowl- I like USC for its awesome talent, but I'm always a fan of the underdog. I actually think Texas will win. We'll see.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Creating cash flow

So as the New Year begins I'm faced with the long challenge of almost every fledgling artist- consistent cash flow! Money comes in arbitrary chunks and I'm always seeking work to help pay the bills. For 2006 I'm taking several different avenues that I didn't take in 2005. In '05 I served as the Marketing Director for the Chicago International Film Festival, which paid decently, but it did not allow me to work on my craft as a filmmaker. In '06 I aim to find work that will expand my tools as a filmmaker.

I have to say though that working with the festival exposed me to the other side of filmmaking, that of distribution and exhibition. The education was priceless, and I did make many contacts that I will most definitely use in the future. Working at the festival also gives me some level of credibility in the industry, as I believe there is some percieved equity in being a filmmaker who is knowledgable in the business and economic workings of the industry.

It's certainly not enough for a filmmaker to understand the ebbs and flows of the box office, we have to know how those numbers came into existence in the first place. Without that context, the numers are meaningless to you and I.

So getting back to cash flow issues, I plan to pursue three venues:

1) music video and commericals
2) a ultra-low budget feature/ short
3) a video game service company in India

The third option does deserve a second take- what? I'm off to India on January 10th to sell 19 REVOLUTIONS, and while there I'm going to explore the options of opening a service company in India for the global video game industry. I'll fill detalis in as events warrant, but right now I won't divulge.

Today I'm working on strategy one: I've been incontact with the Oil Factory, a prestigious production company who specialized in music videos and commericals. They've been kind enough to respond to my messages and have requested my reel for the possibility of joining their stable of directors. I'm sending it out today, so let's hope something good comes out of it.

Music has always been paramount in my creativity- I write my scripts to music, wherein I select the music first and develop the stories around it. Music is my muse. So it seems natural for me to give an earnest attempt at music videos. On 19 REVOLUTIONS I was given positive feedback on my visuals and theor marraige to the music, so I want to give it a rip. We'll see.

This year I've got a new motivation to succeed- I got engaged in in November. Getting engaged has changed my perspective completely. Previously I was content with getting by but now I will have a wife, and while she is successful we both need to contribute to make it work. So if previously I had a fire under my ass, it's now graduated to a full-on inferno. I'm blessed however to have her support and guidance, so I have no doubts that we will get this done.

Have a great day!

So Here it Begins

January is upon us, let the year begin!

The thought of starting blog seemed twofold: a) I wanted to share the experience of making feature films with the public, to both share my experiences and also gain the experience of those around me. This isn't so much one man's thoughts but hopefully it will be a place of exchange and cross-pollination.

b) Cinema is a medium that is not singular in nature- besides being a collaborative medium, it is the intersection of the humanities. Where else would you find the worlds of music, photography, literature, architecture, performance, politics, economics, sculpture, and just about any other field collide? It's just about the most perfect launchpad for any discussion of any permutation.

So without further hesitation, welcome!

A primer: THE KILLING MOON is a feature film that my producer and I have been working on for the past three years. I have written the script and will direct, while Anthony Samu will produce. The film is a martial arts genre film that will be shot entirely on location in India, and it highlights the Indian martial arts system known as "kalaripayattu." Set in 1850 Colonial India in Kerala, the story follows two trajectories- the first is a small insurgency of martial artists who declared war on the British Crown, assaulting them with assassinations and guerilla tactics. The second trajectory is that of the British Military, who waged a 30+ year was against the insurgents, determined to rid their adopted home of terror.

This will be my second film. In 2004 I wrote, produced, and directed my debut feature film entitled 19 REVOLUTIONS, a 93-minute film that has been on the international film festival circuit for the past two years. I am currently shopping for a distributor both in India and the United States.

Parts of this blog will be dedicated to the my efforts to distribute the film. It's important for me to spread the experience of this daunting task, and even with the handful of offers I have recieved to distribute the film, I am toying with the idea of self-distribution. It's all about vertical integration!

I hope those who read this will gain an insight to the business of filmmaking, as there are countless journals dedicated to the creative aspects of filmmaking. That's not to say these won't be discussed, but filmmaking is as much a business as it is an art. Making THE KILLING MOON is an ultimate declaration of our art, but in order to make it we must exercise every bit of business savvy that we have. We are determined, and by the end of this blog you will see our ideas and passions come to fruition.

Let the games begin!