On Superbowl Sunday, Kevin and Zak joined Karen Worden and David Branin at the LA Film Talk studio for an hour-long discussion as part of their Film Courage radio series. We discussed everything from how we met, what we learned recently in Park City, the spark that inspired CINEFIST, staying ahead of the curve in an industry undergoing major transformation, and how Sabi intends to sustain itself through the release of WHITE KNUCKLES and HEART OF NOW, and more importantly, through a lifetime of producing the stories we want to tell.

To listen, we’ve embedded the official podbean player after the fold.

We at Sabi eagerly await the deployment of Open Indie, a new discovery community that expands on Arin Crumley’s pioneering efforts behind Four Eyed Monsters and offers a set of refined tools to all filmmakers. Kieran Masterton has released a development screencast so we can delight in the progress he’s made thus far. A sample of the developing site’s framework is shown using Heart of Now as a test subject. That video has been embedded at the end of this article.

The key feature of this site will be the ability to identify where fans are located so either the filmmakers, or fans of the film, can determine if holding a screening in their area would attract an audience. I’m sure you can see the value in that. It launches in March 2010 and you can follow further developments at their blog.

Have you ever unexpectedly slept for 12 uninterrupted hours? After an exhaustive week spent ramping up to last night’s private screening at THE DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT, I did just that.

After setting the theater’s projector and sound to their appropriate level with the team at SNAP SOUND, I walked through the crowded lobby, shaking hands with old friends and making introductions with guests. Curiously, I felt confident that they would become new fans by the end of the night. Amongst the crowd, I finally had the opportunity to meet AIROM BLEICHER face to face (wished it had happened sooner). Airom composed and produced the music heard in the last third of the picture and I look forward to sharing his music and DEKLUN’s when we release the soundtrack via iTunes.

Before the screening, Kevin K. Shah welcomed the audience and invited them to introduce themselves to the person sitting next to them, and to congratulate each other for supporting independent film. This ingenious little ice-breaker is something we learned from Saskia Wilson-Brown and her Los Angeles screening series CINEMA SPEAKEASY. To express our gratitude, Kevin gave away 20 free copies of “Model/Photographer” and “White Knuckles” to the audience. After a brief introduction by me, the lights dimmed and HEART OF NOW filled the hearts and minds of those in attendance.

I sat next to Kevin and the film’s editor, Jamie Cobb. We listened for the audience’s unique reaction to the film. There were some unexpected, but welcomed laughs that we hadn’t gotten in test screening it. As well as plenty of moments where you could hear a pin drop – meaning no one in the audience was shuffling, eating or coughing. They were totally in the moment with the characters. When it ended, well… I’ll just say that continuous, unbroken applause is a good feeling.

I loved doing Q&A sessions at festivals for “IFHY“. By the end of that festival run, which took us all the way to London, I had a great deal of practice speaking about the film and was confident in which details the audience would find compelling to hear. But this being my first for this particular picture, it is tinged with uncertainty. I had no idea what people were scribbling on their comment cards at that point. So there was an irrational fear of outright rejection – that they hated it, or worse, felt indifferent – despite the applause. I explained that the spark behind making this film had been the death of my father and that character-defining feeling of being left behind. Further, that I had set out to make a picture about abandonment and aloneness which lead me behind the scenes to a collective of artists that came together as a family to author something bigger than any one of us.

Wonderful questions came in about improvisation, camerawork, the editing process and the sound design as a character unto itself. I was also asked to explain the butterfly motif and quickly refused to do any such thing. It got a laugh but I regret how I handled it. Given the opportunity, I would simply illustrate that it’s not my place to define any “meaning” for the audience, preferring that each person simply determine if it holds any significance for them.

During the Q&A, the audience also had an opportunity to fill out comment cards. It’s so vital to get an audience’s gut reaction, but also to talk with them afterward as their thoughts and feelings begin to settle. The response on those cards is overwhelmingly positive. 90% said they would likely recommend the movie to other fans of arthouse cinema. There was praise across the board for the performances by Marion Kerr and Kelly McCracken, and the rest of the cast. And the ending was cited universally as a favorite scene, even amongst the handful that were largely critical. It’s amazing how the ending was interpreted as very open for some, and as very definitive for others, but universally lauded. I can tell you that split seems to fall along gender lines. Women, I think, see a more conclusive denouement that men generally read as more ambiguous.

As I made my way to the rooftop for the after party, I spoke with Karen Worden of FILM COURAGE and we spoke of plans to appear on their radio show in February. Karen was so enthusiastic about the film that her comment card didn’t offer enough space to contain everything she had to say. Finally on the roof, a few guys on the crew each told me they had welled-up at different points in the film.

When I returned home and settled into bed, I fired up the laptop to check the email and facebook messages that had come in. Most were from people who were unable to attend, hoping to catch the picture at a later time. However, one email came from the projectionist at The Downtown Independent (aka “The Indie”). His words brought a sense of peace about the evening.

Hey Zak,

‘Heart of Now’ is a terrific film. It is humbling to see good work come through the Indie. This is a film I would be honored to present another time. The issues of abandonment and the subsequent coping mechanisms people employ are dealt with in not only a tactful manner, but also respectably and thoughtfully poetic. What I appreciate even more is the seemingly endless conclusion. It can be ambiguous or sharply conclusive, depending on the beholder.

‘Heart of Now’ has a poignant message that resonates with me personally right now as I deal with similar issues. It was even more striking to hear you talk about the loss of your father as an impetus for the film. My father was taken from me in ‘95. Many of the statements made by both Amber and Gabe reverberated deeply, so it only made sense when you elucidated that fact for the audience.

Thank you for bringing ‘Heart of Now’ to this theatre. I wish you, the crew, the production company, and the film all the best as you move forward in bringing this work of art to others.

A calm set in and I slept for 12 uninterrupted hours.

These words will spur me on as I spend the next couple days burning DVDs and Blu-ray screeners for additional festivals, distribution partners and friends eager to give creative feedback. The road ahead is focused on distributing directly to our audience-community next summer. We are designating July 4th, 2010 as “Interdependence Day” where we will usher HEART OF NOW and WHITE KNUCKLES through a series of release windows: Theatrical/DVD/Blu-ray, followed by Cable VOD, then by iTunes/Netflix/Amazon, and finally ad-supported outlets such as Hulu.

One journey ends. Another begins.

We’ve updated the SABI STORE with new HEART OF NOW Theatrical Posters available in two sizes. The regular sized 17″x11″ will fit nicely in your home theater, office, dorm room, bathroom, garage, cardboard box, wherever. It was designed personally by Zak Forsman from photography by Kevin K. Shah – a true collaborative effort.

Exclusively for our fans (with large sums of money to burn) is the full-size 40″x27″ poster. These soak up a lot of ink and so you’ll pay a premium, but take it from us, she is a thing of beauty. The filmmakers will sign your poster at your request.

Available in the SABI STORE now.

It has been official for the past few days now, but I suppose it isn’t truly official until I have entered it in the editor’s journal. Coming in at a smooth 89 minutes I am proud to announce that Heart of Now has reached PICTURE LOCK! This is the entry I have been dying to write since I began this journal almost 2 years ago. It has been a long road but I know that all of this time has only benefited and made the film stronger.

Zach Seivers, Snap Sound

One of these days I look forward to going back and re-reading all of these posts, but I don’t think I am ready for reflection just yet. Right now is a time for celebration. This huge weight has been shifted off of my shoulders and words can’t explain how amazing that feels.

And it didn’t feel real until this past Friday when we were at SNAP SOUND to begin the last phase of Heart of Now’s completion. What an amazing view!

I received a series of rough sketches from cartoonist Chuck McBuck over the weekend. They are for the upcoming prequel comic series, THE VERY HEART OF NOW.

The story takes place over a decade before our film where we see the history shared by our two main characters, Amber and Gabe. Chuck McBuck is a cartoonist and a 2008 graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies. He publishes the comic book, SNAKE OIL twice yearly and is hard at work on his first drawn-novella, Gerry and Olga. He has won several Ignatz Awards for his efforts.

Currently we are discussing the use of color in the film and how that may translate to the comic. I’ve given Chuck my notes on the characters’ backstory and free reign to flesh out that story in his own unique way. I look forward to sharing this with fans of the film as a way to expand the story and engage on a totally different level.

The website address will be announced as soon as finished panels start coming in.

Here is a list of updates on HEART OF NOW which currently has a soft picture lock at 89 minutes.

A MINOR DISASTER

The last six weeks have been eventful to say the least. We began extensive sound work on a 90 minute cut. In the middle of which, we had a major drive failure and lost all the sound work done over the course of three weeks. Fortunately all the core media was backed up and protected off site, and the project file and its back-ups did not reside on the drive array that failed. The subsequent weeks were spent rebuilding and redesigning the latest sound work.

MARION KERR as “Amber” in HEART OF NOW

SOUND WORK

As of last week everything has been recovered or replaced with newly recorded fx. With looming festival deadlines, Jamie and I spent this week going through the film, filling out the soundtrack, replacing mono sound with newly recorded stereo fx and foley work, giving it a solid stereo mix in the edit bay. We’ve found that the process of detailed sound work inspires new ideas for picture edits and the result here is that we shaved another minute off the film. All this is in an effort to present the film well for festival submissions.

FILM FESTIVALS & OUR OVERALL STRATEGY

Tomorrow morning, we are sending the film out to Slamdance, SXSW, Rotterdam and Berlinale. Our strategy is to limit first-round submissions to festivals that can generate significant press – for us and our publicist to make the most of. Kevin K. Shah and I are constantly refining our strategy to distribute HEART OF NOW and WHITE KNUCKLES via a theatrical tour, DVD, VOD and online outlets next year. If either film is programmed at a major fest this winter/spring, it will be leveraged to announce our platform release of both films, but the overall strategy does not rely on top tier festival acceptance. We are moving forward either way, making great strides to partner with the right companies and to make a successful, possibly innovative run at distributing directly to our audience while licensing to foreign territories.

SOUND DESIGN AND THE 5.1 MIX

I’m very fortunate to have enlisted the creative talents of Zach Seivers and J.M. Davey of SNAPSOUND for our 5.1 theatrical and home video mix. During November, we begin a three week schedule of extensive sound design and mixing that will culminate in early December with a finished, professionally mastered motion picture. SNAPSOUND’s credits included numerous independent features that have played Sundance, SXSW, et cetera.

PRIVATE CAST/CREW SCREENING

Finally, we are looking to hold a private cast and crew screening to share the film with our friends and family. If you’d like to attend what will likely be an intimate, early-December screening at the Downtown Independent theater in Los Angeles, add your info below. Press inquiries should go to pr@sabipictures.com.

Email Address ^*

Visit the new site for SABI collaborator DEKLUN as he prepares to release a new album.

A SHORT FILM ABOUT LETTING GO SCREENING & DVD RELEASE

Sabi Pictures celebrated the release of A Short Film About Letting Go and it’s accompanying DVD with cast, crew and well over 100 fans at the Downtown Independent theater last Thursday evening in Los Angeles.  The screening included short films by several artists at Sabi, a Q&A with filmmakers and cast, topped by a rooftop afterparty and a ‘Letting Go’ DVD release celebration.  The showing of support for such an independent effort was surprising to see on an otherwise ordinary Thursday evening, and filmmakers reciprocated with screening some of the best short films at Sabi Pictures.

This film was a labor of love for all involved and took a year to complete.  It is the brain-child of writer/producer Daniel Carmody and writer/director J. Erik Reese – who teamed up with cinematographer/editor Joshua Nitschke to bring the story to life.  Executive Producers Kevin K. Shah and Zak Forsman discovered Erik’s films after he came to work on Heart of Now – wanted to produce his next effort. After several discussions and development meetings, the production team began casting last summer.

Originally titled ‘Moments’ during its script and production phase – the film transformed in editorial through countless explorations due to the dramatic improvisation captured on set.  The result of this artistic collaboration is evident in how well the film was received Thursday evening.   The Q & A was a lively discussion on impov on-set, what the script looked like, how the actors worked with Erik, and the challenges, and the process of post.  Comment and ratings cards were handed out and the results were equally telling.  Close to 90% of our attendees would “Definitely Recommend / Really Liked” the film, according to our survey.  Sabi Pictures relies on its fans and audience to shape and guide its future, and all of the artists at the company wish to sincerely thank everyone who came out to celebrate cinema as entertainment and art Thursday evening.

A NEW BREED: A LOOK AT THE CHANGES IN CREATIVE COLLABORATION
There are more ways to collaborate then ever before. From pre-production to production to post to distribution there are a host of exciting new technologies and technics that enable storytellers to create. Join a team of cutting edge creators as they share their process of working with actors, crew, and each other in order to make films that have no creative borders.

It was truly an honor to be seated with such a talented panel of artists who we greatly admire, and to have the opportunity to share some of the thoughts and insights we’ve acquired over the years working in a highly collaborative environment. This and many, many more videos form the day can be found at DIYDays.com.

SABI PICTURES AT DIY DAYS PHILADELPHIA
The two-part video of the panel on creative collaboration that Kevin K. Shah and Zak Forsman participated in at DIY Days Philadelphia is now available for viewing. Moderated by Scott Macaulay (producer of Raising Victor Vargas, editor of Filmmaker Magazine) the panel was also populated (left to right) by Saskia Wilson-Brown (CurrentTV), Hunter Weeks (10MPH, Ride the Divide), Zeke Zelker (InSearchOf), Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters, As The Dust Settles), Tom Quinn (The New Year Parade), and Eugene Martin (The Other America).

A NEW BREED: A LOOK AT THE CHANGES IN CREATIVE COLLABORATION
There are more ways to collaborate then ever before. From pre-production to production to post to distribution there are a host of exciting new technologies and technics that enable storytellers to create. Join a team of cutting edge creators as they share their process of working with actors, crew, and each other in order to make films that have no creative borders.

It was truly an honor to be seated with such a talented panel of artists who we greatly admire, and to have the opportunity to share some of the thoughts and insights we’ve acquired over the years working in a highly collaborative environment. This and many, many more videos form the day can be found at DIYDays.com.

I wrote a journal entry yesterday while waiting for the latest cut to burn to DVD. It didn’t have a lesson or an angle so much as it was just me venting in a round about way. I think I hesitated to post it because there was something not quite right about it, something was missing. That’s kind of how I have felt about the cut for the last 5 weeks. I had lost my momentum and my enthusiasm. As an editor, I was kind of just stuck.

The last time I enjoyed watching Heart of Now was at the test screening we had at the end of July. It was a very solid cut, not a perfect cut mind you, but it worked as a whole experience from beginning to end.

The focus group gave some really great feedback on things that we could improve and I’m grateful for that. The most significant critiques pointed toward a few pacing issues, a desire for more music, and a certain supporting character who was painted a little too black and white. This lack of grey was perhaps even influencing their perception of another character to boot.

So Deklun has been working on a few more cues for us, and I’ve been finding places to pick up the pace, as well as trying to find that delicate balance of painting in the grey for the character in question. Luckily the improv process has provided us with different options to address everything of concern. Footage that I never thought would be used is now getting the screen time it deserves. And 8 more minutes have been shaved off of the total run time.

While I liked the individual changes we were making, the film as a whole just wasn’t clicking. For 5 weeks I’ve been stuck in this seemingly never-ending cycle of trying to perfect the items on my list and then watching the cut again. Every time we watched it, it was just kind of unenjoyable and the list of things to tweak grew longer. It was becoming quite tedious.

On top of that I have been learning how truly thin-skinned I actually am. I was well aware that by having a focus group we were inviting criticism. And immediately following that process I was newly energized by their feedback. But as the days past I really started to take a few of the comments too close to heart. I’ve invested so much of myself into this movie that it was hard not to.

But finally, after watching the latest cut tonight, the 5 week bad spell has been broken. The movie has emerged more streamlined, more clear, and more enjoyable then it has ever been. My guess to the last few weeks discomfort is that the test screening cut had its own rhythm, its own pulse if you will. And by implementing these new changes I was adding a new rhythm and a new pulse that wasn’t quite connecting with the old one. And tonight the movie finally found a new groove. Granted I still have a new list of things to tweak, but now I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

A huge thanks to everyone for their interest and support in this long and ongoing process. I say with much hope that we are finally in the home stretch towards picture lock.