About a Donkey Feedback Screening

We had a feedback screening of our About a Donkey rough cut Saturday night. We chose to share it with a group of filmmakers whose opinions we value, and who we felt would be best equipped to understand what a rough cut entails and look past what's not yet finished. Overall, the night was very productive with some positive comments and a lot of constructive feedback that gave us new perspective on the story (which was necessary because we're just too familiar with it at this point). The consensus across the group was that the acting was really strong and the characters felt fully realized and believably connected in their dynamics -- which was wonderful for me to hear as a director. The screening also confirmed some narrative flaws I was sensing (and thankfully can largely fix); it made me realize where certain scenes could be trimmed down or cut out completely, and where I needed to add back in context that I had previously cut. It also helped us realize a little more about who our audience is for the film. A large part of our mission is telling a story that meets people where they're at as a means to pull them forward. Showing it to a group of already forward thinking people led to some nuanced discussions that has given us further insight into how to best execute our mission. 

I actually went home that night and stayed up until 5am recutting some scenes and adding in some moments that had gone unused. I nixed 11 minutes from the total runtime and came up with a quick pickup scene (really just a shot) that I feel will strengthen a character arc that was feeling a bit empty and convenient. I have plans to shoot that this week. Our goal now is to picture lock by next Monday. We're working with no budget on the post side, so we're trying to move fast but without sacrificing creativity. I feel good about making our September 20th deadline though. Our score and sound mix are already in the works, and our colorist is ready to jump in next week. We're aiming for all early bird deadlines for festivals; and we're being very selective about what we submit to, wanting to feel confident our audience is their audience. We can't wait to share the film with more people and really get it out there. 

Thank you everyone who attended and shared Saturday night!

-Christina and the team

P.S. Shout-out to my mom for cooking, as per usual. 

Making Progress! (About a Donkey Seed&Spark Update)

The past few weeks have been very eventful for us! We applied for a post-production grant. (We're currently funding post-production out of pocket as much as we can, but hope to recoup our expenses and be able to fund future festival costs through other sources or another campaign next year.) 

We had three rough cut screenings with a few of our crew members (and spouses) to get feedback and tighten up the cut!

We shot one pickup for the film, a hand knocking on a door (with Writer Kelsey Rauber stepping in as the hand-actor)!

We gave our footage to Colorist Anna Marie Nguyen and Sound Editor/Designer Will Graham (who also recorded sound on set). 

And I (Christina) started discussing the score with our composer Alexandra Kalinowski just this morning! 

We feel we've reached Picture Lock, but we're not calling it yet until after our final feedback screening this Saturday, which will include a dozen fellow filmmakers whose inclusive perspectives we respect as both creators and viewers. 

Our goal is to have the edit locked by Sunday and then off to the next stages of Post, with our sights set on a September 20th festival deadline. 

Thanks so much for your support in getting us this far! Stay tuned for more!

Christina & the team

About a Donkey Rough Cut! (Seed&Spark Update)

We're so excited to announce that we have a full rough cut of the film! After months of creative cutting and decision making, we have a fine cut with a runtime of 87 minutes (without credits). We're planning to screen it for some of our crew this Thursday night to get fresh feedback before diving into the sound mix, color and other finishing touches. Our goal is to have it ready for festival submissions by the end of September! 

(Me and our editor, Matt Gershowitz, finalizing the cut this past Saturday.)

In other news, we've been applying for grants and brainstorming on ways we could cover the costs of post-production, submissions, and eventually, deliverables. Our post crew is working deferred at the moment, but we're dead set on paying everyone something. Crowdfunding again may be the best bet down the line, but for now we're exploring other options and hope that the film and our mission will resonate with others the way it has with all of you. 

Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Christina & the team

About a Donkey (Sneak Peek)

Our second feature film, About a Donkey, is currently in post-production, only 1/3 of the way through the edit. But we want to keep our supporters feeling included in the process of making it! So here's a special sneak peek at footage from the film!

Follow along for updates: seedandspark.com/fund/about-a-donkey#updates.

About a Donkey is about growing up & growing old, and finding love & laughter along the way. The film follows the Owens family: Ann & Tim, their 3 adult children, Cecilia, Burgh, and Annie (and her husband Paul), and matriarch Farrah. When Tim brings home a donkey in a mixture of wanting to rescue both it and himself, things are shaken up in each of the characters' lives.

The film's quirky but relatable nature has been referred to as a little Little Miss Sunshine meets Gilmore Girls, but with a donkey, and a strong focus on inclusion (both in front of and behind the camera)! We're strong believers in being the change -- reflecting the world as we want to see it. With this film, our mission is to combat hate with humor and heart. Our film is made up of an inclusive cast of characters - both within the film and behind the scenes, but predominantly featuring women. In our film, love is love, people's lives and desires are relevant no matter their age, and struggling with depression is acceptable and normal.

CongestedCat Screening Recap

Tuesday night we got some of our cast, crew and supporters together for a screening of our latest work from the past year. We rescreened "Hello," and had unofficial premiers of our newest shorts, "Night In, "Arm Bar," and "Enough." Then we presented the first 10 minutes of About a Donkey with a short preview of additional footage from the film. We had over 50 people in house and got an overall positive response to all the films. It was so rewarding getting to celebrate the hard work and talent of our team and collaborators with an attentive audience. We can't wait to share more soon!