Hi everyone,
I am Mahesh.
I am curious to hear a producer's perspective on a unique feature we completed. It's an Indo-U.S. Tamil-language production called An Order from the Sky: a single-shot, single-character piece, 76 minutes long, filmed continuously in real time with live sound and natural light—no resets or hidden edits.
There were some unusual production moments, too. We spent over six months rehearsing with a live hen so it could interact naturally. And a prop deity we built only for the film was worshipped by the villagers during the shoot and became a real shrine afterward. Earlier in my career, I was part of Pebbles, India’s official entry to the 94th Oscars.
My question for producers here is simple:
How would you approach getting something like this seen? It's an Indo-US production, and we are planning a minor release in Arizona, as I am currently residing here.
Please advise on how to identify potential news angles for securing free press/media coverage, arrange community screenings, and discuss a single-shot, single-character real-time film in a way that makes sense to audiences. I am also interested in advice regarding festival positioning and distribution strategy.
Would love to hear your thoughts. We just did a small press release today:
https://world.einnews.com/pr_news/871743434/an-order-from-the-sky-a-one-...
Thanks,
Maheshwarapandiyan
Producer, An Order from the Sky
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Beautiful photo — the atmosphere and composition really pull you in. Your film sounds just as striking: a single-shot, real-time piece with such unique cultural elements like rehearsing with a live hen and a prop deity turning into a real shrine.
The Indo-US collaboration and your experience with Pebbles make the project even more compelling. You definitely have strong angles for press, festivals, and audience interest. Excited to see where this goes.
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Hi, Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan. Welcome to the community. I'm looking forward to seeing An Order from the Sky! I love watching single-shot films!
Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Producers, executives, directors, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...
Stage 32's November Community Open House was last week. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...
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Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan My first reaction is start at select film festivals, with a specific strategy. I sent you a DM - check it out, I'd like to talk to you about this.
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Fuad Shawn Thank you so much, Fuad! I’m really glad the atmosphere and composition resonated with you.
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Thank you, Maurice, for the warm welcome and for sharing these helpful Stage 32 resources. I’ll definitely explore the blog and the Open House recording.
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Thanks so much, Dragu-Mihai! Just saw your DM. I’m excited to talk more about this.
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You're welcome, Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan. I'm a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. If you ever have any questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email support@stage32.com.
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thank you so much, Maurice!
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Impressive vision. Months working with an animal? How did you budget that???
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You're welcome, Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan.
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Jon Shallit Hi Jon,
Thank you so much. Yes, we worked with the hen for six months.
There was no special budget line for her. We simply spent time every day so she could become comfortable with us and behave naturally during the single-shot filming. My team practiced 3 times every day for 6 months during 8 am sun, 12 pm sun and 3 pm sun.
At first, the hen was a bit unsure of the camera, but by the 4th to 6th month she settled in so well that she behaved almost like a method actor... very natural and aware of her marks.
When we went to shoot for 5 days, there were more people around, so she took a little time to adjust, but the team kept the space calm for her and she managed comfortably.
Happy to share more if you’d like.
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Congratulations on this, what an impressive undertaking! I think you have opportunity getting support from animal groups to promote the fact that you were so patient with the hen for the film. The fact that you worked with an animal for that long and were able to incorporate it into your story is really interesting. Not sure if the hen is available to you but I’d imagine morning shows would want to bring the hen on and talk about how you did that and incorporated it into your film.
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Hi Amanda, thank you truly for your kind and encouraging words.
As the process continued, other meaningful things also unfolded. Before filming at the live shrine, the community used two closed chits in their customary approval process, and the child’s choice allowed us to proceed in alignment with their practice.
Later, the set prop we created was gradually integrated into the community’s existing ritual space and remains there today. In that moment, I felt cinema quietly step into everyday life rather than end at the frame.
We are now, with complete humility, trying to take this story and the behind-the-scenes journey to global audiences, step by step.
Thank you once again, Amanda, for your warmth and support. I am still new here, learning slowly, and feeling very grateful.
Best,
Mahesh