#visually not as cool which is a bummer but I appreciate the different perspective

[savingthegeneration]

Baroque (2008) - dev. Sting Entertainment

[ripplestitchskein]

Agree with all of this. This specific gripe was really more like “as a consumer I like these things and I’m not getting them and it makes me sad” than a “the show is failing me” kinda thing just to make that a bit clearer than my initial “I am at work and I don’t want to be so I’ll make a bummer post on Tumblr instead” original post.

But definitely “playing it cool, it’s not any deeper than that” is his side of their whole vibe, or it was until it came to this point in the narrative where Blitz has a decision to either start putting forth that effort and expressing his interest explicitly, as clumsily and unsure as he will be about it, for as long as it will inevitably take, as he works through it, or to shutter it and push it down and lose Stolas forever (which would be disappointing to me and I’d feel like the show failed more than a bit in that regard but I’m not in any way worried about that outcome at this point).

Your addition is exactly what I meant by from a practical production perspective, it’s easier to convey that Blitz is denying his feelings and pushing them down if those indications: blushing, fidgeting, being awestruck, come during moments of vulnerability to visually show the audience everything isn’t what it seems on the surface. Just like how they show with dialogue that what he says isn’t always what he feels like his whole conversation with Fizz in the cage.

If Blitz isn’t visibly attracted to him, except in moments where the situation has him drop his guard either because he is surprised and can’t mask up fast enough, under the influence, or overwhelmed to the point he can no longer control himself and has to physically cover his face, it shows the audience that he IS hiding his feelings. Apology Tour really drove this home, he couldn’t stop himself from crying even though he made the rage expression he uses to replace his actual feelings on his face, and he has to pull the hood down to cover himself completely because he can’t mask up.

This difference in reaction is definitely a deliberate choice, and it’s a good one don’t get me wrong. Like it’s even reflected in Better Than Blitz guy being demonstrative and complimentary to Stolas, and basically “winning” that encounter. It’s a thread I do expect closure on based on the setup. Blitz will be a bit more explicit in his appreciation we’re just not there yet. The entire premise of Blitz “turning around” being such a big theme for them is that he’s not doing it because he doesn’t care, he’s doing it because he super fucking does and he doesn’t want to be Perceived. So it is narratively consistent and necessary.

This sadness and jealousy is honestly purely my impatience, being a huge fan of this relationship and also a person who is really sensitive to what I perceive as an imbalance. I’ve also spent a lot of time recently working on a dumb one shot that got out of hand where Blitz, internally, is extremely thirsty and I was just struck by how rarely we see that in the show. Like I said, for good reason but it’s so looooong ugh.

It might just be where my head is at today, it’s been a rough few weeks, and I might be forgetting other examples, but I do feel a little saddened or like disappointed I guess (?) that yet again we have Blitz reacting more strongly visibly or dialogue wise to a character other than Stolas when it comes to like pure physical attraction. We have Seeing Stars but I struggle to remember any other moment where Blitz blushed or indicated in anyway he found Stolas attractive. Even descriptionally “He’s tall as shit” or when he dresses up for the date and Blitz is like “You went kinda overboard” instead of showing any appreciation for Stolas’s physical appearance. Apology Tour is full of looks but more of a reverence and feelings realization sort, which don’t get me wrong is very much greater than a physical attraction, but I still want like some indicator from Blitz that he does in fact find Stolas physically attractive? Blitz obviously enjoys having sex with him, and he is jealous of Better Than Blitz guy and like Apology Tour as a whole is a lot on the looks front, so we have a lot of narrative evidence and inferred details but actual explicit attraction cues are just lacking for me personally and I was hit with like a weird jealousy about it immediately watching the short.

I think practically it comes down to the character hiding his feelings, from himself and others, like how he took the picture of them cuddling in contrast to all the ones Stolas has of him looking away, so having the character visibly react in a noticeable way might be harder to sell that aspect of their miscommunication conflict.

Doesn’t mean I don’t want it though and it just kind of made me a lil sad thinking about it today.

[bluemoonpunch]

how do the members see bang pd?

There's a lot of mixed feelings going on here and I think that has to do with the energy that Bang PD projects into the group. It's the 6 of Pentacles, so there's like this give and take aspect, which makes sense for someone who is just as much a friend as they are a boss. Things can go back and forth, it can feel like he has their back one second, and in the same breath it's all business and money and doing what is necessary to fill pockets. It's business mainly, but there's a very clear divide between the working relationship and the more personal relationship, which he himself, I think, tries to blend them together.

Namjoon - 2 of Wands

Namjoon sees him as this pioneer energy, it's kind of like a partnership, but he definitely sees him as more of a leading role in the sense that he's the one that actually gives the opportunities. Bang PD, like the man in the image, is the one to hand them the World and the actual platform to fuel those passions.

Yoongi - 6 of Swords

In a somewhat similar fashion to Namjoon, Yoongi sees him as the one to hand them the World and give them their platform, however, it's much starker than Namjoon's vision and I suppose that has to do with where the two came from. Yoongi is much more appreciative of the fact that Bang PD kind of "saved him" in a sense as the opportunity that he was given by being signed on to BigHit definitely rerouted his life for the better. Where Namjoon feels more like he's following or working alongside Bang PD, Yoongi is more focused on this kind of small feeling. Like he feels small in comparison, has a lot of respect for him, specifically because there's this "I owe you my life" kind of vibe.

It's not an all-around thing though like it's not like Yoongi is a lapdog here, it's more in the moment when he's really thinking about it, that's how he sees him.

Hoseok - 10 of Cups (reversed)

The first pull I did for Hoseok was the 5 of Wands and I was like, ehh let me try again, and then the 10 of Cups came out reversed. I don't keep this deck mixed, so when something comes out reversed I feel into it a bit more. It's interesting because, the energy of the 10 of Cups, that happy and fulfilling vibe is still there, but just as that two-sided energy is within what Bang PD projects towards the group there's this "up and down" thing with Hoseok. Hoseok himself has an "up and down" kind of energy due to his sensitivity to cosmic shifts and how they can sometimes affect his mental state, but this is more pointed.

Visually, it seems complicated because what triggers these ups and down with his perception of Bang PD seem to be all over the place, but it's really pretty simple. It's more about whether or not Hoseok agrees with what Bang PD is actually doing. It doesn't feel like they fight or Hoseok really speaks up against Bang PD. The 10 of Cups, upright and reversed, is literally like a "yes or no" in terms of Hoseok vibing with Bang PD. Is Bang PD serving the 10 of Cups today, or is he handing out bullshit? That's the vibe there.

Jimin - Knight of Cups

Jimin feels a lot more distant from Bang PD than the others for some reason, but he's still looking at him in a relatively positive light. With the image of the Knight here I was much more focused on the cup and the armor. It's like Jimin sees what Bang PD is giving them, he sees and appreciates it, but Bang PD as a person is very separate from him in the sense that, from Jimin's perspective, there's armor around him.

It could be that Jimin just doesn't feel like they connect, could be a self-esteem thing, or it could just be that Bang PD himself doesn't connect much to Jimin. Either way, they feel distant from each other, but Jimin is very aware of him as this positive influence over them, someone with a lot of power, but mostly a kind and giving demeanor.

Jin - 4 of Cups

This made me laugh because this is such a Jin thing. It's exactly like Jimin's in the sense that he's seeing what Bang PD gives them, but he's not looking at Bang PD. Kind of like a "thanks for the gift, you may leave now," thing. It's just Jin maintaining his position and in a very conscious yet subconscious way, making sure that it's clear that he doesn't view Bang PD as being above him, especially when it comes to business and their careers.

I actually thought it was kind of cool how Jimin and Jin's view differs but shares a similarity because it really mirrors that whole balancing thing that they do in the Soul Body and how they perceive things unconsciously. Like, Jin can see the energy line between people, he can see what is exchanged between people, such as the focus on the cup in the 4 of Cups, whereas Jimin sees the individuals themselves, can see straight through to their core and doesn't really pick up on the exchange.

So, in the 4 of Cups, the cup itself is just coming from a little cloud, there's no body there, no core energy being projected, it's just the exchange, and then in the Knight of Cups, the cup is there connected to a form, but with all the armor and the whole get up, there's so much more of a focus on the actual person rather than what is being exchanged.

That also may be why Jimin is seeing Bang PD as a kindhearted person who only gives, he's seeing his core as a person rather than his projected energy as a businessman or their boss.

Taehyung - The World + 4 of Wands

Again, Taehyung is seeing what Bang PD has given them. Just like Namjoon and Yoongi, he's seeing The World as being what they've been given, but the 4 of Wands adds to that. It's this sense of family, home, and stability. I don't really think he sees Bang PD specifically like family, like he probably does, but it's more focused around the other guys. Like, in addition to the whole fucking world, Bang PD also gave him the guys, gave him a home, and gave him this sense of stability within all of that and allowed him to build something up for himself.

Kook - Strength + 5 of Cups

This is a pretty harsh opposition in terms of perspective, much more conflicting than Hoseok's. Basically, it's like he gets a lot of strength and confidence from being praised by Bang PD, but can be ripped down to the very base of his own structures by being criticized or being forced to focus on where he has to improve or do more. So, it's not really like he's focused on Bang PD, he's focused on what Bang PD says about him and to him.

They're very opposite ends of the spectrum, but the 5 of Cups isn't like the end of the world or anything, it's just like this huge bummer on everything else. Especially with how much Kook focuses on himself and judges himself, external critique and criticism really settle with him, and coming from their boss it's probably much more hard-hitting than what the others might take on.

[newmonk]

TAKE IT EASY

30TH MARCH 2018 I was out with mom for my birthday lunch. My 25th birthday. This year wasn’t heading anywhere in terms of what I’d imagined it to be and I was sort of disoriented with life. I had just quit a long term project mid-way on an ugly note, was at the lowest in my personal life, and I’d started losing interest in things around me. Seemed like everything was breaking down at the same time.

But being the eternal optimist that I am, I was pushing myself everyday into thinking that come what may, now on I will only focus on what I want to do, both professionally & personally, so that I’m never in the mental space that I was (then)in.

Coming back, after lunch when mom & I headed out of the restaurant, I got a call from Riva (OML), saying they wanted to meet regarding Anirban Dasgupta’s Amazon Prime special. Now Anirban had discussed about his special with me and had mentioned a couple of months ago that he wanted me to work on his special, but in what capacity, I didn’t know, I don’t think even he knew what designation he wanted me to handle when he said that. Honestly, I was yearning to work on a stand up special, yet was slightly skeptical, as some time ago another comic had approached me to work on their special, since that hadn’t materialized, it had fizzled my excitement. Anyway, I was elated to be working with Anirban, since I really like the man, his comedy and even more: his ethic. So right after I got off the call with OML, at that very instant, I felt positivity rush through my head, a feeling that this could be the beginning of something new, a fresh start.

FLASHBACK #1 I remember meeting Anirban for the first time at CLC Mumbai back in September 2016, he had called me over to record his set. I had frequently been shooting live stand up sets then, and a mutual friend, Siddharth Dudeja had referred me to him.

3RD APRIL 2018 I met the producers Tihany and Harshita at OML, we had a nice conversation and I shared my previous work with them. They clearly seemed like people who were open to working on new ideas with new people, which was really good. So, after certain deliberations over the following week (as I am told), I finally got a confirmation call to direct the special!

11TH APRIL 2018 Pre-production for ‘TAKE IT EASY’ kicked off on 11th April 2018, the core team sat across a table, and tried to understand each other’s’ perspectives. Usually, I take some time to open up and discuss my ideas, and that’s what happened here as well, but the vibe at that workspace was quite comforting, and within a couple of days, I felt like a part of the team.

Special thanks to Tihany, Harshita, Riva & Sneha for handling the entire production so well right from the top.

15TH APRIL - 30TH APRIL 2018 Recces at CLC began. The good part was that CLC was home turf for both of us; Anirban(as artist) and me(as director), as we had done several shows at the venue both together & individually, yet we knew that it would be challenging to shoot there, as the entire idea was to make CLC not look like CLC, firstly because it is an Amazon Special and has to look like one! & secondly, ANYONE who has seen even one Indian stand-up act on YouTube knows exactly how CLC looks like. That was the first realisation that this is going to be a tough job.

As recces and pre-prod meetings became routine, Parag - Associate Producer, joined the team (He is a valuable addition to any unit that he joins)

TRIVIA #1 Judah Friedlander, Bill Burr, Chris Rock & Chris D’Elia are some comedy greats that Anirban introduced me to during pre-production. We kept referencing their work; posters, framing, edit patterns, trailers, which helped us get perspective on our own show, right from the beginning.

FLASHBACK #2 Anirban had asked me back in January (2018), how the idea of an entirely black and white special was, what would be anyones’ first thought about it. What was my first thought about it? My first reaction was that it’ll be super-cool, but immediately I started thinking about its context with the material & I remember telling him a mix of black & white with color would be a better option.

6TH MAY 2018 Shoot day passed by just like that, I honestly don’t remember much from that day, it was a weird mix of nervousness, sleeplessness & excitement. I remember how it ended though, we celebrated Harshita’s birthday at CLC, and later Anirban, Prerna & I went to a house party, quite chill, good times :)

9TH MAY 2018 – 11TH JUNE 2018 Post production. Long working hours. Sleep? What’s that? No routine. Miscommunication. Post production. Long working hours. Sleep? What’s that? No routine. Miscommunication. Post production & Sound Mixing. Long working hours. Sleep? What’s that? No routine. Miscommunication. This loop is infinite.

On a serious note: Pooja, Mihir & Kshitij, added immense value to this project.

One interesting thing that happened during this time was that we only got the OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION to go ahead with the black & white look just ONE WEEK before the final delivery of the special. Hard to believe, right?

BACKSTORY: During pre-prod, we were told that the black & white look had been approved which is why we had planned EVERYTHING according to that color palette, but just TEN DAYS before the shoot, we were informed that suddenly the platform wasn’t sure of screening a full blown one hour special in monochrome, and was contemplative about their decision (Read: Murphy’s Law). Now neither did we have time for coming up with Plan B, nor could the show date be pushed, we had no option but to play safe, so the setup that we finally shot; including: lighting, backdrop, costume, was kept global/generic, since the call of the special being in color or monochrome would only be taken during post-production. It was a bummer, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

We stood our ground, and as you may have noticed: the special went out in MONOCHROME. Yay!

PRE-CLIMAX The kind of freedom Anirban gave me was commendable. He didn’t compromise on anything whatsoever, and I truly truly appreciate that about him, it was empowering. The thought was clear, we wanted to create a new experience for the comedy viewers, but with purpose in place, not only for the sake of it, or just because we could. We had fresh ideas, at the same time, needed to balance it with the guidelines of the platform, so although we were taking risks, they were calculated, as to how experimental we can/should get.

CONCLUSION During this process, I realised that Anirban apart from being such a well-established artist, consciously ‘chooses’ to be a student of the (comedy)art form, always open to ideas, opinions and learning. You name a special (live or online), and I’m quite sure he must’ve seen it. That level of involvement.

He’d told me once that his intention is to go up at least once on stage EVERYDAY, irrespective of the circumstances; That just blew my mind! Even I want to be that determined in what I do, or find something that pushes me to that extent.

I can’t even begin to tell how straining, restless yet satisfying the last two months have been. But streaming the special on Amazon Prime Video now is a great feeling. I’ve seen the special on all devices possible, Android phone, iPhone, Macbook, Windows, PS4, Fire Stick, you name it. I think I’m just habituated to watching it every day.

Anirban performed ‘Take It Easy’ for the last time at CLC, Noida on 23rd June, 2018 & coincidentally I was there to watch the show, for the final time, thereby coming full circle with the show. Somethings are meant to happen I guess, or perhaps I’m just overthinking. Haha.

RANDOM NOTE I love the art-form. It comes from a place of angst and frustration, its just lovely to see a comic go up of stage and share their individualistic opinion about things. More than laughing, it makes you wonder about the circumstances that the person has been through, the issues that we as a community, a country face on a regular basis. Stand-up actually comes from a place of deep-rooted pain and I think that’s beautiful.

SHOUT-OUT (i) Namit & Prerna(Anirban’s management): These guys operate at a different pace man! So efficient & creative at the same time. I love the understanding they share with Anirban, it’s such a good marriage between the three. They helped us sail through the process, with ease. Most of the good ideas & creative decisions that made it to the final output, were actually suggested by the two of them. Great collaborators.

(ii) Vipin from 9 Horses, who gave the sound the exact feel that we wanted. P.S.: Sound is the MOST important (yet highly neglected) aspect, especially for a comedy special, it’s make or break.

(iii) Every stand-up artist who has hired me till date. It was because of them that I could consistently practice shooting and editing comedy, it was during this course that I realized the potential that stand up has, especially visually, and I can’t even begin to tell how experimental it can get, if thought through!

CONCLUSION CONTINUED I want to thank Anirban for giving me this opportunity, I absolutely enjoyed myself through it (except the marketing collaterals -_-)

Also wanted to share that I got to direct another Amazon special, for Gaurav Kapoor. This time again, we’ve tried a different look and feel and I’m really glad that the folks at OML have been accepting of most of the ideas that we’ve pitched to them. Anirban & Gaurav’s specials are two ends of a spectrum, which is good for me, since I get to showcase my versatility right from the beginning of my directorial journey.

Directing ‘Take it Easy’ was a big deal for me, and I think I lived up to it(whatever the case, IMDb ratings will tell soon). I hope I’ve grown as a person during this process and can apply the knowledge I’ve learnt from this, into future projects and life, in general.

Going back to my beloved(NOT) corporate films for a while, see you on the other side!

Sharing some images from the process behind making ‘Take It Easy’.