Filmmaking / Directing : Seijaku has become a chapter in a feature film by James Martin

As some readers here know, Seijaku started its life (in the development plus pre-production phase/s) as a non-narrative art film roughly drawing on Godfrey Reggio and Ron Fricke's work for inspiration and approach. It was to feature a lot of dance, so it would also be very distinct from Reggio and Fricke in this way.  

But then I realized that nearly every aspect of financial viability for Seijaku required it to be a feature film, since shorts are difficult to fund because they are difficult to distribute and screen while also selling tickets (and benefiting from ticket sales as a filmmaker). So I came up with the idea of a three chapter film, with Seijaku being the first chapter, and the only fully non-narrative chapter. 

It is not yet certain what the other two chapters will be titled. In fact, the design process for the film isn't really up to me, since I'm a co-visioner, co-writer, co-director.  And this teamwork, along with these teams, are still assembling and weaving their magic slowly.  But while I see Seijaku as the opening chapter and then two chapters which combine the spirit of the opening chapter while also having interviews ... with well known voices on the topic of improvisation in art and life ... and collaboration in relation to this, and how this all ties in with emergence and complexity and complexity science.  Working title now?  Voices of the Murmuration. 

Voices of the Murmuration is overwhelmingly likely to cost 2-3 million dollars to produce. And I would not bet on it as a money-maker at that scale in theaters and streaming, so I'm thinking it needs to be paid for mainly through gifts -- of every scale.  Crowdfunding has to play a crucial funding role, but also large donations from rich folks who love the film idea and the eco-cultural (and animal welfare) intentions underlying the film.  It will be shown, most likely, in art-house theaters and using "alt" distribution, as I sure as heck don't want mainstream distributors to get the 70%+ of revenue  I hear they are getting. 

I and my partners will create a website called Voices of the Murmuration, which will be a vehicle for the inquiry which unfolds also in the film by this same name. But the website would be independent from the film, but also connected to it.  The website will draw attention to itself for reasons not depending on the film project, but because it will have interviews, essays, tiny short films, and other fun stuff on the topic of improvisational art and life, on how this relates to complexity science and complex systems ... and emergence.  So the website is gonna by way cool!  And it will tie in with a funding campaign for the film. 

Murmuration, of course, refers to murmuration of starlings, an image which I find very inspiring as a sort of living metaphor for how integrated multiplicity and unity are found in nature.