Bollywood Steps: Background Information

I invite anyone interested in my documentary, "Bollywood Steps," to check out the website of the "Bollywood Step Dance Troupe," the professional dance troupe created by Yogen Bhagat, the choreographer/dancer featured in my film. The website features an in-depth look at Yogen's achievements, and defines the basic elements of the Bollywood dance style. Yogen's the foremost Bollywood-trained choreographer living in the United States. In addition to his professional dance troupe, he also maintains a thriving Bollywood Dance school.

For those of you who aren't familiar with my documentary, "Bollywood Steps" is the story of the relationship between Yogen Bhagat and a group of American-born Indian boys in his dance workshop. Growing up in Southern California, the boys are learning, with Yogen's help, to connect with their heritage through popular Indian culture. You can see the trailer at my website. The hour-long film goes out to festivals in January.

"Bollywood Steps" Update!

I'm currently racing to have a version of the documentary ready to enter in a series of film festivals with deadlines in January - so I don't have much time left. I'm currently tweaking the final cut - making minor and semi-major adjustments as I gauge the reaction of viewers less familiar with the project.

Music is still an issue - I've licensed some music from a couple of online sites, but one of those sites has since gone out of business, so I'm not certain if that has an impact on my ability to use the footage. These sites generally offer music and stock footage that is posted on their site by outside artists. If I can't answer those questions, or find suitable alternatives, I still might commission a custom soundtrack. In the short term, however, I'll use the music tracks as they exist for the festival entries; my concerns are rights to broadcast and distribution.

Another Call to Join the "Bollywood Steps" Facebook Group

If you haven't already, this is another request (if you're on Facebook) (this is a feed from my blog at richsamuels.blogspot.com), I'd like to invite you to join the group I created for my documentary, "Bollywood Steps." The success of an independent documentary like this depends a great deal on a "grassroots" campaign of sorts, and this group is a way of keeping all interested parties informed on an ongoing basis with all the various aspects of the production.

This coming year is going to be very eventful for this film, and I'm hoping to use a variety of new distribution avenues (in addition to the traditional forms). I'l be posting specifics here as time goes on.

Facebook users can find the group at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=55951506862

Thanks!

"Christmas Story" at the Valencia Mall.

"BOLLYWOOD STEPS" UPDATE

Last night, I met with Yogen and his wife, Rashmi Bhagat (some of my friends know her as Rasha Goel) for a factual review of the current cut of my documentary, "Bollywood Steps." For those of you who aren't familiar with this project, "Bollywood Steps" is my hour-long film about the relationship between a transplanted Bollywood dancer/choreographer (Yogen) and the American-born Indian boys in his Los Angeles-area Bollywood dance class. See more, including a trailer, on my website, http://www.rlsventures.com

Yogen and Rashmi reviewed the documentary for accuracy, as the film not only traces his relationship with the boys, but how a choreographer who worked with the biggest names in Bollywood came to teach children in Los Angeles, and start his career anew in America.

Their "thumbs up" brings me to an important stage in the completion of the documentary. Expect more news shortly. I'll be scheduling a "premiere" screening within the next 2-3 months.