Up Close with TV + Film Director Lex Sadasivan
Friday, February 24, 2012
Although you may not recognize the name Lex Sadasivan, chances are you’ve seen his work on television or on the big screen. Sadasivan, a Barrington native, has directed over 70 commercials for clients such as Sears, McDonald's, Volkswagen, Verizon, and xbox360 among others. Aside from his award-winning advertisement work, Sadasivan currently serves as Director and Supervising Producer for "Revision3 Remix," a weekly magazine show and “Diggnation,” a TV series based on the popular website Digg.com. Both of these shows air on YouToo TV, a cable network available in 15 million homes.
Despite the acclaim Sadasivan has received for his television work, commercials and short films, he is currently poised for major success with his upcoming film SOLO. Even though Sadasivan now resides in Los Angeles, GoLocal managed to catch up with him to discuss his new film, past work and and upcoming plans.
Can you briefly discuss the plot of your latest film SOLO?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSOLO is the story of a mother and son mourning the loss of an experimental pilot who had made a startling discovery in his final flights. The film was shot on location in North Florida in a small community of pilots who have all built their homes and hangars around a small grass airstrip. The movie provides a slice of life in this incredibly unique community of flyers and experimental aircraft builders. The main character BJ is a17 year-old flying phenom who finds himself on a magical adventure as he explores the circumstances of his father’s final flights. Thanks to recent innovations in technology, were able to rig tiny HD cameras in unique places throughout the interior and exterior of the planes, giving the audience a chance to experience the joy of flying from entirely new perspectives.
When can people expect to see the film?
We intend to complete the film by the beginning of the summer. We will then begin screening SOLO at film festivals and air shows throughout the year. We plan on having a Rhode Island screening either through
one of the local film festivals or by private engagement.
You've worked with major studios on creating movie trailers and TV spots; which are you most proud of?
The Vanilla Sky trailer was my first chance to begin making a name for myself as a creative in this industry. At this time I was still working by day in the mail room of one of the top movie trailer companies in town while using their equipment by night to hone my skills and prove my worth as an editor. The studios had cut many different conventional trailers that were not testing well with audiences. Out of frustration the producer of the project decided to “give the kid a shot to try something outside of the box.” Against all odds, the studio ended up picking my version of the trailer, even with its avant-garde use of text and montage. I never had to ship another package again!
Although you currently live in LA, you once lived in Barrington and attended high school in Providence; any fond memories of the Ocean State?
Little did I know, my career in film began the day I moved to Rhode Island at age nine. My mother and I went to our local video store 5 Start Video in Riverside, RI to get a couple movies. I was intrigued by a VHS boxed set of The Godfather on the top shelf just out of reach. I tried to climb the shelves to reach the video, but just before I could reach it, the entire rack of videos came tumbling down on top of me. Joe Farone, the store's owner yelled at me and I left in tears. It was a long summer and I didn't have any friends in RI yet, so I ended up returning to 5 Star Video just about every day that summer to rent a new video. Joe, who initially terrified me, became a friend and gave me my first job working at the video store at age 14. I probably watched more than 1000 movies in the four years that I worked at 5 Star Video, and although I didn't know it at the time, that encyclopedic exposure to movies would provide the basis for my future career.
When did you first become interested in filmmaking?
As much as I loved movies growing up, I never really conceived of it as a potential career until I went to college at Wesleyan University. As soon as I started breaking down filmmaking to its basic components, like Cinematography, Editing, and Art Direction, I was completely enthralled and it was all I could think about. Could it be that the countless hours I spent watching movies and TV were not wasted time but actually preparation? Still, the Wesleyan Film program was utterly intimidating -- competing against students with last names like Scorsese for 10-15 slots per year in the program. Finding success at Wesleyan gave me the confidence to pursue filmmaking on the highest level in Hollywood.
Lastly, what are you currently working on?
I am currently serving as the Supervising Producer and Director for two TV shows Revision 3 Remix and Diggnation.They are both pop culture/tech-oriented magazine shows featuring content from the massively popular websites Revision3.com and Digg.com respectively. They both air on the national cable network YouToo. I also have a couple scripted projects in development with the studios and networks. The development process with the majors can be grueling and you’re never quite sure whether you are two months or twp years from knowing your project’s ultimate fate. It was out of a desire to circumvent the studios and get an exciting project going that we decided to produce SOLO independently.
To find out more about Lex visit his Web site at www.lexcuts.com. For more information about SOLO, including cast details, music and news updates visit www.flysolofilm.com.
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