By Néya Sridhar

We all know about at least one major production company, such as Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. But, have you ever heard of Naptime Studios?

Naptime Studios is an emerging production company founded by Christopher Barrett and his team of fellow students at Loyola Marymount University. Barrett and Nihar Kandarpa are two of the six founding members, which include; Leo Sichi, Anirudh “A.K.” Kota, Jack Cebula, and Alexandra Russell.

Naptime Studios is Christopher’s “brainchild.”

“Naptime Studios is a collective of film students. My goal with coming to college was to start a production company, so over my freshman year, I wanted to find the right people for it. This year, which was our sophomore year, we started to actually do some of the things we had talked about and make some short films,” Christopher explained.

Over the past two years, Naptime Studios has transitioned from producing short films to completing its first-ever feature film. “We really want to make it in this industry. And so with putting our talents together, maybe one day it could turn into a higher level,” said Nihar.

To reiterate, the team is made up of college students. Nihar elaborates.

“We’ve been friends since the first week of freshman year. Chris found a lot of us separately, vibed with us, and was able to connect us to each other. Now we’re rising juniors. February 2023 was when we made our first movie. It was a 24-hour contest and we decided a couple of days before entering the contest. So we put together a group, gave people jobs, and just did it for fun. It worked out so well that we wanted to keep doing it and build a real studio from that experience,” stated Nihar.

In 6th grade, Christopher discovered his passion for cinematography when he picked up his first camera, which opened up new opportunities for him. The real spark for his creativity was the YouTube miniseries called, “Video Game High School.” Wanting to make a similar camp-y series, young Barrett embarked on his journey in filmmaking.

Nihar, on the other hand, was influenced by his culture and theater background. The exposure to Indian films during his childhood intrigued Kandarpa. “They have a certain style. They have a certain rhythm. They have a certain tone, and I really gravitate towards their kind of storytelling,” he explained. Being a theater kid for six years made him believe that acting would be his calling. However, analyzing films during COVID-19 changed his trajectory.

“As soon as I found out that I could be, as an honest member, rewarded for paying attention to a movie, I instantly knew that’s what I wanted to do: I want to write and direct some sort of creative vision that if you pay attention to it, you will be rewarded.”

Christopher was aware that he had a talent for creating visually appealing work, but he lacked confidence in his ability to compose creatively. On the other hand, Nihar’s background enables him to express creativity, but he acknowledges that he struggles with technical details. To put it simply: Christopher is the peanut butter to Nihar’s jelly.

Nihar Kandarpa (left) & Christopher Barrett (right) at Naptime Studios’ “The Grifter’s Code” premiere.

Although this dynamic duo has a natural chemistry, Naptime Studios is more than that. Nihar conveyed, “Naptime is somewhere where any person can come up with a creative vision. And if it’s something we’re interested in, we go through with it and execute it.”

Christopher highlighted the benefit of Naptime Studios being a close-knit circle of best friends.

“All my friends are in the film school and they all have similar goals to me. It just comes down to the fact that we all have the same goal of trying to make something really cool. And I think that’s one of the main things that has helped us,” he discussed.

In Nihar’s mind, there are two advantages; being able to have fun, while also having the ability to be honest with one another. Oftentimes, working upwards of 12 hours on set can be a draining and grueling process. However, with the support of friends, time flies by.

Making a film takes teamwork. “A big part of making a movie is communication. Because we trust each other and we have the relationships we have, we’re able to be honest with one another,” Nihar admitted.

By knowing each other so well, set efficiency was improved. Christopher talked about how with the team’s similar rhetoric, everyone understands what each person means when they communicate.

The team’s collaborative spirit and shared vision have been pivotal to their success. With that being said, Naptime Studios used a $9,000 budget to film a full-length feature film in 10 days.

Sins in Saptak: “A group of high school debate students go from facing each other to facing their fears, and staring into the eyes of a Hindu demoness”

While in the process of wrapping up their previous short film, “The Grifter’s Code,” Naptime Studios received a grant to create a feature film. After taking a week off to study for their final exams, the team got to work in a writer’s room.

“Before this writer’s room, I had been thinking about ideas for this feature film. What should it be? How best to go about this? We need to do a movie that’s producible, but also not boring,” Nihar remembered.

Keeping in mind Nihar’s culture and childhood, he settled on the idea of students getting terrorized by a Hindu demoness.

“Hindu mythology is my earliest source of fantasy. My mom taught it to me as a very young child, so it’s kind of been rooted in me. It’s a lot like Percy Jackson. Polytheistic mythology is a very explorable mythology.”

With the collaborative storyboard created in the writer’s room in mind, Nihar wrote the first draft screenplay in 14 days.

The grant period of the film was six weeks. These six weeks were broken into: two weeks of intense pre-production, two weeks of production, and two weeks of post. Pre-production involved 6–7 hour meetings with the team daily. Production involved ten 12-hour days of filming. Lastly, post-production was largely creating a small trailer/reel of footage.

Nihar fondly recalled, “I loved getting to know people on set and the bonds that were created. I think all of us knew exactly what we needed to do and because we knew that information, we had time to socialize, talk, joke around, and form a connection. Set is always so stressful. But, the weight of making a movie wanting to make a movie always outweighs the stress.”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever felt that way on a set: where I felt like I could go back and do it again and have the same amount of fun.”

The film has been shot, and the production process is underway. So, where will “Sins in Saptak” be? Christopher explained, “It’ll probably take a few months for an actual edit to be ready, and from that point, it’s a matter of when we see a first draft before we can decide where it’s going to go.”

Their aspirations extend beyond creating films; they aim to establish themselves as a credible entity in the film world, driven by their pure love for cinema and a passion to explore diverse narratives. Its growth has been clear not only to the audience but also to the creators themselves.

“We went from a few friends making a not-so-funny sketch video with the PVC boom pole, boom pole and just trying to see if things worked to making a feature film on a semi-real budget. One of the biggest things that makes me know that we’re growing and becoming something bigger is the fact that there is a Naptime community now. Thinking about past projects and thinking about future projects, I have this web of actors that I can call on or crew who can come back and work for us,” Christopher illustrated.

“In an industry that is as turbulent as this one, there is a lot of solace in knowing that there are other people who want to do a similar thing to you, view the industry in a similar way, and want to penetrate it just as you do. This will give you not only professional comfort but emotional comfort,” Nihar added.

Both Nihar and Christopher express gratitude for the team they have and the community that has grown out of Naptime Studios thus far.

“There is a stigma in Hollywood, where money and fame is the biggest thing. I want to say that with Naptime, obviously, we want recognition. Obviously, we want to make it big. That’s what everyone wants. Our mission statement is just to make fun movies. I think if people know that about us, they’ll be more willing to understand us. We are just bored college students who really like movies and want to make them. We have no other ‘want’ than to make good content,” Nihar emphasized.

Naptime Studios creates films for the people, not for profit. “We want to improve upon ourselves. I don’t want money to be rich. Every time I get money, I spend it on more film equipment to make things look better,” Christopher remarked.

Ultimately, there is nothing more fulfilling than doing the things you love with the people you love most.

Naptime Studios illustrates the determination found in today’s emerging filmmakers. The group of driven college students and their journey from producing short films to completing their first feature, “Sins in Saptak,” on a modest budget showcases their commitment to their craft. More than just a production company, Naptime Studios represents a community built on friendship and a shared love for cinema. With each project, they continue to improve and redefine what’s possible in independent filmmaking, proving that with collaboration and a genuine love for their art, aspiring filmmakers can leave their mark in the industry.

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