Behind The Scenes of A Live Show

What started as a routine day filming behind the scenes of Brandy’s highly anticipated REWIND performance at Roots Picnic 2026 turned into an unexpected look at the making of a live production.

After countless hours of rehearsals and preparation leading up to the festival, filmmaker William Sikora III was on site documenting the fast paced action behind the curtain. In the middle of the excitement, his phone was accidentally left recording inside his shirt pocket, creating an unplanned first person view of the organized chaos that unfolds backstage during a major live event.

The result is what Sikora jokingly calls “the behind the scenes of the behind the scenes.” The candid footage offers a fun glimpse into the nonstop movement, teamwork, and energy that go into producing a performance of this scale.

Brandy’s REWIND show was one of the highlights of Roots Picnic 2026, showcasing the dedication of an incredible talent while celebrating the music that continues to inspire audiences around the world.

Sometimes the best moments aren’t the ones you plan. Sometimes they’re the ones you accidentally leave recording.

You can watch the recap here:

A New Animated Short with a Powerful Message

“Sal” began with a simple question: What would the world look like through the eyes of one of the smallest creatures living in a redwood forest?

The film written and directed and created by William Sikora III, follows Sal, a tiny salamander whose peaceful life unfolds deep within the ancient redwoods of Northern California. Rather than focusing on human characters, dialogue, or narration, we wanted audiences to experience the world from ground level, where every stream feels enormous, every fallen branch becomes an obstacle, and every sound carries meaning.

The core creative goals behind “Sal” were scale, emotion, and perspective. We wanted viewers to feel the overwhelming size of the natural world through the eyes of a creature that exists near the forest floor. At the same time, we wanted to create an emotional connection to the countless animals that share these ecosystems and often go unseen. By telling the story through Sal’s perspective, audiences experience events not as distant headlines or statistics, but as a personal journey.

“We live in a time where our world is being destroyed in front of our eyes and we feel helpless to stop it. But there are things we can do to make this world a better place, protect what remains.” Sikora said.

The production was created using a combination of artificial intelligence tools and traditional filmmaking techniques. AI was used to help generate and refine visual elements, while story development, shot design, editing, retouching, vfx, pacing, sound design, and emotional storytelling remained guided by human creativity throughout the process. The technology allowed a small independent production to create a rich cinematic experience that would have otherwise required significantly larger resources.

Visually, “Sal” draws inspiration from classic animated storytelling. Great care was taken to create a world that feels immersive, emotional, and grounded while maintaining a distinct artistic identity.

At its heart, “Sal” is a story about perspective. Through the eyes of one small salamander, the film encourages audiences to consider humanity’s relationship with the natural world and the lasting impact our actions can have on the creatures and ecosystems that surround us.

"I hope "Sal" inspires viewers to look more closely at the world around them and recognize that even the smallest lives can tell powerful stories." Sikora said.

Little Paw Soundtrack Out Now

Relive the adventure with the official soundtrack, plus new music inspired by the film. The world of Little Paw continues through its music, carrying the emotion of the story beyond the screen and into something you can return to anytime. At the center is “Home,” written by William Sikora III, a song that arrived instantly and connected deeply to the film’s emotional core, reflecting the journey of stepping into the unknown, discovering independence, and feeling that quiet pull toward belonging. The soundtrack features three versions of “Home,” each offering a different tone while staying rooted in the same feeling, with the original version delivering a cinematic and intimate experience tied closely to the film, the folk version bringing an organic, grounded energy that echoes the natural world, and the Spanish version expanding the reach of the song while carrying the same emotion across language. Alongside it, new music inspired by Little Paw extends the atmosphere and tone of the story, creating a fuller experience that lives alongside the film.

As Sikora shares, “This was such an amazing experience creating the soundtrack, from a melody singing into the mic, I turned that into a fully composed suite of music, covering the highs and lows, the scares and the soft hugs, the music really helped drive the story of Little Paw and I was absolutely set on releasing it on its own. ‘Home’ itself is one of my most favorite, if not favorite, songs I’ve ever written, it means so much to me and fills me with joy.” 

The official Little Paw soundtrack is out now on all music platforms.

Sikora Entertainment also joins the music streaming world for the first time. The official artist account will feature music from current and upcoming films and more. “We are so excited for this new opportunity to share our art in the music world.” Sikora said.

For Sikora Entertainment artist management and requests please email willsikora@gmail.com or will@sikoraent.com

 

Director William Sikora III Talks ‘Little Paw’

Flix Movies sits down with William Sikora III, the director of Little Paw to talk about everything from the idea to the future of his newest little furball. Christian Montenegro hosts the exclusive interview. If you haven’t watched Little Paw yet, you can watch it here.