What Do I Know?

Greetings and Salutations!

It’s been just over a month and a half since my last blog, during which I posted a few set photos from Raymond Did It. Since that blog, I have completed filming and begun the long road of postproduction. Don’t let the radio silence fool you, it’s been plenty o busy around the Plastic Age Productions offices. Here’s a little recap of how things have been progressing.

I MADE A MOVIE!

Paige (Elissa Dowling), Simon (Ty Yaeger), Jayme (Jessica Palette), and Tim (Steven Lee Edwards) gather at Jayme's house to discuss the plan.

First and foremost I have filmed my first feature (try saying THAT five times fast when you’re drunk!) Working with a truly amazing cast and an incredibly competent and skilled crew, we were able to complete principal photography on Raymond Did It in a mere 12 days! The movie is “in the can” as they say in the biz, and our truly badass editor Robert J. Williams is hard at work cracking out trailers, rough cuts, and making sure that this will be the best horror film of the year!

Working with such talented performers as Kyle Hoskins, Lindsay Felton, Elissa Dowling, Jessica Palette, Ty Yaeger, Steven Lee Edwards, Jake Skiba, Valerie Meachum, and Linda Cieslik was a treat and a joy. We were able to make our ambitious shooting schedule because each performer was utterly prepared and totally professional every single day. The performances were beyond my expectations and if I’d had a million dollars (which we most certainly did not), I would have made exactly the same choices.

I don’t have the words to describe the charge I felt every day coming onto set and knowing that great actors and actresses were going to be looking to me for guidance and direction. Even better were the rare moments when the hectic pace of the set calmed down and the shock of the situation faded away and I realized that I was up to the task and we were making it happen together! This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I CANNOT WAIT to get onto the next one!

Tammy (Lindsay Felton) hears a noise outside her home.

Beyond the incredible cast we had, our crew were indispensable. Kim Brown and Josh Young did an admirable job trying to keep our runaway train on something resembling a schedule. Kelly Weisheit got us AMAZING source audio in less than amazing conditions. Neil Bloom stepped up to the plate to kick a little 2nd unit tail. Eric Steiner, Jake Skiba, Sam Narum, Jose Galarza, Brian Shelton, Shawndra Bateson, Ariel Griffith, Stephanie Nissen, Tyler Edwards, Rachel Huffman, and Mandy Abbott formed an AMAZING crew support system, often delivering the impossible in inconcievable timeframes.

Our makeup department led by Joey Grimmett and Mikey Hallgren for FX did a SUPERB job and gave us gore the likes of which has caused several people physical illness to behold! These guys know their guts!

Art Director (and all purpose Swiss Army crew) Raven Burleson not only gave us pretty places to film in, but ran around patching holes and bailing water every time the boat started to threaten to sink.

Jake Schumaker, Tyler Edwards, and Gary Lake remodeled a house for us in the middle of production. Even a tree falling upon it couldn’t slow these cats down, and their efforts were herculean. Fortunately, I feel it shows in the film!

Gary Lake also made the infamous blood cannon…

…so to say his services were indispensable is an understatement.

Of course, we would have had naught but a stage play before a captive crew audience if not for the astonishing camera work of Tim Stotz, our DP who masterfully took a few words I scratched out on paper and turned it into a visual masterpiece.

Sarah Honchar took a break from documentary work to wrangle gigs upon gigs of video data for us, and still had the gusto to do a little cage dancing for our party scene. I won’t spoil it for you, but it earned her the nickname “boots.”

Our talent was kept well fed and their hair beautifully styled by Octane Interlounge and Fuzz Salon owner Daniel Minick. Incidentally, Dan’s magical tea also kept me alive and sane, and I cannot possibly speak highly enough of his involvement in keeping our production going!

Lastly, fellow Rockfordian filmmaker Chris Engler came out to lend a hand and hold up the world for Tim while he had to step away from set on other business. Fortunately for chriss, we were shooting one of the coolest exteriors of the film, IMHO that day.

Tammy (lindsay Felton) seeks out her stalker.

We were even lucky enough to score a visit to set from TILT’s Phil Holbrook, Jessica King and Julie Keck! Julie even stopped to interview me, which made me feel all special and fuzzy on the inside.

So many people put in so much hard work on making this film happen. I am pleased to say that I am incredibly proud of everyone’s hard work and that I have faith that the final product will floor audiences! So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Unfortunately, the 500 things on my todo list must cut this blog a bit short. Coming soon: What I Did On My Summer Vacation Part 2: I Need A Hero!

Thanks,

Travis

Raymond Did It Art Director Raven Burleson and several of our crew put together the sets for Paige’s apartment and Tammy’s bedroom today. I thought I woudl share the pics:

Tammy’s bedroom is Small and a bit sparse, with very little by way of decor, and bleak, deep colors.

Paige’s bedroom, by contrast is bright and wild, decorated colorfully,  with some Black and White DIY wall hangings.

Hope you liked this little glimpse at two of the rooms I will be spending most of the next two weeks in!

Also our Indiegogo campaign is about to expire! We still need just over $2000 dollars to hit our goal, so PLEASE contribute at http://www.indiegogo.com/raymond-did-it

Thanks,

Travis

Plastic Age Productions is proud to announce that Sam Swanson has joined the cast of Raymond Did It!

Photo Courtesy Christi Blais

Sam will be playing the role of Jayme at age 13. Sam has previously enjoyed stage success starring in Rockford area stage productions of Babes in Toyland and Polar Express. Raymond Did It marks Sam’s first film role and we are pleased to introduce this bright young talent to the screen!

Raymond Did It begins principal photography in Rockford, Illinois on June 8th, 2010. Parties interesting in helping this independent feature get made in the Forest City can show support via donation at http://www.indiegogo.com/raymond-did-it

Thanks,

Travis

Plastic Age Productions is proud to announce two new additions to the Raymond Did It cast.

Patricia Raven (Blood Night) will be playing the role of Paige at age thirteen.

Photo Content © 2010 KAZPHOTO All rights Reserved

Patricia’s Bio (via IMDB) “Patricia Raven scored her first big role in 2007 as a young Mary Hatchet in the horror flick Blood Night. Born on June 8th, 1995 in Philadelphia, Raven attended the Baldwin School, a girls-only college preparatory private school for 9 years before moving to LA in 2008. While living on the East Coast, Raven made the transition from auditioning in her hometown of PA, to tackling the tough acting world of NYC. She landed various gigs, including an eight minute non-union film parodying Little Miss Sunshine, titled Little Miss Punch Line- which she landed on her first try. Raven has worked continuously ever since, landing roles in films such as Furry Hamsters from Hell, Slow Poison, Red and Coyote, as well as television shows such as Bring Your Daughter to War Day, Lobbyist and Dear Harvard, a role which earned her a Best Young Artist nomination in 2010.”

Our first day of principal photography, we will be wishing Patricia a Happy Birthday!

We are also thrilled to announce that Victoria Sullivan will be joining the cast of Raymond Did It as Tammy at age thirteen.

Photo courtesy Victoria Sullivan

Victoria hails from Minnesota and will be making her feature film debut in Raymond Did It. Victoria has extensive stage experience, having played leads in productions of Annie, The Jungle Book, and King Artie and the Knights. Plastic Age Productions is honored to be able to introduce this fine young lady to the world of film. She is an astonishing talent that you will want to keep an eye on!

Follow Victoria on Twitter

Principal photography on Raymond Did It begins on June 8th, 2010 in Rockford, Illinois.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are very excited to announce that WREX TV Weekend Anchor Jeannie Hayes has joined the cast of Raymond Did It.

Jeannie will be providing voice talent for Raymond Did It as a radio news anchor. We are positively thrilled to have her on board!

Read Jeannie’s profile on WREX.COM

In other news, I have managed to get the next Raymond Did It preproduction video blog online! Please enjoy!

We are a mere six weeks away from principal photography on Raymond Did It and we still have some money to raise, so please donate at http://www.indiegogo.com/Raymond-Did-It every dollar we can raise helps!

Stay tuned, there will be more announcements soon!

Thanks!

Travis

In January of 2009 I began filming Skeet Shooting, the first  part of what was to become a series of short comedies known collectively as the Couch Trilogy.

Tonight I uploaded Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa, the final installment in this zany series of comedies about romance (that are never quite romantic comedies).

Tonight I have come to the finish line on a project I started fourteen months, four mailing addresses, three cars and two girlfriends ago.

I fancy myself something of a writer. I think it is my job, my duty, and my calling to put feelings into words for an audience to consume, enjoy, and understand. However the satisfaction at having completed these movies is beyond my ability to communicate.

I can’t express the deep gratitude I feel for those who have helped me make this vision come to fruition. Brian Shelton, Jerry LaBuy, Shawndra Bateson, and the Rock Valley College Mass Communication department have enabled me to make these films, enabled me to transform from a kid with a camera into a filmmaker.

I can’t convey the feeling of brotherhood I have developed with Tim Stotz as he has worked, in great capacity, putting in HUNDREDS of unpaid hours on these films.

I can’t relate the grand fortune of finding Robert J. Williams, a fellow RVC Mass Comm alum, who joined up with our motley crue as an outsider, lending a hand with Kept and eventually became friend, partner, and brother to Tim and I.

I can tell you this: In two months I begin filming my first feature. I’m using a wonderful actor and great friend that I discovered as a result of these films in the lead role. I have the knowledge, confidence and drive to make a MOVIE because of the Couch Trilogy.

Also, I now have a definition for the term “Eye Babies”

So to everyone who helped make these films, and to everyone who has watched them: Thank you.

…Now go buy a comic book.

-Travis

P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mary Wells and Dustin Urness for their contributions to help support Raymond Did It on Indiegogo. Please donate to support our film! Every dollar helps!

You can watch the Couch Trilogy on our film page OR download our films from iTunes.

Planning.

One of the most important (and most often overlooked) aspects of existence, the simple act of planning is fundamental. Whether writing a grocery list, coordinating a night out with your friends, or producing a feature film, planning is the simplest, most basic step to achieving a positive result in most endeavors. The more time you spend formulating a solid, well-conceived plan, the less time that plan will take to execute. If you go to the grocery store with a list, you can travel the aisles in an orderly fashion, checking items off of your list, one by one, without much delay. You save yourself the trouble of wandering the aisles trying to figure out what you do and do not need to pick up that week. If you plan a common place and time to meet your friends, you save everyone the trouble of dozens of text messages and phone calls trying to figure out where everyone is and what they are doing. As my mentor, teacher and friend Brian Shelton has repeatedly told me, “minutes spent in preproduction save hours on set.”

In filmmaking, planning is essential. There are hundreds of elements to be coordinated in even the smallest of film projects. The “fly by the seat of your pants” approach is rarely successful. As production draws nearer on Raymond Did It my days become filled with appointments and commitments. I’ve finally broken down and begun making excessive use of iCal. I am coordinating an extensive team of talented individuals to work on this film, so I often find myself making plans to meet with people so we can sit down and make more plans.

Unfortunately, things happen that can disrupt even the most meticulous planning. This past Thursday, Sarah and I were in a car accident that left us with a destroyed vehicle and a six hour long visit to the emergency room. I had made several plans for that evening, none of which included a car crash and a hospital visit. By the grace of the Powers that Be, Sarah and I were not mortally wounded. We will survive our injuries and insurance will provide for the medical and transportation concerns in the long term, however, the events of the evening threw my plans into chaos. I had phone calls to make, emails to write, a blog to post, and press releases to send off. I had potential investors for Raymond Did It waiting to receive summaries and copies of the prospectus, and I had a very important dinner with my baby sister who was having a terrible day and needed her big brother’s support. One simple single event that was utterly beyond my control demanded I suddenly alter my plans with no regard for my opinion on the matter. Fortunately, Sarah and I survived, and once I was certain we were safe, I was able to make some phone calls, send an email or two and reschedule most of my commitments (though I still owe my sister that dinner). In the midst of the chaos, I was able to adapt.

Which brings me to the point of this blog. Planning is an excellent skill, but planning is utterly meaningless without the ability to adapt to sudden changes and alter the plan if need be. So many people become bogged down in “the plan” and are unable to deviate when circumstances change. Anyone who has been on a film set can tell you that situations can change at the drop of a dime and the plan can often go right out the window. Its never ideal when plans fall apart, but you have got to be able to roll with the punches. There are several ways to go about this. Some people just stop everything thats going on, take a step back and a deep breath, and reexamine the new circumstances to adjust the plan. Others do their best to improvise on the fly, making minor adjustments to the plan as each new circumstance makes itself known. There is certainly something to be said for making contingency plans ahead of time, but those can go afoul as well. The ideal manner of addressing unforeseen circumstances depends on the situation and the person. As I have often said, there is no such thing as “THE RIGHT WAY” to do something. The important thing is to be able to find a way to adapt. I have seen people ruin film projects, relationships, academic careers, and jobs because they were simply unable to adapt to sudden and unexpected changes.

So my advice: Plan. Plan well and thoroughly. Make plans B, C, and D. Then be ready to toss it all out the window on the day and improvise, should the need arise.

Thanks,
Travis

P.S. I would like to take a moment to thank geomv55 and er.ic_a082 for their Fan Contributions to help support Raymond Did It at http://www.indiegogo.com/Raymond-Did-It Fans who wish to offer a donation by credit card to help finance the film can visit IndieGoGo and donate anywhere from $10 to $1000. There are several perks and benefits available to those who choose to donate, which are laid out in detail at http://www.indiegogo.com/Raymond-Did-It

If you prefer to use Paypal to donate, you can visit our films page where we offer the same donation incentives and a convenient Paypal button. Please consider making a contribution to help us make Raymond Did It the best slasher film of the next decade!

Plastic Age Productions is proud to announce that Jessica Palette (VH1 Scream Queens, Under the Raven’s Wing) has joined the cast of Raymond Did It!

Photo Courtesy Jessica Palette

Jessica will be playing the role of Jayme, the popular kid, with a very high opinion of herself and her own importance. She shifts from cute to bitchy with the practiced panache of the most popular girl in school.

Jessica was a member of the season one cast of the horror film stardom reality television show VH1 Scream Queens alongside Raymond Did It co-star Lindsay Felton. This will be the first time the pair have shared the screen since the show. Everyone at Plastic Age Productions couldn’t be happier to have this outstanding actress as an addition to our cast!

Vh1 Scream Queens is the brainchild of the extremely creative and talented Joke Productions and showcases several talented young actresses who compete for a role in a major horror film release. The second season of Vh1 Scream Queens is currently in post production and set to air later this year!

Jessica recently starred in the short film Invincible Summer which will be making its way around the festival circuit this summer.

Keep an eye on this space as there will be more casting updates coming soon!

So as my readers may know, I am an avid twitter user. I’m a tweet-a-holic. I practically LIVE on twitter. So, it’s no surprise that I have made a few REALLY awesome friends, in short 140 character-or-less bursts.

I have also been fortunate enough to come into contact and forge friendships with a large number of people whose work I genuinely respect. If you have read my blog or follow my twitter, I’m sure you’ve seen me go on at great length about the incredible Joke and Biagio (@jokeandbiagio on twitter) and the help they have given me.

I have been fortunate enough to also forge a friendship with Julie Keck and Jessica King (@kingisafink on twitter). Despite the fact that we live less than 100 miles apart, and the ladies even waved at my hometown as they drove by on their way to Egofest recently, we have yet to meet face to face, or for that matter, even speak on the phone. The entirety of our communication has been confined to that social media site that I keep referencing, yet I count them as friends and I have the utmost respect for their work.

So, when they tweeted a link to watch their short film Snow Bunny via streaming video I knew I had to watch it. I even tweeted to tell them as much.

I promised the ladies a review of the film. Given how busy I am of late, that was kind of a boneheaded move on my part, and with the chaotic hell my day became while trying to make simple travel arrangements to New York City (a story for another blog. Short version: FUCK expedia.com) I almost forgot.

But as I said, I count Julie and Jessica as friends, and you don’t forget your friends.

So I offer my review below (which will likely be shorter than the rambling preamble. Leave me be. Its late and I tend to run at the mouth). You may think with all my talk about friendship and such that this review will be biased. Hell, you may be right, but just as you don’t forget your friends, you also don’t bullshit them, so I will try to be as honest as possible in my reflections on Snow Bunny.

Okay really starting the review now.

Snow Bunny, the just-under-thirty minute short film from King is a Fink Productions, is a glimpse into the life of a seemingly normal American family. The film explores the marriage of Dean (Jeremy Price) and Abigail (Marci Ackerhalt-Price). Focus shifts from their playful,  sometimes resentful banter, to their strained and challenging interactions with their children, Mandy (Naomi Trinidad) and Delilah (Lia Trinidad).

One of the finest elements of this film is the realism with which the family’s interaction is portrayed. King and Keck capture the swelling tension of a father whose patience is being tested perfectly, without compromising the story by leaping into high drama. As any parent can tell you, a simple afternoon drive with two children can generate heart-attack inducing stress. This is conveyed flawlessly in the film.

The children’s performances, though brief, are spot on. Each moment with the children captures the essence of a child’s-eye view of the family dynamic through plot and dialogue, and in one particular scene that view is literally conveyed by the skillful cinematography of Jessica King.

The dialogue in the film is real and intense in its lack of intensity. Simply put, the characters in Snow Bunny talk the way people talk, which is an often overlooked element in a screenplay. It is all too easy for a screenwriter to fall into the trap of trying to cram as much witty dialogue into their character’s mouths as possible (not that I would ever be guilty of such a thing…;)). King and Keck avoid this trap and make every word spoken in the film believable and real.

There were two elements of the film that fell a little short for me. I felt that some of the conversations could have been edited a bit differently and the pace was a little off in some spots. This is mostly during the conversation between Dean and Abigail in the second act of the film. The realistic dialogue almost makes up for the pacing being off, but there are a few spots in which its slightly jarring. I also felt that Jeremy Price’s performance as Dean left a little something to be desired. Having extremely natural dialogue to deliver, he still came off on occasion as if he were reading the role rather than being it, to borrow a term from my acting teacher. This becomes slightly more apparent when his performance is weighed against that of Marci Ackerhalt-Price, who is brilliant in the role of Abigail. Price’s expressions and body language in the film were excellent, but his performance seemed to slip whenever he was called upon to speak.

The climax of the film is disturbing yet comforting in a bizarre way. I won’t spoil it for you, but it is probably one of the most tense moments I have witnessed in a short film. I adored it.

All told, I think Snow Bunny is an excellent film and I highly recommend it. Despite my few criticisms, I found it a truly enjoyable way to spend 26 minutes, and it was well worth the price of admission!

You can watch Snow Bunny online OR order it on DVD at https://www.indieflix.com/film/snow-bunny-30390/

Thanks,

Travis

Hello,

I regret to announce that despite our efforts, Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa, the third installment of the Couch Trilogy, will not be released today as planned.

As my friends and followers on twitter may know, my grandmother passed away last Saturday. Due to her illness, I was summoned to Wisconsin to say my final goodbyes. I came home to an impressive backlog of Raymond Did It related work and a very ill effects supervisor.

I got the Raymond Did It work caught up (or as close as I am likely to get between now annd, say, the film’s release) and Robert J. Williams and I gave the sequence for Memoirs a final pass. After soma audio fixes, and a tweak or two, we locked video and audio, with two exceptions:

1. There is one missing digital effect.
2. There are no credits on the film

I passed the film in this state to our effects guru (and all around partner o’mine) Tim Stotz, withh about 36 hours to release deadline. Unfortunately, tim is in the throes of a horrible respiratory infection, and despite his best efforts at resting, recovering, and medicating the crap out of himself, has not yet returned to fighting shape.

Given the nature of the situation, I can’t say for sure when Memoirs will be online, but I am certain we will have it online as soon as is reasonably possible. right now my hopes are that my family is okay dealing with the loss of my Grandmother (don’t worry overmuch, for the most part, we are) and that Tim recovers quickly.

In the meantime, you can watch Skeet Shooting, Jimmy’s Basement, and the trailer for Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa online at our FILMS page.

I apologize for the delay.

Thanks,

Travis