What Do I Know?

Ok,

This is going to be an enormous blog.

It’s been just over a month since my last post where i very briefly recounted the tale of shooting my first feature film, Raymond Did It. Production went as smoothly as one can expect those things to go, and now we are heavily in Post-Production. Over the past few weeks I, along with Editor Robert J. Williams and DP/Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Stotz, have determined that there is no way we can hit the originally intended October release date. Several factors went into this decision, including monetary concerns (we still need money. You can totally donate via paypal on our films page or if you are interested in investing in Raymond Did It, email me at raymonddidit (at) gmail.com.), music issues (still working on a score), marketing concerns (we need time to run a proper advertising campaign)  and a general desire to make the film as great as possible. As of now, we are looking to early 2011 as our release date. I feel when the film finally comes out, the fans will see all the hard work that has gone into the film and find the finished product to be truly worth the wait.

Of course, I’ve never been one to rest on my laurels for too long, so while Robert and Tim dug into Post-Production, I started my next project, Legacy of the Masque.

Jessica Palette as Diana/The Masque

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to get to work on Legacy of the Masque. For starters, I was able to work with the lovely, talented, amazingly gorgeous, I-can-never-say-enough-good-about-her, Jessica Palette! Coming back to Rockford mere weeks after kicking ass in her role as Jayme in Raymond Did It, Jessica was more than up to the task of being the first superhero in the Forest City since Alder-Man (no joke. that shit really happened, I KNOW the guy!)

We sought a much more relaxed shooting schedule this time around, taking two weeks to complete four five-minute long episodes. This gave us plenty of time to plan, rehearse, work on costume changes, and generally hang out and have fun. I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Truly, Jessica is an angel on Earth, and we were hella lucky to have her on board.

Doesn't she look positively angelic?

But Jessica wasn’t the only great person we had on the Masque team! Joining her in her quest for Justice is Chris Wachowiak, owner of Kryptonite, the best bar in Rockford! It was great to see him blossom as an actor throughout this process and I absolutely cannot wait to work with him again!

Chris Wachowiak as Andy Bryant/Captain Future

Playing a couple of street thugs, we had Ty Yaeger (Raymond Did It, Innocent Looks) and Dustin Urness of Jimmy’s Basement fame.

Ty Yaeger and Dustin Urness as Joey and Tony, Screw City thugs.

Ty has been acting his fool head off since his turn as Simon in Raymond Did It! With roles in at least two upcoming short films and one more feature, Ty is one of the hottest acting commodities in Rockford, so filmmakers: snatch him up before his calendar gets too full! This was also my first opportunity to work with Dustin since Jimmy’s Basement and he did not disappoint! He oozes slimeball in his brief but memorable performance, which is all the more impressive when you know what a sweet guy he is off camera.

Plastic Age Productions mainstay and most frequently casted actress Melissa Revels (Kept, Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa) plays our first Damsel in distress, and as usual was more than willing to get knocked around and look silly on our behalf.

Melissa Revels in distress!

Melissa is also starring in the upcoming short film Innocent Looks, alongside Ty Yaeger, which is yet another reason to check it out! You can keep updated on the progress of Innocent Looks on the Never Submit Entertainment facebook fan page.

Speaking of Never Submit Entertainment…They are raising funds for their latest offering, Famous, which sounds like it will be a RIOT! I’ll leave you to read the description on their Indiegogo page (and hopefully send em a buck or 2).

And, of course, I can’t discuss the awesome that is Legacy of the Masque, without a nod to our first super villains!

Alex Rodriguez as Spectro, the Mind-Reading Magician!

Alex Rodriguez makes his acting debut as Spectro, the Mind-Reading Magician! His performance was incredible and I cannot WAIT to share his episodes with the world. The acting bug really got ahold on Alex during this production, so keep an eye out for more from him in the future. Also, as Legacy of the Masque is a comic-book based (sort of) webseries, I feel it is only appropriate to mention that Alex’s brother, David A. Rodriguez, is the comic book writer responsible for Starkweather and Shadowgirls so it goes without saying that comics, magic and awesomeness run in the family!

Of course, as Spectro is a magician, he clearly needs an assistant. Never being one to do things half-assed, I dug up the hottest, most vicious villainess I could find:

Elise Schultz as Smoke

Elise Schultz, the photographer/model turned actress who debuted in my little iPad experimental film, plays Smoke, the lovely assistant to Spectro. Elise was an utter joy to have on set, and when she and Jessica got to scrapping, it was a wonder to behold. The role was very physically intense and I commend her for being a trooper (especially in those heels).

While we worked on Legacy of the Masque, we made behind the scenes wrap-up videos after each day of filming, to get the talent’s thoughts on the project and our progress. I have included each video below, as well as the trailer for Legacy of the Masque. I hope you enjoy!

In other upcoming news, I will be doing a Q&A and screening some clips of my work at the EDGE comic-con in Edgerton, Wisconsin at 11 AM on Saturday, September 4th, and at the  OTW film fest in Rockford, Illinois at 9pm on Saturday, September 4th (yeah, its gonna be a busy day…) Come on out and take a look at whats happening with Rockford area film!

I am currently working on a new draft of Small Town White Kids, a semi-autobigraphical drama about growing up in a 1990’s rural Wisconsin town immersed in gangsta-rap culture and racial tension. Its coming along nicely, and I’ve already had one producer tell me “its not commercial enough” so I think I’m on the right track…

I am also starting preproduction on Asunder, a short horror meditation on infidelity and conscience. Its going to be a much more visual, visceral undertaking than I have ever tried before, but I’m extremely excited for it, and I look forward to making some big announcements regarding casting and production dates soon.

As always, I have a few upcoming projects that are a bit premature to make mention of, but keep an eye on this space, follow me on Twitter, and friend me on Facebook to stay in the loop! For now, Small Town White Kids is calling, so I’d best get back to writing it. I bid you adieu, and I’ll let Smoke take a bow on my behalf.

Thanks,

Travis

Hey all,

As you know I have been gearing up to make my first feature film, Raymond Did It. I have been posting preproduction video blogs on my YouTube page (I know i’m way overdue to do one. It will be forthcoming shortly) and generally trying to get the movie together. We are pretty much launch ready. Got all our locations, cast, and crew together, doing a little set dressing this weekend, and our talent gets into town on Monday.

But we have a financing issue.

We need money. Badly. We had an investor experience a family emergency and it has delayed the flow of cash a bit. I have been asking the fans  to help us out on Indiegogo http://www.indiegogo.com/raymond-did-it

As of  right now i need just over three thousand dollars. We have raised nearly two thousand so far thanks to the individuals listed below. If you can help us at all,even with a one dollar donation, it would be greatly appreciated.

A thousand million thanks to the individuals listed below for their aid in making my film happen, and by extension, making my dream come true. Without your support, I have nothing.

ct959031
16 minutes ago    $10    Fan Contribution

brad peterson
5 hours ago    $4

Anonymous
10 hours ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Samuel Narum
11 hours ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Dean Petty
11 hours ago    $20    Fan Contribution

Stuart Mintz
15 hours ago    Anonymous

jbuchstaber
18 hours ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Anonymous
22 hours ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Tara Smith
1 day ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Patricia J Scanlon
1 day ago    Anonymous

lydia hrycenko
1 day ago    $1    Helping Hand Contribution

Tina Mullendore
1 day ago    $20    Helping Hand Contribution

Bing Liu
1 day ago    $5    Helping Hand Contribution

Kevin Cronin
1 day ago    $50    Fan Plus Contribution

Jonathan Buchstaber
1 day ago    $1    Helping Hand Contribution

Sean Tyler
1 day ago    $10    Fan Contribution

noelle lynn
1 day ago    Anonymous

mary wells
1 day ago    $1    Helping Hand Contribution

Lawrence Runser
1 day ago    $100    Friend Contribution

Shelley.Burger
1 day ago    Anonymous

kennynmelissa
1 day ago    $10    Fan Contribution

irisheys80
1 day ago    $50    Fan Plus Contribution

Kenneth Lampl
1 day ago    $10    Fan Contribution

samuel cornn
1 day ago    Anonymous

Mark Lyon
1 day ago    $30

Corey Trujillo
2 days ago    Anonymous

Patrick McEvoy
2 days ago    $2

jt.blevins
2 days ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Kathleen Sullivan
2 days ago    Anonymous

Amy White
2 days ago    $20    Fan Contribution

Christina Nagle
3 days ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Jenne Teuscher
14 days ago    $20    Fan Contribution

Melissa Orme
16 days ago    Anonymous

Gunter Wetzel
17 days ago    Anonymous

Mark Lyon
18 days ago    $20    Fan Contribution

Dennis Mengelt
18 days ago    $150    Friend Contribution

Anonymous
1 month ago    $100    Friend Contribution

Stephanie Sansoucie
1 month ago    Anonymous

mary wells
1 month ago    Anonymous

Dustin Urness
1 month ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Susan Stephens
2 months ago    Anonymous

Wade Campbell
2 months ago    $50    Fan Plus Contribution

James Copeland
2 months ago    Anonymous

Amanda Steder
2 months ago    Anonymous

Amy White
2 months ago    $20    Fan Contribution

Staci Charles-Heath
2 months ago    $50    Fan Plus Contribution

Antonia Zipse
2 months ago    Anonymous

Lawrence Runser
2 months ago    Anonymous

george margalit
2 months ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Erica Eldridge
2 months ago    $30    Fan Contribution

cerebusthe2nd
3 months ago    Anonymous

John Peterson
3 months ago    $50    Fan Plus Contribution

zythia13
3 months ago    $100    Friend Contribution

vaygh
3 months ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Jeanne Bowerman
3 months ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Tim Masson
3 months ago    $10    Fan Contribution

Thanks,

Travis

P.S. I will Be on WREX 13’s noon show in Rockford tomorrow. Watch if you can!

I decided to make a short film on my iPad. Check out STALKER below:

So how did this come about?

If you have been following me on Twitter or keeping up with the Raymond Did It preproduction video blog on YouTube then you are probably aware that my fiancé, Sarah, bought me an iPad a few weeks ago. This is possibly the most useful gift I have ever been fortunate enough to receive. I have been able to make extensive use of the iPad as an organizational tool, a creative aid, and a pitch device when approaching people to help with and/or finance Raymond Did It. I took the iPad with me on my recent trip to Los Angeles and was able to utilize it as a navigational assistant (which I desperately needed) a communication device, and a mobile screenwriting tool. Thanks to the iPad, I was able to complete Scriptfrenzy this year by being able to work on my screenplay while doing other things like cooking breakfast, walking to meetings, or lying in bed trying to get to sleep. It’s an amazingly useful and convenient tool, in my opinion far more so than a laptop (ever try walking while writing on a laptop?). I applaud Apple for making it and I am incredibly grateful to Sarah for getting me such an amazing and perfect gift.

As an independent filmmaker, I am always looking for new tools to help with production. Before I got my iPad, my friends Joke and Biagio, with the aid of their assistant editor Nate Orloff, created and released a screenwriting template for use with the Pages app. This alone would have made the iPad worthwhile for me, as I have never had a means of writing electronically on the go. The first thing I did when I got my iPad was purchase Pages (for a very affordable $9.99) and immediately thereafter I hit Joke and Biagio’s blog to download their template, which happens to be free.

Once I had my hands on the screenwriting tools, I immediately went to work on my Scriptfrenzy project. The iPad had lived up to the hype and I was thrilled. As soon as the writing bug wore off, I started browsing the app store for other filmmaking resources I could download. I was thrilled to see the vast amount of apps geared toward filmmaking and media production. As I began downloading these apps, it occurred to me that someone could probably use an iPad for the entire preproduction and postproduction process on a short film. With apps for screenwriting, budgeting, maps, slates, video and music editing, it seemed that all the tools had already been made for a filmmaker to use, all I needed to do was download and combine them. Filled with excitement at the possibilities presented by these apps, I set to work.

My first step was to write a screenplay. Using Joke and Biagio’s template, I put together a five page script that seemed like it would be fun to film, and would give me a chance to play around with makeup fx a little bit.

Next on the agenda was casting. Using the iPad’s Mail app, I sent the script to Melissa Revels and Elise Schultz, asking if they would be involved. Much to my delight they both agreed, and Elise brought Jaime Flores to the party as our third performer. I enlisted Tim Stotz to provide camera work. Due to the iPad’s lack of an on board camera, we decided to shoot on Tim’s Sony Ex-1. This provided us with crisp and beautiful raw footage. I knew that the iPad would likely be incapable of processing the footage directly, so I wanted to start with the highest quality image possible in order to retain image quality when the footage was compressed to a format the iPad could use. I enlisted the aid of Jake Skiba and Eric Steiner to act as dolly and boom operators, grips, and general crew.

With all the production personnel in place, the next step was to sort out the budget. For this I used an app by Asbury Media, aptly titled “Film Budget.”

STALKER in Film Budget (from iPad screencap)

Film Budget is free to download, so the price was right. The interface is very intuitive, and I was able to get my project set up in a matter of minutes. Film Budget provides several pre-formatted cost categories in each project, such as equipment, locations, and props, which can be further customized at the item level by adding items by name with an actual cost price tag and a handy area for notes. My one complaint with this app is the lack of a “.” button in the numeric pad where you enter the costs of items.

Where's the "."?

Working on any film requires tracking pennies, especially in the realm of indie low-budget film making. This flaw in the program seems inexcusable, irritating, and easy to resolve, especially in an app that is otherwise incredibly versatile and useful. I hope Asbury Media does an update to correct it soon. Once I had Film Budget installed, I set aside $75.00 with which to make the film and I started projecting my needs. Thankfully, apps included, I was able to bring the project in a bit under budget, which is always good news for an indie filmmaker.

The shoot itself was pretty smooth, with the exception of a technical failure in the Arri light kit I had borrowed. Only the 650 watt light was functional, which made getting our shots a bit of a challenge. Thanks to Tim’s skills, and the hard work Skiba and Eric put in on set, we were able to make that one light work for us, and I’m pretty happy with the result.

For effects, I knew I would be unable to generate anything useful in the iPad, so I kept our gore entirely practical. A bottle of liquid latex and a bottle of fake blood, a bit of makeup, two condoms, and a roll of gaffer tape were all the materials we needed to achieve the special effects for the film, and all told, I think it turned out very well.

Once the film was shot, I had the issue of getting the footage onto the iPad, and editing it. For editing, I chose an app called “Reel Director” by Nexvio, which allows full video editing and the addition of an audio track.

Reel Director Home Screen

Reel Director imports video through the “share photos” function in iTunes, as long as you configure the app to allow it to access your photos and import video. This configuration can be found in the “settings” app on the iPad. The tutorial included in Reel Director explains how to import and edit footage pretty clearly, so it was not terribly difficult to get it set up.

Reel Director Settings in iPad

Once Reel Director was configured properly, the next step was to move the footage from the camera to the iPad. After removing the footage from the EX-1 via XDCAM Transfer, I placed them in the photos folder and synced up my iPad, only to discover that it could not accept the footage. To resolve this I opened each clip in the Quicktime 10 player. Using the “share” option, I was able to compress the footage to the iPhone/iPod touch preset and import it into Reel Director with no problems.

Quicktime 10 Share Option iPhone & iPod

In fact, I was rather impressed with the quality of the compression Quicktime player provided, as I expected the footage to be somewhat pixelated by the process. This was my first time using Quicktime 10’s share option, and it did not let me down in the least!

Now that the footage was in place, I could move to the actual editing. In Reel Director, I created a new project and entered the information and settings for the opening and closing credits. The app allows for customizable placement within the frame and duration of credits text. As there is no slug generated by Reel Director, I had Tim shoot 10 seconds of black, silent footage for me to integrate under the titles, and it worked out wonderfully.

When selecting video for the project, I simply clicked the “Add” button in the Reel Director timeline and was taken to my photos folder, where I could browse all of the video clips I had imported.

STALKER in the Reel Director Timeline

Once a clip is selected, the app offers the ability to do a broad trim, dropping only the selected footage into the timeline. From the timeline you may then select each clip and further trim or split the clip. When you trim, you have option of either preserving the original clip length, or making final trim. I elected to preserve the original clip with each trim, in case I needed to further adjust my cuts. When choosing the split option, Reel Director makes new, separated clips, so I recommend using a temporary trim before splitting to ensure all cuts are in the proper place.

Trim and Split in Reel Director

Using this process, I created the rough cut of the film. The greatest flaw I found while constructing the rough cut, and possibly the greatest flaw in the app, was the inability to cut in increments smaller than one second. This is extremely limiting in an edit and makes the program almost unworkable. However, with a little patience, and judicious use of clip transitions, which you can control in and out individually at the clip level, I was able to make a passable cut of the video.

I had hoped to be able to color correct on the iPad, but the capability is simply not there at this time. I downloaded an app called Hollywood FX that allows for regenerated color effects that cannot be altered or adjusted, and in general look pretty cheesy. I was thoroughly disappointed and wound up not even using the app on this film.

Once video was complete, I moved on to constructing the audio for the film. This proved to be a much greater challenge, as Reel Director only provides for a single master audio track, and the source file must be an .mp3 which is imported into Reel Director via wi-fi. Committed to the idea of using the iPad for all of post production, I turned back to the app store to find a solution.

Groovemaker by IK Multimedia

I found an app called “Groovemaker” by IK Multimedia, which allowed for the creation and editing of beats.

Mixing Beats in Groovemaker

After a bit of tinkering, I found a sound that I liked and exported it to my Mac Mini, via wi-fi. I was happy with the way the sound turned out, but I still needed Foley, and Reel Director only permits a single audio track, which cannot be clipped or edited for time. Going back to the app store, I found an excellent audio app called Monle available at www.monleapp.com for $9.99.

Monle "About" Screen

Monle allowed me to import audio files, (such as the file created in GrooveMaker) record Foley, (the majority of which consisted on me abusing a head of lettuce in my kitchen) and edit four independent tracks with a minutes:seconds timeline. This allowed me to time Foley sounds to the spots they needed to be in the video, and to better control the placement of music. Monle also includes fade in and out commands for each audio clip and non-destructive trimming of each clip, which proved invaluable while tweaking item placement.

Monle Editing Timeline

The only issue I ran into with Monle was that it only exports .wav files, while Reel Director only imports .mp3s.

A Sad Solution...

I tried and tried to find a way to reconcile that issue on the iPad. I was unable to find an app that could import and convert the file for me, so I took the .wav file I generated in Groovemaker and plugged it into Garage Band, then exported it to .mp3 for use with Reel Director. This worked just fine, but it did step outside the mission statement a bit, which I found frustrating.

Once the audio file was in place in Reel Director, I did a bit of video trimming to ensure everything matched up and exported the finished film to my Photos. Using iTunes, I imported the video onto my Mac Mini, and from there I uploaded it to YouTube. For the record, Reel Director does offer an option to upload the film to YouTube, but the file size was comparatively large, and I didn’t want to risk it timing out.

So, now the experiment is complete. I have a short film that was written, produced, and edited on the iPad. I learned quite a bit in the process, got to play with some very cool apps, and had a little bit of fun while working on this film. I still think that iPad apps have a ways to go before the iPad can be viable as a complete preproduction and postproduction tool, but I suspect that app developers will be working on this over the coming months. I would really like to see Reel Director updated to allow separation of audio from existing video, to allow multiple audio tracks which can be edited in the program, and to permit faster cutting intervals (even half a second would be a HUGE improvement). Hopefully some of the additional multitasking capabilities of iPhone OS 4 will help make some of these wishes more plausible. Thanks for taking a look at the blog and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I hope you enjoy STALKER!

Once the iPad version of STALKER was roughly cut, I employed the services of Raymond Did It editor Robert Williams to do a version of the film, edited in Final Cut, with color correction, and all the nifty tools at his disposal. I have provided both versions so you can look at them side by side and make some comparisons yourself. How do you think the iPad edit stands up to the Final Cut version?

Finally, I would like to ask that if you enjoyed this blog, or the videos included, that you please help support our upcoming feature film Raymond Did It by making a donation at http://www.indiegogo.com/Raymond-did-it and by passing the link around. We have less than three weeks to raise just over four thousand dollars, and every dollar helps!

Thanks,

Travis Legge

I would love to be more verbose today, but i’m in a hurry. I have to be at an all hands cast meeting in about an hour!!

Check out the video! Leave comments!

We shoot in 5 weeks!

Support Raymond Did It on Indiegogo!

Hello all,

With less than sixty days until principal photography begins on Raymond Did It things are a special kind of crazy around the Plastic Age Productions office. Now, on Friday night, while Rockford is kicking off the spring iteration of ArtScene, I’m at home sneaking in every extra bit of work that I can. As I write this blog, I’m sitting on the couch in my living room, watching Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with my fiancée and kids, typing away on the iPad in a sad attempt at multitasking work with the increasingly elusive “quality time” I need to share with the family. I leave for Los Angeles on Monday to meet with producers, fellow writers, actors, and friends, so I have been running myself ragged in preparation for the trip. As an unpleasant side effect, I have had very little time to keep up with some of my obligations.

I’ve been so busy handling preproduction on Raymond Did It that I haven’t had time to work on my blog, record and edit Behind The Scenes content, or keep up with my writing schedule.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a note of complaint. In fact it is exactly the opposite. I’m thrilled to be this busy with preproduction, because it means that I’m moving toward the ultimate goal of bringing Raymond Did It to audiences. We’ve come so far in the past few months that I would be stunned stupid if I took five minutes to stop and think about it.

Having said that, I DO want to share as much preproduction knowledge with you as possible. I want to give the fans, my friends, and fellow filmmakers as much insight into the filmmaking process as possible. To this end, I have been creating YouTube videos that sort of document what I’m doing to make Raymond Did It a reality. Due to an audio issue with my Mac mini (which is going into the shop as soon as I head to LA) I’ve postponed my latest video blog to ensure I can provide the highest quality product for those interested in watching. In the meantime, you can watch the three previous preproduction blogs below.

Preproduction Video Blog #1

Preproduction Video Blog #2

Preproduction Video Blog #3

I hope you enjoy these little tidbits of info, and I look forward to sharing more in depth content in the coming weeks. Upon my return to the Forest City I should have a wealth of information to post about preproduction, the LA experience through the eyes of a poor Midwestern filmmaker, some new insights into certain tools old and new, and much more. With any luck the wizards at Best Buy will have the mini back in fighting shape and the content can flow freely!

If you can, I implore you to support Raymond Did It on Indiegogo. We are an extremely independent and low budget film. Give what you can, every dollar helps. Tell your friends and see if THEY can help…and tell their friends.

Thanks so very much for your support,
Travis

Plastic Age Productions is proud to announce that Alex Smeltzer and Ty Yeager have joined the cast of Raymond Did It!

Photo by Kim Brown

Alex Smeltzer will be playing the role of Edgar, the laid back slacker of the group. Out of all of the kids involved in Bryce’s death, only Edgar remains close with Tammy, because Edgar is close with everyone. He is a social butterfly.

Alex Smeltzer was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. Raymond Did It is his film debut, and we couldn’t be happier to introduce this talented young actor to the world of film! Alex is currently studying theater at Rock Valley College under Starlight Theatre director Mike Webb.

Photo by Kim Brown

Ty Yeager will be playing the role of Simon. Simon is completely unaware of the events that led to Bryce’s death. Simon began dating Paige in high school, long after Raymond was locked away. With Raymond on the loose and his girlfriend in danger, Simon is dragged into a situation he doesn’t understand.

Ty Yeager was born in Fresno, California where he lived until a house fire caused his family to relocate to the midwest. After living in Belvidere, Illinois for 8 years, Ty has recently relocated to Rockford. Ty has dreamed of pursuing a career in acting since childhood and we are honored to be able to make that dream come true.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people for their contributions and support on Indiegogo: Amy White, Chip Copeland, Staci Charles-Heath, George Margalit, Antonia Zipse, Larry Runser, John Peterson, Jeanne Bowerman, Mike Lamps, Vault of Obscurity, Darius McCaskey, zythia13, and er.ic_a082 Your contributions are helping us make our dreams come true and helping us to bring you the best movie we can make! I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you are interested in helping finance Raymond Did It you can donate at http://www.indiegogo.com/raymond-did-it or via paypal by visiting our films page.

Thanks,

-Travis

On February 17th we held an Investor’s ball for Raymond Did It at Kryptonite Bar in Rockford. We were fortunate enough to have the talented Hans Rupert (http://www.hansrupert.com/) in attendance, and he was kind enough to shoot a few pictures of the event.

Cj Alms, Phyllis Galisath, Tina Manning

Travis Legge, Kyle Hoskins, Tim Stotz fielding questions about the film.

Tim Stotz, Kyle Hoskins, Robert Williams, Phyllis Galisath, Travis Legge, Tina Manning

The investor’s ball was quite a success and we were able to forge some relationships with Rockford area businesses and creative people in order to help facilitate the production of Raymond Did It in June.

We are still seeking funds to close the gap in our financing. Parties interested in investing and becoming a producer on Raymond Did It are encouraged to email me at raymonddidit@gmail.com and indicate your interest in investing in the subject line.

If you would like to support Raymond Did It but do not wish to invest in the film, you may donate via the Raymond Did It site on Indiegogo or via the paypal donate button on our films page.

Thanks to all who came to the investors ball and who have shown support for Raymond Did It!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our latest contributor at Indiegogo: Cerebusthe2nd!

More news and updates soon!

Greetings ans salutations,

As I mentioned in my previous blog, circumstances have delayed the release of Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa. Fortunately, my partner and post-production guru Tim Stotz seems to have recovered from his terrible case of Captain Tripps, and we are hoping to have Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa out within the next week, with the long-awaited Kept hot on its heels.

Thanks so much for your patience. While you wait, visit our films page to watch the trailers for Memoirs of a Stinky Sofa and Kept.

Thanks,

Travis

I am proud to announce that Joey Grimmett of Rockford’s own Kaotic Krew has just joined the Raymond Did It team. With over 14 years of experience doing haunted houses, live events, and theatrical FX makeup, I am incredibly stoked to have Joey on board for Raymond Did It!

Below is a small sampling of Joey and the Kaotic Krew’s work.

Welcome aboard, Joey.

Also I would like to take this time to thank the following people for their contributions to Raymond Did It on indiegogo

john_peterson13 for his Fan Plus Contribution

zythia13 for her Friend Contribution

vaygh for his Fan Contribution

and JeanneVB for her Fan Conrtibution

You guys are helping make Raymond Did It possible!

Thanks,

Travis

As you are probably aware, last weekend Tim Stotz, Robert J. Williams and myself held auditions in Rockford for Raymond Did It. We were honored to have the AMAZING photographer Curtis Clegg stop by and take some production stills. I’d like to share a few of them with you here. Click on the thumbnails below to view the full sized images.

More photos are available on my Facebook page.

We have been blessed enough to get a little press over the past few days. I will collect links shortly!

Also, I would like to thank Vault of Obscurity for being out first donor on Indiegogo! Every little bit helps!

More news and updates soon! Until then, spread the good news about Raymond Did It!