Favorite RMI Memories

Plans are currently in the works for the first RMI screening, which hopefully will be at the Shaw Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge this fall!  Dates and times to be announced!

While we are waiting to see the movie on the big screen, I thought it would be fun to remissness about so many of the fun times we had on the set.  While there are too many memories to pick a favorite, I immediately think of one that definitely stands out!

The Spit Scene

There was a line in the script that involved the protagonist, Onyx (played by Alicia Hanley), to spit in the face of the antagonist James Bonny (played by Paul Orr).  When we got to that part in the script, I told Paul not to worry about it; Alicia could just spit at his feet instead.  But Paul, being the hard-core actor that he is, didn't want to sacrifice the feel of the scene for the sake of his face.  He told Alicia to go for it.  We rehearsed the scene several times, and filmed all of the other parts that didn't involve the dreaded spit.  Each time we got to the spit, Alicia made a cute little "puh" sound and very daintily pretended to spit in his face.  Finally, the time came to actually film the spit.  We were filming at the church at the Rural Life Museum, and the pews were filled with spectators.  Alicia said she needed a minute to prepare, and she needed some water.  An assistant ran to help her out.  When she finally said she was ready, we didn't know what to expect.  After the cute little "puh," I don't think Paul expected what he got!  We acted out the scene and she hocked the hugest loogey any of us had ever seen!  Paul, who was always super prepared and never ever broke character, completely froze!  The entire church full of people was dead silent for about 10 seconds, waiting to see what would happen.  Finally Paul just busted out laughing and the whole church erupted in laughter.  Luckily, Paul held his expression just long enough to use the take, so we didn't have to film it again!  James Bonny's look of shock was very much a real reaction!

View the footage of the spit scene here!

Do you have a favorite memory of RMI?  Comment on this post to share it with us!

RMI Current Status

I am always getting the question,"When will RMI be finished?" And finally the answer is, "It is!". Besides a few minor tweaks, RMI is ready for viewing. While I could spend hours and hours fixing things and never really be finished, at some point it needs to be released! We filmed the movie in about 2.5 years, working only on weekends when our volunteers were all available. Once filming was complete, we began working on the soundtrack and audio. This took the longest, with the work changing hands several times as different people ran into different obligations. Finally, the RMI soundtrack is complete (with the work done by Greg De Iulio).

 

(Greg De Iulio on the piano)

In addition, I learned to do overdubs myself so we could complete the project. While I wish we had more time to dedicate to the audio, I am excited to have a product that tells a story that everyone can watch and enjoy!

A little about Greg - he is a graduate student in the School of Music at LSU.  He was recommended to me by Dr. Willis Deloney as a student who was ready for this type of large project when he was still an undergraduate.  This recommendation proved correct!  Greg's addition to the team has brought RMI a whole new feel.  His work brings out the emotions of the characters in a way that wasn't there before.  We have been very pleased with all that he has accomplished for us, and we know to keep an eye out for him in the future!  To listen to some of his samples of RMI, you can visit our YouTube playlist here.

We are currently working to find a venue to host the RMI cast and crew premiere.  If you have any ideas or recommendations, please let me know by emailing kerry1280@gmail.com.  We are currently looking into possibly premiering at the Manship Theatre, the LSU Rural Life Museum, or another location on LSU campus.  I look forward to seeing you at the viewing!