Correction-

We

I have now nailed in the final arrangements for Roger's premiere. It will definitely be at 1PM on Monday, President's Day, at the Museum of Natural History at Roger Williams Park. I'm very excited about this and hope to see everyone there.
In the meantime, I'm doing the final tweaks on the film itself(the music, at last, arrived...) and will be sending a disc to the duplicators ASAP. One of the things I've had to do to get ready to send the baby pachyderm on his festival round is to make a press packet. I've finished that, and one of the items requested is a production still, a photo showing a scene of how Roger got made. I've included it here. Enjoy!
Keep your eyes peeled for more info.

The Year of the Elephant!

Everything has been going swimmingly these days.
We've got the date for the grand premiere scheduled at the Roger Williams Park Museum. It's February 21st, President's Day, and what a great way to celebrate it will be.
Still waiting for the final music to come through, though I do have a plan B if necessary. The composer PROMISES me I'll have the score by the end of the year.
And speaking of the end of the year, I'd like to wish everyone a happiest of holidays and huge thanks for making this project come through.
Here's to Baby Roger in the New Year! Let 2011 be the year of the elephant!

Ta-da!

The final cut of Roger is finished, and even has a workable score on it, though the final version of the music is still at the composer's... I am delighted. It's gotten good reviews from those who've seen it, including the members of the RI Film Collaborative up in Pawtucket, who made a few tweaking suggestions, but agreed it was pretty decent.

RI PBS has expressed interest in seeing it for possible airing, the official premiere is set for February 23rd at the Roger Williams Park Museum, and I'm trying to find a place for the wrap party next month.

I've also printed booklets with the whole story of Roger, including the stuff that got left on the cutting room floor. So the creative stuff is finished and the business stuff is kicking in. It's been hard, oddly enough, to accept the fact that I don't have to work on the film now. Somehow I keep saying "there are just a few more things to do." That's true of the business end, of course, like letter writing, marketing, etc., but the film itself is actually DONE!!!

Now to move on to the next in the series- "Uproar in Pawtucket; the Story of Fanny the Elephant."

Drum roll, please....

So Roger's rough cut is done and out at the composer's for scoring!
What a relief, and how much fun it's been getting the last few pieces nailed in place and the details under control.
Two amazing actors came into the project in one week, and I'm happy to have them both, though one has a talking part, and one not, they're both equally important.
Still some fine tuning to do, but essentially, if I had to show the film, I could do it right now!
I heard from the RWP Museum today, and we're discussing having the premiere there in February. Much later than I'd hoped, but I really think it would be appropriate. On the other hand, I've also been chatting with another organization in Providence about premiering it as well.
This is the time when the work on a film goes from creative/technical to business. Not something I'm crazy about, but if it's going to get out and about and sprout legs of its own, this is the time to do it...
What I really want for my birthday next week is a marketing person, so I can get moving on with the next part of this project- Fanny of Pawtucket- a Love Story (working title).

Has it been this long?

I've been working a lot on Roger these days, and even have a rough cut of part of the film done that I've submitted to some of my most trusted advisors for comments. Because of the fact that a real mover and shaker has taken an interest in the film, I expect it to be done and ready to go quite soon! True, I got behind and then got involved in teaching, but now I'm really ready for the final push.

My apologies to my kids and others who've taken part in Roger's story. I know it's driving you crazy as well waiting to see the final result of your hard work.

Along the way, I've had camera/mic problems that drove me nuts, but which I've now corrected, and some major editing set backs having to do with a tech glitch and the fact that I have had to use an awkward computer ganging system to get the job done.

In the meantime, I've become acquainted with a fellow elephanteer in Watertown, MA, who has a really interesting project of her own. We'll be meeting in person in the next couple of weeks to see how we can support each other. Her name is Miranda Loud and her website is www.theelephantproject.org

Later- but not much...

Roger Leaves Providence

After days of scrolling through the Providence Journal on microfilm, I finally located the final news item about Roger in the May 26, 1903 issue. The small headline in the middle of page 3 read "Baby Roger has Gone" and described his departure by train to Yonkers where he was going to stay at an animal dealer's place. My heart cracked.
"He was loaded on a freight car at the siding at the park and started on the 1:30 rain for Auburn yesterday afternoon, for Yonkers, New York where he will have his home for the present... There were few spectators of the loading, as because of the uncertain temper of the beast it was decided best not to have the time of his departure too generally known."
Though I continued to search the papers for the next week, there were no "Letters to the editor" or editorial comments on the once beloved baby...
So that's the end of that part of the story.
Will I ever find out for certain what finally happened to him? Was he, indeed, sold to a circus? Was he put down for killing another elephant in Georgia? Where did I run across these stories in the first place????

In the meantime, I am beginning to get review tapes from VO talent, and today checked out the studio where we'll be doing the auditions next week. I'm really jazzed about all the support I've been getting lately. Have also had some more helpful feedback on the script as it stands.

The core of making this documentary is that to do it right, I need to be juggling events all of the time. Sometimes it's a little scary. Sometimes I lose faith in me. But mostly, I just keep doing the next thing and, with my increasing and much-needed support system, I keep thinking, "Holy cow! This will get done on time!'

More as things progress...

Zing went the strings of my heart

I was hunting down more info on the adorable Roger, and came across two major discoveries-

1) It was not a Projo reporter who suggested that the kiddies raise the needed dough to ransom the pachyderm prince. It was a concerned citizen by the name of Mrs. WHT, who wrote to the paper-
It has occurred to me that the school children might raise the amount needed. Could some responsible person be appointed in each of the public schools to receive donations…? In addition to this, would the Journal open a subscription so as to allow children other than those attending public schools to hand in their little gifts? If some such plan could be carried out, it would not be long ere a large part, possibly all of the $1500 would be secured. What a source of pride and pleasure it would be to the children to be able to say, “We Bought Roger!” And so it began...
2) One of the first people to donate money to the project was a 76 year old fellow from rural RI who wrote that he used to love it when the "travelling menageries" came to town to show their bears, camels, and, usually, and elephant. My heart stopped.
If he was 76 in 1893, he would have been born in 1817. He lived in rural RI on the travelling animal circuit. That meant- holy hamburgers!- he would have been 9 years old when the tragic Bette was killed in Chepachet. A real living link here. If only I could go back in time and talk to this guy! But, as is so often the case in RI, stories mesh and generations meld. A man who saw the tragic beginnings of elephants in RI was also a player in the redemption of elephants in Providence. I couldn't have fantacized a better character.

And now I am now in the process of auditioning voiceover actors and getting more pix...

More as things progress

Baby Roger on the Move

It's been an eventful two months, Roger-wise, and I think the estimated date of premiere at the end of September is pretty realistic. Here's what's happened on the project since the last posting.

I auditioned a lot of really talented kiddos to read the poems throughout the film. Since the original reading, though, I've found a few more pieces I want to include in the film and need to have some re-reads and new auditions. That's on deck for the next few weeks. Just need to call back some folks and get the space booked.

I spliced together a quick DVD of the piece, giving the general tone and some examples of the work which I presented to the doc group of RI Film Collaborative. Got a lot of valuable feedback there, and reworked the script based on the best advice and brought it to my mentor in Boston the next week for another set of eyes. We went over the script and really tightened things up.

At that point, I put out a call for VO talent in NEFilm.com. So far the response has been lively and I continue to hunt, but I need to contact all the original respondents to get them going on solid auditions. I'm mainly looking for mature voiced actors, who aren't as easy to come by as you might think.

In the meantime, I've visited the Roger Williams Park Museum archives and have had some marvelous help there from one and all. Great images of the park and zoo really make the footage pop! Am arranging to get back up to the Park sooner rather than later...

And lastly, I went back to primary sources for the Roger story, spending a day with the archives of the Providence Journal, 1893. I was shocked. I thought I had done a thorough research job, but found that I hadn't gone back quite far enough before. Everything I thought I knew about how the fund raising got started was a lie!!! Now I have to rewrite that into both the book and the script. Am scrambling, as I have given myself a rough cut deadline as the end of next month.

A milestone and more support

I received a check the other day from my Hawaii-based supporter- Ron Schaeffer. It was big, and it was a real kick in the pants to get going (once again) on the stalled project. That, and the fact that someone at the gym called out "Go get the elephants" today as I was walking out the door. They'd seen the interview I did on local TV and are now eager to hear all of the elephant progress.

So with all of this encouragement, I finished the rough draft of the Roger script today! It's pretty ragged, but is actually tight enough that I could put together the film from it tomorrow if I had to! What a relief!

I'm also still working on the book and have a volunteer to read the chapters as they come off the computer. Because books are so much more detailed that movies, it takes longer to put them together, but I have faith...

More as things progress...

And the hits just keep on coming

More news from my newly-involved friends. Bob Wilhelm sent me the link to a souvenir booklet from Narragansett that had a picture of Roger taking his first swim! It also ponied up with quite a bit of info on the Roger Williams Park Zoo menagerie at the time of the young prince's reign. This is too good. Who knows how much more stuff is out there?

Focusing on just one of the stories to begin with has been really helpful. I'm tweaking that chapter of Elephants In Rhode Island; the Book as I go along. But since I'm coming up with more graphics, I may be able to move out sooner than I expected with the movie.

Speaking of which- I got the LOC disc of A Unique Race that my kickstarter supporters bought for me. Unfortunately, the shots were taken from the front, which automatically slows down the action, so it looks more like A Unique Stroll, but what the hey. It is, in fact, unique, and connected with the project at hand.

More as things progress...

New finds

Today has been a bonanza, Baby Roger-wise.

First I ran across a reference in a jeweler's catalogue to a "Baby Roger Commemorative Spoons" that were being sold in 1893. I'm on the hunt for one of these dandies and could use all the help I could get. Tried ebay, and then emailed Robert M. Wilhelm, the head of a spoon collector's organization (you knew there had to be one!) to see if he could help me track one down.

Mr. Wilhelm is a very helpful man, and wrote back quickly to say he was on the hunt. He also asked if I'd seen a recent blog post at
http://chrisperridas.blogspot.com/2010/02/did-young-howard-meet-baby-roger-1893.html
Blimey! Blogger Chris Perridas found an ebayer who is selling an original picture of the beloved pachyderm! I had run across the Park Commission reports that refer to paying for this picture and selling copies of it. But there references to other pix I didn't know about either. For some reason, I can't find the seller on ebay (perhaps poor ebay safari skills...) but wrote to Chris asking for more info.

As if this weren't overwhelming enough, I also ran across old records of the Park Commission referring to their selling Roger (though they didn't give details. I suspect that I'll be able to track that down later). It seems that he was actually sold in 1903, not, as myth had it, in 1915. So I'm one step closer to getting his post-Providence story.

Life is sweet. More as things progress...

Goal!

Reached the archival footage funds goal this week with checks from Greta Kessler and Ricky LaBrie. It knocks me over the top, and I can send off for the much awaited footage any time now. The only problem is that since they sent me the money privately, I'll need to post it under my own name on the kickstarter site in order to show that I reached the goal so kickstarter will release the funds.

Thanks to everyone for this support.

I also shot another of my young readers today, so far the most accomplished of the crew. I'm really eager to show off my little poets and get moving on the Roger film.

Moving along by going back...

This morning I started perusing the notes from the script meeting I had early last month with my mentor/producer up in Boston. I instantly got jazzed again and am going a-hunting for more visuals today. I began assembling footage as a new project on my desktop editor this weekend, and seeing the elephant and kiddies and pix was enough to energize me a lot.

I will be shooting another pint-sized reader for the Roger movie today, and am really looking forward to it! It's time to put the casting call in NEFilm.com and nail down the audition details in Cranston.

If anyone has historic stills of Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, or .wav files of kids laughing and playing outdoors or images of turn of the century (19th to 20th century, that is) circus posters and would be willing to have them be part of the Roger Movie, please contact me at tapit@care2.com!

Thanks!

Coming to a station near you...

The interview that we taped on NCTV (channel 18,RI Cox cable station) is in the can and will be airing in Rhode Island soon. I saw it yesterday and though I wished I looked a little jazzier, I was pleased. I made a couple of gaffs, but that's to be expected on a program without notes, so I hope I'll be forgiven for those. I will also post dates and times as soon as I get them from the station manager.

Otherwise the project continues apace. Fundraising is temporarily stalled at the kickstarter site
(http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/862186635/elephants-in-rhode-island-needs-archival-footage),
mainly due to the fact that many people don't have amazon accounts and aren't that eager to start any. If that's the case with you, please contact me and we can make an alternative arrangement for your support. So far, I've had donations from the US, Russia, and Israel. And for everyone who has helped out so far, my deepest thanks! We may be seeing the new footage before long. When I receive it, I'll make sure everyone gets to share in it ASAP. If you happen to think of anyone who may be interested in getting a credit on this film, please feel free to forward them the link or even post it on your facebook, twitter, etc. account.
(End of solicitation.)

Happy New Year...

A perfect ten

Moving right along on the Roger project, I shot the first of the children reading one of the poems written to that lucky elephant. The camera loved this kid! She was ultimately photogenic and will do really well in the picture. She read well, and we'll get her up to speed the next time when we shoot for real- in costumes!

I feel the energy really flowing these days and continue hunting down what I need to do to get the project done.

Be a sponsor!

I just learned about a great new microfunding site that could help bring the elephants to life! It's called kickstarter.com and they make it possible for people to sign on to independent projects that need some cash infusion.

So the Elephants now have a funding home. Check it out at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/862186635/elephants-in-rhode-island-needs-archival-footage

And feel free to pass the info around to your friends, neighbors, rich uncles, etc.

With great thanks....

New Year

After a too-long absence I'm back on track with the doc. It's been a fascinating time and I'm eager to make real progress again so that soon the stories will be playing in a theater near you!

Since the last post on this blog, I've-
1) given talks around the state about the project,
2) located more historic footage that's related to the Roger the Baby Elephant Story,
3) written a rough draft of Elephants in Rhode Island; the Book,
4) worked with my producer in Boston on restructuring the project.
5) made a short film, "The Elephant's Dream", from a children's book written by Eclipse Neilson about how she got involved in advocating for Fanny's release in Pawtucket. The film was shown in the Southern New England Independent Film Festival in September.
6) done more research on elephants in Rhode Island, including the death of Targa the Elephant in Providence in 1987.

So here's how Elephants in Rhode Island looks today.
I have most of the footage I need, though I want to get some more cover shots.
The project will be released in four parts- three short films (Betty in Chepachet, Roger the Baby Elephant, and Fanny in Pawtucket), and then a full length film incorporating the shorter ones with additional footage, including the future of elepahnts at Roger Williams Park Zoo, at the end as a full length feature.

I'm now beginning to film some young actors for the Roger Episode, which will probably be the first piece to be released. The first shooting is taking place this weekend, and I'm arranging with the Artist's Exchange in Cranston to hold the rest of the auditions there.

So that's the latest from here. More will come regularly for all of you who've been so patient. Thanks for being here!