11.16.2012

The latest from Uproar

It's been a dizzy autumn for Uproar in Pawtucket!
We premiered the film at the Pawtucket in two viewings at Pawtucket Public Library, to 80 people.
The paparazzi were there and the crowd enthusiastically welcomed both cast and crew.
After the showings, representatives from two film festivals joined us and asked us to submit Uproar to their events.
That led us to be the opening night film at the Pawtucket Arts Festival Film Festival on Sept. 28th- just a week after the previews. Most of the audience there were filmmakers and they had a lot of good questions about the making of and where we would go from there.
Jamestown Arts Center, which is a pre-screener for the RI International Film Festival, has also asked for a copy of the film.
We've worked really hard on Uproar and I'm proud to say that people seem to get a lot out of the film. The hardest part was to balance all viewpoints- of both those people who loved her and wanted her to stay in Pawtucket, and those who saw her suffering and worked to get her out.
So I think Uproar has a lot to say about wild animals, separation, activism, and love. That's why we sometimes call it- "How do you Love an Elephant?" If you know of any place that would love to screen this film and pay a stipend, please let us know! We'll try our best to be there!

9.21.2012

Tomorrow's the day

Tomorrow's the premiere Day for Uproar in Pawtucket.
The Providence Journal touted it in today's news.
Read all about it at-

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/09/fanny-the-eleph.html#

9.16.2012

Countdown!!!

This is the big week!
We're premiering Uproar in Pawtucket; the Story of Fanny the Elephant at the Pawtucket Public Library at high noon.

All the glitterati and our supporters will be there and the paparazzi are lined up for the event.
Be there or be square- even out of staters are flying and driving in!
We have copies of Uproar available as well as some copies of The Ballad of Baby Roger for those who haven't picked theirs up yet. At $10 a pop, they're quite a deal.
It's been a long haul, and I know there are some people who didn't get in touch and would have liked to add their stories to Fanny's film- but all is not lost for them.
I'm working on the book that includes a lot of stuff I couldn't fit into the film, and if anyone wants to contact me with more info, this would be the time to do it.
But for now, I'd like to focus on thanking the cast, crew, and supporters who made the film possible, and hope to see you all at Pawtucket Library (13 Summer St. Pawtucket) on Saturday.

9.04.2012

more publicity

Today the Rhode Island Council on the Humanities promoted Fanny's premiere!
They were the ones that funded my initial research for "Elephants in RI", so they have a stake in letting everyone know about what;'s coming up!
Also, PBS RI has expressed interest in airing Uproar when we've got it tweaked to their specifications.
I saw the latest cleaned-up edit of it today, and am really happy. Just a few more tweaks and we'll be ready to roll.
I hope to see everyone at the premiere, Sat. Sept.22, at high noon (or 2PM).

8.14.2012

Wow!

It's unbelievable how fast time goes...
Here are the latest updates from "Uproar in Pawtucket".
We have a composer, Joe Rizzo, who has scored the film and we're tweaking it on the timeline as we speak.
The final versions of the film are being reviewed!
We're scheduling the premiere for September 22, which is National Elephant Appreciation Day.
It will be at Pawtucket Public Library in Pawtucket, RI at noon!
We're hoping to contact everyone who has been a part of this film to express our appreciation.
More as things develop

7.05.2012

UPdate and good news

So much has happened in the past month I can't believe I have posted more about it all here!
Most of the updates have appeared on the facebook page- Uproar in Pawtucket.
The principal shooting is done and I'm on the third pass editing the rough cut. That's very good news. I could actually have stopped at one or two passes, but I really want this to be the best film I can make it.
I'm shooting for a late summer premiere in Pawtucket.
Stay tuned!!!

5.31.2012

It's all shaping up...

Fanny's story is shaping up nicely. I'm 25% done with the rough cut.
And we have a composer/musician who is glad to work with us!
Meet Joe Rizzo- a composer from PA who was once part of a group called Amoeba Crunch. It may not sound too appetizing, but many of his cuts caught my ear and I've been using them as a working score for the film.
I am still looking for more pictures and footage- especially of Fanny's early days, and the zoo in general from 1970 on. I ran across a shot of Bob and Jenny Feather riding Fanny in 1984 and would love to find someone who knows them to see if I can get a good quality print to use in the film.
Please contace me at elephantsinri@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or help you may want to give.
And speaking of help- here's another tip of the hat to all those who participated so generously in the fundraising. We are thrilled to be able to acknowledge you and have you as our partners in the film.
There's a new trailer up on youtube for those who want to hear our Voiceover guy enticing you to see the film.
See it at http://youtu.be/ikh4OHEePRo
Stay tuned for further progress updates....

5.04.2012

Updates and outlook

Life has been busy here and there is a lot of good news on the Uproar front.
We've got most of our voiceover actors picked for the film, including some great kids, but we hope to have a few more Pawtucket youngsters on board soon.
Unfortunately, the winners of the contest for the best picture haven't given us permission to publish their names so we'll thank them anonymously.
I can't tell how much everyone's generosity has touched us. We're working hard to make sure that the movie repays you many times over!
The money we raised through indiegogo will pay for music, voiceover actors and supplies we need to move the film forward.
Everyone asks- "When will the film be done?" and it's been a hard question to answer, but we now have a solid target date- June 21st!
As soon as we're certain that the final cut looks great, we'll schedule a premiere in Pawtucket for everyone to join.
Please keep us posted on all things Fanny!


3.29.2012

Updates, updates



It's been pretty busy around here lately.
I posted a Director's statement on youtube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK68y5xW3ro which was a lot of fun to make and post.
It didn't occur to me until I began chatting about it how much Pawtucket reminds me of the small city I grew up in in upstate NY. Maybe that's why I connect with it so much. Of course, we didn't have a zoo there, or an elephant. Maybe that was a good thing.
But everyone has been great and the stories just keep flowing in. Although I'm working now on a very rough cut of the film now, there's always room for more info.
The latest great tale comes from Rachel Cresser who knew Fanny when she was a little girl (Rachel, that is- not Fanny!). She's also provided some really haunting pix of Slater Park Zoo as it is today.
We just grew our production team by 100%, too! Eclipse Neilson has joined us as Assistant Producer, and Steph Roberts is the twittermeister. Maybe she's the reason that Sundance Film Festival is now following us there...
We're running a contest for the best picture of Fanny or Slater Park Zoo when she was there.  And
More questions, comments, stories, etc? Let us know at
And, of course, we're trying to raise money to take care of some of our basic needs. Check out www.indiegogo.com/Free-Elephants to support us and get your gifts!
We've only go 24 days left to reach our goal. Please let your friends and neighbors know about us and join our efforts....
We just learned that CBS news wants around $4000 to license one minute of footage that we need, so that's a whole new campaign!
"Like" us at https://www.facebook.com/UproarInPawtucket We're aiming to hit 100 followers by the end of March!
Follow us on Twitter as UproarPawtucket.
Never lose contact with the production!

3.16.2012

Meet us, greet us, join the contest!!!

"Uproar in Pawtucket" is going on the road!

We'll be at the Hope Artiste Village Pawtucket Indoor Winter Farmer's Market on Saturday, March 31, from 10AM-1PM for a photo contest and an opportunity to meet the director and producer of the film.

Learn more about the film, share your memories of Fanny, and get some flyers to share with your friends and family. But most importantly, bring your favorite pictures of Fanny for possible inclusion in the film and a chance to win a great prize!

First prize: A credit in the film, a copy of the finished DVD
Second prize: a copy of the DVD and some "Fanny" goodies.
Third prize: a copy of the DVD
Photos will be judged by Director Patti Cassidy and Producer Genevieve Belcher.

You can find us at 1005 Main Street Pawtucket, RI

2.23.2012

A New Campaign!

We really need some finishing funds for this project, so have set up a new campaign on indiegogo.
We call it "Free Elephants" and are offering a helluva deal to everyone participates.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Free-Elephants
For only $25, you get your name on the big screen, a small gift, and personalized postcard thanking you for being part of the project, but for other amounts, you get more, more, more! You can even get an amazing souvenir for only $10 and updates as they're posted.
What a deal.
Come join us and be immortalized!

1.06.2012

New discoveries and upcoming stuff

OK Guys- this is the year Fanny's story gets told on film!

I'm doing fill-in research, writing the script, adding more interviews, begging for more pix, video or visuals (including Slater Park Zoo in the mid-50's and circus pictures from 1958). If you have anything you'd like to show me, please contact me at elephantsinri@gmail.com. Thanks!

I found some great information on the results of the "Name the Animals" contest the city ran when they bought Fanny and six other animals from Ringling Brothers. She was given a very appropriate new name (it was the first of two times her name would be changed), but it obviously didn't stick!

On Sunday, 1/8/2012, I'll be interviewing Tom Keegan, who wrote the song to Fanny that opens the trailer (see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDpym4XGQSg) and his band will perform the popular tune for the camera.
I'm also ordering a copy of the archived TV show "60 Minutes" report on the zoo that was done in 1975. If I can scare up the dough (it costs around $40 just to LOOK at it!) I want to include it in the film. If you'd like to help (and buy a credit in the film along the way), please contact me!

Don't forget to check out our new website at www.rielephants.com and let others know about it!

More as things progress.....