How does a film project come into existence? For filmmaker Ron King, it may start with a single word or image, built on over time. The chronology of development milestones began in December, 2009.
2023
2023-October
Craig Blair, Ron King & Eddie King form Viztor LLC, the legal entity for the feature film.
Ron King completes 30th draft of script following notes from several readers.
2023-06-19/20
Ron King attends Psychedelic Science 2023 in Denver. Research and promotion conducted.
2023-03-24
Visitation music video released on YouTube.
2023 – March
Producers Ron King and Craig Blair begin attaching talent behind-the-camera.
2023 – January – March
Revisions continue on feature script.
2023 – January
Viztor look book begins circulating to positive reviews.
2022
2022 – November
Work on Visitor look-book begins. Ron King utilizes Midjourney AI to develop concept art.
2022 – October
Producer Craig Blair hired to create shooting schedule and budget for Viztor feature. Craig did an excellent job as Ron King’s Assistant Director on the Visitor short in 2019.
2022 – Fall
Feature script revisions continue with feedback on drafts from several readers.
2022 – August – December
Post production on Visitation music video. Ron King edits and creates all VFX shots.
2022 – July
Final pre-production and shoot (July 27-29) of Visitation music video in Shadow Hills, CA.
2022 – June
Two page mini-deck and new Viztor sizzle reel released
2022 – April-May
Ron King creates new VFX shots for the Viztor sizzle reel utilizing Unreal Engine.
2022 – March
Ron King begins collaboration with producer Ron Nelken on edit for a new Viztor teaser utilizing footage from the Visitor short.
2022-03-13
Online reading of feature script with full cast of volunteer actors.
2022 – February
Casting for online reading.
2022-01-02
Feature script registered at U.S. copyright office.
2022 – January
Preparations for online reading of latest draft of feature script with volunteer actors.
2021
2021-11-23
Test shots for Visitation music video conducted in Culver City.
2021-10-15
Sixth draft of feature script completed.
2021 – Summer
Ron King begins to conceive and prepare music video, Visitation. The song was originally written and recorded by Alexander Wright for the closing credits of the Visitor short. Subsequently, the tune was expanded and re-recorded with lead vocals by Helen Rose and guitar solos by Kramer Sanguinetti.
2021-07-29
Fifth draft of feature script completed by Ron King
2021-06-08
Eddie King and Ron King visit Major Joe Patterson USMC at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to conduct research on vehicles, aircraft and Marine combat gear.
2021-03-15
Ron King begins collaborating with Major Joe Patterson USMC at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton for accuracy and authenticity in Afghan War sequences.
2021-01-20
First draft of revised feature script completed by Ron King.
2020
2020 – Sept. – Dec.
Research and script writing.
2020 – August
Research conducted with Afghan War veterans.
2020-06-08
Alexander Cook leaves role as co-writer. Ron King begins page one rewrite of feature script.
Visitor is accepted to HollyShorts Film Festival – online screening in 2021
Visitor is accepted to Best Short Fest – Semi-Finalist
2019
2019-08-26
Reading of early draft of feature script with cast of volunteer actors at the Jeffrey Marcus Acting Studio in Los Angeles.
2019-07-22
Cast/Crew/Colleagues screening of Visitor short at Sony Pictures Entertainment
2019-06-10
Feature development begins. Alexander Cook and Ron King collaborate on feature script.
2019-06-06
Short submitted to tiff (Toronto International Film Festival)– first festival submission.
2019 Feb-May
Post production, editing, vfx, sound mix, titles, etc.
2019-01-13
Shoot – Day 2 of 2
2019-01-12
Shoot – Day 1 of 2
2018
2018-12-10
Ron and producers Arndt Werling and Skylar Zhang do second location scout with First AD Craig Blair, Production Designer Jared Carlson and EP Alexander Wright .
2018-11-07
Anamorphic lens test and Sony Venice camera test. Ron and DP Rob Kraetsch eventually decide to use Rob’s Varicam and Zeiss primes enabling a lighter and more mobile camera package – but still shooting with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.
2018-11-02
Locked cast and key crew positions.
2018-October
Casting: Jessica Janos cast as Woman and Ruby Chappelle Millstein cast as Abigail. Alexander Cook is Cliff and Eddie King is Leon.
2018-10-06
Initial schedule and budget produced by Two Dudes (Arndt Werling and Yufie Skylar Zhang).
2018-02-02
Ron King goes on first location scout at Alexander Wright property.
2017
Ron, Alexander and Eddie meet on a number of occasions to brainstorm story ideas. Ron writes several drafts of script. At the end of one table read Alexander suggests that the entire movie be silent with no dialogue. Ron re-writes a version of the script that has no dialogue. In later re-writes, minimal dialogue is added back in with the idea to keep the film mostly without dialogue.
2016
2016-12-03
Ron King completes first draft of Visitor short script.
2016-10-15
Ron King sends email to Alexander Cook and Eddie King re: desire to collaborate on film project.
2016-02-02
There has got to be a specific relationship between Alexander and Eddie; one that goes deep and one that cracks with emotion – yet still I feel part of the story should be very quiet.”
2016-January
Filmmaker journal: “For several months I’ve had it in mind to make a film with Alexander and Eddie.”
2009
2009-12-17
Filmmaker journal: “How powerful it would be to have an actor like Eddie going through an emotional journey, silently, using some of these shallow depth of field techniques. In my mind’s eye, I could see Eddie with tears springing from his eyes after reading a letter. Dark shadowy backgrounds, shallow depth of field but with Eddie in razor sharp focus. Then I started to think about mundane life activities that Eddie could be doing before he got the letter. Things like arising from bed. Drinking a cup of coffee. Cleaning something. Then going and getting the letter, reading it and breaking down. But not with a body racking with grief, but with a burst of tears and an immobile expression caught in a kind of deep horrid beauty.”