We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ray Mitchell Jr.. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ray below.
Alright, Ray thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.
Word Kept Productions was born of a deep calling to create characters and stories that would inspire people who live in dense, overpopulated, low-income neighborhoods (like the ones I grew up in) to believe that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary feats. I think that us film industry minorities are creative enough to create our own wildly compelling, entertaining, and marketable characters and stories. This belief pushed me to transition from an African-American character to an African-American storyteller. For my first short film, I wanted to use the most diverse cast possible to tell a story that had the potential to save lives. This drive to make a difference birthed LOS POLLITOS, a human trafficking story that explores the human will to survive by any means necessary. Authenticity and respect for the people this film represented were necessary, so around 98% of the film’s dialogue is in Spanish. LOS POLLITOS found success on the film festival circuit and has since been shared by thousands of viewers. What I am most proud of is that the cast & crew felt their hard work was not in vain and that we all came together and accomplished something that mattered.
Ray, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a failed boxer whose dreams of being a world champ ended with a horrific injury in front of thousands of spectators at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. I am a former U.S. Marine who never found the sense of accomplishment he sought when he enlisted. I’m a Federal Law Enforcement Agent whose disagreement with politics pushed him to move into Special Operations. I’m a Special Operator whose desire to reconnect with society moved him to become an Actor. I’m an Actor whose desire to uplift the underserved transitioned him into a filmmaker. I’ve honed my storytelling skills through various books, film classes, screenwriting classes, and the trial & error of filmmaking. I’ve written, directed, and produced multiple awarded short films. I have also written numerous awarded screenplays. To branch out, I’ve written, directed, and produced numerous promotional videos for companies involved in Sales and marketing, Prosthetics and orthotics, and a Non-Profit Organization. At the core, Word Kept Productions is a creative company built to be a hub for creatives of all backgrounds to come together and tell stories that inspire the ordinary to believe they can become extraordinary. I am most proud of our work’s diversity and impact on everyone involved.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
My first short film was created out of spite. In early 2019, I put significant work into getting accepted into a particularly intriguing film program. One week before the program began, I got an email from the administrator notifying me that the film studio was canceling the program indefinitely. I decided to make a short film that would serve as my own film school. I initially planned on spending $5,000 of my savings to make it. As I began assembling the cast and crew, the excitement over the script caused the project to grow on its own. More cast & crew members signed on, locations and equipment lists grew, and I needed more money. I began working a second job on the weekends, borrowed money from my family, and took out a small loan. With that, I had enough to cover production. Post-production was an entirely different beast, but I paid back my family and the bank loan by taking an out-of-state work assignment and working 45 days straight with overtime each day. Finally, we completed post-production with a bit of extra money left for a wonderful screening party.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wordkeptproductions.com
- Instagram: @wordkept
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wordkept/featured
Image Credits
Word Kept Productions