A candid, high-stakes look at how a 48-hour livestream "telethon" jump-started Vengeance Turns during lockdown. ALSO -- casting wins, crowdfunding stress, day-one chaos, and the line between compromise and collapse.

One of the most magical—and painful—truths of filmmaking is that it only happens when a lot of artists pull together -- in the same direction. In this extra-long chapter of Turning to Vengeance, I am going deep on the lockdown era that pushed Vengeance Turns from script to screen: building the Cabin Fever Radio 48-Hour Telethon, restarting casting during COVID, and racing into the first day of production with more grit and vision than money.

You’ll hear how we rallied around auditions that brought Paola Luelmo (Rebecca/Mia), Azeem Vecchio (Simon), and Stacy Marie Turner (Mrs. Paine) into the family; why friends from Perry Mason—Kate Comstock, Tomer David, and Sean Hartman—became crucial collaborators; and how a wardrobe surprise, a location scramble, and the setting sun turned day one into a crash course in creative problem-solving... for all of us!

FOUND IT! Here is the link to the reading of "Perry Mason" from Cabin Fever Radio during the 48 Hour Telethon: https://youtu.be/FtbGBLG8-Q4?si=ZttvGYX2g9dmAaaa

Want to hear the Slick Talking Episode? CLICK HERE!

This episode reflects my personal recollections and opinions from that period; others may remember differently. Where I state facts, they’re drawn from call sheets, emails, and production audio/video. I’m open to sharing this space with anyone mentioned to add their perspective.

In this episode

• Building a 48-hour livestream during lockdown
• Casting wins & surprises (Backstage, returning collaborators)
• Crowdfunding vs. reality: expectations, audience, and strain
• Lake Elsinore shoot: period details on a micro-budget, racing daylight
• My “perpetual donation machine”—how I decided to dedicate personal royalties to causes tied to the film’s themes

Content notes: candid discussion of production stress; references to on-screen violence (no graphic audio).

Watch the films: Vengeance Turns: Volume One & Volume Two are streaming FREE on Tubi.

Next time: “HQ and the Greenscreen Room” (and you’ll hear from Dave Ross himself).

Support the show

Vengeance Turns: Volume One and Two streaming FREE now on Tubi

Grab the free comic + see exclusive content from Vengeance Turns and ALL my projects: Procrastagram.com

Rate, share, and share your lethal voice.

When the pandemic hit, filmmakers, actors, and dreamers everywhere faced the same question: would lockdown be wasted time, or could it be transformed into something new? For me, Robert Christopher Smith, the lockdown became a personal and professional crucible. From recovering after a brutal case of COVID to finding myself stalled on Vengeance Turns, I chose to use isolation as fuel.

In this episode of The Lethal Voice Podcast, we open Chapter 3: Lockdown Productions with the story of Cabin Fever Radio — the wild weekly livestream where I again teamed up with David Ruano along with a crew of actors to read Twilight Zone scripts, classic movies, and eventually, my own feature screenplay. It was part survival, part creativity, and part rebellion against paralysis. What started as our desperate attempt not to get rusty became a proving ground that set the stage for everything that followed.

Listen as I share how Cabin Fever Radio pulled together a community of storytellers in the loneliest time, how it kept Vengeance Turns alive when I had nearly given up, and how it ultimately brought in the producer who would push us forward — for better or worse.

Watch the Cabin Fever Radio Novelas reading of "GLADIATOR" at https://youtu.be/zfKVvCkF40c?si=EwXIFuYT7Yl53DjF

Listen to the "Slick Talking" episode! https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2509405/episodes/17499220-slick-talking-chapter-2-everything-falls-apart

Check out Andrew Ruano and his art at https://www.instagram.com/arystudio/

Support the show

Vengeance Turns: Volume One and Two streaming FREE now on Tubi

Grab the free comic + see exclusive content from Vengeance Turns and ALL my projects: Procrastagram.com

Rate, share, and share your lethal voice.

Ready for revenge?
This week, I continue taking you through the experience of shooting Vengeance Turns: Volume Two scene by scene as the story turns darker and Mia Falcone finally gets her revenge! You'll hear about how we executed out own stunts and the real-life horror of spending 19 hours on location. You'll also hear about the amazing child actors we worked with and if you want more information about that, check out this edition of the Lethal Voice Newsletter: https://lethal-voice.beehiiv.com/p/never-work-with-children-or-animals-how-our-youngest-actors-helped-vengeance-turns-shine. If you’ve already watched the movies, this is your chance to hear how we did it. If you haven’t… go check them out, then come back and dig into the behind-the-scenes commentary.

Vengeance Turns: Volume Two is available to watch FREE on Tubi NOW!

Want to read the official comic book sequel and dig in deeper on all my productions and projects? Sign up for the Lethal Voice Newsletter today!

Support the show

Vengeance Turns: Volume One and Two streaming FREE now on Tubi!

Grab the free comic + see exclusive content from Vengeance Turns and ALL my projects: Procrastagram.com

**NEXT WEEK CHAPTER 3 Begins: Lockdown Productions**
Rate, share, and share your lethal voice.

Support the show

Vengeance Turns: Volume One and Two streaming FREE now on Tubi

Grab the free comic + see exclusive content from Vengeance Turns and ALL my projects: Procrastagram.com

Rate, share, and share your lethal voice.