Raptor House is Moving!
Donation protected
Hello friends and colleagues!
This is Jesse Velez, owner of Raptor House Effects LLC.
Four years ago, together with co founder Cameron Boyce, I started this company in a garage, while still in college, to turn my passion and talent for practical (physical) special effects into a viable career.
After years of working on film sets in a wide variety of departments, and in an overwhelming environment of negativity, we decided the best way to "jump the line" in this field was to start our own workshop; one dedicated to positivity, quality of work, respect for artists and clients, and most of all creative service to great storytelling.
In the four years since we have experienced hard-won, but steady growth, opening our first professional shop location in Santa Fe Springs in 2018.
Our clients have evolved from independent short films and music videos to major commercial agencies, motion picture studios, streaming services, and retail giants.
We have had the opportunity to work for and collaborate with an incredible variety of clients, and are anticipating continued expansion in the coming years. Most importantly, we have been able to provide jobs for talented artists, engineers, and designers.
The current global health crisis has gutted the entertainment industry quicker than anyone could have prepared for. Over the course of two weeks in early March, our clients cancelled or "indefinitely postponed" every new contract we held. Like so many in our industry, we have been scrambling to pivot and prepare for the work to return.
Simultaneously, we had been planning for a season of growth at Raptor, preparing to open a second workshop location in Denver Colorado to serve productions in the Mid-West.
Due to the unprecedented lack of independent production work in Los Angeles, this period of growth is now becoming a period of change.
We have applied for federal assistance made available to small businesses during this time, but banks have chosen to prioritize large account holders first, and I do not expect to receive any government sponsored funding in time to facilitate our immediate needs. I have put together a simple Go-Fund-Me explaining some of this situation in the hopes that we might receive assistance from friends and colleagues in making this transition as smooth as can be during a global pandemic.
We have signed the lease on a new workshop in Denver, and will be re-locating our operations entirely.
The process of moving a special effects shop is expensive and time consuming. Large equipment, workbenches, tools, materials, 3d printers, and completed and in progress pieces are all difficult to ship and the costs have added up quickly.
I am asking for help to make this transition as quick as possible, and to aid in our ability to immediately serve the entertainment industry when productions begin to re-schedule.
Colorado has long been a beloved destination for commercial and feature film production, and with New York and Los Angeles likely crippled by COVID-19 for longer than the rest of the country, we are anticipating a rise in production work here and across the middle of the US.
The work will return, and when it does Raptor House needs to be ready to provide the top quality creative services we have worked so hard to perfect over the last four years.
We have been blessed beyond measure by the continued support of our friends, families, colleagues, and clients, and hope we can continue to grow in the face of this new adversity.
Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
Happiness and Health,
Jesse | Owner RHFX
This is Jesse Velez, owner of Raptor House Effects LLC.
Four years ago, together with co founder Cameron Boyce, I started this company in a garage, while still in college, to turn my passion and talent for practical (physical) special effects into a viable career.
After years of working on film sets in a wide variety of departments, and in an overwhelming environment of negativity, we decided the best way to "jump the line" in this field was to start our own workshop; one dedicated to positivity, quality of work, respect for artists and clients, and most of all creative service to great storytelling.
In the four years since we have experienced hard-won, but steady growth, opening our first professional shop location in Santa Fe Springs in 2018.
Our clients have evolved from independent short films and music videos to major commercial agencies, motion picture studios, streaming services, and retail giants.
We have had the opportunity to work for and collaborate with an incredible variety of clients, and are anticipating continued expansion in the coming years. Most importantly, we have been able to provide jobs for talented artists, engineers, and designers.
The current global health crisis has gutted the entertainment industry quicker than anyone could have prepared for. Over the course of two weeks in early March, our clients cancelled or "indefinitely postponed" every new contract we held. Like so many in our industry, we have been scrambling to pivot and prepare for the work to return.
Simultaneously, we had been planning for a season of growth at Raptor, preparing to open a second workshop location in Denver Colorado to serve productions in the Mid-West.
Due to the unprecedented lack of independent production work in Los Angeles, this period of growth is now becoming a period of change.
We have applied for federal assistance made available to small businesses during this time, but banks have chosen to prioritize large account holders first, and I do not expect to receive any government sponsored funding in time to facilitate our immediate needs. I have put together a simple Go-Fund-Me explaining some of this situation in the hopes that we might receive assistance from friends and colleagues in making this transition as smooth as can be during a global pandemic.
We have signed the lease on a new workshop in Denver, and will be re-locating our operations entirely.
The process of moving a special effects shop is expensive and time consuming. Large equipment, workbenches, tools, materials, 3d printers, and completed and in progress pieces are all difficult to ship and the costs have added up quickly.
I am asking for help to make this transition as quick as possible, and to aid in our ability to immediately serve the entertainment industry when productions begin to re-schedule.
Colorado has long been a beloved destination for commercial and feature film production, and with New York and Los Angeles likely crippled by COVID-19 for longer than the rest of the country, we are anticipating a rise in production work here and across the middle of the US.
The work will return, and when it does Raptor House needs to be ready to provide the top quality creative services we have worked so hard to perfect over the last four years.
We have been blessed beyond measure by the continued support of our friends, families, colleagues, and clients, and hope we can continue to grow in the face of this new adversity.
Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated.
Happiness and Health,
Jesse | Owner RHFX
Organizer
Jesse Velez
Organizer
Denver, CO