"Bringing Hollywood to the Midwest, one epic feature film at a time."
"Film crews travel the world over to find everything we have, right here, in our own backyard." -RJ Steindorf
About
When Reuben James Steindorf was 17, he wrote a business plan to start a commercial production company. Upon receiving the funds to start his career, RJ immediately began to learn and master his skills as a 3D animator and commercial producer for film and television, spending 16 hours a day, seven days a week, behind the lens and in front of several computer screens. In 1995 he started Vision Realm, and landed work all over the Midwest, by word of mouth only, because of his solid reputation as one of the best visual commercial producers in the field of broadcast commercial production. RJ's commercial work would span some 1500 commercials, hundreds of corporate videos, thousands of animations and hundreds of first-place awards. What truly motivated him, was his passion to achieve a vast amount of knowledge, experience and high-end production methods to transition into independent feature film production, all on his own accord.
Instead of packing up his belongings and heading out to California, at an early age, like so many of his friends and colleagues, he stayed back, opened shop and focused on the bigger picture, understanding that for him make a steadfast name for himself and stand out above other independent filmmakers, he would have to be entirely self made and be able call his own shots. With every dollar earned throughout his commercial production career, he put it right back into his business, equipment and the expense in producing several short and experimental film projects. He observed so many others, who made their bid for Hollywood, with the delusion of over-night success, only to return and settle back into the Midwest. RJ was convinced this would not be his fate and failure was not an option. He set out to make himself an auteur film director and visual craftsman on his own terms, by pushing the limits of digital production technology, while refining his eye for visual storytelling and practicing the art of method acting. He cherry picked local talent and taught them the art of method. Every spare moment and dime was spent on perfecting his craft.
Once RJ felt he was ready to release his work to the world, with enough skill, experience and life under his belt, he plans to write, direct and produce ten episodes of a 100-episode, syndicated-series drama with the goal of selling it to network television, while still retaining production autonomy. He has also written a feature film, called “The Sycophant” and has produced one initial trailer to develop the look of the film, with plans to eventually replace the female lead with an established actress. His business plan is to direct and produce both the TV-series (Untitled) and his feature-film “The Sycophant”, entirely within a short distance of his hometown, by enlisting local actors and crew. RJ also maintains complete production autonomy, by earning the funds to make his own film and TV projects, from the contracted work he produces for the high-end clientele of his company's successful corporate-commercial division. With a limited budget and his on-going commitment to an intense 16/7 work schedule, he is able to invest considerable time, resources and effort into developing the look and feel of his commercial and film projects. To date, he has enlisted over 650 local actors and dozens of production crew, made several award-winning cinematic trailers and complete press-kits, including: web-sites, movie-content literature, promotional stills, merchandising, detailed production cost-estimates and sophisticated ground work for the art direction of his TV and film projects. RJ's plan is and continues to be, a huge undertaking, but his passion and drive continue to fuel the vision for what will inevitably be the next chapter in his ambitious career, as a prolific Midwestern, feature-film and TV-series director.
RJ has several feature-length film titles in various stages of development that he plans to set in sequential motion, with the same business model, as he continues his effort, pledging to deliver many years of Midwestern film and TV projects. No longer, will those with the dream of acting and working in the movies, be forced to travel across country to risk it all in a cut-throat business that has more casualties than success stories. Following your dreams could be as easy as scheduling your screen test at Vision Realm Film Studios in Western Wisconsin.
“I believe film is our only honest link to immortality. To be captured at our prime, full of life, and then to be replayed 200 years after we've past on, like it was yesterday. This is how we live forever.”
– Reuben James Steindorf