From Buffalo City to Ash Wednesday, OBX filmmaker Raymond Wallace is on a roll

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice on September 23, 2023

Raymond Wallace accepts an award for Lost in Buffalo City at the 2018 Longleaf Film Festival in Raleigh.

Since his 30-minute featurette Lost in Buffalo City debuted in 2018, it’s been a good five years for Raymond Wallace and his film and video company Rayolight Productions.

After the debut, Wallace placed the film in festivals throughout the country, and to date, Lost in Buffalo City won 11 awards.

Wallace has been on the Outer Banks since 2015, and early that year, he interviewed with Dare County to develop content for their CurrentTV, the county’s informational channel. He admits his first impression was not favorable. “When I first came in for the interview…I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m staying more than a year,’” he recalled. “There was nothing going on. It seemed kind of sad.” Since that time, he has revised his opinion, adding that “I love the fall. I love the winters here. I love the small-town feel.”

Wallace no longer works for Current TV; he is too busy with Rayolight Productions. In addition to his short films and other independent projects, he also creates commercial and corporate content. Based in Kill Devil Hills, Rayolight Productions works cooperatively with a number of Outer Banks actors, occasionally writers and others to create his films.

His films and shorts are what Wallace is best known for. The films especially, tend toward horror and speculative fiction, a legacy from his childhood growing up in Amherst, Virginia.

“I think growing up watching the X Files and Tales from the Crypt and horror movies, that’s definitely where my tastes lean towards,” he said. “But I also enjoy doing the comedic stuff like the TV news.”

The comedic stuff refers to OBTV News, a satirical—and often riotous—take on current events on the Outer Banks. Delivered as though it is real news by Hugh Jass (Stuart Parks), it also features roving reporter Eileen Ulick (Kelsey Thompson.)

There is also an interview with an expert on various species of tourists—the Droning Didjaknow—as well as the Snooty Namedropper.

Perhaps Wallace’s most ambitious project to date has been the feature-length movie Call Sign Romeo, a film that is currently in nationwide video distribution.

Released in 2022, the movie was shot entirely on the Outer Banks using local actors, including some high school wrestlers from Manteo and First Flight High Schools who had no previous acting experience.

Sam Cortez, who wrote the film and was the executive producer, told the Voice that bringing the movie to life was accomplished in large measure because off Wallace’s skill.

“He you got the producer credit, but really he did so much…the cinematography and directing, really pretty much a jack of all trades,” Cortez said. “We had a lot of issues. We filmed during COVID…and nobody got COVID that I’m aware. We had a very young group of actors. They needed assistance…where to be, how to say it. And he was very patient with them. His involvement was absolutely key to getting it done.”

Thompson, who played Sarah Torres, the mother of the main character in the movie, also believes that Wallace was the reason for how well filming went. In particular, she felt that his ability to help the actors feel comfortable with what they were doing was especially important for high school students who had not acted before.

“The more comfortable you get with [the role], the better and more realistic it is. So given the opportunity to reshoot or re-record, it’s something that’s very rare. It’s wonderful to get that opportunity,” she said.

In Rayolight’s most recent release, the town of Nags Head’s Ash Wednesday Storm documentary, Thompson provided the narration and feels Wallace’s touch has made the film better. Rayolight produced the film in cooperation with the town of Nags Head and the Outer Banks History Center.

“We’ve worked together for many years…He’s never going be shy about telling you the truth. And he’s always a straight shooter. He tells you what you need to know,” and “his patience is amazing.”

Filming during his new film, The Signal. Photo credit: Francesca Beatrice Mărie.

Wallace’s most recent film, The Signal – CASE #CE2-09031996-252, is already garnering awards, including Best Cinematography at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film and Screenplay Festival in Los Angeles.

The film tells the story of an unexplained orb that suddenly appears in the sky, a mysterious death and the questioning of the victim’s brother and best friend by an ominous man in a black suit.

The film, Wallace feels, needs a sequel, something more elaborate, that will, of course cost more to produce. And with the awards in hand, Wallace is hoping investors will notice.

“My hope is that we can build enough buzz and street cred to then go to investors [and say], ‘Hey, I need $250,000…”

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