Grave Moon Studios

So, I have a few things to be excited about: Yay, new title cards! The YouTube channel is slowly being updated. Go follow! Yay, new ideas! Six of eight scripts are done. Yay, energy to create! I have slept well three nights in a row. Yay, not feeling like my reality is bending in ways it shouldn't! Staying hydrated and getting paid, helps a little. All that said - I love how the horror genre can put happiness into perspective. Example: Whenever I cheer for the protagonist in a movie, I am thrilled for their happy ending (especially when it involves a little vengeance) if they've received one. But then I think... What does happiness look like to someone who's survived being chased through a cornfield, or stalked, or seen their closest friends killed by someone in a clown suit?

Being the over-thinker I am, I dive into these questions after a movie and wonder if they truly did receive an ending that can be considered happy, if they're left with painful memories.

Not sure how to talk about this...people might think I'm crazy.

Here goes...

A Dunkin' bucket started appearing in our apartment a few days ago. Every time I got close to it, it...glitched. Disappears and reappears at random.

I didn't think they actually exist...but here we are.

I asked him if this was a prank he decided to pull on me, but he said no.

I managed to get a picture, as some kind of proof. Had to use the zoom function to get a picture of it...but I think it knows.

It knows everything.

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You wake up one morning, and your favorite family photo is missing.

You dismiss the feeling, because it isn't the first time you've woken up and...noticed things were different.

But it is the first time you've noticed the outlets staring back at you.

A little BACKROOMS appreciation.

This is what my room in THE BACKROOMS would sound like.

A living room, occupied by smiling faces that each have a touch of the Uncanny Valley effect.

A sinister "Welcome Home" feeling where home doesn't always feel familiar in a good way after you've spent time healing from what happened inside it.

Very excited about the things I've written, and I've only had the urge to quit twice.

In all seriousness...I've been wondering whether my work will be important enough for a listener to spend time listening to, and the more I think about it, the more simultaneously encouraged and discouraged I become.

I blame a possible imposter syndrome mixed with the ever-present urge to make my grandparents and ancestors proud. I'll do my very best.

For now, here's a small trailer as a sample of many things to come.

Creating this studio has been a huge test of mettle and patience, but every day I am making strides. I've connected with local creators and am getting my name, and the studio name, out there locally - that's so important to me. I hope to collaborate with a few local filmmakers and actors for some of what I create.

In all this madness of putting a dream together, I've gotten several projects started, and couldn't be happier with the direction they are all heading toward: - Six short film scripts - Test video for two scripts with color grading and small rig - Completed Act One for a horror movie set in Puerto Rico - Project A - audio drama featuring eight episodes with a plot I'm really excited to share; very much aiming to write characters the actors will feel a sense of fun as they voice for them - Project B - audio drama/possible anthology featuring four episodes leaning into more of a narrative telling of events - Composed original music for these projects above More to come next week.

Two projects in the works.

Grave Moon Studios - this is a production space that I’m building, and to be very honest, it's been a dream of mine since 2013, around the time I began voice acting. The more I voiced strong and flawed characters, the more I wanted to understand the process of creating media behind the scenes. That includes everything from character creation, knowing how scripts are formatted, learning what a pitch deck is and how to make one, and what budgets are required for different kinds of roles involved in the production process.

After a few years, I did notice something, and it was a little unsettling - an eye-opener, really. I began to notice I didn't see a whole lot of people who looked like me involved in audio dramas, voice acting, storytelling, etc. I didn't meet many who I could share experiences with, both in and out of the audio drama/writer world.

It wasn't long after that I realized how important it is to do more than just voice act - it was, and still is, important to me to be "in the room" to help uplift and encourage other creators who are POC/marginalized.

For as long as I can remember, the narrative "be in the room" rattled around my mind from the moment I woke up, until the moment I went to sleep every night, but now more than ever, it is vital to be more than just in a room.

Now, it's about making a mark where few have had the ability to do so.

It's about being seen for the work that can be done, and the skill that can be offered in a space, while combining it with the advocacy for things I believe in, and believe in protecting.

It's about offering a space for other creatives to be present in, and equally important, to take on a role in a leadership position that doesn't inspire resentment or disdain. As someone who's worked in corporate environments, and experienced racism and bullying in the workplace - there is a zero-tolerance policy for any of that here.

Grave Moon Studios officially began its journey into LLC land a few years ago under the name MugBytes Media. The original intent for my business was on helping other creatives organize their projects through building schedules, managing deliverables, and creating workflows that actually made life easier. I’ve always believed in a “human first” approach to creative work because at the end of the day, the project doesn’t exist without the creator behind it.

That belief still carries into everything I do now, and made itself clear while holding position as Showrunner for the first season of The Dead, anthology podcast created by Bloody Disgusting in partnership with The George A. Romero Foundation.

Fast forward to 2026 to the very adored “Benito Bowl”...I'd never felt so welcomed to the world, and decided that it was time to make my mark as Benito has. As a Puerto Rican, it's both an obligation and complete privilege to do so.

Separately from creating a studio, I found myself reflecting on how far things have come, especially for the Puerto Rican diaspora and Boricuas still on the island. The beautiful island of Puerto Rico (also known as, Boriken) holds many stories and lore and history of colonialism; from it came the power, pride, and beauty of the culture we see on the island held up by Boricuas, and in the diaspora that lives on today.

I'd like to think Grave Moon Studios is part of the next evolution of that journey - bringing the ability to turn a messy idea into something beautiful, horrifying, and real. It’s my intention to break down barriers to access in podcasting and storytelling, sharing knowledge, and making sure more people from marginalized communities have the tools, the support, and the space to create the media they love and appreciate, on their own terms. Until then, I build, and continue learning.

It's also my goal to bring stories into the audio drama verse that feel familiar, with proper representation by their creators, as well as stories that are scary as fuck. There's going to be plenty of horror and other shenanigans here. And I am very hyped about that.

I'm building this up daily, and brick-by-brick, I'm finding out more what the core of this business really is. So far, it is a 'human first' creation spot where I am creating scripts for short films, learning cinematography, creating fiction podcast scripts, composing music, and writing a horror movie for my beloved Boriken.

I am not an expert, and am learning as I go - and as I do, I get a little prouder each day knowing that I am doing what I am meant to do - create, not only for myself, but for those before me, and those who will be around after me.

Con amor y orgullo,

Rissa Montañez