This was a final video for a production class, shot on black & white 16mm film with a Bolex and edited by hand, with razors and splicing tape. You can see that I messed up the tightening on a pressure plate for one of the rolls of film, which people in my class kept harping on way more than necessary.

If you can’t follow, the plot is that Desi, a barista, takes the last cookie and eats it herself, and then tries to put on some music but is dismayed that her favorite CD is somehow broken. Ian enters and wants a cookie, but Desi informs him they’re out. He counters with a romantic offer – how about they spend some time together and make out? Desi quickly interrupts his fantasy and says no thank you. But when Ian notices her broken CD and gives her a copy of the same CD that he just happened to be carrying, she decides that maybe he’s worth letting in after all.

The CD album is “Beat Up Your Friends” by the band Fucking Strawberries Fucking. It has a very distinct cover, useful for this film.

Desi and Ian were not available at the same time for the apartment shoot which is why they’re never in the same shot together on the futon, except for from behind when I used my friend Caitlin (or really just the back of her head) as a stand-in for Desi. I’m sure I told my class that keeping them separate and isolated in the fantasy shots was on purpose for some sort of bullshit thematic reason. The Dutch angle when Desi interrupts the fantasy was at least actually on purpose.

I shot this at Beans & Bagels in Ravenswood, I actually got this location booked and everything, which was a first for me on my own. Andria helped out on set. The whole thing turned out a bit cheesier than I expected, but I still like it.