Though we have both been gainfully employed within the film industry, Jake working for CBS and Will for the Starz show Counterpart, we were each creatively unfulfilled, rarely ever having time to work on our own projects. What we found (like many others who move to LA) was that the time and money required to make short films, much less a feature, was almost insurmountable. This ultimately is why we set out to shoot these 16 short films.

Each film was conceived and shot in a single day with whatever crew and resources were available. Gradually, a small community of regular collaborators emerged, and with them, we found that we were able to quickly execute the ideas that came up in brainstorming sessions. We found a new kind of spontaneity possible, where we valued the “doing” over preparation or planning. It freed us up to try whatever we could think up (that we could afford). Failure was not an obstacle. If something didn’t work, fine. On to the next.

We found that themes began to emerge from the shorts, often about the contradiction between the 24/7 social connectivity offered by modern technology and the persistent loneliness and disconnection we all feel in spite (or because) of it. The dark humor and sense of loss in the shorts come from living in the cracks of personal time afforded by demanding modern day jobs, where we often find ourselves caught in a Matrix-y loop of going to work, getting home late only to go to sleep and do it all over again.

Through this project, we met new collaborators, exercised our filmmaking skills, created art with our closest friends, and renewed our love of filmmaking. We hope that comes across to you, the viewer. Oh, and that you laugh. That’d be good too.