Ben just wants to read the paper; Sara wants to talk. HAPPY follows the ups and downs of a 20-something couple on an average Sunday.
Luke Stettner recently finished his MS of photography and related media program at the School of Visual Arts. In the past, Stettner has worked in both photography and film. He has served as both a producer and a director on film projects for mainstream and art gallery audiences. As a director, Stettner recently collaborated on a stop motion music video for the band One Ring Zero, to be distributed on DVD this spring. His previous short film collaboration with Jason Feuerstein, MYRON, has shown at film festivals worldwide: Seattle, Filmstock, IFP Buzzcuts, and Dances with Films. MYRON is being distributed on Video on Demand by Comcast in their Seattle market, and by Indie Pix on an upcoming DVD of festival shorts. As a producer, Stettner worked with artists Luis Gispert and Jeff Reed on a short fiction film titled, WHOROSCOPE. The film will premiere at the Whitney in 2005, the first film production permitted inside museum. Stettner had a solo exhibition of his photographs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, Arizona, and his video work was featured in its 2003 Arizona biennial. HAPPY was made for Esquire Magazine's Celluloid Style competition, for which he was selected as a finalist. He lives in New York.
What inspired you to make this piece?
The film is a loose adaptation of a Ben Alsup short story that ran in Esquire magazine. The magazine had asked that we adapt a film from a selection of short stories and we choose Ben’s.
Briefly tell us about how you made your film or video: what camera and format did you use to shoot your piece, and what system did you use to edit it? What is your working process? Did you use any special techniques to make this work?
I don’t remember the camera we shot it on but it was dv. We edited it with final cut. Our process was simple- watch all the footage over and over again until it started to fall into place. The script was more a foundation for the actors to play off- the film really came together as a different piece in post.
Do you have any interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this particular work?
Not really. We only had three weeks to write and produce the film.
What is the relationship between your work as a video/filmmaker and life in the New York metropolitan area?
Everyone that knows me and watched the film says it’s about me. My partner Jason thinks I’m an egomaniac. It should be mentioned some where in this interview that Jason Feuerstein did at least half the work on this film (and the other one we made together). Thank you Jason.
What films/videos and makers have inspired you or influenced your work? And why?
“Network”
If viewers are interested in obtaining copies of your work for rental or purchase, whom should they contact and at what address and phone number?
They can contact me.
lukestettner@gmail.com or they can purchase it here:
http://www.cinequestonline.org/theater/detail_view.php?m=1115
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