20 years ago I purchased my first digital video camera. An early film I did was about my High School Calculus teacher. Mr. Van had one rule in his classroom: don’t say the words “stupid” or “dumb.” Those who broke the rule got a chalk filled eraser thrown at them!

Despite having a new digital camera to record the film, I had no computer to edit. To put the film together and add sound effects, my cousin Patrick Newey and I created a pretty remarkable editing system composed of VCRs, Walkman CD players and random Radio Shack audio and video cables. Here is a shortened cut of the film. ... oh and in case you are wondering, Mr. Van really did laugh like that... especially if you complained about too much homework.

A few months later, Brent Moser and Jed Black, both students at my High School, asked me if I’d help them make a short film called “The Disco Janitors.” The film had three short scenes where 1. The Disco Janitors (played by Brent and Jed) use plungers and mops to fight off evil ninjas 2. Are attacked by free moving garbage bins and 3. Eat apples with potential girlfriends at a local diner.

What was interesting about Brent and Jed is that the costumes you see them wear in the film are actually what they wore to school nearly everyday. Wigs and sunglasses included!

The Disco Janitors was a lot of fun to film. If you listen closely, you can hear me laugh in every scene. This is a short segment from the film’s third scene at the diner.