“Red Velvet” by Kevin Staake
Beyond the Short Official Premiere
A struggling actor’s commute to a callback takes an abrupt detour, thrusting him into an eye-opening LA excursion with an unlikely companion.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“Red Velvet was an idea that came to me while wallowing in the sorrows of the latest film industry upheaval. AI induced disruption and obsolescence is something that everyone seems to be discussing, or pondering, or ignoring. In some shape or form, it's on all our minds.
I live in Santa Monica, which often feels like a privileged bubble, despite the unhoused crisis remaining alive, well, and around every corner. Friends' cars have been broken into, ransacked and totaled from the inside out, so a recurring paranoia I've had when rushing out for the day is finding someone sheltering in my car. How intense and primal would our reactions be? What if this sudden meeting occurred on the highway at 60 mph? Would there be any hope for this impromptu joyride to end peacefully? At first I imagine the predictable, knee-jerk "not in my backseat" reaction, but upon closer introspection, I find I'm clueless as to what uncivilized measures I would resort to if put in the same desperate position. If luck or fate shifted just slightly, he could easily be in the driver's seat, and I in the back.
Red Velvet is about the struggles of both film workers and the unhoused who share the same city and streets. I'd never compare being without a roof to losing a gig, but that's exactly what the film is about. Perspective.”
-Kevin Staake
CREDITS
Writer, Director, Producer// Kevin Staake/ @kstaake
CAST
Blaze// Nikolai Nikolaeff/ @nikolainikolaeff
Kyle// Aidan Bristow
With
Jon Lindstrom/ @jonlindstrom
Katie Ramirez/ @katieram211
Paulette Fehlig
Aaron Hilf/ @aaron.hilf
Emily Hilf/ @em.bowman
Director of Photography// Trevor Gilman/ @trevorgilmann
Location Sound// Aaron Hilf/ @aaron.hilf
Editor// Zach Stone/ @zstonez
Music Consultant// Giacomo Lamparelli/ @jacklampa
AI Generated Music// Udio
Sound Design & Mix// David Chapdelaine/ @david_chapdelaine
Colorist// David Torcivia/ @davidtorcivia
Title Design// Aaron Vinton/ @vin_ton
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