When a shy student musters up the courage to ask out his chemistry classmate, his plan goes awry after his love letter lands on the wrong student's desk.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Mike Reft

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I wanted to entertain a large audience! I'm obsessed with film and am building a career in the industry behind the scenes. I love the process and all of the things that happen in between. This entire production lucked out with all of the immensely talented young professionals involved who matched the enthusiasm and commitment across the board.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You should watch this film because you want to see something original, uplifting, and overall entertaining - something that keeps you, the audience member, in mind and doesn't waste your time.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This short film is all about the personal things that connect us on a universal level, haha. So, this question is perfect for this film. This short is comprised of elements from my personal taste, but overall, it's about how everyone has something genuine and meaningful to say and how those things all have their place in the grand scheme of things.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The script has mostly remained the same throughout its seven drafts total. There were tweaks along the way that were important to make more sense of all of the movement and forms that the note takes around the classroom (Natasha Roland's character as the girl who comes back into the classroom with the hall pass was a major fix for example). I wanted this story to highlight creativity, but that couldn't be the only thing. I didn't want to lose the audience at any moment so everything happening had to make sense (with some artistic liberty here and there). The script has always functioned as a series of actions like a Rube Goldberg machine or the old kid's board game: Mouse Trap, from the '90s. From beginning to end, it was meant to be taken in like a quick Looney Tunes segment in between shows on a Saturday morning and I think that's what we've achieved in our approx. 10min runtime.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The reception has been mostly positive. There are some technical flaws in the final product that I am of course keenly aware of that may not be immediately noticeable at first watch. Overall, the short has proven to be easily digestible and it was designed to be that way. If an audience member is hard up for a story that's very biting or controversial, then they may not find it as ten minutes well-spent.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Chemistry 101 has enjoyed very positive feedback, which has been immensely gratifying and reaffirming. It's always very fulfilling when talking to people who've enjoyed it and getting that confirmation that you've hit your marks. That being said, for every acceptance into a film festival that we've received, we've probably received at least two rejections from other festivals. For the times that we've received feedback on why our film wasn't accepted, it has essentially boiled down to a difference in personal taste and that's to be respected. At the very least, there hasn't been any confusion as to what our short is or represents and that's really all that you can ask for.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

More views, more awareness! This short has meant a lot to me personally and I think that there's a great sense of pride shared by all involved in bringing it to the screen. After all of the hard work and complications involved in producing the thing, getting as many people as possible to watch the film is all everyone wants at the end of the day. All of the hard work, attention to detail, love and care really shows on the screen in every facet. Having a great platform from which to showcase everyone's hard work to the rest of the internet is essential to honoring all of that hard work.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We need a great platform to premiere our short in its entirety online with - to give it a premiere that it can begin it's life online with. We've all worked very hard on it and have put countless hours into caring for how it turned out in the end and now it will eventually belong to you all! Chemistry 101 will belong to anyone in the world with internet access and having a great launching pad so that people know that it exists is key. Chemistry 101 has had a great festival run and it has connected with a lot of people around the world - it's allowed me to do the same! The final step is to have it accessible online for everyone to see and we're looking for a company and/or web presence that would fit best with our short and its themes to premiere it to the rest of the world outside of the festival circuit.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'd like people to feel like they've seen something that they either haven't seen before or something that they've maybe forgotten - or both - hopefully some sense of nostalgia is involved in the reception. This short plays towards values that I think are at the core of movie making and that's the sense of fun, imagination, and the connection with the youth that's in all of us.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

I'm always interested in hearing about what kinds of things people take from this short personally if any. It's very cool to put so much of your own experience and taste into something and see how that reflects with others.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Just about everyone who worked on this short is still working on the production industry (myself included), which is very encouraging and fulfilling. Just about the entire cast is pursuing the performing arts in their own way - I still keep in touch with a good bit of them here and there and I follow them on social media. Everett Glovier, the short's cinematographer and Zach Myers who also graced us with his camera work are running a production company in Maryland: Sympatico. They are doing very well. Hank Vohrer who did the visual effects work for Chemistry 101 continues to run the Baltimore-based production company (that I started out interning for!) Percepto Studios. He continues to create things visually that just baffles me. He's a mad-man! Stephen Frank, who did all of the audio work continues to branch out into all applicable mediums. I'm working on new scripts, thinking of the next project, and proudly building a career in the Locations department in Los Angeles. I'm always keeping the amazing skill sets of all involved in mind. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of making a living, we as creatives are not afforded the opportunity to make something original - something that we can all call our own. You really have to create those opportunities for yourself and your production brothers and sisters. That's where the true filmmaking spirit in all of us comes into play. I encourage anyone who may be reading this to look up anyone who played a role in making Chemistry 101 a reality - we're ready to work!

Interview: August 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Chemistry 101

When a shy student musters up the courage to ask out his chemistry classmate, his plan goes awry after his love letter lands on the wrong student's desk.

Length: 9:42

Director: Mike Reft

Producer: Mike Reft

Writer: Mike Reft

About the writer, director and producer:

MIKE REFT has been a working professional in production for the past five years from MD to LA. Notable works include Top Gun: Maverick, Wonder Woman 1984, and House of Cards.

Key cast: Chloe Rice, Brady Fritz, Christine Nelson, Casey Baum, Timothy Stuart Williams, Dilruk De Silva, Sydney Lint, Saiyam Kumar, Matt Gulbranson

Looking for: distributors, journalists, producers, sales agents, film festival directors, buyers

Facebook: Chemistry 101

Hashtags used: #chem101film

Other: IMDb

Made in association with:

Funders: Self-funded

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Salute Your Shorts Festival - August 16th, 2019 Los Angeles, CA