This was part of an imaginary campaign for Starbucks. My objective shoot the series of commercials in one stationary shot, as an observer. After editing it and watching it, I tested two music styles. The first, Esquivel, is definitely my favorite. The second, White Stripes, is great, but gives it a "beer commercial" feel. I think you pay more attention to the mistakes with the second version because of it's quiet through the first few seconds. Besides, Esquivel knows how to put a bounce in your step, so you can't help but like it from the beginning. (35 sec.)

I needed to shoot a conversation between two people, but I had no actors. Completely unscripted, I improvised some questions, then answered as a different character in a different angle. The only "planned" moment in this clip is the "copy cat" move. If you watch carefully you'll notice that most of the dialogue doesn't match up, but that's the fun of it. Surprisingly, it turned out much better than I was expecting! Lesson: Write the script first! (3:30)

This was Mikey playing with the "Garbage Matte" tool in Final Cut Pro 2. Sure this idea is amazingly silly, but perfect for the exercise. Imagine what fun we can have now with this trick in our tool belt!? Kudos to Mikey. (17 sec.)

If you can't find a product to market… Market yourself. Of course, this was a quick attempt to get something done. It was our very first clip we had done together since Poker Face. (30 sec.)

The point of this diary was to show my family what was going on in San Francisco when my girlfriend and I moved there. I hadn't really fallen in love with the city it at first — until I saw downtown. That's where I pulled out the camera and had some fun. To me, the only thing great about this clip, are the hand-held "craine shots" and chess match scenes. (5:28)

This is just another exploration of Mike's genius. He had the idea to animate my children's book. This was a test of the very first page. With the help of Mike's radio-trained voice and expertise, the test turned out to be wonderful. (1:21)

The very first movie Mike and I ever did. He had been trying to convince me that digital was "the next wave of the future!" So, he brought his digi-cam over and we began shooting random shots. This film is "silent" because we did it at about 2am with my girlfriend asleep in the next room.

Fun side note: If it wasn't obvious, we both play the "killer"

CHRIS'S EDIT: It wouldn't be until months later when I got my hands on this footage and Final Cut Pro for the very first time. I hadn't edited a flick in over a year and was itching to do so. With technical help from Mike, I learned how powerful FCP is! (3:12)

MIKE'S EDIT: Since Mike had put together a trailer for the movie, he finally decided YEARS later, that he might like to take a stab at editing his own version. Keep your eye on the cigarette, it's a great trick! (2:03)

On his day off, Chris finds a dead rabbit in the jaws of his playful puppy. Later realizing that the dead rabbit belonged to the child next door, he decides to do something to replace it… And it all goes wrong from there.

TEST 01: Always scout for new locations. The script called for a laundromat, and on the way to a friends house, this one caught my eye. It had so much character that it was hard to resist filming something in it. So, while my girlfriend waited in the car, I ran in and shot this footage. This is the "mock" opening shot with temp music. Since I was the only person there, I had to imagine Chris standing at the end of the row of washers. (56 sec.)

This clip brought on the idea to shoot a video story board with the cam instead of actually painstakingly hand-drawing each shot. Coupled with the music, this helps show the pace, and gives me the opportunity to see how and if it all works together.

TEST 02: Same clip, but with high-pressure music. It's been used in movies already, but it's interesting to see how this would affect mood. (58 sec.)

CAR CHASE: This scene isn't in the script, but I thought it would be fun to shoot it anyway just to see how it works. Needless to say, I'm glad I didn't spend any money on this. The clip is so bad, you can actually see that the car isn't moving in a shot or two, and I actually shot a completely different CAR for a few shots just to get an idea of it all. (52 sec.)

MIKE STORY BOARDS: Mike's version of the story boards. This was good for me to see how someone else interpreted the script. I can see it all playing out in my head, and know how I want it. Mike's story boards opened my mind to new ideas and angles. (1:12)

Any test, is a good one. Perhaps it's not the most FUN to watch, but it is a learning experience. Most of these were done while Mike was in San Fran, and I was in San Diego. Half of the time Mike was just testing out his new Canon XL-1S.

Day Off: Sleep Test (23 sec.)

Drains of Mystery: A Trailer (27 sec.)

Dust Bunny: A Trailer (29 sec.)

Mikey's New Toy (1:53)

Run with Cam: Normal Lens (1:20)

Run with Cam: Wide Angle Lens (1:29)

Run with Cam: Socks & Chili (59 sec.)