"Things That Seem Normal When You Live Alone" Interview with the Writer and Director

Horse+Horse, one of the video BETA teams at UCBcomedy, has had some popularity on the web for their first video released, Things that Seem Normal When You Live Alone. The video has generated tons of positive feedback by fans relating to the perks of living solo.

I found Melinda Taub, Director and Writer of the video, on gchat today so, naturally, I requested an interview.

me: hey melinda, do you have a minute?

Melinda: sure

me: congrats on your video

Melinda: thanks! we’re pleased.

me: I wanted to do a quick interview with you about it, is that ok?

Melinda: ha, sure.

me: great so can we do it now?

Melinda: now’s good.

me: cool. So you live alone?

Melinda: I do.

me: And so this is you in the video, correct? I can only assume.

Melinda: I plead the fifth. No, some of it is me, but most of it is heightened from what I actually do. I have been known to leave chicken defrosting in a pot in the bathtub, but not with me in it.

me: Nice. Seems to be getting really good feedback on the web, I don’t think you are alone.

Melinda: Yes, some of the commenters on Jezebel are concerned I’m going to get food poisoning, I think. It’s OK, guys! I’m eccentric but sanitary.

me: I was also talking about the fans that strongly relate to farting and peeing with the door open.

Melinda: Ha, yeah. That struck a chord, I think. It’s one of the nicer things about living alone. You don’t have to spare anyone’s delicate sensibilities.

me: How long did it take you to film this?

Melinda: It took about five hours to shoot. We knocked it out on a Saturday morning/early afternoon in my apartment. Which I cleaned like a maniac, because people were coming over, and then had to re-mess for the video.

This one was the first thing I ever directed, but is was a total team effort, even more than these things usually are. Moujan [Producer], Kent [Editor], and Patrick [DP] were really the ones who made this as hilarious as it was. It was sort of ideal of how a BETA team should work: I had this idea, and everyone figured out how to shape it and fill it with funny stuff.

me: So does Laura do yoga? Or was that a pretty dangerous stunt?

Melinda: She does do yoga. No Laura’s were harmed in the making of this video.

(Creepy guy in the back is Patrick, the DP.)

Check out and subscribe to this video and other BETA teams’ videos here!

http://www.youtube.com/ucbcomedy