On Sept. 13, juniors Clinton Valencia and Xander Alvarado released “Chloe,” their debut short film, as a quarantine passion project.
“Chloe” explores the realities and dangers of society—particularly murder and oppression— through the characters’ actions, and encompasses a variety of genres like thriller and psychological horror, which are two of Valencia’s and Alvarado’s favorites.
Valencia said, “I love films and taking people to a world they’ve never been to. Creating a whole another reality has always been something I am deeply interested in.”
Although Valencia and Alvarado wrote and directed most of the film, they received assistance from Loyola juniors RJ Tyler and Lucas Filippone as well as Marlborough juniors Molly Sasso and Maritza Ramirez. Tyler, Filippone, Sasso and Ramirez helped with the set and scenery and acted in the film as main characters.
Explaining why he joined the project, Filippone said, “When I heard that Clinton and Xander were working on a script for a short film, I immediately invested myself into the project and am now incredibly grateful to them for the opportunity that they extended to me. We had all been talking about film writing and directing for a majority of quarantine, so I was thrilled when they came to me with a tangible script and the intentions to shoot and produce this film.”
The film also served as a way for friends to reunite after a long hiatus throughout quarantine. They had not seen one another since campus temporarily closed in March, so when stay-at-home orders eased, they had a chance to make this film and catch up with each other.
Tyler described the experience, saying, “I was extremely happy when I found out about the project because summer had been boring with COVID-19. I actually got to do something with my friends that was not only fun but gave me creative experience.”
Valencia and Alvarado drew influence from many prominent directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. From the cinematography to the script, there is a clear reflection of their inspiration in Valencia and Alvarado’s film. In fact, Tarantino’s specialties of nonlinear storylines and aestheticization of violence appear in “Chloe” from start to finish.
Alavarado said, “Our goal when making this film was really just to gain experience in the field of making films and learning by making mistakes in order to produce better work in the future. In terms of the message we were trying to portray, we really just wanted to create a story and were inspired by stories and concepts of psychological thrillers or horrors.”
As of now, Valencia and Alvarado publish on their rapidly growing YouTube channel. They have only released this one film but have begun work on many more and are excited for the future of their filmmaking careers.
Valencia said, “I really think this is just the beginning for me! I am very passionate about filmmaking and I’m excited to make my mark in the world on cinema. I’m currently working on a quarantine short film highlighting the stress and anxiety that can build up from lack of interaction.”
Follow their channel, Runaway Studios, and watch “Chloe” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOMmU-kvqQ
