UVSC students were among many statewide participants in a film festival hosted by the Utah Arts Council titled "48 Hours in Utah" held the weekend of Jan. 4-6.
Participants were encouraged to gather a team of volunteer filmmakers for a weekend of creation. A set of four criteria was given to all teams.
Among the UVSC students involved were siblings Bryce and Brandon Hatch, whose film, Porcelain Preusal – Toilet Read , has amassed more than 1,600 views on its YouTube version in just a few short days.
The Hatch boys’ film, an infomercial parody loosely resembling Requiem for a Dream’s "Tappy Tibbons" infomercials, is based around the idea of a bathroom reader "guaranteed" to improve all facets of life, stating "Toilet Read is the catalyst for all hidden talents."
One "success story" is told of a young man thanking Toilet Read for his four platinum records.
The team went as far as creating a Web site for its "product," which was continually flashed on the screen throughout the film, accompanied by the phone number.
The film is a comedic parody of infomercials and "accidentally" shows the owner of Toilet Read bribing a man on the street to say good things about the product on the air.
"Toilet Read changed my life," said Brandon Hatch, who does not appear in the film but directed it. "Not really, but it is something [we] are proud of. The ups outnumbered the downs over the weekend. It’s our second [48 Hour] festival, and it gets better each time."
Todd Whatcott, a member of UVSC’s news broadcast team, was also a participant in another group. Whatcott’s team made a film titled Open Mic, in which he plays the lead character whose dream is to be a rock star.
"I thought that I was just going to help film, [but] I ended up being the main guy in the movie. I had never done anything like this but had always wanted to. I was just myself," said Whatcott.
Filmed at local music venue The Pig Pen at Pleasant Grove High School, it is a story in which Whatcott is given an opportunity to shine as a rock star at an open mic event, but an unfortunate accident makes his dream just that, a dream.
Porcelain Preusal – Toilet Read and Open Mic can by found (along with the other participants’ films) on YouTube by typing either the film title or "48 Hours in Utah" into the search field.
The "Toilet Read" Web site is found at www.toiletread.blogspot.com
