Directing Lost Nostalgia: An Interview with Arlo Alberts
By Mara Bech
Actors Declan Sheehan and Norah Spilker in a still from Alberts’ short film, Lost Nostalgia.
How did you get into filmmaking?
It all started last year in my 4th period, the video production class. I chose it on a whim because it sounded cool, not for any particular reason. It took a while, but slowly, I made new friends, reconnected with some, and gained a love for film. It was a way to express myself in a way that I hadn’t before that really spoke to me.
When did you first come up with the concept for Lost Nostalgia? What inspired you?
Lost Nostalgia was something I came up with around April of last year based on one scene that popped into my head. It was of someone sitting on a rooftop with a pink-purple sunset behind them. They sat there for a while with an item like a matchstick or some equivalent in their hand, and the film ended with it dropping onto a black screen while the credits rolled, the matchstick sizzling on the ground.
Who are you working with on this film?
I’ve been working with some of the most amazing people I could be. Declan Sheehan and Norah Spilker are cast as the leads, who have conveyed every bit of emotion I dreamed of portraying and more. My co-writer, co-director, and co-producer London Adams is and has been amazing to have worked on this project with me. She and I developed the story from the ground up, we used her house, she acted, and it was all perfect. Eli Wissing did lights for some of my favorite shots in the entire film, Lucas Ryder helped with audio at some difficult points, and the music is being produced by Paw and DIVINE the band here at LC. This entire crew and cast is so talented and I can’t wait to showcase it all.
What did a typical shooting day look like on set?
I would say a typical shooting day, at least for this production, starts around mid-day with minimal crew and cast. I like to section things up, so I have all my extras at one time so that it’s easier to organize. Shots usually go in the order of outside chronological, and then inside chronological as it is MUCH easier to fake daylight inside (as shown by Eli when he made a fake sun out of an LED light).
Do you have any funny stories from the production? If so, what are they?
A lot of the time we were filming we laughed and were having fun, but a few of the standouts were when we found out about an embarrassing video of Declan online on shoot, videos of us at the fair talking about the Among Us 3 a.m. potion, and Killdozer conversations. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those because man, we laughed a lot.
What has been the greatest challenge in making this story come to life?
I think this whole project has been a huge challenge for me as this is the first film I’ve done without teacher guidance, without prompt. This was a dream of mine and making it come to life took a lot of effort. We struggled with getting people together quite a bit and with camera batteries, but we made do. I think the greatest challenge was the film itself, and everything else was just a learning experience for me and everyone else.
Anything else you'd like to share?
This film means the world to me and I’m so happy to have finished filming. I am so proud of everyone who helped this happen and I cannot thank them enough.
Not every story needs to be a happy one, it just needs purpose.
More of Arlo’s work can be found on Instagram @vedritiproductions and on Youtube under the channel name Vedriti Productions. Keep watch for the premiere of Lost Nostalgia!
