There’s a term at Stanford called dormcest used to describe romantic relationships that occur between people living in the same dormitory or residence. During my years at Stanford, I was witness to the beginning and end of many a dormcestuous coupling. Memorable events always seemed to accompany these types of relationships, such as:
- The bandana tied around the doorknob which told you where you were sleeping that night.
- Not noticing the bandana while opening the door to your room.
- The breakups that drew battle lines in the dormitory.
- The “Awww… I always knew they’d get married” phrase when a couple stays together.
Tonight, Po’k and the gang from Homestead were at Adams House at Stanford to film a two and half minute music video entitled Dormcest. We last saw our male protagonist, Tom, in his stellar yet understated role as a tied up dishwasher from The Killers. Felicia was last seen fighting off ex-boyfriends in one of Cliff’s videos in August, 2001.
In Dormcest, their adjoining walls aren’t the only things that Felicia and Tom shared. A terrible argument has torn them apart… but for how long? Will Felicia and Tom reunite or will their dispute erupt into a conflagration that will consume their dormitory? Find out when the editing’s done and the video’s fit to print!
Renny, Randy, Maxine, Po’k, Tom, Felicia, and I were able to set up and film all the footage (56 shots) in just under three hours. That averaged out to three minutes and twelve seconds for each shot. Not bad, not bad at all. For tools, we used my VX-2000 and Glidecam Pro 2000 camera stabilizer. The Glidecam allows for effortless panning and movement, assuming you’ve properly weighted the device! It’s pretty complex at first, but it does get easier with practice. For all other shots, we used a tripod with a fluid head. Still photographs on this photojournal were taken with the EOS-1D shooting primarily at ISO1600.
Randy was an excellent gaffer, positioning a spotlight in strategic locations to provide us with our movie lighting. Renny pitched in with his signature brand of special f/xxx in a very humorous scene.
Dormcest Video
April 27, 2002: The Dormcest Video is now available for viewing. Enjoy the show!
Stills
Here are some photos taken during principal photographing of Dormcest.
Afterwards, Po’k, Randy, Renny, and I went to Taxi’s in Palo Alto to gorge ourselves on burgers, fries, and onion rings. It was a filling meal that left me regretting I had ordered that bacon cheeseburger in the first place. If only I could hit rewind!
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