10-10-10: Tony Ung and Chris Villegas

Take your average cool Asian and multiply it by Isla Vista, and you’ve got Tony Ung. The UCSB film student was prepped and ready to go for 10-10-10 before he was even matched with his screenwriter partner, Chris Villegas of Brooks Institute.

On Saturday, the team filmed at Stearns Wharf during a few hours of rain-free weather. Of course, rain wasn’t the only wet thing around; just as the crew set their cameras up on the side of Moby Dick’s, the anti-bird sprinkler system rained down on their gear. As director of photography Aaron LaRue covered the SteadyCam attached to his chest with a sweatshirt, someone frantically grabbed a bright purple umbrella to shield the B camera. It was quite a sight, and attracted more than a handful of passerby.

Beyond the sprinklers, though, Tony’s had a relatively issue-free time with his film. After initially meeting with Chris and his writer mentor to make some script modifications, the crew set right out to capture the story of a teenage candy seller saving up to buy a new pair of headphones.

While the wind and the rain hindered their progress, the crew had worked together pretty extensively already and knew how Tony worked. Although Chris wasn’t on the set, Tony and his producer Tim kept things miraculously on track, on schedule, and under control. They even attracted the attention of two husband-and-wife Australian filmmakers, who eagerly conversed with the young film proteges.

So what’s the most exciting thing that’s happened so far? The dance party scene at the end of the movie — filmed at a retirement home. “That was fun,” said Tony with a grin.