On April 14, communication studies professor Jesse Piersol premiered her short film, entitled “Clean Getaway,” at The Note in West Chester. The movie was filmed in Downingtown over the course of three days during Winter Break with a collection of West Chester students and Professor Piersol’s friends and family.
The premiere began with a reception before the movie. The reception started at 6 p.m., and there was a $10 admission price. The proceeds from the admission price were going to benefit the family of the late Captain Chris Good, a firefighter who had lost his life in the line of duty in November. The guests were dressed in “loosely interpreted black tie,” which meant that there were people in gowns and there were people in jeans, but the atmosphere of the evening was very upbeat and positive. There was an array of light refreshments that were donated from area businesses, such as the Sweet Beginnings bakery in Thorndale, and the Blue Café in Downingtown. The refreshment table offered such treats as bite-sized cupcakes, pizza, hoagies, and even cookies baked by Professor Piersol’s mother, who also had a role in the film. Between 6 and 7 p.m., the noise level steadily increased as more people came, all of whom were anxious for the film to start.
“I had the fantasy of selling out The Note, which would have been 385 people. We didn’t get near that, but I’m incredibly pleased with the turnout,” Professor Piersol said. “We cleared the expenses for The Note, and everything else was donated, so there should be a nice-sized contribution for Jessica Good and her family, and that makes me feel really good.”
Promptly at 7 p.m., Professor Pierol took the stage to thank the sponsors of the evening who had donated food, as well as The Note for hosting the event. She also gave a brief statement about Captain Good and his family and profusely thanked emergency responders for putting their lives on the line on a regular basis, several of whom were in attendance. Professor Piersol continued on to talk about the film and the process of filming and promoting, and finally premiering. Professor Piersol was one of the screenwriters, the producer, director, and even wrote and performed the title song from the film.
“During filming, I realized how expensive it is to use music in a movie, so I figured I’d better write one myself,” she explained. “I woke up one morning during filming and wrote the first half. Then, I worked on it over the next couple of weeks, and there it was.”
Once Professor Piersol finished speaking, the time had finally arrived to watch the movie.
The audience scarcely stopped laughing throughout the entire film, which lasted around 40 minutes. The movie featured several WCU students, including Jake Markiewicz, Dan Hinderliter, Alane Presswood, and Daquann Chung, among others. The film was about three friends (Markiewicz, Hinderliter, and Chung) who appear to have nothing better to do than hang around a laundromat all day. They come up with the get-rich-quick scheme to start selling soap balls, made by one of the boy’s grandmothers (played by Professor Piersol’s mother), to the other laundromat patrons, including Extra Rinse Girl (played by Presswood) – and that, of course, is when everything goes horribly and hilariously wrong.
“Being a part of ‘Clean Getaway’ has been a great experience,” screenwriter Daquann Chung said. “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to do something that I’ve always wanted to do and getting the chance to see what the process was like for creating a short film from the ground up. I hope that in the future, I can continue to screenwrite and build upon the skills that I learned from being a part of ‘Clean Getaway.'”
Following the movie, there was an after party to celebrate with more refreshments and dancing to music provided by a DJ from WCUR. The night could be considered nothing but a success.
“It was amazing,” Professor Pierol said. “I promised attendees a fun, cheap, memorable evening for a great cause, and I feel like we delivered on that promise.”
Clare Haggerty is a second-year student majoring in English. She can be reached at CH757342@wcupa.edu.