In a comically calamitous blind date, a skeptical romantic and brash pothead are mismatched by a well-intentioned friend, leading to an evening of mishaps and simple interactions clumsily lost in translation that challenge their compatibility and redefines the meaning of finding love in unexpected places.

Funny You Should Ask

Written and Directed by: Alex Thephavong

Produced by: Alex Thephavong

Director of Photography: Hanna Reimbold

Edited by: Alex Thephavong

Production Assistant: Jake Carless

Starring

Lena Nguyen as Marguerite

Chase Murray as Jason

Sophia Olivares as Kaya

I finished the script for Funny You Should Ask in December of 2022 — About 5 months before we would even begin shooting our first scene in late May. Being able to bring my script to life in only a few weeks before graduation was nothing short of a miracle. It was driven not only by my own determination but most importantly the care and effort of some close friends.

When telling people the story behind making Funny You Should Ask and its nail-biting shooting schedule, I always take full responsibility for allowing it to have become an impulsive decision. While I never intended for my team to work in a time frame considered less than ideal, life gets in the way sometimes — Especially for a senior in college. However, as stressful as it was, I left the shoot with only positive feelings and lessons learned. Not only should we choose our battles wisely, but also place as much care into selecting the people to take into these battles too.

Our cast and crew was incredibly small, even for a short film. In total, we had 3 actors and 3 crew members, including myself. Because of scheduling conflicts and external obligations, some members of the team were absent for some shoots while being available for others. Being undermanned was a sheer test of my resourcefulness mixed with the crews ability to adapt to change. There were moments where the cast and crew would alternate between roles depending on necessity based on who was missing and what we needed.

Reflecting on my experience, I am proud to say that my cast, crew, and I made a pretty damn good film. Because of the current circumstances in my life working an internship this past summer and now applying for jobs, the post-production process has currently taken a slight backseat in priorities. Nevertheless, the effort we put into this film is definitely reflective of its quality.

You can watch Act 1 of Funny You Should Ask below and find the full script and short film in the links at the bottom of the page.