Inspired by the 2003 film Lost in Translation, director Harrison Chiu, along with Communal’s creative team, set out to make a film about the moments life offers that we won’t ever forget. Whether it’s two people adrift in Tokyo or two strangers just missing each other in Manhattan, the feeling is universal. Our concept is about those fleeting, surreal moments—when you meet someone for the first time and, for reasons you can’t quite explain, they stay with you.

On a strange fall night, two strangers—familiar and foreign—connect without explanation. There’s no logic to it, only feeling. A moment so brief, it lasts forever. Some things are only possible in New York City.

For this shoot, Harrison knew it was important to clearly communicate the emotional undercurrent with his actors, Trieu Tran and Robin Choi. For the film to work, both performances had to be grounded in something real, something more than a connection between similar hats.

Our DoP, Dino Maglaris, shot on the Alexa 35 with Tribe7 Black Wing lenses, delivering an indie-film, handheld, stylized look that perfectly matched the tone of reference materials.

Shot over one day in New York City, our nimble, hard-working crew was able to execute the creative due to extensive conversations and planning that occurred in prep. Coordinating everything from safety, talent, and locations, this project is an example of the quality we’re capable of even at a small scale. Sometimes you just have to use indie-film skills to get it done.