Cut, a Seattle-based video production company hired grandmas Paula, Dorothea and Deirdre to smoke marijuana and be filmed for a sensational You Tube video which got at the time of writing 16 million views in one week.
Enjoy
Interview with Mike Gaston, of Cut, the video production company behind the weed-smoking grandmas video
Euronews: What was the creative process behind the video?
- This was probably the most effortless video we’ve ever made. The title basically outlined the video for us. Art direction was simple. The actual production was pretty improvised. Jenga and Cards Against Humanity were last minute additions. It was a really loose environment.
How many people were involved in the shooting of the video?
- 7 crew total. Me/Mike Gaston (directing), Blaine Ludy (producing/shooting), Jason Hakala (producing/shooting), Brian Liepe (DP), Eric Soma (audio), Canh Nguyen (behind the scenes photographer), and Adam Russell (EMT – emergency responder, just in case).
How did you cast the three participants?
- This was the hardest part of the shoot. It was nearly impossible finding grandmas that had never smoked weed before. First we asked all our grandmas. Turns out they had all smoked before. Then we asked our friends’ grandmas. They too had smoked before. Eventually we went out to talent agencies. It was still so difficult that the director of Seattle Talent actually had his mom do it since she has never smoked pot before.
Aside from the fun story, after your facebook description, did your Seatlle-based video had an goal or agenda while doing this video?
- There was no real activist agenda. We want to make videos that are culturally relevant but also really fun and accessible. We thought this premise would be a fun way of reflecting on the absurdity of some of the US’s legacy laws.
What strain of weed did they smoke?
- Lavender (that’s the name). It’s apparently an easy strain to start with.
Did you expect it would gather such an attention and go viral overnight?
- No. We thought we had something special. But sometimes the excitement of a shoot doesn’t always translate into the final edit. I think the success of the video is really because those three women were awesome.
