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One Happy Customer

Set in the red-light district of a heightened world that mischievously blends live action and animation, One Happy Customer follows the daily routine of an older sex worker. Luring clients in, snatching up their cash, and using her special trick to leave them satisfied—and more importantly, to get them out of her hair as quickly as possible. She’s listless, even bored.

It’s business as usual, until one customer—an old, seemingly decrepit man—arrives looking for something more. And he’s got a trick or two of his own to impress the woman who’s seen it all.

  • WATTS
    Director
  • Tripp Watt
    Writer
  • Jenna Watt
    Writer
  • Jenna Watt
    Producer
  • Tripp Watt
    Producer
  • Rebecca Maar
    Producer
    You're My Best Friend, Ringmaster, Remote, Freeze
  • Stink Films
    Producer
    The Flute, Sonho
  • Jenna Watt
    Key Cast
    "Rosemerta"
    Freeze (short)
  • Tripp Watt
    Key Cast
    "Piggy Banker"
  • Tripp Watt
    Key Cast
    "Old Man"
  • Matthew Wheat
    Key Cast
    "Lad"
  • Nick Bupp
    Director of Photography
    All I Want is Everything, You're My Best Friend
  • Veronica Xiana Guitierrez
    Production Designer
  • Emilie Aubry
    Editor
    Definition Please, K-12, Catalina
  • Tripp Watt
    Editor
  • Edmund Liang
    Concept Art
  • Kim Nguyen
    Wardrobe Stylist
  • Bryan Smaller
    Colorist
  • Cat Paschen
    Prosthetics and Makeup
  • Niko Gonzalez
    Prosthetics and Makeup
  • Jed Voltz
    Miniature Created by
  • Maura Takeshita
    Painter and Fabricator
  • Ross Wariner
    Music and Sound
    A New Life (short), Peripheral: Painting in the Dark (short)
  • Cody Uhler
    Music and Sound
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Fantasy, romance
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    55,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Oxford Fiilm Festival
    Oxford, Mississippi
    United States
    March 23, 2024
    World Premiere
    Spirit of the Hoka Award, Official Selection
  • Athens International Video and Film Festival
    Athens Ohio
    United States
    April 10, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Atlanta Film Festival
    Atlanta Georgia
    United States
    April 26, 2024
    Jury Special Mention Best Narrative Short
  • Atlanta ShortsFest
    Atlanta
    United States
    June 29, 2024
    Winner Best Experimental Short
Director Biography - WATTS

WATTS. A high school sweetheart, creative duo. Jenna immigrated to the US where she met Tripp in Nashville, Tennessee.

Their infectious energy tells stories spanning multiple mediums with a wildly imaginative force. Like getting spanked by a rainbow.

Combining impeccable craft with a vast technical knowledge, WATTS create effortlessly flamboyant film experiences that are impossible to forget. Their background in miniatures, design, and technical camera work can be seen in their films for brands such as The Sims, Barclays, McDonalds and Apple to name a few.

Welcome to the world of WATTS.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We were visiting Amsterdam and in the redlight district. We watched an inebriated man stumble out of one of the little red doors with a big smile on his face. We thought... "Now is that the worst type of customer or the best type of customer?" We came to the conclusion that he'd be the best because all you'd have to do is give him a slight tickle and he'd be pleased as punch.

One Happy Customer is a dark comedy on the edge of fantasy. Rosemerta (and her trusty feather) have been a fixture of the neighborhood for as long as anyone can remember. A remnant from a bygone era in a gentrifying neighborhood. She has seen everything and everyone, or so she thinks...until one unexpected customer surprises her and shows that you are never too old to experience something new or fall in love.

We started making stop motion animations together in high school. Our love for this tactile craft grew into fabricating miniatures and creating imaginative worlds in all of our work and projects. We love bringing in as many practical effects as possible and blending them in post so that the line between what was done in camera and in post is blurry. We've been known for bright, colorful work and miniatures. So for One Happy Customer we wanted to create something in this dark comedy space that blends live action characters in a miniature world. Our exterior street scene is a miniature set completely made by hand. Even the backdrops were big matte paintings. Pushing the practical effects further we added prosthetics to our main characters accentuating their features.

Our goal was to bring as much of our craft and love for set design, miniatures and practical effects into our short and build a unique world for Rosemerta.