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.
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WATTSDirector
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Tripp WattWriter
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Jenna WattWriter
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Jenna WattProducer
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Tripp WattProducer
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Rebecca MaarProducerYou're My Best Friend, Ringmaster, Remote, Freeze
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Stink FilmsProducerThe Flute, Sonho
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Jenna WattKey Cast"Rosemerta"Freeze (short)
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Tripp WattKey Cast"Piggy Banker"
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Tripp WattKey Cast"Old Man"
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Matthew WheatKey Cast"Lad"
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Nick BuppDirector of PhotographyAll I Want is Everything, You're My Best Friend
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Veronica Xiana GuitierrezProduction Designer
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Emilie AubryEditorDefinition Please, K-12, Catalina
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Tripp WattEditor
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Edmund LiangConcept Art
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Kim NguyenWardrobe Stylist
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Bryan SmallerColorist
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Cat PaschenProsthetics and Makeup
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Niko GonzalezProsthetics and Makeup
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Jed VoltzMiniature Created by
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Maura TakeshitaPainter and Fabricator
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Ross WarinerMusic and SoundA New Life (short), Peripheral: Painting in the Dark (short)
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Cody UhlerMusic and Sound
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Comedy, Fantasy, romance
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Runtime:6 minutes 20 seconds
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Completion Date:October 1, 2023
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Production Budget:55,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Oxford Fiilm FestivalOxford, Mississippi
United States
March 23, 2024
World Premiere
Spirit of the Hoka Award, Official Selection -
Athens International Video and Film FestivalAthens Ohio
United States
April 10, 2024
Official Selection -
Atlanta Film FestivalAtlanta Georgia
United States
April 26, 2024
Jury Special Mention Best Narrative Short -
Atlanta ShortsFestAtlanta
United States
June 29, 2024
Winner Best Experimental Short
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.
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.