In a world where five-year-olds are walking around with two-way text pagers, maybe not too many people are down with the tin-can-and-string phone ... but the hero of DROPPING A LINE sure is. Hassled by Ma Bell, he sets off to create his own little way of communicating with his love - but will this relationship keep hanging on by a thread?

Shoot, wasn't that great? Anyway, this is a fun little ditty I did for my editing class in my last semester. I tried to keep it tight, and I think in that regard I was a success. Plus I shot in 'slow shutter' mode for a semi-filmy look. And unlike SIGN GUY, no robot sex!

Ridiculously little preparation was done for this flick. We ad libbed all the dialog, found locations as we went along, and came up with the ending in the car on the way back from Checkers. And of course, no lighting, save for a flashlight when Jane picks up the package on the step (way to move it around, Jim).

I inadvertently lost the Battestelli family turkey baster during my uncredited cameo performance as "guy pretending to wait for a bus." I thoughtfully replaced it as part of their Christmas gift, though.

Jim skinned his thumb super-badly while we were shooting the "string em' up" montage. Gamer that he is, we got through the rest of the shoot, although he insisted on wearing those ridiculous glasses! But seriously, I thought his acting was more than capable.

At the time that this was shot, Jane and Sullivan were a real-life couple. That did not last too much longer, but it wasn't my fault; it was Tom Cruise's.

The antenna for the "cellular can" was a telescoping pointer originally used for various 10th grade science projects, including my hilarious presentation about phosphorus featuring me as "H. Phos Pherot."

starring

JIM BATTESTELLI
as Sullivan

ANNETTE MUSLOSKI
as Jane

J. WAYLON BATTESTELLI
as Driver

JEAN CURCIO
as Phone Company Lady

and KATE DWYER
as Leslie Dykstra

music by
HUEVOS RANCHEROS
SELF

additional material by
THE CAST
ERIC BATTESTELLI

everything else by
PAUL CURCIO

a CONKY FILMS production : December 2001.

Failure to provide better close-up of Leslie's "cell can". Sorry.

Two musical montages too close together. To remedy this, hit 'pause' and go have a donut or something after the first one, then watch the rest of the picture.

Should have written dialog for Jane's half of ending conversation.