'U' students laugh up career hopes

By Robyn Melamed

Daily Arts Writer

What do you get when you add two funny guys, a few hilarious films and a friendship that will last a lifetime? If you answered Abbott and Costello, you are close. If you answered senior LSA film students Matt Plumb and Adam Schwartz, you hit the nail on the head.

This creative team met during auditions for the 1998 production of "One Flew Over the Coo CooUs Nest." Unfortunately, neither of them made the cut. "We went in thinking we were the shit and came out just shit," Plumb said. Yet because of this traumatic blow to their egos, or as they like to call it, "the first dramatic defeat," they went on to try out for the "Rude Mechanicals" one act play, "All in the Timing," and were both cast.

During the three months of auditions, rehearsal and performances Plumb and Schwartz became good friends. They realized that between the two of them, they had several clever ideas for films. "We were able to hang out together and make crazy movies together," Plumb said.

Last summer Plumb and Schwartz, along with other film students (known as "the Film Mafia") worked as interns in Los Angeles, Calif. Plumb worked for the Classics division of Davis entertainment while Schwartz worked for Saturday Night Live.

"Film internships are different from most internships." Shwartz said. "You don't get paid, but you're getting a hands-on experience," said Plumb. "I got to drive a goft cart around that said 'Lorne Michaels,'" Schwartz said.

Plumb and Schwartz went into fits of laughter thinking about one of Plumb's jobs: "I worked as a production assistant for a friend. We went to the movie site and realized we were going to spend the day helping with a film about gay porn. My jobs included oiling gay men and being a dildo wrangler," Plumb said.

In their few spare moments, the Film Mafia amused themselves by making their own films. Plumb's piece, "L.A. 99," is based on the true story about the comical instances that occurred during the time spent in L.A. Plumb worked on this film for the "labor of love," he said. Schwartz put together "American Jedi" which was a project for one of his film classes. This piece, described by Schwartz as a "fake preview," combines the films "American Pie" and "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." The focus of the film is that "OBI-WAN has to get laid in order to become a jedi knight," Schwartz said. "Jedi" will be screening tonight at Film Farm.

Plumb and Schwartz recently co-directed, co-produced and co-wrote the uncensored sketch comedy show, "Skits-O-Phrenia 2." The guys agreed that "this campus was starving for laughter. Laughter is what the people wanted, and you gotta give the people what they want." According to Plumb and Schwartz, "Everybody loved it. There was consistent laughter."

After graduation, this entertaining duo is planning to move out to Los Angeles and pursue careers in film or screenwriting. Will they be competing for jobs? "No. If anything, we'll help each other out," Schwartz said. "We work well together," Plumb agreed, "and it's all about collaboration."