Fame Instantly, Like It or Not

Fame Instantly, Like It or Not

Bruce Von Stiers

Kat and Jackie get kicked out of a club. Apparently Kat, being pretty drunk, had started a fight. And, according to the bouncer, it was the third time in a month they started fights there. So, the boss wants them gone, never to return.

Not matter what Kat and Jackie try to do makes any difference. Even saying they have to use the bathroom. They end up going into an alley behind the club to do their business. But that is when things take a very different turn.

This is the start of a short comedy film called #Instafame. It pokes fun at the whole instant fame phenomenon has risen with everyone being on social media. But the underlying message seems to be that certain people will do anything for fame, even if it is fleeting. And what consequences might arise from that moment of instant fame.

Jackie and Kat going to the bathroom in the alley is filmed by two guys passing by. Those guys add some content to the video and post it online. The video goes viral. The next day all of Jackie and Kat's friends, along with a ton of other people, have seen the video.

There's a saying, somewhat antiquated now, about people seeking their 15 minutes of fame. These days, when everyone is filming everything, a posted video can make a person the next TikTok darling or the newest influencer. It just takes a bit of being extra and all of a sudden you have a gazillion followers on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube and even Threads.

Kat's trajectory from the posted video is opposite of Jackie's. Kat may just become one of those influencers. But Jackie might lose her job and her fiancé. But the fiancé, Teddy, is a real jerk, so maybe losing him might not be such a bad thing.

Jessica Morris was Jackie. She has well over a hundred screen credits, including a long standing role on the soap opera One Life To Live. Melissa Archer was Kat. She's been in several films, along with a recurring role on Beacon Hill. And she's been in over a hundred episodes of One Life to Live.

Brandon Goins was the douche fiancé, Teddy. He has had many film and television appearances. He is also the co-owner of the production company for this film, The Usual BS Productions. He was a producer for this film as well. And he starred in another short film I recently reviewed, Insane.

Barry Brisco was Pierre, who is Kat's sort of boss. He's had appearances in several films and had a recurring role in Blindspotting.

Sean Carrigan was Dave the bouncer. He has many screen credits, including guest appearing in several television dramas and over two hundred episodes of the soap opera The Young and the Restless.

Robert Scott Wilson was one of the guys in the alley. He is another veteran soap opera actor, with a recurring role in All My Children and a long running role in Days of Our Lives.

Eric Nelson was the other guy in the ally, the one who's actually filming Kat and Jackie. He's appeared in several films and had a recurring role in the show 1883.

Teresa Cicala was the film's second producer. She is a veteran editor for television including almost four hundred episodes of General Hospital.

Sonia Blangiardo-Goins was the film's third producer, along with being its writer and director. She directed almost three hundred episodes of Days of Our Lives. She is also the wife of Brandon Goins.

And the Cinematographer for the film was Rod Portier.

#Instafame is a good comedy. It takes the awkward situation of getting filmed going to the bathroom and turns it into a satire with a bit of a statement on social media influencers. A video like the one of Kat and Jackie's awkward situation could rocket someone into social media influencer fame. Or it could have unseen and unwelcome consequences. As the film is somewhat of a parody, a couple of the characters are a bit over the top. Kat's boss Pierre is a haughty queen and Teddy is a real asshat. Makes you wonder what Jackie ever saw in the guy.

I am not sure whether #Instafame will be available for the general public yet. It is making the rounds at film festivals. And it has been submitted to the Santa Clarita International Film Festival for possible inclusion in this year's upcoming festival.

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