Heart of Vice

Sal Medina, the owner of Packing House Wines, was so kind to allow a bunch of unknown teens to film in the restaurant for a couple hours, and I cannot thank him enough for it. He was respectful and extremely cooperative. For instance, prior to shooting, he stated that if I needed to move anything around in order to make the shot more aesthetically pleasing, that I could feel free to do so. The freedom he gave us truly relaxed us, making the shoot an extremely enjoyable experience. 

As the director, what attracted me to the location was its elegant and charming atmosphere. I thought that it would be the perfect hang-out place for Aaron and Ira, especially considering that it is the only scene in the movie where both characters are truly happy. That point marks the end of Ira as Aaron knew him, and I therefore thought that their favorite restaurant should be joyful and special. The last thing I wanted was for 'their place' to be bland and boring, and Packing House Wines was simply a no brainer.