In a land far, far away-also known as Los Angeles, California- Rubber Baby Films premiered their hilarious and whimsical comedy series: ‘Once Upon a High’ just in time for 4/20. Sharing some similarity to ‘Drunk History’ by tapping into the pure comedic potential of impaired storytelling, ‘Once Upon a High’ features a stoned storyteller as they recall a classic childhood fairytale or fable. The first episode stars comedian Carly Kane retelling the iconic story of Hansel and Gretel under the smoky haze of overflowing joints offered by mischievous hosts. Visual aids help push the narrative along with unlikely characters in DIY costumes and flamboyant, ultra- satisfying animation.
Rubber Baby Films consists of three long time friends Elise Felber, Noah Kelly, and Tai Pham. The trio’s portfolio consists of music videos, short films, and ‘Once Upon a High’ as their latest achievement. ‘Once Upon a High’ was born from – what else- but a stoned conversation in which Noah was trying to hash out the logistics of ‘Pinoccio.’ Though most stoned ideas disappear into the ether, Noah’s upside down ‘Pinocchio” was a light bulb moment that manifested into a fully actualized production. “We wanted to make something new that catered to our dear stoner family, and we believed that there was a void that needed to be filled and Once Upon a High is exactly that,” shares Elise.
Rubber Baby Films embraces authenticity in every project they make. From the very beginning when the idea is born to the planning stages to putting a team together to meticulously editing the final cut, they plant moments of candid realness in their films to connect with their audience. They love casting folks who don’t consider themselves actors, including themselves sometimes, gifting watchers true relatability. And their humor always hits; it doesn’t try to be cool or sharp or edgy. It feels natural and effortless, like what you would expect from friends who laugh together often to create.
Some of Rubber Baby Films prior projects include their short film ‘Spritz’ which came out last summer and music video ‘I’ll Show You How’ for r&b singer, Grace Kinter, which dropped in January. ‘Spritz’ features a chronically online couple attempting to spice up their evening with Acid Spray. The film has a sweet innocence to it despite the trippy aesthetics and plot, showing that the road to dissociation and or euphoria can be filled with silly hurdles, but as long as you can laugh about them along the way with someone you feel safe with, you’re good to go. Their music video for Grace Kinter’s ‘I’ll Show You How’ proves how versatile they can be as they shifted gears completely to capture a choreography and dance heavy music video. From intimate moments between couples in a small apartment to dance and movement in a giant warehouse, Elise, Noah, and Tai are beasts behind the camera. “We like to think that we are bringing something unique that represents not only ourselves but our diverse community and sharing stories that larger scale companies are unable to take risks on,” the trio shares.
The first episode of ‘Once Upon a High’ is available to stream on youtube. You can check out the rest of Rubber Baby Films films and stay updated on future episodes of ‘Once Upon a High’ on their Instagram and website.