Zeke and Zack were a couple of ten year old boys who lived in a small, isolated desert town in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't a lot to do in town, but Zeke and Zack had access to some video recording and editting equipment. The boys spent a lot of time shooting short videos that they called "Commercials" even though they weren't actually trying to sell anything. The reason they called their little videos commercials was that all their videos were extremely short. A few of their commercials were mock television advertisements, but most of their commercials were just little skits.
Here's an example of one of their earliest creations:
"Hey Zeke, wanna go scuba diving?" asked Zack who was wearing a full wet suit complete with a diving mask and snorkel. All that was shown in the frame was the upper portion of Zack's body and his face.
"Yeah, I thought that's why we came out here!" said Zeke who was also wearing a full wet suit with a diving mask and snorkel. Just Zeke's face and shoulders were in frame for this shot.
The boys were at a small pond filled by a desert spring and a little of it could be seen over the boys' shoulders up to this point in the video.
"Did you bring your spear?" asked Zack.
"Oh, yeah, I brought my spear!" said Zeke. The camera zoomed to a wider shot so that the spear Zeke was holding could be seen.
"Good because there's a giant spring monster living in this spring!" said Zack.
Next Zeke and Zack were shown entering the water of the pond and wading toward a small cave. They disappeared into the cave. The camera angle changed momentarily to a close up of the dark opening to the cave. The boys were heard struggling with something. They said things like "Watch out! It's coming straight for you!" and "I got it!" and "This thing's huge!" Eventually the boys were shown wading out of the cave carrying a large and strange looking fish. They also had lots of algae hanging from their equipment. Finally they were shown on shore holding up their catch for the camera like proud fishermen.
This little video skit, which Zack and Zeke called "Pond Scum," lasted about eighty-five seconds. For this skit the boys used a couple of wetsuits which belonged to Zack's parents. They were in a box up in Zack's attic and when the boys found the wetsuits they knew they would make good props for one of their commercials. The boys were able to appear in frame together since they had a tripod for their camera. They used a large rubber fake fish for the spring monster. This video took a small amount of editing which the boys were able to do with the help of Zeke's computer.
Zeke and Zack were highly independent when it came to making their little films. They didn't allow anyone to help them or even be present when they were making their videos. They agreed to do things this way before they ever shot their first video. The boys didn't want anyone trying to take over their project in any way and so they refused to work with anyone else.
Here's another early creation:
"I'm Dr. Henry Jones and this is a huge egg which belongs to the giant desert chicken. In just a few moments it will hatch and you will see a baby giant desert chicken. The mother chicken laid this egg two weeks ago. Since it is so hot in the desert the giant desert chicken mother doesn't have to sit on her eggs," said Zack who was wearing some of his nicest clothes in an effort to look something like a professor.
Zack was standing next to a large, oval shaped rock. The rock looked almost exactly like a giant egg. It was smooth and rounded and solid granite.
After Zack's introduction the sound of pecking or chipping was heard.
"It sounds like the baby is hatching right now!" said Zack doing his best to sound surprised and looking toward the rock.
A close up of a bird face and beak was shown. It was pecking at the sides of the hole from inside the rock.
"We can see the chick breaking out of the shell," said Zack.
A moment later the rock hole was larger and more of the giant desert chick could be seen.
"It's hard work, but the chick is making progress," said Zack.
Next the chick was shown crawling out of the hole, which was now even larger. The chick stumbled around a bit.
"There you've seen it! The birth of a baby desert chicken chick!" said Zack standing beside the chick who wobbled around a bit as Zack said this. There were small boulders around the chicken which were supposed to represent the remnants of the shell it had just broken out of. Finally the chick jumped up and down triumphantly.
The main prop for this video was a chicken suit which they borrowed from a friend who had dressed up as a chicken for the previous Halloween. The other props were the eroded rocks found near their houses. These rocks had been eroded by the wind into strange shapes. They were also full of large cavities which the boys could crawl into. The boys used four different rocks in their video. Zeke was able to crawl into these rocks from one side and poke his head out of the rocks from the other side so that it appeared that he was in an egg. Close up shots of the chick's head through the holes made it appear that the hole had become larger between shots of Zack commentating on the progress of the chick.
Zeke and Zack actually did some mock commercials too. Here's an example:
"Do you have problems with prespiration?" asks Zack playing the part of an unseen announcer. He does his best to use a deep, official sounding voice.
Zeke is shown standing in front of the mirror in a bathroom. His shirt is wet just beneath his arm pits. He lifts his arms and large wet spots are shown.
Throughout this commercial music is softly played in the background.
"Well have we got the product for you!" says the announcer.
Zeke reaches out and takes a pair of large white, fluffy balls of cotton from an unseen person. He holds them up and smiles at them. The balls have little straps on them.
"These anti-prespiration balls will solve all your prespiration problems," says the announcer.
Zeke is shown without his shirt on now. He slides the straps up his arms so that the balls rest under his arm pits.
"Putting the anti-prespiration balls on is simple and painless," says the announcer.
Zeke pulls his shirt back on, smiles in satisfaction, and holds up his arms victoriously. A slight bulge under each arm is barely noticeable.
"That's all there is to it! Now you can go out in public without fear or embarrassment. No more big wet spots thanks to anti-prespiration balls!" says the announcer.
Zeke played the background music for this commercial with a keyboard attached to his computer. He called it "happy music" since it was supposed to set a happy mood for the commercial. This entire commercial was shot in Zack's bathroom. The shots of Zeke were mostly reflections off the large bathroom mirror which meant that Zack had to be standing almost next to Zeke inorder to film him this way. It also meant that the boys had to do a really good job of cleaning the mirror before shooting the commercial.
Another mock commercial created by Zack and Zeke was for a fake weight loss program:
"Are you fat and out of shape? Do you feel like a human blob of fat just sitting on the sofa unable to do anything but watch TV?" asks Zeke standing in front of Zack who is sitting behind him on a sofa. Zack is wearing his father's clothes and they are stuffed with pillows and sheets to make Zack look incredibly fat.
"Does morbid obesity have you down?" asks Zeke.
Zack nods his head and sort of pouts in a close up shot.
"Do you want to do something about it?" asks Zeke.
Zack nods again.
"Well have I got the product to you. With just three doses of 'Fat Attack' a day, you can lose over one hundred pounds in just two weeks! Does this sound like something you might like to try?" says Zeke holding a bottle of 'Fat Attack' diet pills.
Zack nods again and this time he has a big smile on his face.
"Well, then get off that sofa and pop a couple of these pills and start losing weight!" says Zeke.
Zack jumps off the sofa and takes the bottle of 'Fat Attack' and pours some of the pills down his throat.
"The pounds will start coming off immediately and in only two weeks you will be fit and trim and ready for action," says Zeke.
The scene changes from the livingroom to a bright, sunny backyard patio. Zack is shown shirtless and wearing sunglasses. The words "Two Weeks Later" appear at the bottom of the screen and Zack flexes and poses for the camera. A moment later a telephone number is shown at the bottom of the screen.
"A two week supply of 'Fat Attack' is only $69.95 and the results are guaranteed. So, call now to order some 'Fat Attack' for yourself and get the body you've always dreamed of!" says Zeke in conclusion.
Zeke and Zack both wanted to be the fat guy who became skinny in this video. Both boys were skinny and they liked the idea of dressing up in the fat suit and then posing in front of the camera. They decided to solve the problem of who got to play that role by having a push up contest. The reasoning was that since the guy who flexed in the video was supposed to be strong and in good shape, whoever could do the most push ups would be the best for the role. Zack won the contest and so he got the part he wanted in that commercial.
Fake news was a common skit premise used by the boys. They had lots of ideas for silly news skits like this one:
"This is Jack Kruger with the news that will make you snooze. Today out in the middle of the desert in the middle of nowhere in what some would call a desolate, dry wasteland, a boy was found buried up to his neck in the sand," said Zack speaking into a microphone and wearing clothes which were intended to make him look like a news reporter.
"Water. Water. Give me water," said Zeke with a voice intended to make it sound like he was very thirsty. Zeke was apparently buried up to his neck in sand.
"What is your name, young man?" asked Zack holding a microphone up to Zeke's face.
"My name is Joe and I need a drink of water," said Zeke very slowly as if he were struggling to get the words out.
"Ah, that is very interesting, but could you tell us how you got buried like this?" asked Zack.
"These really bad guys beat me up and stole all my stuff and took me out here to die in the middle of the desert," said Zeke coughing as he labored to say these words.
"How long have you been here?" asked Zack.
"Two days straight," said Zeke.
"That is a very long time to go without water, you must be very thirsty," said Zack.
"Yes, do you have any water?" asked Zeke.
"Actually I do, but I plan on having it with my lunch," said Zack.
"I need water!" complained Zeke.
"I don't have any water for you, but I can provide you with some shade," said Zack as he placed a box over Zack's head.
Zeke groaned and the video came to a close.
The main difficulty with this video was digging a hole for Zeke to crouch in. The boys worked over an hour to dig a hole that was deep enough and then Zack had to do all the work of filling it in. Needless to say, Zeke took a long shower after finishing this commercial.
Zeke and Zack developed many two person comedy routines like this next one which they called "The Forgetful Waiter."
"Here are your oysters sir," says Zeke pretending to be a waiter. The main costume element which Zeke wore to make him look like a waiter was an apron. He also had a little order pad stuffed in a pocket.
As soon as Zeke places the plate of what are supposed to be oysters on the table in front of Zack, Zack protests, "I did not order oysters!"
"Ah, but you did sir," says Zeke as he pulls out his pad and looks at his notes.
"I most certainly didn't order oysters! I ordered a steak," says Zack sounding angry.
"No, it says right here that you ordered oysters," says Zeke.
"I don't care what your stupid pad says. I'm the one who ordered and I ought to know what I ordered. Now bring me my steak or else I'm leaving," says Zack yelling at Zeke.
Zeke acts like he's slightly annoyed and he says, "Very well sir, steak it is."
Zack is shown waiting for his order to arrive. He taps his fingers and looks around like he is bored.
After a long wait, Zeke returns with a plate and says, "Your fish sticks are ready sir," and places the plate on the table in front of Zack.
"No!" shouts Zack. "You got it wrong again. I order a steak, not these lousy fish sticks."
"But these are the finest fish sticks in town, sir," says Zeke as if his feelings are hurt.
"I don't care if they are the best fish sticks in the world. I'm hungry for a steak and that's what I ordered!" says Zack.
"I am certain that you ordered fish sticks," says Zeke.
"You have got to have the worst memory in the world. Get it through your head. I want a steak!" yells Zack.
Zack is shown waiting again. He taps his fingers some more and looks up at the ceiling impatiently.
After another long wait, Zeke returns with a bowl of oatmeal and places it in front of Zack. "Here is your delicious and nutritious oatmeal."
"You have got to be the worst waiter in the world! Can't you get my order right?" shouts Zack.
"No. You are the worst customer in the world. You can't make up your mind what it is that you want," says Zeke.
"I didn't order oatmeal," says Zack slowly and loudly.
"Yes you did and if you're not going to eat it then you can wear it!" says Zeke as he picks up the bowl and dumps it over Zeke's head.
The skit ends with a close up of the oatmeal dripping down over Zeke's face. At first he looks angry, but then he sticks out his tongue and tries some of the oatmeal. He says, "Yummy. Not bad."
The boys had to wait until they had Zeke's house to themselves to film this skit. Neither of their parents would have put up with the wasting of food or the mess. Zeke and Zack did a real good job of disposing of the wasted food and cleaning up the mess. It was a long time before they showed this video to their parents.
Zeke and Zack never really thought much about who would watch their videos. They just enjoyed making them. They did show them to friends from time to time, but they weren't even too eager to do this since they didn't want to get pressured into allowing anyone else to work with them. So, they mostly kept their work to themselves for the first couple of years that they worked together.
Here's one last video that they made while they were still ten years old:
"Whatcha doing?" asked Zeke playing the part of a regular guy who had just happened to come across someone doing something strange while out on a hike.
"I'm building an igloo," said Zack. Zack was piling rocks into a ring. It looked like the start of a really large fire ring or something.
Zeke was dressed for a hike on a warm day and Zack was dressed like he was an Eskimo on a cold Arctic day. He wore a thick jacket with a fur-lined hood.
"But this is the desert," said Zeke.
Zack looked at Zeke as if he had said something crazy and said, "I must build a shelter. A storm is approaching."
"What are you talking about? The sky is clear and it's hot and you're crazy," said Zeke.
"You the one who is crazy. It is minus ten degrees out and soon it will grow even colder," said Zack.
"I think the heat has made you looney," said Zeke.
"I no crazy. You the one who is crazy," said Zack.
"No. You are definitely insane," said Zeke.
"If you don't shut up and leave me alone, I will through a snow ball at you," said Zack picking up a rock.
"That's not a snow ball, buddy," said Zeke.
Zack lifted the snowball in a threatening manner.
"But that's okay because I have to get going. I don't have time to hang around and chat with you," said Zeke.
The boys wished they could have added some special effects to this video. They would have liked to have Zack finish the stone igloo, but have it turn into an igloo made out of ice and then have a snow storm. They would have then shown Zeke freezing in his shorts and the video would have ended with Zack saying, "Now who crazy?" They both agreed that when they grew up they would re-shoot this video and finish it the way they thought it should be finished.