“MiLK” is a short film published on YouTube by the channel MightyMorphinMilk. Miguel Marquez, who goes by Alex, is a Senior at Reedy High School and Director of the short film “MiLK”. Cade Roberti is a Sophomore at Reedy and the lead actor of “MiLK” who plays ‘The Stranger’. Alex and Cade agreed to an interview regarding the short film and its production.

REPORTER: (To Alex) What Inspired you to make MiLK?

ALEX: So, what inspired me most was like the works of other great short film directors. Kenneth Anger, Luis Buñuel, mostly the French New Wave Movement…and the way that they tackled how to present reality, just storytelling in general.

REPORTER: After you created MiLK, and then it got popular, how did you feel about its uprising?

ALEX: I think it was good. I think the reaction wasn’t really… what I expected. I didn’t think people would actually appreciate artistic style and the story telling aspects, but people kind of made it into a meme, but that’s fine. If people want to approach my work as a meme then that’s great, then at least I did something.

REPORTER: (To Cade) How did you feel about it?

CADE: The meme status of MiLK… I actually felt honored, in a way, like whenever i would walk in a room I’d get ‘You’re that guy from MiLK! Oh my goodness!”. Yeah, I think of my role in MiLK as Harrison Ford and that was Han Solo, and I don’t want to be Han Solo, I want to be known as Indiana Jones who was in… a different short film that I did, “Where’s Alex?”.

ALEX: Just to put this on record, just to put this out there, I am proud of the work that I did on that short film and Cade did an excellent job. No matter what people perceive of it I still think it’s excellent.

REPORTER: Is there anything else either of you’d like to add?

ALEX: I am going to be possibly having one of my shortfilms be at a film festival soon. Most likely, the Literally short film festival and possibly the Oak Cliff Film Festival. So yeah, my next one is Herbie and I hope that turns out well.

“Herbie” is a project about a voyeuristic film projectionist, and is currently in the post production process. According to Alex, “Herbie” was inspired by George Lucas’ short film of the same name and the work of Herbie Hancock. Alex plans to continue making short films and working on his projects.