In spring quarter of his freshman year, Raymond Jeong wrote a short story. Four years later, that story became CLO-SE, a film done entirely in close-ups. “I always intended [CLO-SE] to be a film,” said Raymond, “and then my senior year Honors in the Arts announced itself and I was like, alright let’s do this.”

“I always intended [CLO-SE] to be a film,” said Raymond, “and then my senior year Honors in the Arts announced itself and I was like, alright let’s do this.”

Where did Jeong get the idea to create a film composed entirely of close-ups? By walking in circles. “I just went about how I usually write my stories. I walk in circles, literally, and if something cool enters my mind, I go with it,” said Jeong. Besides wearing tread marks into his dorm room carpet, Jeong gathered inspiration from Paul Thomas Harrison’s short film Cigarettes and Coffee. “The film is about three interrelated stories that all take place in this one diner, and they’re all connected in this crazy, secret way,” said Jeong. “I really liked that idea: all these stories, connected in some bizarre way that you don’t realize until the very end of the film. I wanted to execute the same kind of story.”

Besides wearing tread marks into his dorm room carpet, Jeong gathered inspiration from Paul Thomas Harrison’s short film Cigarettes and Coffee.

And he did. Full of mystery, intrigue, and romance, CLO-SE tells the story of William, a marathon runner who is thrown into an unusual situation. But according to Raymond, it wasn’t the story or the filming that tested his artistic capabilities; it was the meaning behind his words that posed a challenge. “Although shooting each shot wasn’t too bad, the thinking—man, a bit of a struggle, to make sure that the meaning of the film is conveyed implicitly, subliminally. And it’s a scary thing, making a film mostly with close-ups. I really did not know how the film would turn out,” said Jeong.

According to the crowd that collected in Kimball Hall on June 2nd for the debut of CLO-SE, the film was compelling, intense, and unique.

Prior to the film’s debut, Raymond speaks fondly of the artistic process that he went through with the help of the Stanford Arts Institute. “The Honors in the Arts workshop was crucial to helping me figure out the film’s resolution,” said Jeong. One late night in his dorm room Raymond had a stroke of inspiration, and decided to rewrite the entire ending of his film. When he presented his decision at the workshop, everyone threw around ideas, and he left with a new direction. “After I shot it, I thanked the heavens for the workshop,” said Jeong.

“The Honors in the Arts workshop was crucial to helping me figure out the film’s resolution,” said Jeong… When he presented his decision at the workshop, everyone threw around ideas, and he left with a new direction. “After I shot it, I thanked the heavens for the workshop,” said Jeong.

After graduating with a degree in English, Jeong is planning his next move while working at his parents’ donut shop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to Jeong, his time with Honors in the Arts helped him grow immensely as an artist. “The Stanford Arts Institute is exactly what every artist needs,” said Jeong. “Essentially, it helps you explore, and through exploring you learn about yourself as an artist, which in turn teaches you about yourself as a person.”