Photographs courtesy Dean Alexander

In the film Our Family Knows Glasses director Dean Alexander tells the story of a playfully eccentric family obsessed with eyewear. Based on the the story of the family behind Georgetown Optician — a fashion eyewear retailer — the film tells the story of three characters as they grew up in this eyewear-obsessed family. 

it was shot in a historic mansion in Maryland horse country, on a limited budget, in one day. Of the film the director says, "Everyone pulled together to create props, find locations and perfect the storyline. No matter what the scene, we made sure the eyewear was the hero – through storytelling, composition and afterwards with selective color-grading. We made effort to have every element in the scene work into the story – from the eyeball cakes and pastries to the eye-centric books in the library, to the eye shaped circular driveway and fountain outside the mansion."

Based in the US, Dean Alexander is an advertising and fashion photographer and EMMY winning director and filmmaker. His work has taken him to over 50 countries and his films have won awards at the Fashion Film Festivals in Milan, London, Berlin and Miami.  

Here, five questions about the film and what we can expect next.

Is the storyline of the film a reflection of the true story behind Georgetown Optician? 
Yes, the agency Design Army decided to base it on the client's story.  The film is based on the Voorthuis family, owners of Georgetown Optician, ta fashion eyewear retailer.  It is owned by a father, originally from Holland, and his son and daughter.  While we played up the characters’ eccentric nature, the real family is indeed obsessed with glasses.  And the dog featured in the film is their actual dog.  

What was the biggest challenge of shooting the film in one day?  
The biggest challenge was that there were so many complicated scenes! Most every scene had complicated props, lighting, wardrobe changes and even a location change.  It should have been a two day shoot, but we needed to keep it to one day because of budget.  We all worked as a team and powered through.  

Approximately how many eyeballs do you think were used in this film? 
That’s a good question! I’m not sure I know the answer. Let’s just say it was a lot!

Of the glasses featured in the film, which are your favorite? 
I think it would have to be the glasses from the ping pong scene. I loved how they looked in that scene.

What happened to the mom in the storyline? 
All will be revealed in future films! We’re in the process of producing a sequel right now and will explore additional family members.

Our Family Knows Glasses
Directed by Dean Alexander