Student’s film makes sweet music

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A. Sue Weisler

Ben Disinger’s video for a class project went viral.

“It feels like I’ve just kissed a girl who I’ve secretly admired for a very long time,” explains Ben Disinger with a smile—and with good reason.

What started as his class project for Experimental Film went viral last summer as the award-winning music video for the song “Virgin,” performed by the rock band Manchester Orchestra—one of Disinger’s favorite artists. The video has generated extensive buzz online and attracted network TV airplay on Fuse and MTVU.

Disinger, a fourth-year fine art film major, originally planned a short, narrative film without dialogue. As he sat editing clips on his laptop, “Virgin” played in the background. “I started paying attention to the words a little bit,” he says. “Looking at the visuals I had, I realized they were perfect for each other. They fit beautifully.”

He created a “rough cut” of clips married to the music and, within a week, shared it with members of the band during their local tour stop. “We were blown away,” recalls Manchester Orchestra lead singer Andy Hull, so they agreed to make it their official video.

“Virgin” received “Best Music Video” honors at both the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival and the Independent Film Festival in Tampa. Disinger scored “Best Director” honors at the Los Angeles event.