An Exclusive Look at Bebe Zeva: The Documentary

Mar. 24, 2011

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Bebe Zeva is a 17-year-old fashion-blogger/model/writer living in Las Vegas. On November 27, 2010 Megan Boyle and Tao Lin used a MacBook to film a documentary about her. The first 12-minutes and two later segments (“The Seven Degrees of Bebe Zeva,” “Bebe Gone Wild”) of the 88-minute film, which was edited down from 5-hours of footage, can be viewed below. The full-length DVD is available from MDMAfilms.

I Feel Affectionate When I Think of Little Things That Melt

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  • http://avantgardebagpipesolos.tumblr.com/ Omar De Col

    really want to be simultaneously nurtured by bebe, tao and megan…

    • http://avantgardebagpipesolos.tumblr.com/ Omar De Col

      jesus.

      “we already opened it to make sure it didn't explode”

      tao & megan are so sweet

      • http://youtubedotcom.tumblr.com/ marshall

        ur so col omar

      • http://avantgardebagpipesolos.tumblr.com/ Omar De Col

        that made me omar de LOL

      • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

        sweet

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      i would enjoy nurturing you with bebe and megan

      • beachsloth

        Glad you are nurturing.

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        hi beachsloth, i keep thinking “beachsloth was at the premier” and wondering if we made eye contact and i didn't know it…

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      i'd also get in on a three-person nurturing installment for you, omar de col

  • Anonybroski

    sweet

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      hi anonybroski, is that family name? sounds polish

  • a polar bear

    'clicked thru' this, felt like it seemed okay, decided to 'save it'

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      nice, a polar bear

  • Dan Bejar

    jesus TC really necessary to put this on three different pages? seems like a 'weak' attempt to garner page views

    • Anonybroski

      it's three diff vids bro

      i mean, damn

    • Nick

      Why are you naming yourself after Dan Bejar, dude? seems like a 'weak' attempt to identify with an indie band

      • Nick

        Apologies in advance if it is your actual name.

  • mario

    sweat…. sweaty

    sweet

  • http://gearshack.blogspot.com Naked&Famous

    This was filmed from a macbook? Like someone (sounds like megan most of the time?) carried around an open laptop for 5 hours of filming? You guys are hardcore… I think I probably would have sprung for a handheld camera, and perhaps a tripod. A cell phone would probably have taken better video… Really, with a macbook?!

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      yes, we carried a macbook

      macbook-carrying duties were shared

      even bebe 'got in on' carrying the macbook sometimes

  • http://my.staff.get/it jeez

    obviously following the money trail and realizing that it always leads to 17-yr old girls

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      bro…

      can you elaborate

      what money trail

      my money trail would be writing a novel and having a literary agent sell it to doubleday or something like that

      megan's money trail would be to do the same thing or maybe get a job

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      i went into making “bebe zeva” feeling high levels of curiosity/interest in bebe, and the idea of filming a night in las vegas with a person i had never met but known through the internet

      i also felt interested in how carrying a macbook with us would impact how the night went. i thought it would create spontaneous and interesting-looking shots and a kind of intimacy i've felt watching mumblecore movies, only maybe heightened to the point of it almost feeling like watching footage of a naturalistic observational study since it began to feel that the “camera” became more of a passive presence as we focused on bebe

      i also felt interested in making money from all of this, though we have yet to make a profit

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      estimated cost/income so far

      cost:
      ~$900 (200 dvds + shipping)
      ~$360 (round-trip plane tickets for bebe)
      $500 ('soho house' charge)
      $80 (misc. food for bebe)
      $50 (promotional flyers)
      _________________
      ~$1890

      income:
      ~$450 (~30 dvds sold – shipping & 1/3 profits to bebe)
      $225 ([something, not sure if they want price revealed])
      ________________
      ~$675

  • Anne Frank

    Nice. Saw these videos and wondered if a Shitstorm might develop.

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      hi anne, i liked your blog you wrote from that attic thingy

  • xtos

    does this mean bebe was like 14 or 15 when she modelled the I Am Carles t-shirts for hipsterrunoff? shit when i was 14 i still played with power rangers…

  • http://lazyroar.blogspot.com/ lazyroar

    I was skeptical, but this actually seems like an interesting film.

  • http://timothypresence.com/ Timothy Willis Sanders

    'Kevin Bacon'

    lol…

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      heh heh

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      seems crazy that his last name is 'bacon'

      imagine if he was 'kevin beef' or 'kevin pork'

      • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

        seems crazy that there are so many bacons, rather

        francis bacon

        i met a bacon also a few months ago

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        lol

        your commenting spree…

        kevin shrimp

      • Rwitter

        Or possibly Kevin Prawn depending on geographical location/vernacular.

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        district 9…

      • http://timothypresence.com/ Timothy Willis Sanders

        'norwood' is his middle name

        kevin norwood bacon

        norwood…

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        read 'kevin norwood bacon' thinking a 'norwood' was a kind of shrimp

        hehe

        this kevin bacon is pretty good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        if there were kevin beefs everywhere, we would be desensitized to the “beef” last name the same way we are to the”bacon” last name…you'd be saying “imagine if he was 'kevin bacon'”

        the universe is probably just made of infinite dimensions where there are higher frequencies of different meat last names

      • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

        i don't feel desensitized to the 'bacon' last name

        feel like other people are desensitized to it but i'm viewing it without preconception and not feeling desensitized

        feel like i would be able to view 'beef' last name without preconception also and not feel desensitized

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        damn, seems zen

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      did you see your book, timothy

      sorry about throwing it like that

      no matter what book was there it would have been thrown, the throw was not book-specific

      • http://timothypresence.com/ Timothy Willis Sanders

        think i typed 'keving' bacon first and imagined 'keving' as a technique for preparing bacon

        like, did you 'kev' the bacon

        like, 'i forgot to kev the bacon first, so it tastes shitty'

        like, 'keving' involves flash-dancing over the bacon maybe

        i think eating or being in a hot tub is more fun than talking about a book

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        'keving' sounds like what happens in the shaving process, or determining the thickness of the bacon slice…bacon shearing…

  • http://popserial.tumblr.com stephen

    lol

    i smiled a lot while watching this

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      hi stephen

      sweet

      did you see 'pop serial' on the chart

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      sweet, stephen :)

  • Scottie

    this is so much more interesting than i could have ever believed

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      sweet

      who are you

      what did you believe

      can you elaborate

      what could you have believed, and then now what do you believe

      or rather what do you perceive now, after watching these excerpts

      honestly feel interested in your thoughts

      • Scottie

        well i was first thinking she's 17 'it-girl' how interesting can she be even if tao lin & megan boyle made a film about her but now i am a 'bebeliever'

      • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

        #bebeliever

        sweet

      • ZaneEatsWorld

        I feel like this new catchphrase is too indicative of the term 'bieberbeliever' to have any actually buzz/meme/blogability

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        “bebeliever” sounds 10x easier to say/remember and more clever than “bieberbeliever,” imho

        feel like “bebeliever” has potential to surf the “bieberbeliever” buzzwave

      • http://twitter.com/Sscottie Scott Lewis

        i feel like bebe would have much more interesting views on abortion and universal healthcare

  • http://twitter.com/sadjew ⍍horsecock.mpg⍍

    is 'sadjew' 'SJ'?

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      it's 'shane jones,' i think

      • Brandon scott gorrell

        100% certain sad jew is not shane jones

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        lol

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      who are you, i've never known who you are really

      your twitter ratio seems sweet

      good job

      • http://twitter.com/sadjew ⍍horsecock.mpg⍍

        my twitter ratio is my greatest accomplishment.

      • http://twitter.com/jennifersussex Jennifer Sussex

        i checked out his twitter and thank god i didn't have a fit of epilepsy. those animated gifs need a not-safe-for-epileptics: NSFE warning.

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        animated gifs got me tripping balls…

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      confirming that i think it's shane jones

  • Piquo

    i am thinking about this, but not much.

  • Twitter.com/dw070

    This is cool, this might be the first dogme documentary, maybe.

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      sweet

      journalists, are you reading this

      film people, film critics, and journalists

      • validate me… now.

        no. i came here lamenting how little money i have. seriously, fuck all of you.

      • Twitter.com/dw070

        @Tao sweet. You replied. Feel kind of starstruck, shit, got to be chill.

        @validate me now: I wish you and I were coworkers so you could vent to me on a smoke break. Sitting on upturned milk crates or something. That would be good.

      • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

        i'd like to hear any/all expansions on your thoughts about “bebe zeva” and dogme, twitter.com/dw070

  • buttercup mcgillicuddy

    my gf and i made a 'friend chart' similar to the one at ~5:49 on 'bebe gone wild'

    ~70% of the initials/names are present (on our chart)

    seem to link similarly/accurately based on a still i just inspected

    also, sweet videos, feel sad i missed the premier

    good job

    • buttercup mcgillicuddy

      **map/diagram/web**

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      sweet

      interested in seeing your chart

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      70%, damn bcups…i'd like to see

  • Alex Allison

    i think i also have a crush on Brandon. i liked bebe's unprovoked psychoanalysis of herself, i feel like she probably feels that she thinks too much and enjoyed this chance to think out loud, realising she thinks more even than she thought she thinks.

  • baby

    bebe in portuguese is baby

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=707272007 Alex Thayer

    tao makes this video.

    also, documentary is an incredible medium.

  • Tommmmmm

    I wish I was this precocious when I was 17. Now I'm 19 and worried.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/josh-mosh/28601084 josh mosh

    bebe zeva is a role model. any comparisons to edie sedgwick are unfairly reductive.

  • http://jimmychenchen.com/ Jimmy Chen

    tao can drive; my mind is blown.

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      megan was driving

      i am able to drive though

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Leonardo-Zuniga/100001941625130 Leonardo Zuniga

    “Theres been twitter since 1999 but back then it was in Times New Roman font”

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Leonardo-Zuniga/100001941625130 Leonardo Zuniga

    “Theres been twitter since 1999 but back then it was in Times New Roman font”

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