Direction + Production Design | Saving Stonelight Tile
I met David during a walk in my neighborhood. The intricacy of the tiles in the display window made me knock on his door. We became friends. His 97-year-old company was going through a really rough patch. I thought the least I could do was to tell his story and let people know about this hidden treasure. I created this documentary with the help of my friends Ocean and Arjun. The story got picked up by Metro and also created a buzz in the local community to step forward and save this historic company. David lives and works in Alviso now. Perhaps you want to get your hands dirty and learn to make a custom tile by the maestro himself?
In David's own words:
"S.S. Stonelight sounds like the name of a ship. In this case, however, the name represents a bridge (under the stewardship of a variety of captains and crew) between S. & S. Tile Company from the 1920s through the 1950s, and Stonelight Tile thereafter. The ship has weathered many storms, including survival of the Great Depression and numerous recessions and economic downturns. Of late, however, the vessel has hit a reef that threatens its ability to stay afloat.
The S.S. Stonelight has lost its mooring and has to find a new berth from whence it can continue its 97-year journey as the last surviving California tile maker from the Golden Era of tile manufacturers."