Titan TV’s new show, “Love Bites,” is a student-produced dark comedy filled with vampires, love affairs and food, an interest many college students share.
UW Oshkosh student Gerardo De La Teja created the show and is also one of its directors.

‘Love Bites’ is a dark comedy with supernatural motifs that is composed by series of vignette; love stories that can stand on their own, but are joined together through a main dramatic arc and two common themes, love and food,” De La Teja said. “The tone is dark and a bit humorous, but the supernatural motifs make it thrilling and suspenseful.”

The show focuses on a restaurant called Le Bistro. After a series of murders around the city and the disappearance of Le Bistro’s sous chef, a detective steps in to investigate.

“Mysterious events unravel in the process, and along with three [interwoven] and complicated love stories between them, reveal a supernatural underground world, and a deep and gruesome motive,” De La Teja said.

De La Teja said he believes the mix of the supernatural world, along with the two main themes and the cinematic properties, create an engaging plot for both students and Oshkosh citizens to enjoy.

He said he got the idea for “Love Bites” in his cinematography class last semester.

“I developed a story with the same tone and genre back in my freshman year, but it was never picked out for production, and I thought this semester, being my last one as an undergrad, would be a great opportunity to re-touch the theme,” De La Teja said.

He said his idea for the vampire chef character also grew from the class when he needed to mislead a character to walk into an ominous place and scare him.

“I had him attract his victim with a series of signs that offered free donuts, and when he finally walked into an alleyway, the chef’s fangs were waiting for him,” De La Teja said.

Although De La Teja was the creator of the story, he said he also likes working on set because that’s where the action happens.

“I loved writing and developing the concept, as well as the whole pre-production process, but being on the set directing and/or filming it is a thrill that I deeply enjoy, even when things don’t go one hundred percent the way you plan, which is almost all the time,” De La Teja said.

“Love Bites” is UW Oshkosh student Frankie Tarala’s Titan TV debut. Tarala plays Jade Williams, one of Le Bistro’s sous chefs, and she said she enjoys seeing all of the work that is put into creating the show.

“I think the creator and writers have chosen a really unique story that keeps viewers wondering who the real villains and heroes are,” Tarala said.
Tarala said she also likes the qualities that her character has to offer.

“She’s an independent woman who takes things into her own hands rather than depending on others, which is kind of refreshing considering the usual damsel in distress story line,” Tarala said.

UW Oshkosh student Hanna Black is the producer for ‘Love Bites’ and said she is proud of the show.

“I would say ‘Love Bites’ is one of the most ambitious series ever produced through Titan TV, and I’m so proud to be a part of it,” Black said. “We have a very enthusiastic cast, and the crew’s amazing. There’s such a great energy on set. It really makes producing the show so much more enjoyable. In the end, it’s great knowing all of our hard work will pay off.”

Will Keizer, both an actor and the casting director for “Love Bites,” said he also believes the show is one of the more ambitious shows Titan TV has produced.

“In the first three episodes, we’ve shot in well over 10 [non-campus] locations, and we have a cast of over 20 people, not including extras,” Keizer said. “I know, because as the casting coordinator, I get the privilege of sorting out all the schedules.”

Keizer also said he enjoys setting aside his production duties to act and have fun.

“It’s been interesting to play Angel Bloom because he’s so not like me,” Keizer said. “He’s a womanizing, cowboy hat-wearing narcissist with a poser Texas accent. I’ve considered starting to wear the outfit around campus.”

The first episode entitled “Dinner Time” aired March 17. Catch episode two on Titan TV on Tuesday, April 7 at 8:30 p.m.