The Bake Shop Ghost

Imagine you buy a bake shop and you’re excited to renovate and make some changes. You have a whole menu ready to go and some pastries already baked before opening. You’re excited… Until an old ghost that haunts the shop runs you out. That’s exactly what happens in the “The Bake Shop Ghost”. A short film about the ghost of the old owner who passed away coming to terms with a new owner who she had given a free cupcake to before her passing.

Everybody in town loves the the recipes the old baker had made. That’s how the film opens up along with a narration from an unseen narrator, giving this a fun, innocent, story that anybody of any age can enjoy. It’s based off of a children’s book, which I could sense right from the beginning. There’s something about this piece that makes this really innocent and overall just… fun. What it is I can’t quite pindown. But I can list some elements that really contributed to my overall feeling toward the short film as a whole.

First and foremost, the cinematography was top notch. From the very opening scene and throughout the whole piece, the camerawork was fluid and steady. It slowly welcomed us to witness how the old Baker Owner was extremely bitter toward those who only cared for her baking and for nothing else. This much is shown when she gives the soon-to-be new owner a free cupcake one evening before it closes. She’s like the grandma we’d all love to have, but hate because of how bitter she is. There’s something pleasing about that and the cinematography brings out all those elements as the camera focuses not only on the production design, but character traits that really says a lot.

Since I mentioned production design, allow me to discuss that aspect. Right from the get-go, there’s a high sense of production quality. The sets all look authentic and when you mix the lighting and the camerawork in with that, it really brings the whole piece together. The bakery felt warm and looked cozy. The street and exterior shots looked phenomenal and almost like a stage play. They were so detailed and well-placed.

Another thing that really surprised me was the acting. I fell in love with the chemistry between the ghost and the new owner. The two actresses together really brought to life two compelling characters that really had a nice contrast against one another. One was cool-headed (the new baker) while another was bitter and mean (the old “grandma” ghost as I like to call her). These two performances alone is enough for anybody to watch the performances. It’ll bring a smile to your face.

Overall I really loved this piece. It’s just a fun short film that offers some charming moments that are enjoyable and quite heartwarming to a degree. I had no idea this was based off of a book – or I should say I had no idea the book existed, but I can say that I’m almost certain this captures the nuance of the book due to how innocent and narrative-focused it is. Watch it. Laugh. And smile.