The Adrenaline Film Project
The Adrenaline Film Project is an artistic competition facilitated by Light House Studio[1]. This competition takes place every autumn and requires burgeoning filmmakers to race to write, film, edit, and premiere a short film in 72 hours. This year's competition will take place Wednesday, November 3 to Saturday, November 6.
Background
The Adrenaline Film Project was started during the 2004 Virginia Film Festival and was founded by filmmaker Jeff Wadlow who originated in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2012, his work, Kick Ass 2, prevented him from being in town for the Adrenaline Project, leaving past Adrenaline Film Project participant, Romulo Alejandro, and director Derek Sieg to fill in for him as head of the managerial staff in the competition.[2] In 2020, the competition's format was changed to accommodate for CDC COVID-19 guidelines, requiring participants to submit a screenplay rather than a short film.
Rules
The project involves teams of amateur filmmakers (aged high school and college) writing, casting, directing, and editing short films in a 72 hour time frame. To be in the program, directors must apply by submitting formal paperwork and a short film of length no more than ten minutes long.[3] Teams are made up of three main members, though their films may include other actors and extras. Each team is assigned a specific genre of movie that their film must reflect, as well as a prop and line of dialogue that must be included in their film. The prop and dialogue change each year.[4] Each film, with a duration under ten minutes, is screened at the end of the competition to be judged for the three awards.
Mentors
Within the competition, there are mentors that change from year to year. The mentors oversee the competition, approve scripts, help teams when they need it, and judge the final products. They often have been high profile members of Hollywood and the 2012 head of the project, Romulo Alejandro, called the project “the best film education you can get in three days.”[5] Some past mentors have been Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine, Hamlet 2), Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lost Boys of Sudan), Norman Jewison (director of Fiddler on the Roof)[6], and UVA alumnus Han West (Oh Lucy!, Lemon).
Awards
At the end of the competition, there is a screening of all the short films. This screening is held just three hours after the submission deadline and they often feature the films of past winners. There, the audience and the mentors vote for their favorite teams and films. The three awards handed out are The Audience Selection Award, The Jury Selection Award, and the Mentor Selection Award.[7]
Some Past Winners and Themes
2007
- ”Taste of Evil” - winner of both Audience and Jury awards. Created by Ben Haslup, Brian Wimer and Ruth Morton.
- Required prop: jar of miracle whip.
- Required line: “I want to believe it”[8]
2009
- "The Network"- Jury Award. Created by Ben Haslup and Lora Lee Jones [9]
- "Post Modern"- Audience Award. Created by Ben Bartel Debra Cohen, Alexa Miller, Keaton Monger, Dan Quinn [10]
- Required Prop:Red Clown Nose
- Required Line:"Is that a joke?"[11]
- “Next Stop”- Jury Award. Created by Tianhao Lu, Shuaiho Zhou, Tom Sanders [12]
- “Best Feet Forward”- Audience Award. Created by Keaton Monger, Kelsey Nix, and Jordan Pridgen
- Required prop: Ballet Shoe
- Required Line: “It Takes two to tango”[13]
- “The Iranian Job” - Jury award winner. Created by Jake Farrell, Will Jones, Sam Gorman and Joe Ruckert.[14]
- “The Attack of the Trailer” - Audience award winner. Created by: Marco Duran, John Johnson, Abe Costanza and Jason Shiflet
- Required prop: aloe lotion.
- Required line: “You’re running out of time.”[15]
- “Stupor Hero” - Jury award winner. Created by Kelsey Nix, Jordan Pridgen, Cameron Johnson[16]
- “Automaton” - Audience award winner. Created by Jack Berkley, Rachel Lane and Roxanne Campbell.
- Required prop: aluminum foil.
- Required line: “There is a silver lining”[17]
- Required Prop: spiky toy ball
- ↑ Web. Virginia Film Festival Announces Light House Studio to Take Over Adrenaline Film Project
- ↑ Web. [Virginia Film Festival Announces 2012 Adrenaline Film Project Virginia Film Festival Announces 2012 Adrenaline Film Project], September 20, 2012, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project Official Rules, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project Official Rules, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Adrenaline Film Project movies, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. The Network, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. The Network, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. The Network, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Next Stop, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Next Stop, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. The Iranian Job, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. The Attack of the Trailer, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Stupor Hero, retrieved December 17, 2012.
- ↑ Web. Automaton, retrieved December 17, 2012.