For many people, cramming daily activities into twenty-four hours proves a daunting task.
However, for freshman AJ Richardson and his six teammates, one trip around the sun was enough time to write, direct and produce a winning original short film.
Richardson and his team, participants in Taylor’s J-term film competition, the Red Eye Film Frenzy, set out to create the best product they could.
“Our goal was originally just to make something we were super proud of,” Richardson said. “We wanted to win, but if we didn't, we just wanted to be proud of what we made.”
A film & media arts major, Richardson wrote and directed the project for the group. Using all their own cameras and equipment, the team sacrificed their sleep and worked twenty-four hours straight to create “Frost Fight,” a James Bond-style short film.
As they sat in the Cornwall Auditorium waiting for each of the five submissions to screen, Richardson recalled feeling very nervous. “Frost Fight” was the first film he had ever entered into a contest. However, this experience was far from his first rodeo in filmmaking.
Richardson’s passion for film stems from his deep love of stories.
Growing up, he remembers his mother reading him numerous books, particularly in the fantasy and mystery genres. Out of this practice, he developed a deep appreciation for literature, especially the redemptive aspect of many stories.
However, Richardson truly fell in love with film in the first grade. After experiencing the magic of George Lucas’ galaxy “far, far away” in “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope”, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking.
Throughout his adolescent years, Richardson said he played multiple sports and picked up different hobbies. However, these interests never overshadowed his passion for filmmaking.
“I was always writing some kind of film thing, (something) that I wanted to put on the screen,” he said.
Then, when coronavirus lockdowns swept the nation, Richardson took his interest in film to another level, taping one Lego stop motion each day. These miniature movies helped him practice his craft and kept him interested in the art of film.
In high school, he also worked on film projects with friends.
“(Those film projects) helped me get more writing experience, storyboard experience (and) directing experience, because inevitably, that's what I want to do,” Richardson said.
As high school drew to a close, he began hunting for a university where he could continue to grow his writing and directing skills. A Wisconsin native, he searched for the best film programs in the Midwest and discovered Taylor University.
While visiting campus, he found himself enjoying the college’s community as well its renowned film department.
“It's a fantastic program, and so … I went for it right away,” Richardson said.
Taylor’s film program has not only helped Richardson cultivate his skills but has also provided him with a supportive Christian community. He appreciates how his peers encourage his passion while pushing him toward improvement.
His interest in production and Taylor film classes have also shaped his perspective and appreciation of different films. When he watches a movie, he sees beyond the plotline and acting.
“I'm invested in the story, but then I'm also invested in the camera work and the framing and the blocking, the colors, the shapes, the production design,” he said. “I just see it all, and I admire it.”
Coupled with his film major, Richardson is pursuing a multimedia journalism minor. He hopes his experiences in non-fiction writing and interactions with a diversity of people will bring a sense of reality to his future films and expand his own perspective.
Ultimately, Richardson dreams of writing and directing films. However, in the near future, he hopes to become a screenwriter, building stories and then seeing his vision play out on screen.
Richardson desires to create films that highlight redemption, an aspect he feels modern movies lack. Integrating pieces of his faith into his plotlines results in better storytelling, he said. By promoting positive, Christian themes in his productions, he hopes to spark a cultural shift in the world of film.
For now, Richardson is excited to continue his journey at Taylor, gaining experience and growing his skills through more classes and opportunities like the Red Eye Film Frenzy.
After each of the five submissions for the Film Frenzy screened, the judge began awarding each participating group with certificates, beginning with fifth place. Eventually, only Richardson’s team and another group remained.
“She announced the second-place team that wasn't us,” Richardson said. “And it took us a second. We were like, ‘Holy cow, we just won.’”
For Richardson, the victory was sweet. And the sleep that came after producing a film in twenty-four hours was even sweeter.
