It's himself versus himself when college student Allan must decide whether to simply go back to bed or follow his gut in making life saving decisions amidst a potential health scare.

Midnight Madness

Written and Directed by: Alex Thephavong

Produced by: Iman Zarlons

Director of Photography: Jack Neal

Edited by: Quinn Connell

Assistant Director: Elijah Newman

Production Assistant: Savannah Johnson

Vocal Coach: Feruza Legass

Filmed during the winter of my senior year of college, Midnight Madness is my first short film organized entirely by myself. As all debut projects go, it is a bit rough around the edges, but nevertheless, there is nothing my team and I shouldn’t be proud of in the work we put in.

As the film’s writer and director, the general weight of responsibility from these two roles also gave me a taste of being an executive producer. Because it was an amateur film, my cast and crew call was limited to my immediate friends and social circles, while the level of organization when it came to shot-listing, storyboarding, and budgeting was entirely dependent on my own competence.

I would describe my overall experience shooting Midnight Madness as humbling above all else. Before starting production, I had anticipated there to be unexpected roadblocks and obstacles — After all, they are a natural occurrence for every movie during the filmmaking process. But at the end of the day, to anticipate and plan for the unexpected is only as effective as how you react when they finally happen.

I could write a whole book about the moments where I stuttered, panicked, and sighed, but at the very end of it all, I can truly say that my team and I walked away victorious. The four-hour, red-eye shoots that went into midnight were stressful but worth it, and the memories made were some we’d carry with us for the rest of our lives.