As a senior in high school, student filmmaker Troy Lucia submitted his film Insomnia to our dramatic shorts at the beginning of this year. In Lucia’s words, Insomnia follows “a man [who] goes psychotic after being awake for nearly a week.” It’s a fast-paced, stop-motion, crazy-making snapshot of life without sleep. “I got inspired to make movies after me, and a friend were making stop-motions in junior high for fun.” Insomnia seems the perfect vehicle for that kind of action.
Watch, Insomnia by Troy Lucia
Though he said he didn’t know what his next project would be way back in December when we asked him, we hear now he has plans to submit another film project, The Banjo Man, to a contest being held in his school district in Chandler, Arizona. “It’s a film contest between four or five different schools in our district.” He submitted Insomnia when he made it a couple of years ago, at 16, and won. This year he’ll submit The Banjo Man, which begins with breathtaking scenic vistas and moves straight into the head of madman who sits on a park bench holding a guitar. He offers a premonition to a couple of teenagers talking about “going camping” for the weekend. They arrive at a cush cabin to find they really should have listened to the Banjo Man’s wisdom.
Though he’s just starting out, he has the optimism of a beginning filmmaker who’s already had some wins. “I do realize that the independent film business is tricky, but I am content that I have several opportunities to make my mark.”
Good luck, Troy!
