Background Information


    Film History
  • originally conceived around Christmas 2002
  • auditions held at the University of Tennessee
  • filmed April-May 2003 in Knoxville, Tennessee
  • shot at 7 different locations with 7 actors and 7 crew members
  • captured on MiniDV with Sony DSR-PD150 and Canon GL-2 video cameras using the 16x9 wide aspect ratio
  • recorded on a total of 10 MiniDV cassettes spanning 10 hours
  • edited using Sony Vegas Video 4.0
  • DVD authored using Sony DVD Architect
  • final product released publicly in September 2003; the movie is available only on DVD and sold through the film's website, atrophymovie.com
  • worldwide internet premiere occurs October 3, 2003 on Ifilm.com
  • world theatrical premiere occurs in November 2003 at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival
  • screened as an official selection at the New York Short Film Festival in February 2004
  • screened as an official selection at the Secret City Film Festival in June 2004
    Trivia
  • Including the cost of computer equipment, cameras and tapes, the film cost around $15,000 to produce. The film was financed by the two directors with no financial aid or grants.
  • The actual cost of making the film, not counting the equipment, was around $200.
  • The final movie is nothing like the script given to the actors. The original script can be viewed on the DVD. The directors changed nearly all of the ideas and themes for the film once shooting began and edited the film accordingly. Not even the actors completely understood the movie they were making.
  • The film's main character only says 13 words in the entire film.
  • The "man in the hat" appears in the background of 3 scenes before the final scene at the hotel. Were you paying attention?
  • Many religious themes throughout the film, some of which are obvious and others which are not. One of the central themes is forsaking God, and the consequences of doing so.
  • The film's windowed aspect ratio is intended to look like a framed picture. Pictures are a common theme in the film.
  • "Atrophy" was originally going to be scored by Micheal Pacheco (of Seattle's Lakeshore Driving) but ultimately was scored by Wash Rogers and Ralph Garrett and mixed by Brian Greer after Pacheco dropped out for personal reasons (see "Atrophy Curse" below).
  • Every single male that worked on the film lost his girlfriend/wife by the time the film was released. This was referred to as the "Atrophy Curse."
  • All of the actors were students at the University of Tennessee at the time the film was shot.
  • The temp music used in editing were all songs by Radiohead (which were all replaced by the final release).
  • The cemetery in the opening shot is an actual Jewish cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. Actor Justin Rubenstein, Jewish himself, remarked "I didn't know Jews lived and died in Knoxville."
  • The film begins and ends with 25-30 seconds of darkness, symbolic of the main character's mental state.
  • The main character's name ("Keith") is revealed half way through the movie by another character. The directors named the character after the person they originally asked to play the role. He declined in order to fix his dad's car. Ironically, the real Keith went on to attend semonary school in order to minister in Las Vegas. He also got married... no word on whether he transmogrified into a grotesque entity during his honeymoon.
  • Actress Sarah Hinkle suffered chemical burns from the prosthetic make-up attached to her skin in the film's final scene. She still has scars to this day.
  • One of the film's ending credits is "special no thanks to phony supporters, those who abandon and those who didn't believe. you know who you are."
  • An alternate, 18-minute version of the film, titled "Atrophy (revisited)" is available on the "Transmissions" DVD. This version of the film is drastically different from the full 45-minute cut, and features only two actors and a new ending (which was included as a deleted scene on the DVD).


    return to atrophy main menu