Adam Stein
| Adam Stein | |
|---|---|
 Adam Stein answering questions on stage with Yo-Yo Ma after a performance and screening. | |
| Born | Miami, Florida |
| Occupation | film director, screenwriter and editor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Adam Stein is an American film director, writer and editor working in Los Angeles, California.
Stein graduated from Harvard University and attended film school at the University of Southern California, with a focus on directing. Prior to working as a director, he edited several independent features that played at film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW.[1][2]
On The Lot
Adam Stein was a contestant on On The Lot, the Fox Television reality show produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett.
The films that Adam Stein created for On The Lot consistently received the highest reviews from the show's judges. Actress/writer Carrie Fisher said of his film Army Guy, "that was one of the most innovative, freaky, fantastic films I have seen." Director Gary Ross called Stein's filmmaking "charming, unbelievably ambitious, and really really technically proficient."
At least one celebrity judge chose Stein as their favorite filmmaker each time he made a film. New York Magazine called the director a "wunderkind."[3] When Film Threat reviewed his film "Dough: The Musical," the magazine said that it "covered a lot of visual ground and was extremely accomplished in lyrics, dancing, singing and acting."[4]
Writing and directing
In addition to the films he created for On The Lot, Stein has written and directed dozens of short films and music videos, which have been released around the world. Some examples include:
"Suburban Symphony," the Yo-Yo Ma music video he directed for the Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone album. This music video was first screened at an orchestral performance conducted by Andrea Morricone, with Yo-Yo Ma playing live.[5] The music video was then sold as part of the album's bonus DVD.[6]
His USC film "Hot Java" played at many festivals around the country, and won the top prize at the Gen Art Film Festival.[7]
"Lazy Monday," the online parody he made with film school collaborator Sam Friedlander and actor Mark Feuerstein, was the widely played and widely copied "west coast rap battle" response to Saturday Night Live's "Lazy Sunday." This video was featured on VH1, Bravo, and many other media outlets. After the release of this video, CNN's Paula Zahn interviewed Stein and Feuerstein about making content for the web.[8]
His film script "Tangles" won an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant for screenwriting.[9]
Editing
Stein has worked as an editor on several feature films, including:
- Blue State, starring Anna Paquin and Breckin Meyer
- Fifty Pills starring Kristen Bell and Lou Taylor Pucci
- Flakes, starring Zooey Deschanel
- The documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, which premiered at Sundance in 2006.[10]
References
- ↑ Rodriguez, Rene (20 June 2007). "Local Dreamer Gets Break "On The Lot"". The Miami Herald. p. A4.
- ↑ Balakrishna, Aditi (27 July 2007). "His Lot to Lose". The Harvard Crimson.
- ↑ New York Magazine, June 2007, naming Adam Stein's film "Best Picture."
- ↑ Film Threat review.
- ↑ Variety review of the Yo-Yo Ma performance and Stein's music video, November 5, 2004.
- ↑ Film Score Magazine's review of the Yo-Yo Ma DVD
- ↑ Variety Staff (27 January 2005). "Miami fest likes it "Hot"". Variety.
- ↑ Transcript of CNN interview.
- ↑ Sloan Foundation profile.
- ↑ "Adam Stein at Internet Movie Database". IMDB.
External links
- Adam Stein's Official Site
- Stein's page at the Director's Guild of America
- Official Site for "Lazy Monday"