Inside the Short: Adam's Fantastical Journey Thru Life Vol. I

Adam’s Fantastical Journey Thru Life is a menagerie of pretty much everything Inexplicable Shorts stands for: ridiculousness, humor, emotion, lots of shouting.

It’s our first true ensemble piece and I simply am blown away by the performance of everyone involved.

Adam, our titular star played by the wonderfully talented Adam Robinson, is a young adult, down on his luck, someone who walks around feeling low most of the time. It’s hinted that ‘life hasn’t been very good to him’ by Mia (the dynamic Shannen Velasco), the apple of his eye in quite the emotional exchange. When you already feel alone, having your friends dogpile can lead to an almost disturbing validation of your worst (albeit likely unfounded) fears.

To combat this depression, Adam finds solace in escaping reality in favor of one personally curated.

We don’t know much about his fantasy counterpart, Adamius, outside of him having been taken captive, realizing his situation upon arousing from a stupor—very Skyrim-esque. This parallel comes from an overall want to have Adamius remain vague. What are his motivations (other than escape)? Why was he blamed for the slaying of Aurea, a coveted phoenix deity? What exactly led up to this situation?

The hierarchical politics in play in the kingdom of Elden serve as the backbone of the story. Every player, either big or small, has a unique drive and want—nefarious or otherwise.

Speaking of Skyrim, Rinea, daughter to the King, and bloodthirsty killer, is truly a favorite of mine. When working through the role with Justine Leah Hince, a bonafide pro, I told her to draw inspiration from Astrid, the leader of the Dark Brotherhood in terms of mannerism and tone.

Astrid, Skyrim (2011) | © Bethesda