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Gym Rats

The film delves into what it means to be a true “gym rat”, and it begs the audience to understand that anyone can be a gym rat if they wanted to be. With the discipline and mindset anyone can achieve what they want to achieve. That’s what Ryan Frame and Jason Sewell describe as they take the audience through their life stories. Both men go in detail about how fitness has impacted their lives in a huge way. The topic of bullying is the main underlying message of this piece. This documentary reveals that bodybuilding, while it seems like a narcissistic sport, is actually therapeutic to certain individuals and instrumental in building their confidence.

  • Jake Douglas Ward
    Director
  • Jake Douglas Ward
    Writer
  • Jake Douglas Ward
    Producer
  • Jason Sewell
    Key Cast
    "Jason"
  • Ryan Edward Frame
    Key Cast
    "Ryan"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 7, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    12,575 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.9:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Webster University
  • Kinematifest
    St. Louis
    United States
    April 8, 2022
Director Biography - Jake Douglas Ward

Jake Ward is a junior at Webster University studying film, television, and video production with a minor in scriptwriting. He has made a few notable writing directing efforts like Closure and The Face He Wears. However, Jake has more recently been acting in projects like Headlights, Chad the Friendly Ghost, and The Last Night. He has enjoyed working in the documentary filmmaking side of things recently as well. In his free time, he enjoys writing, being creative overall, and working out. Which is why his film Gym Rats was created. The passion project explores the more personal side of bodybuilding that delves deep into the psyche of the individuals. Jake Ward is extremely passionate about film and will work on any sort of project.

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Director Statement

I wanted to make Gym Rats because the gym and working out has always been something I’ve been passionate about since I was twelve years old. It was my second passion to filmmaking. I thought about the term “gym rat” and what it truly means because it’s a popular term amongst gym-goers. I decided that a documentary asking people what it means would be fascinating. However, my documentary isn’t limited to that though. It analyzes the lifestyle of two bodybuilders prepping for a competition coming up. I wanted to tell these two men’s stories because I found them very interesting, and their voice was something I personally related to. I was bullied growing up too for being very skinny, so hearing what they had to say was somewhat cathartic for me. I hope their voices reach out to audiences like they did for me.