How SCAD film student Jaden Lanfrank fell in love with making his own episodes of “Survivor”

Graphic courtesy of Adriana Colón.

It all started on Alexandria Court in Eatontown, New Jersey. From a young age, Jaden Lanfrank was the type of kid who was mostly interested in strategy games and puzzles when he wasn’t playing outside with his friends. It eventually carried over into his television habits, when he became obsessed with social strategy after discovering Cartoon Network’s “Total Drama Island.” Naturally, as he grew a little older, Lanfrank gravitated towards “Survivor,” the cult classic reality television series on CBS. From there, there was no turning back for Lanfrank.

When he was 10 years old, Lanfrank told his dad that he wanted to make his own version of “Survivor.” Shortly afterward, the two of them wrangled up a group of neighborhood kids, hosting challenges together to measure who could throw a football the furthest. Jaden got in a few years of hosting practice before filming his first episode at age 13, when his friends started bringing their iPads and Samsung tablets outside to record their competitions.

“At first, it was just a way for me to get people outside and have some fun,” Lanfrank says. “But then, I really wanted to make it into a YouTube series so that we could all watch it back.” 

Lanfrank says that his interest in film and television was always in the back of his mind, even before recording that first episode in 2016. “My friends and I used to play around and make these silly little short films, so I’ve always enjoyed making videos.” 

When he started watching and eventually creating “Survivor” himself, he knew that he wanted to pursue TV and film in some way. “But at the time, I had no idea how important this show was going to be for me,” Lanfrank says.

After filming and uploading three seasons to his YouTube channel — aptly named “Survivor Alexandria” — Lanfrank’s project started to fade away when he started high school. Plus, he’d moved to a different neighborhood, about 20 minutes away from Alexandria Court. “I just didn’t have as much time anymore,” he says. “So, it made more sense to just quietly end the show.”

“Survivor Alexandria” host Jaden Lanfrank demonstrates a challenge for his contestants. Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

But then, the pandemic interrupted Lanfrank’s junior year of high school. After his prom was canceled, he (like many of us) began to yearn for a sense of community throughout the spring and summer of 2020. “I wanted to give people something fun to do, where we could all go out, have a good time, make memories, and bring people together that wouldn’t [normally] interact.”

The following October, at the beginning of his senior year, he was taking a walk with his dad. The COVID-19 restrictions in New Jersey were beginning to lift, and suddenly, Lanfrank had an idea.

“I could start making ‘Survivor’ again,” Lanfrank told his dad at the time. “It’s COVID right now, and it’s not like I’m really going anywhere, anyway.”

That day, Lanfrank went straight home and drafted a bunch of production documents. Then, he rounded up some classmates, some childhood friends, and even some relatives. “And that’s how I forced 12 of my friends to come to this beach near my house and start playing ‘Survivor’ again.” 

And although Lanfrank and his family don’t live on Alexandria Court anymore, the name has always stuck. “The name ‘Survivor Alexandria’ is a nod to where I started the show,” he says. “It’s the place where I want to keep myself rooted.”

Lanfrank recalls that returning to “Survivor Alexandria” for Season 4 after taking a three-year hiatus was challenging. “We were all still figuring out what was going on,” he says. “If you watch that season, I was so awkward in those earlier episodes. I think that my hosting abilities are much more developed now.”

Lanfrank (left) and his friend Kevin Buck (right) completing a challenge for “Survivor Alexandria” in New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

But hosting isn’t the only skill that Lanfrank has sharpened after doing this for nearly a decade. In fact, his entire creative process for filming “Survivor Alexandria” has improved over the years as well.

Nowadays, there’s a lot more logistical planning involved. “I do a lot of research on actual ‘Survivor’ episodes, and I’m always watching old ones back to see what kind of inspiration I can find,” says Lanfrank. “Then, I run it by my friends. Some of them are huge superfans of ‘Survivor’ like me, so they’ll usually give solid feedback. But I also run it by friends of mine who aren’t big fans, because their perspective matters, too.”

Since revamping “Survivor Alexandria” in 2020, Lanfrank has made countless spreadsheets and lists — everything from challenge ideas to who’s voting for whom every round, even down to the pieces of equipment he’ll need for filming.

“It takes a few months to plan out each season,” he says. “For the one that I filmed in February 2022, I probably started seriously planning it in October 2021.”

First, he’ll decide on the filming locations. Then, he’ll dive deeper, figuring out the themes, motifs, and color schemes for the season. Once he finalizes the list of challenges and comes up with the main plot twist, he’ll start building his cast and crew.

When asked about his favorite part of creating an episode of “Survivor Alexandria,” Lanfrank says that it’s a tough question to answer. “I have full creative liberty, and I’m a creative person, so I really love all of it,” he says. “I love editing and putting together the story of the season. But the planning is also so fun, and I love casting a lot.”

Casting, of course, consists of Lanfrank figuring out which of his friends to recruit. “The casting process is probably my favorite because it’s where I get to pick who makes the cut,” he says. “I can divide up teams and experiment with who I want to put where, and I really enjoy that part.”

An extra vote card can go a long way in an episode of “Survivor Alexandria.” Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

While this project will always hold a special place in Lanfrank’s heart, he does admit that producing this one-man show on his own can get a little overwhelming at times, especially now that he juggles “Survivor Alexandria” with his film classes at SCAD Atlanta. “Since November 2020, I’ve always had a few seasons on my plate,” he says. “One that’s being planned, one that I’m editing, one that I’m actively casting for.”

“There are times when I have a lot going on, but I try not to let it get too stressful,” Lanfrank continues. “These days, I’m just taking this passion project as it comes; doing what I can, when I can.”

Luckily, Lanfrank has a massive support system on his side. “I’m so grateful for my roommates, my girlfriend, my parents, my family — everyone is so supportive of this whole process, so I don’t really feel like I’m actually alone in anything,” he says. “As much as I pester my dad sometimes about testing challenges with me, he’s always down to help.”

His dad, Bill, has always been his number one fan, even before “Survivor Alexandria” ever existed. “My dad has been involved from the very beginning,” Lanfrank says. “I think that he’s the only one, besides me, that’s been there for every single episode. He’s usually my camera op. I really appreciate my dad and everything he does, so I always make sure to give him a little executive producer credit at the end of each episode.”

Even when Lanfrank decided to start filming a new chapter of “Survivor Alexandria” at SCAD Atlanta in 2022, his dad flew in from New Jersey to help out. But thanks to his growing support from the SCAD student body, there were more than enough hands on deck for the project. Season 8 — which showcases the first-ever “Survivor Alexandria” competition filmed in Atlanta — debuted on Lanfrank’s YouTube channel in March of that year.

SCAD students Fallon Perlino (left) and Layla San Miguel (right) compete for final immunity in Season 8 of “Survivor Alexandria.” Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

Production for Season 11, the second season at SCAD Atlanta, began around that time as well. Lanfrank’s team filmed for 10 hours, so there’s tons of footage that he can’t wait to share. The first two episodes of Season 11 are currently available to watch on YouTube. But Lanfrank will only reveal the finale once he’s finished sifting through all that footage. While part of him wishes that he could hand the rest of it off to an editor, he just can’t bring himself to do it. “I want to keep that personal touch to the show,” Lanfrank says. “So, I still like to edit the episodes myself when I have the time.”

Season 12 of “Survivor Alexandria” finished filming over the summer as well, so that one is up next for Lanfrank to edit and post. But in the meantime, he’s honing his craft through his coursework at SCAD before adding another season into the mix.

Lanfrank continues to add more of his reality television expertise to “Survivor Alexandria” as he learns it, even implementing confessionals and dramatic conflicts in recent seasons. Though this often means that the footage takes a little longer to edit, fans of Lanfrank’s can agree that the final product is totally worth it.

“Season 11 is honestly one of my best seasons so far,” Lanfrank says. “I think production-wise, it’s the one that I’m most proud of. Plus, the cast was great. These people are awesome. Everyone played really well together, which was so fun to watch.”

However, making a television show often comes with its challenges, as most film students know. After scrambling to find a last-minute location due to unexpected rain, Lanfrank and his team came up with a solution, which was filming Season 11 of “Survivor Alexandria” in SCAD’s parking garage. But of course, in true reality TV fashion, nothing ever goes according to plan. During the last hour of filming, that parking garage plan actually ended up falling through as well.

In Season 11 of “Survivor Alexandria,” SCAD students Karim Tufail (left) and Macy Price (right) compete in a rolling relay. Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

Fortunately, Lanfrank’s roommate had a reservation that day for a separate project at SCAD’s Digital Media Center. This allowed the team to finish filming the competition in the DMC studio, with a huge green screen and professional lights, which turned out to be even better anyway. Lanfrank has clearly come a long way from iPads and Samsung tablets in his front yard.

“Some things just fall into place, and you have to make the best of what you can do,” he says. “Finishing in the DMC studio gave us the opportunity to use so much more equipment. We were able to make it look professional, and just having that equipment available for us to use was so invaluable. I would have never had anything like that otherwise.”

Lanfrank says that he has the SCAD film and television department to thank for introducing him to his streamlined creative process. “Every class at SCAD has given me some kind of insight into how to make a better episode of ‘Survivor,’” he says. “I’ve learned that you really have to devote the time to plan things in pre-production. That’s something that Professor Lester taught me: If you’re a good producer, you’re doing all your work beforehand. You go to set, and you chill out. It doesn’t always work for me, but I try to get everything done so that I can just watch it all unfold on filming day.”

“Professor Peoples is awesome too,” Lanfrank continues. “Sound is the one thing that that I’ve struggled with for a long time, because ‘Survivor’ consists of so many whisper conversations about who’s going home. But sound is a lot easier now that he’s shown me so many programs and techniques.”

Lanfrank is even adding a sound editing minor to his film and TV degree, along with the minor he already has in casting. And as he plans to graduate college next year, he’s currently bringing all these skills with him as he tackles one of his most anticipated projects yet. By the looks of it, Lanfrank is getting the green light to create an unscripted reality television show — previously unheard of at SCAD Atlanta — as his senior capstone film.

Creator and host Jaden Lanfrank on the set of the latest season of “Survivor Alexandria.” Photo courtesy of Jaden Lanfrank.

“I want to do something that’s never been done before,” Lanfrank says. “I’m trying to think of something crazy, but I have a few ideas. If I can do this right, I think that this is going to be the kind of project that people will want their names attached to. I want to make this an experience that people will think about for years afterward. And I already have a team of people that are on board, so I’m super stoked.”

It seems that Lanfrank’s efforts are pushing him in the right post-grad direction, and it should be no surprise that he hopes to one day land a career in reality television. “My end goal has been to work on ‘Survivor’ for a very long time, and I’d really love a producing job,” he says. “The show is pretty solid right now, but I feel like I could bring in a fresh perspective. I have the passion, I’ve loved the show for so long and I have some ideas that could make it even better.”

But until then, Lanfrank is enjoying the ride. “I’m always excited to crank out more seasons of ‘Survivor Alexandria,’ but I’m also so excited for the next few years to be filled with even bigger and better things.“

Looking back on how far he’s come has been surreal. “This all started with me in my front yard at 10 years old, making my friends ride their Razor scooters down and back to not get voted out,” Lanfrank says with a laugh. “So, it’s just been an amazing experience.”

To stay in the loop about all things “Survivor Alexandria,” follow @survivoralexandria on Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to Lanfrank’s YouTube channel to watch the latest competition filmed right here at SCAD Atlanta.