PROJECT CUPID
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY NEIL POTNIS
GENRE: EXPERIMENTAL/SATTIRE
RELEASED: FEBRUARY 11, 2018
THE STORY
"Project Cupid" is an experimental/ satirical dramedy about two high school students taking an enhanced version of Adderall to perform at the highest level.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The early outlining stages of Project Cupid began in August of 2016. Going into the film, the team wanted to craft a story that would be "like a treasure map." Before writing, the characters were designed in Autodesk Character Generator to get a proper vision of what the characters would look like. The script writing process began April of 2017 and finished that following May with the film titled, "Drugs and Stuffed Toy Animals." Filming was set to begin in August and throughout the three-month gap, the script went through eleven revisions. After a six-day shoot with the cast and crew working eight hours a day, the initial filming process was complete. The script of the film then went under a twelfth and major revision, and was re-titled "Project Cupid." Four additional scenes were shot in December. The editing of the film began in August and ended in January of 2018.
THE ULTIMATE CONNECTION
BY HANNAH TATE
When I lived in the wilderness of Utah last year, a lot of things were put into perspective, and a lot of self discovery took place. I believe that my greatest discovery was of the immense value human connection holds within each of us.
I was taught this the hard way, of course. For my first week in the woods I had to be completely silent. I wasn’t allowed to interact with any of the other girls around me. I cooked and ate my meals away from the group, away from the source of warmth coming from the camping stoves. I slept in between two staff leaders, my sleeping bag wrapped in a tarp which somehow connected me to the staff who slept to either side, ensuring I wouldn’t run away during the night, ensuring that I would not be in proximity of anyone else.
I quickly put up a fight against that rule because it seemed ridiculous and uncalled for. I had just been thrown into the woods, it was subzero weather, I had to sleep outside, and now they were tryna tell me I can’t talk to anyone for a week? Yea dude okkkkk
Well, I ended following that rule for the whole week despite all of my efforts against it. I realized the only way I could eventually get OUT of the woods would be if I was able to talk to people about what was going on with me hahaha so of course I complied — I wanted to get out of there.
That experience was miserable let me tell you. But looking back on it, I learned something priceless. I don’t think I would’ve truly appreciated such a thing without having to go through what I did. Human connection — love — is the catalyst for personal growth and healing.
I was not sent into the wilderness to complain alongside the girls there with me, I was there to heal, and so were they. I truly think I wouldn’t have learned such a thing if I hadn’t gone through that exasperating period of self-reflection. I was not going to be able to accomplish what I did in that program without the support of others through it all. With all of that being said, “the wilderness” can take many different forms in our lives, for me it was the actual woods, for others it may be an internal struggle, or a financial struggle, or even an existential crisis. But I believe that no matter what the struggle is, the sole way out is connection — connection with yourself, others, and the world around you.