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Every Other Kid
TYPE: Narrative Short
GENRE: Student Film
STATUS: Pre-Production
LOGLINE
Three troubled students seek relief from the stresses of adolescence. Each taking a different path, the end result is devastating for all.
SYNOPSIS
A musical film about mental health and gun violence, Every Other Kid tells the story of three high school students as they deal with their mental and emotional struggles. Coming from three different backgrounds and going down three different paths, these students’ lives intersect in a crucial, heartbreaking way.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
I want to explore how gun violence affects a community before, during and after it happens. The message of the film is that until we're all at peace, we're all at risk. Just because I'm able to get the help that I need, it doesn't mean that I am safe from someone who is not. People often try to blame these events exclusively on gun control or exclusively on mental health. In this film, I want to explore how both are paramount, and their impact cannot be ignored. I chose to tell this story with music because I believe that musicals have a way of heightening reality, especially through their lyrics. I wanted to create a world that just about everyone can connect to in some way and use the power of music to hammer the message home.
I was raised in Newtown, CT, which is home to Sandy Hook Elementary School, the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in our country’s history. As a thirteen-year-old, it was impossible to make sense of this tragedy that happened right in my backyard. Though I still don’t know if I’ve fully grasped it, this film is my attempt to make sense of it.
After the shooting at Stoneman Douglas in Florida, one of the students that survived was interviewed. He said he had been a gun rights advocate and had planned to be an NRA member one day. But now, given his new perspective, he wanted to shift his focus to gun control and preventing tragedies like the one that had just torn through his community. While I think his change of heart is commendable, it took the "unthinkable” for him to change his mind. There a great deal of people in this country that feel the way he felt prior to the shooting, but will never expereince such an atrocity. So how can we create that same change of heart without life-threatening circumstances? I believe it is through art. As someone who has watched a film and felt like I’ve been punched in the chest by its message, I would like to do the same with this project.
KEY CREW
Patrick Godino - Writer/Director/Producer
Patrick Godino is a senior at NYU, double majoring in Film/TV Production and Spanish. Throughout his time at school, Patrick has been involved in a variety of different projects, from comedic sketches to bilingual documentaries and more. This project is a product of his upbringing in Newtown, CT. He hopes to reach wider audiences with its message to effect change.
Saachi Bhandari - Producer
Saachi Bhandari is a recent graduate of New York University, graduating with a degree from Tisch School of the Arts and the Stern School of Business. During her time at NYU, Saachi held internships at HBO, Paramount, WME and more. She has also produced a number of student projects, making her a great collaborator for this film. Though she has producorial aspirations, Saachi has also written several screenplays and done some directing work, knowing the importance of understanding the creative process as a producer.
Taylor Custis - Producer
Taylor Custis is a recent graduate of NYU where she made her own major because it sounded like a cool thing to do. She enjoys stories of all kinds, ethnic foods, and spiritually charged candles. She is currently in Queens embarking on a career in written and visual storytelling.
John Zeng - Director of Photography
John Zeng is a Chinese-Canadian cinematographer working in NYC. He loves filmmaking for its creative problem solving and team building aspects. In a short time, John has established himself as a prolific creator, working on several music videos, short films and commercials. His understanding of visual language and rhythm are what make him a great choice to shoot the film.
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