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Polaroid - NYU Tisch Grad Short Film

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Hi, my name is Eric Leonardo Zhang! I'm a writer/director currently pursuing my MFA at NYU’s Grad Film program. I am raising funds to help support the short film (10-15mins) that I’ll be shooting in January of 2024. Your donations will go toward hiring talented actors, securing distinct locations, feeding & transporting the cast and crew while also covering post-production costs!

Logline of film: A judgmental teenage photographer, Henry, makes an unexpected connection with an eccentric girl who he struggles to characterize.


Executive Producer: $ 4,000
Signed poster | Private preview | Screen, Website and IMDB credit as "Executive producer"
Co-Producer: $2,500
Signed poster | Screen and IMDB credit as "Co-Producer"
Associate Producer: $1,000
Signed poster | Screen and IMDB credit as "Associate-Producer"
Awesome Friend: $200
Screen and IMDB "Special Thanks" credit

Director's Statement:
In today’s world, we have become obsessed with watching others. Whether it be TikTok, Instagram, TV shows, livestream content, or YouTube, it has become so easy to be merely a spectator – to be a fly on the wall. We often derive satisfaction from judging strangers, arrogantly assuming we know someone based on one interaction, one photo, or one piece of gossip without digging deeper. Why? Because it's easy to watch and to judge. It’s easier to focus on other people instead of ourselves. This is something that I’ve observed within myself and nearly everyone I know.

I wanted to dive into this phenomenon through my character of Henry. Like everyone, he desires connection with others, yet at the same time, he unknowingly isolates himself by painting everyone he sees into a two-dimensional character. By pushing his flaws to the extreme and showing what he stands to lose from those flaws, I hope that we all can recognize similar traits in ourselves.

With the proliferation of social media and our inability to see past the surface-level, I think this story proposes a timely reflection for this present moment we are living as human beings. I hope this story can invite us into an experience that will leave us contemplating the way in which we should be spending our time: looking at others or reflecting on ourselves?

Director's Bio: Eric Leonardo Zhang is an Asian–American filmmaker from Pittsburgh, PA. He has a passion for telling intimate stories with wide audience appeal and universal themes. By crafting stories that provide a window into a specific, authentic world, his films nudge us to reflect on our lives and experiences. He believes in the power of film to transform our perspectives.

In 2023, Eric’s short film Fút premiered at the NYU Sports Film Festival, where it won a Jury Award. His latest short film, Rabbit Trails, tells the story of a first–generation Asian American father struggling to connect with his daughter as they move to a new city.

Eric is currently pursuing his MFA in Writing & Directing at NYU Grad Film. He studied Computer Science and Animation at the University of Pennsylvania graduating Summa Cum Laude, and previously worked at Microsoft and AT&T.

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Please reach out to ez2245 At nyu.edu for more questions, info, or to learn more about the project!
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    Eric Zhang
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    New York, NY

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