Life experience as influence:

 

Going into this process I had no prior knowledge of what the content would be. I just knew of peers that I wanted to work with and that I was going to use lights, video editing, music, and ski masks to put together a visually stimulating project. As the project progressed and more movement vocabulary was created, the need for an underlying theme kept crossing my mind. I started to search for a possible storyline. I turned to greek mythology and the story of Hercules. His story begins in a place of comfort at Mt. Olympus and follows him through trials testing his self-worth, ultimately proving to the world that he is worthy of the title of “Demigod,” and that no force in the universe can strip that from him. Although the entire world was not present for the inner, personal trials of my film’s protagonist, the journey requires the same amount of personal strength. Some of my personal experiences mirror what the film’s protagonist went through. I cannot speak for all, but getting through those tough dark moments can be very difficult; a support system can really aid in lifting some of the weight. I try to remember to not only accept, but celebrate the small victories and that there is always a reason to wake up tomorrow.