Paralysis by Analysis
When an anxious, perfectionist PhD student discovers an AI app that predicts the outcome of her decisions before she makes them, her life unravels as she becomes obsessed with the app. This is a sci-fi drama about anxiety, decision-making, and what happens when you put your fate in AI's hands.​
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The Story
Imagine an episode of Insecure meets Black Mirror.​
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Our protagonist, Eleanor, is a high-achieving, indecisive PhD student. When something as simple as choosing what to eat for lunch sends her spiraling, her friend, Jackie, gives her access to an AI app that can predict the outcome of her decisions before she makes them. Everything’s great at first: Eleanor uses the app to move up in her career and even navigate the uncertainty of her relationship with her boyfriend, Bryan. However, she quickly becomes addicted to the app and is unable to make even the smallest decisions without it. It all comes to a head when the app fails and she’s left with nothing but a panic attack and an ultimatum from Bryan.
This story will re-shape the way audiences view decisions and how they impact our lives. It challenges the notion that there is always a perfect choice and instead invites audiences into the freedom of embracing the uncertainty that makes us human.
This film is a proof of concept for a feature-length version of the story. We hope that once this film is completed and shared with the world, it will garner the support and opportunities needed to continue Eleanor’s journey and bring this feature to life!
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WHO'S THE STORY ABOUT?
Eleanor, is a Black PhD student in her late twenties studying public history. She’s had her life planned out since junior year of high school; while a lot of it hasn’t gone to plan, she remains a high-achieving, overthinking, perfectionist. She believes that with enough thought and a good ol' pros-and cons-list, she can always make the right choice to get where she wants to be.
Eleanor is played by Mia del Giudice, a seasoned actress in both film and television productions, including credits on Hulu's Wu Tang: An American Saga and Power Book III: Raising Kanan on CBS.
Bryan is in his late twenties. He met Eleanor on a dating app and they’ve been together for about a year. He’s the opposite of his girlfriend, very carefree and a big fan of “going with the flow”. He works as a commercial real estate attorney, a job where he’s gotten this far simply by trusting his gut.
Bryan is played by Diron Jones, a dynamic actor with an impressive resume of theatre arts, film, television, runway modeling, and reality shows, including lead roles in multiple award-winning independent films.
Jackie is in her late 20s and has been best friends with Eleanor since college. She works as a coder at an AI tech start-up. She comes from a traditional immigrant family and because of her strict upbringing, she now makes decisions based on what will make her happy.
Jackie is played by Sajda Waite. With a robust background in theater, Sajda has made her mark on screen acting in short films, commercials, as well as her web series, Wormholes, which she also writes and directs.
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WHERE ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS?
We wrapped filming in November 2024 and are currently in post-production. After an incredible time on set, we are now focused on editing, scoring, sound design, sound mixing, and color grading. We are continuing to raise funds to cover the costs of post-production as well as submission fees to submit Paralysis by Analysis to film festivals all over the world. We anticipate to have the entire film done by Spring 2025 and will premiere Summer 2025!
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Director: Jolene T. Carter
Writers: Janae Joy Carter & Jolene T. Carter
Producer: Savannah Summerlin
Director of Photography: Chris Cumber
Editor: Donnie Letterman
