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The line between Gen Z and Millennials is blurred for a lot of “cuspers,” or people who don’t exactly know where they fit within the generational categories.

Caroline Maguire, a 2020 Syracuse University graduate, is no exception to this. Born in 1997, she falls on the cusper spectrum of people born between 1993-1997, right between the mark of the Millenial and Gen Z generations. As a result, she decided to explore the struggles that come along with not fitting properly into a particular generational group in her new web series on YouTube, “The Cusp.”

The series deals with issues many modern, young twenty-somethings face, like being worried about social media presence or a lack of accomplishments compared to younger counterparts.

“I’ve always been really interested in generational differences and how that affects people’s personalities,” Maguire said.

Maguire wrote, directed, edited and starred in the three-episode web series, and she stars in the series as Pat alongside Daniel Preciado, who plays Chris. The pair clumsily and embarrassingly make their way through their last year of college as best friends, both acknowledging their refusal to grow up, but ultimately making peace with it.

In episodes one and two, Pat and Chris encounter members of Gen Z, who are younger than they are and who Pat and Chris view as more successful than themselves in different ways.

Maguire said she personally admires the tenacity and motivation of Gen Z individuals. She spoke admirably about the activism that has come to define Gen Z and how she resonates and sympathizes with the message, but rarely finds herself in action.

For her senior thesis project last Spring Caroline Maguire wrote, directed, edited and starred in her video series “The Cusp.” Courtesy of Caroline Maguire

“The kids are so cool nowadays,” Maguire said. “Sixteen-year-olds on TikTok — their fashion is awesome, and they already know how to do makeup and their hair is amazing. Growing up when we grew up, ‘generationless’ kids had no identity. I think I wore shirts from Target every day.”

Maguire produced “The Cusp,” her nearly completed senior thesis, before the school’s closing due to COVID-19. She received funding through the SOURCE grant, a cross-disciplinary grant through Syracuse University.

Maguire worked alongside her faculty advisor, Tula Goenka, on the project. Goenka and Maguire worked on a proposal for the idea in 2019, and Maguire finished the script when she was in the Newhouse in LA program.

When it came time for her to film “The Cusp” in the spring of 2020, she already had a script and a cast.

“I think that’s what really helped make it what it is, because she was ahead,” Goenka said.

The majority of the series was already shot before students were sent home. Only one scene had to be re-written and shot after spring break.

Saachi Jain, a current junior and film major at SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, worked as the cinematographer for “The Cusp.” She said that she and the rest of the cast and crew quickly found themselves deeply invested in the project. Jain said it started to feel like a passion project for her, even though it was Maguire’s thesis.

Caroline Maguire (left) and Daniel Preciado play two best friends stuck in between the Gen Z and Millennial generations. Courtesy of Caroline Maguire

“(Maguire) highlighted a certain sense of self-questioning and struggle in between the lines and in the nuances,” Jain said. “She just perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to be on the cusp of something.”

Jain said she and Maguire would sometimes meet for a small amount of time between classes, trying to squeeze work in for the project whenever possible. The eight-person crew would sometimes shoot for entire days on the weekends.

Maguire uses comedy to communicate the uncertainty she and her peers experience.

“I wanted to really capture the panic I was feeling,” Maguire said of the series.

Even though the series was written before the pandemic, the humor, nuances of the characters and timeless themes of being stressed college seniors looking into an unknown hold more relevance than ever. Jain credits Maguire’s writing to the charm and universal accessibility of “The Cusp.”

According to Maguire, though, she just wrote what she knew and was interested in.

“It came from my fascination with Gen Z but also my disillusionment of not identifying with millennials,” Maguire said. “Who are these people? And we’re just confused; I think that’s what I settled on.”

Published on August 30, 2020 at 10:50 pm

Contact Violet: velazaru@syr.edu