A Leaf of Faith
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Animation, Comedy
A Leaf of Faith is about a scrappy, optimistic, young mushroom who becomes infatuated with being a fashion model, but has to overcome their insecurities to perfect their runway walk.
A Leaf of Faith
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Animation, Comedy
1 Campaigns |
22 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$910
Goal: $20,000 for production
A Leaf of Faith is about a scrappy, optimistic, young mushroom who becomes infatuated with being a fashion model, but has to overcome their insecurities to perfect their runway walk.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A Leaf Of Faith!
Rory is a scrappy mushroom living in a teacup alongside their two roommates, Astrid the daisy flower and Kiwi the frog. The trio gathers to watch an episode of "Jardin Runway" a glamorous competition show where flowers compete for the “Jardin Runway Queen” crown. Completely captivated by the runway, Rory becomes determined to audition after learning the show is holding an open casting call. Despite not fitting the beauty standards that the competition celebrates, Rory believes deep down that they belong there too. But stepping into the spotlight is harder than it seems.
To have any chance at winning the crown Rory must learn t
o embrace who they are and allow themselves to truly be seen. With the help of Astrid and Kiwi, Rory suits up for their very first runway audition and slowly unleashes their inner runway star.
"A Leaf of Faith" is a heartfelt animated short about identity, friendship, self-expression, and finding the courage to pursue your dreams even when the world tells you you don’t fit the mold.
My Story!
"A Leaf of Faith" was inspired by my own experience struggling with shyness and learning how to overcome it with the support of my closest friends. As a queer artist and gender nonconforming person working in modeling, I’ve often felt the pressure of unspoken expectations and the feeling that you have to present yourself a certain way in order to deserve visibility and acceptance.
My emotional journey became the heart of Rory’s story. I wanted to create a character who still chooses to dream even when they feel small in a world full of impossible standards Through this film, I hope anyone who has ever felt out of place, underestimated, or afraid to take up space resonates with Rory and his journey. I want this story to remind people that believing in yourself can be transform your whole life even when confidence feels impossible.
Why this Story and Why Now?
There’s so many unspoken standards in todays society and it can be discouraging to try when the world doesn't seem to believe in you.
I want to show people the power in believing in themselves through this story, because I know it can help take them to places unimaginable. Even in moments where we may feel small or face rejection we can always rediscover our confidence and sense of belonging, as long as we continue to believe in ourselves.
After two years of writing, designing, and developing this project, the story is finally complete!
The foundation is here, now it’s time to bring the animation to life. Animation is an incredibly collaborative medium. Creating this film requires a talented team of animators, background painters, compositors, sound designers, and artists all working together frame by frame.
The funds from this campaign will go directly toward:
- Animation- Paying myself and a team of other 2D animators to rough out poses and clean up a full animated 6 minute short.
- Backgrounds- a team of painters to paint roughly 35 individual different
- Festivals- Makin
Every contribution helps move this project into a fully animated short film!
What Next?
Production on "A Leaf Of Faith" will begin immediately after the campaign concludes! Our goal is to complete the film festival cut of the short before submitting to animation and independent film festivals. Supporters will be able to follow the production journey through behind-the-scenes updates, progress previews, artwork, and sneak peeks. Once completed, the film will be shared through festival screenings and online release plans so audiences everywhere can experience Rory’s story!
MEET THE CAST!
OUR STRETCH GOAL
Our stretch goal is an additional $10,000. That allows us to pay for background art & festival funds on top of animation costs to ensure a fully finished animated film. Support in creating background art would be a tremendous feat in the major moving parts of making an animated film. The difference between an unfinished rough cut and a fully realized film.
Reaching this stretch goal means we don’t burn out our crew. It means we can work thoroughly with care. And it means giving our chance to put into opportunities like festivals that otherwise would only be another financial obstacle for an independent project like ours.
How Can You Help?
Donate! Every donation directly helps fund artists and production.
If this story resonates with you, there are some huge ways you can also support the project.
Share! Posting the campaign online helps us reach new audiences and potential supporters. Even one post can make a huge difference.
Follow Along! Supporting independent animation means supporting independent artists and original storytelling.
Follow our journey on Seed&Spark and on Instagram: @leafoffaith.film
THANK YOU!
Thank you for believing in independent animation and in stories that celebrate self-expression, vulnerability, and courage.
This project would not be possible without community support, and every contribution helps this tiny mushroom take one step closer to the spotlight!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Background Art
Costs $3,500
So the hand drawn animated character's have a universe to exist in
Animation
Costs $15,000
For about every 1 minute of animation it costs about 3200 seconds to make so if I'm hiring artists to make 5 mins of animation
Film Festival Apps
Costs $1,500
To get a large as platform for the film as we can past the point of completetion
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Adrian Sandoval is an artist, animator, and visual goofball who loves to tell stories and loves expressing themselves through fashion and illustrations. They are an artist known for their whimsical worlds, expressive character designs and culturally grounded narratives.
Adrian currently works at with CMH record label as a junior illustrator and animator on their social media team. They specifically work with RockabyeBaby and help bring a playful yet soothing and dreamy animation identity to the lullaby brand such as illustrations, animation visualizer & short narratives. Their latest film “Brujas” debuted at LALIFF 2023 as part of their animated shorts program. That same year they also shared “Brujas” at a Paramount Pictures Hispanic Heritage Month event that was hosted as a community movie night.
As a Director, Adrian has a history of putting much of their personal life experience into animated stories, and A Leaf of Faith is a story that encapsulates their most current storytelling voice. Queer, complex, silly and vulnerable.
Ally Bentson is a queer animation producer and artist based in LA! She has 7+ years of industry experience in multiple different mediums; 2D TV shows for Disney+, 3D kids shorts for CoComelon, and stop motion commercials! Ally loves animation and telling queer stories; She jumped at the opportunity to produce A Leaf of Faith! It resonates with her own lesbian experience of overcoming shyness and embracing the beauty of living out loud.
When Ally's not answering emails and tracking spreadsheets, she makes dolls, swims, and thrifts cute outfits (for both her human body and her dolls).
Diego Mejia is an animator with 10 years of professional experience whose worked remotely on all types of projects from commercials to short films, pilots, video games, and animated shows. With experience in other related areas such as Character Layouts, Clean up Animation and Storyboards.
His experience and works you can find across projects like Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, Tiny Toons, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, & Rey Mysterio.
A vegan icon, well-regarded international cat sitter, and radical purveyor of self-love, MIA GLADSTONE is a singer, songwriter, and producer who has become a staple of the global underground music scene. She is an artist lifted up by collaboration, constantly collecting influences from everyone she meets, be it an artist, a friend or a stranger on a plane. MIA radiates warmth, and through it has woven a web of like-minded creators, collaborators, and fans, all of whom are made to feel at home in her world. Known for her harmonic ear and a willingness to explore chords, she invited listeners into her singular sonic universe with 2022's LOOPY, a fully self-produced project that explored themes of growing up in the digital age and featured artists like Teezo Touchdown, Matt Martians, and others. Now, she is gearing up to release her second full-length LP, expanding her vision into a new, immersive audio/visual world.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A Leaf Of Faith!
Rory is a scrappy mushroom living in a teacup alongside their two roommates, Astrid the daisy flower and Kiwi the frog. The trio gathers to watch an episode of "Jardin Runway" a glamorous competition show where flowers compete for the “Jardin Runway Queen” crown. Completely captivated by the runway, Rory becomes determined to audition after learning the show is holding an open casting call. Despite not fitting the beauty standards that the competition celebrates, Rory believes deep down that they belong there too. But stepping into the spotlight is harder than it seems.
To have any chance at winning the crown Rory must learn t
o embrace who they are and allow themselves to truly be seen. With the help of Astrid and Kiwi, Rory suits up for their very first runway audition and slowly unleashes their inner runway star.
"A Leaf of Faith" is a heartfelt animated short about identity, friendship, self-expression, and finding the courage to pursue your dreams even when the world tells you you don’t fit the mold.
My Story!
"A Leaf of Faith" was inspired by my own experience struggling with shyness and learning how to overcome it with the support of my closest friends. As a queer artist and gender nonconforming person working in modeling, I’ve often felt the pressure of unspoken expectations and the feeling that you have to present yourself a certain way in order to deserve visibility and acceptance.
My emotional journey became the heart of Rory’s story. I wanted to create a character who still chooses to dream even when they feel small in a world full of impossible standards Through this film, I hope anyone who has ever felt out of place, underestimated, or afraid to take up space resonates with Rory and his journey. I want this story to remind people that believing in yourself can be transform your whole life even when confidence feels impossible.
Why this Story and Why Now?
There’s so many unspoken standards in todays society and it can be discouraging to try when the world doesn't seem to believe in you.
I want to show people the power in believing in themselves through this story, because I know it can help take them to places unimaginable. Even in moments where we may feel small or face rejection we can always rediscover our confidence and sense of belonging, as long as we continue to believe in ourselves.
After two years of writing, designing, and developing this project, the story is finally complete!
The foundation is here, now it’s time to bring the animation to life. Animation is an incredibly collaborative medium. Creating this film requires a talented team of animators, background painters, compositors, sound designers, and artists all working together frame by frame.
The funds from this campaign will go directly toward:
- Animation- Paying myself and a team of other 2D animators to rough out poses and clean up a full animated 6 minute short.
- Backgrounds- a team of painters to paint roughly 35 individual different
- Festivals- Makin
Every contribution helps move this project into a fully animated short film!
What Next?
Production on "A Leaf Of Faith" will begin immediately after the campaign concludes! Our goal is to complete the film festival cut of the short before submitting to animation and independent film festivals. Supporters will be able to follow the production journey through behind-the-scenes updates, progress previews, artwork, and sneak peeks. Once completed, the film will be shared through festival screenings and online release plans so audiences everywhere can experience Rory’s story!
MEET THE CAST!
OUR STRETCH GOAL
Our stretch goal is an additional $10,000. That allows us to pay for background art & festival funds on top of animation costs to ensure a fully finished animated film. Support in creating background art would be a tremendous feat in the major moving parts of making an animated film. The difference between an unfinished rough cut and a fully realized film.
Reaching this stretch goal means we don’t burn out our crew. It means we can work thoroughly with care. And it means giving our chance to put into opportunities like festivals that otherwise would only be another financial obstacle for an independent project like ours.
How Can You Help?
Donate! Every donation directly helps fund artists and production.
If this story resonates with you, there are some huge ways you can also support the project.
Share! Posting the campaign online helps us reach new audiences and potential supporters. Even one post can make a huge difference.
Follow Along! Supporting independent animation means supporting independent artists and original storytelling.
Follow our journey on Seed&Spark and on Instagram: @leafoffaith.film
THANK YOU!
Thank you for believing in independent animation and in stories that celebrate self-expression, vulnerability, and courage.
This project would not be possible without community support, and every contribution helps this tiny mushroom take one step closer to the spotlight!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Background Art
Costs $3,500
So the hand drawn animated character's have a universe to exist in
Animation
Costs $15,000
For about every 1 minute of animation it costs about 3200 seconds to make so if I'm hiring artists to make 5 mins of animation
Film Festival Apps
Costs $1,500
To get a large as platform for the film as we can past the point of completetion
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Adrian Sandoval is an artist, animator, and visual goofball who loves to tell stories and loves expressing themselves through fashion and illustrations. They are an artist known for their whimsical worlds, expressive character designs and culturally grounded narratives.
Adrian currently works at with CMH record label as a junior illustrator and animator on their social media team. They specifically work with RockabyeBaby and help bring a playful yet soothing and dreamy animation identity to the lullaby brand such as illustrations, animation visualizer & short narratives. Their latest film “Brujas” debuted at LALIFF 2023 as part of their animated shorts program. That same year they also shared “Brujas” at a Paramount Pictures Hispanic Heritage Month event that was hosted as a community movie night.
As a Director, Adrian has a history of putting much of their personal life experience into animated stories, and A Leaf of Faith is a story that encapsulates their most current storytelling voice. Queer, complex, silly and vulnerable.
Ally Bentson is a queer animation producer and artist based in LA! She has 7+ years of industry experience in multiple different mediums; 2D TV shows for Disney+, 3D kids shorts for CoComelon, and stop motion commercials! Ally loves animation and telling queer stories; She jumped at the opportunity to produce A Leaf of Faith! It resonates with her own lesbian experience of overcoming shyness and embracing the beauty of living out loud.
When Ally's not answering emails and tracking spreadsheets, she makes dolls, swims, and thrifts cute outfits (for both her human body and her dolls).
Diego Mejia is an animator with 10 years of professional experience whose worked remotely on all types of projects from commercials to short films, pilots, video games, and animated shows. With experience in other related areas such as Character Layouts, Clean up Animation and Storyboards.
His experience and works you can find across projects like Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, Tiny Toons, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, & Rey Mysterio.
A vegan icon, well-regarded international cat sitter, and radical purveyor of self-love, MIA GLADSTONE is a singer, songwriter, and producer who has become a staple of the global underground music scene. She is an artist lifted up by collaboration, constantly collecting influences from everyone she meets, be it an artist, a friend or a stranger on a plane. MIA radiates warmth, and through it has woven a web of like-minded creators, collaborators, and fans, all of whom are made to feel at home in her world. Known for her harmonic ear and a willingness to explore chords, she invited listeners into her singular sonic universe with 2022's LOOPY, a fully self-produced project that explored themes of growing up in the digital age and featured artists like Teezo Touchdown, Matt Martians, and others. Now, she is gearing up to release her second full-length LP, expanding her vision into a new, immersive audio/visual world.