Stuck in a depressed loop of distractions, Lydia can’t seem to commit to finishing her MBA thesis, or to her longtime boyfriend Colin, despite his not-so-subtle cues. A simple call from her mother recalls a beloved childhood connection that now appears to be gone forever. This beloved connection — a neighborhood auntie with whom Lydia ultimately lost touch — has, in her passing, willed to Lydia her house and her lavender farm in Italy. Accepting this inheritance would surely change the course of her future, risks and all, if only she could muster the courage to say yes. 

[Image ID]: a photo collage of various looks, tones, camera angles, colors and other visuals that form the aesthetic behind the movie, Lavender Fields Forever, which could be described as grounded, whimsical, daydreamy, and realistic (as contrasting as those may sound).

This proof of concept feels like the first 8 - 10 minutes of the feature film, simplified for production ease, but capturing the essence of being a neurodivergent woman uninspired by the prospect of a “normal life” and stuck in what feels like a hopeless, boring loop. Underneath the depression, avoidance, and distraction is a person wishing for a way out, but feeling that they don’t have the power to do anything about it. It’s the spark at the end that previews a colorful, vibrant, and adventurous future that reminds us there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, if we go for it.

[Image ID]: Director's Statement

Is there ever a right time to make a big change? At the beginning of this year, I dove off the deep end to focus on filmmaking full-time. In charting a course to make my first feature film, I wanted to start with a proof-of-concept for two reasons:

1. To showcase what a/b studios is capable of, without breaking the bank
2. To showcase the magic of Lydia's story, even just a fraction of it

It’s easy to write off big opportunities with, “that only happens in the movies,” but in its own way, this happened to me. I want to capture that feeling of being thrown an improbable life preserver, and deciding to take that enormous leap. Instead of asking Why me?, Lydia chooses to ask, Why not? 

When I was 21, I was presented with a wild (and random) opportunity to take over a lavender farm in Italy. The owner lived in the States and no longer had a caretaker living on the property or running the business. It had been in their family but wasn't their passion. It's been a decade since then, and shortly after saying no, these imaginations started.

What would it have been like to take that leap?

Making the Lavender Fields Forever proof-of-concept is my big leap. I believe so wholeheartedly in my team of creatives, in the absolutely magical East Tennessee region, and in Lydia's story, which has healed me in more ways than I can say.

[Image ID]: Tone & Conventions

Lavender Fields Forever is empathetically humanistic in its anchor of everyday routines. The unassuming specialness comes in the excursions outside this stifling monotony, from daydreams to memories to fevered imagination. Ultimately, the contrast between mundane everyday life and the shock of an “escape hatch” opportunity sets a hopeful, excited tone for the feature film to come.

Our characters exist in an unremarkable and authentic everyday environment, portraying interpersonal interactions that we often experience unconsciously in our own lives. The home of two heavily indebted academics is a small, spartan-esque space that boasts limited personal expressions and examples of “taste,” despite the importance of our main character’s private horde of meaningful artifacts. The fact that she keeps these treasures hidden, rather than on display amidst the video game-centric living room and multiple-purpose dining area workspace, gives insight into her own awareness of how her surroundings impact her inner life.

[Image ID]: Character image of Lydia, a late-20s woman with naturally curly hair.

[Image ID]: Character image of Colin, a late-20s male with a beard and a vacant expression.

Lydia is naturally curious and empathetic with many of the well-known identifiers (I call these my quirks) of adult-diagnosed ADHD in high-performing women. Though her half-finished MBA thesis seemed like the ticket out of her rut when she started, she can't seem to finish that either and knows deep down that something has to change. Without much "real world" experience, she often defers to her long-time boyfriend's perspectives and opinions instead of listening to her intuition. In the film, Lydia pushes past her self-doubt and ultimately listens to her own inner voice, however far that may take her.

Colin, on the other hand, is naturally ambitious and short-sighted. He sees Lydia staying home while he goes to work as her own personal failing, and from what he believes is a place of love, relentlessly pushes her to fit into his ideal picture. He criticizes Lydia's life choices with backhanded compliments, judging her for not finishing her MBA fast enough, while still expecting her to take care of the household duties. He's not a bad guy; he's just "one of those guys" and might not be the right one for Lydia. 

[Image ID]: Timeline & Circulation

The Lavender Fields Forever proof-of-concept short has an exciting pathway ahead. After we complete post-production in June, we'll begin circulating the short on a one-year festival circuit, hopefully building a bit of award buzz by the time we're booking meetings for the American Film Market. Attending AFM with the Lavender Fields Forever package in hand is our best shot at bringing the feature film to life. It will take all year to prepare (which makes me grateful that we started last year!), and this crowdfunding campaign helps our crew illustrate to future producing partners why we're the best team to tell this story.

We chose to make a proof-of-concept short film because we wanted to get the most momentum from our first narrative project. We have the opportunity to showcase not only the foundational aesthetic for the feature film but also what our team is capable of bringing to life. It takes a ton of planning, strategy, and effort to bring a film to life, and Seed & Spark has given us a platform to showcase that effort in real-time.

[Image ID]: Stretch Goals

We have a tight team of 12 creatives who compose the cast and crew of Lavender Fields Forever. That is a VERY small number of folks on set, meaning that pretty much everyone is pitching in and taking on multiple roles. But we also believe that filmmaking should be a living-wage career option that compensates the talent and hard work each of these folks brings to the table. If we're able to exceed this campaign's goal, we've identified three budgets to calculate increasingly better compensation for our team — and less out-of-pocket expenses for the creators.

Minimum: $12,935

This is the amount needed to cover all expenses detailed in the wishlist. It is the bare minimum to bring people on set for two days, finish the movie, and submit it to 10 festivals. This figure relies heavily on in-kind donations by each of the cast and crew, and does not cover a 5% production fee and a 2% contingency fee (standard to most films).

Market: $18,424

Now, this is the sweet spot, where no one is donating any labor in-kind. It also factors in the cost and labor of props, costumes, make-up kit rentals, and film festival travel, figures which are currently presumed to be (out-of-pocket) creator costs.

Magic: $25,235

This is pie-in-the-sky, everyone gets paid for their work, no one doubles roles (meaning we get to employ more amazing filmmakers!) and/or everyone gets paid for EVERY job they do. While this would be amazing (and what a/b studios endeavors toward), we recognize that it might not happen this go around. But, we thought that you should still see the numbers.

[Image ID]: Why Contribute?

As actors, producers, and filmmakers within the Southeast, we have firsthand experience of how our region is under- and misrepresented in the global media landscape. Though plenty of movies are filmed in our region, oftentimes, the majority of cast and crew are brought in from New York or Los Angeles. And though the stories you see on the big screen often take place regionally, they are often not written by regional creatives. All of this leads to a huge gap in understanding the diversity, creativity, and talent in the Southeast.

a/b studios seeks to directly address this disparity by sourcing, developing, co-creating, and distributing movies and television primarily sourced and/or crewed in the Southeast & Appalachia. Essentially, we are creating a story-to-cinema pipeline that connects regional creatives with the network and resources needed to make and distribute a film. Lavender Fields Forever is the beginning of this endeavor.

But that's a huge risk and a big undertaking!

Oh, we know. But to this, we defer to the central question in Lavender Fields: if given the chance at a risky but potentially life-changing opportunity, would you take it? When presented with Why me?, we at a/b studios — just like Lydia — choose to say, Why not?

[Image ID]: Spread the Word!

We cannot create Lavender Fields Forever without the love, support, and generosity of our community... and YOURS!

Be a part of making a movie and expanding a professional and artistic community by sharing our campaign with your network. Social media, email, word-of-mouth — whatever works best for you! And feel free to copy and paste these examples when you do:

Help support female/Southeast/neurodiverse filmmakers @ab.studios.production by contributing to their film LAVENDER FIELDS FOREVER, which follows the story of an ADHD girlie choosing to follow her intuition in spite of crushing self-doubt. Follow them on @seedandspark : seedandspark.com/fund/lavender-fields-forever-short . #lavenderfieldsforever

I can't wait to see the short film LAVENDER FIELDS FOREVER from the all-female producing team @ab.studios.production !  Support regional artists creating great indie work! Follow them on @seedandspark : seedandspark.com/fund/lavender-fields-forever-short . #lavenderfieldsforever

Thank you!

For stepping into Lydia's world, for inhabiting this proof-of-concept with us, and for your interest in moviemaking. You found yourself here, and that's really rad.