The word 'classic' is defined by the Oxford dictionary as such: "a work of art of recognized and established value." But what Oxford doesn't tell you is that value -- even an 'established' one -- can fluctuate based on the state of the world we live in.

It is no secret that, right now, the state of the world is not necessarily joyful for queer people. We face constant attacks, both on our inalienable human rights and our mental health. It cannot be easy growing up in today's America -- today's world -- as a queer kid.

Throughout my time as an MFA student at SCAD, I have discovered the type of storyteller I desperately want to be. As someone who started out in fanfiction, I relished the opportunity to have characters from all the stories I loved as allies in my own journey of self-discovery. As a filmmaker, I long to work in adaptation, to bring iconic characters to queer kids and young adults in ways they have never had them before -- in ways I never had them. To give them the opportunity to see themselves, and see joyous versions of themselves, in the media they consume.

That starts with My Dear Watson. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are newly fully in the public domain, and our team thinks this is a perfect opportunity to explore the undeniable chemistry that fanfiction writers and fan artists have exploited for years.

"You don't see me. You see everything, but you don't see me."

Have you ever found the thing you've been missing right in front of you all along? So goes the story of our teenage Sherlock Holmes, a young amateur detective solving mystery after mystery to fill the chasm left by his inability to forge meaningful personal relationships.

His newest mystery, though, is a bit of a doozy: he's received an anonymous love note and must uncover the identity of his secret admirer! With the help of his best friend, Watson, he will scour the library at the Baker Street School for clues until, at last, he finds the culprit. Along the way, he encounters fun, colorful reimaginings of classic Sherlock Holmes characters such as Irene Adler, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson. As he barrels through the clues, though, the answer to the mystery seems to be getting further and further away -- until he finds out that the answer might've been right before his eyes the whole time.

Who's who in My Dear Watson? Great question!

Sherlock Holmes -- an inquisitive, adventurous, but overly neurotic spirit, uninterested in love or romance or personal connection in general, save for his best friend, Watson. Unkempt and gangly, with a school uniform that has seen better days.

John Watson -- a gruff teddy bear of a boy who spends his time keeping his best friend, Sherlock Holmes, in line. Tall and mostly clean-cut with a bit of sadness and shyness mingled in; much meeker than his friend. Has a sports injury that requires him to wear a cast and a sling.

Irene Adler -- a classmate of Holmes’ and leader of the notorious popular girl clique “the Four.” Wears a cheerleading uniform every day, like in Glee. Quite flirtatious and sophisticated.

Mrs. Hudson -- a classic librarian, glasses around her neck. A bit wry and unconcerned about things Holmes finds troublesome. Very empathetic in that “English teacher who adores their gay student” kind of way.

Lestrade -- a young, very frantic hall monitor. Apprentice to Holmes. Eager to please.

The casting process is under way and we are so excited to be seeing many wonderful actors from Atlanta and the Southeast for these roles -- follow our Instagram, @mydearwatsonfilm, for the latest updates on casting.

So. We're asking you for money -- the natural question is, "for what?"

Above, you'll see a percentage breakdown of our budget. As you can see, our crowdfund succeeding means primarily that we are able to keep our cast and crew healthy and happy like they deserve. We're very lucky, as SCAD students, to have access to professional-grade filmmaking equipment, but a camera and some lights are not all it takes to make a movie. With your help, we'll be able to make sure our crew stays fed both with hot meals and expansive craft services, and all in our dream location.

Speaking of...

My Dear Watson is set in a library. Yes.

When embarking on the development journey for this project, one of my biggest writing goals aside from bringing Sherlock Holmes into the present day was to pay tribute to the many classic stories he's already been a part of. For me, that looked like books on books on books.

Setting this mystery inside a library was a no-brainer, and it just so happened that Atlanta is home to the perfect candidate: the Philip Weltner Library at Oglethorpe University. Although My Dear Watson takes place in the modern era, the library at Oglethorpe allows us to simultaneously lean into the mood and atmosphere of Holmes' classic stories. It helps us keep the character's familiar vibe while shepherding him into a new generation. These characters just existing within the storied confines of this location will help to solidify the film's tone and give it the classic production value it calls for.

Thank you so much for reading all of this and for, hopefully, wanting to help us make this film a reality. My Dear Watson is not just a film we're making for a grade -- it's a passion project, spearheaded by a team of queer filmmakers, meant for queer Holmes & Watson nerds everywhere.

In addition, our project is happy to say that we are working alongside Out Proud Films, a new nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ independent filmmakers, to make your donations tax deductible!

If you're unable to donate, you can still help! Sharing our project far and wide is the best thing that you can do for us, along with following us on social media -- @mydearwatsonfilm on Instagram!

The game is, indeed, afoot, my friends -- donate or share today to help us solve this big mystery!