The APL
Atlanta, Georgia | Series
Comedy, Other
Inside Atlanta’s busiest public library, a stylish branch manager leads an eccentric staff through chaos, culture, and comedy.
The APL
Atlanta, Georgia | Series
Comedy, Other
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
19 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$1,720
Goal: $19,000 for development
Inside Atlanta’s busiest public library, a stylish branch manager leads an eccentric staff through chaos, culture, and comedy.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Cold Open
The APL unfolds inside one of the few remaining public spaces where everyone is still welcome—and reveals what it actually takes to keep that promise alive. Using a mockumentary lens, the series finds humor and meaning in the everyday contradictions of public service, capturing the leadership, resilience, and quiet heroism required to hold community together in real time.
As a public librarian and senior leader, I’ve spent more than 20 years living inside this world. I’ve seen how libraries function far beyond books or budgets—they are places where people seek access, dignity, opportunity, and belonging. This project is my way of bringing visibility to those unseen moments and telling these stories with honesty, warmth, and joy.
Why This, Us, Now?
This project is deeply personal and urgently timely. At a moment when public libraries are facing unprecedented pressure—censorship battles, shrinking resources, and expanding community needs—the people who hold these spaces together remain largely unseen. Comedy allows us to humanize them, honor their labor, and invite audiences to laugh, reflect, and recognize themselves in these public servants.
My background as a Black woman, a librarian, and a community leader shapes this story from the inside out. This is not satire from a distance—it is a love letter grounded in lived experience, told with affection, honesty, and care. The world would be poorer without stories that affirm public spaces as sacred, democratic, and deeply human. The APL exists to remind us that community happens everywhere—and that sometimes, the most important stories unfold in the loudest quiet place in the city. By supporting this project, audiences aren’t just backing a show—they’re helping preserve the visibility, value, and humanity of one of America’s last truly free public institutions.
Our Promise to You
This campaign is a commitment to move The APL from the page to the screen.
Right now, The APL is in active development. With your support, we will produce a 6–8 minute, tone-forward proof-of-concept that captures the voice, world, and ensemble of the series. This short is designed to serve as a professional calling card—one that can be shared with development partners, investors, festivals, and networks to help bring the full series to life.
What This Campaign Makes Possible
If we reach our funding goal, we will:
- Cast key roles, including Camille Bryant and core ensemble members
- Produce and edit a polished proof-of-concept short
- Create a 2-minute sizzle reel for pitching and submissions
- Finalize pitch materials to advance the project into the next stage of development
This campaign is not the end of the journey—it is the opening move.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Creative Development
Costs $2,000
Script polish & proof-of-concept adaptation. Confessional beats & tone refinement.
Casting
Costs $3,000
Lead role: Camille Bryant. 2–3 supporting ensemble roles. Casting director support. (Ensemble chemistry over scale.)
Production (2–3 Shoot Days)
Costs $8,000
Director, DP, Sound, Camera & sound equipment, Locations & permits, Production design & wardrobe. Meals & insurance
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
Editor (mockumentary pacing & tone); Sound mix; Color correction; Graphics & titles.
2-Minute Sizzle Reel
Costs $1,000
Cut from proof-of-concept; Designed for pitch meetings, festivals, labs, and development submissions.
Pitch & Submission Materials
Costs $1,000
Updated pitch deck; Series overview & logline polish; Festival & development submission fees.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Joicelyn Dingle, Donna Schiele, and Veleda Simpson met at Hampton University. That’s where our creative partnership began. For 35+ years, we have supported each other through life, storytelling, and collaboration. And now, that same bond is at the core of why we created and are presenting The APL together.
Veleda Simpson is an Atlanta-born storyteller, former senior public library leader, and digital content creator whose work centers community, public service, and lived experience. With more than two decades as a librarian, she served in administrative leadership roles in Chicago and Atlanta including Regional Library Director, and Assistant Director of Branch Services, and has worked across children’s services, education, and information access. Veleda’s career inside public institutions has given her a rare, insider perspective on the humor, humanity, and quiet heroism that unfold daily in civic spaces—stories that are often overlooked or misunderstood. Her commitment to equitable access and representation led to her service on the Executive Board of the American Library Association’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). A graduate of Hampton University and Clark Atlanta University, Veleda brings cultural specificity, authenticity, and emotional truth to her storytelling. Today, she channels her lived experience into scripted projects and digital platforms, including Vee Speaks Life, where she explores resilience, mental health, and human connection. Her work is rooted in compassion, clarity, and a belief that the most powerful stories come from the spaces we think we already know.
Joicelyn Dingle is a published writer, filmmaker and editorial content creator. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Dingle attended St. Vincent’s Academy for Girls in the historic district of the city where she was active in extracurricular activities and learned the depth, complexities and wit of women’s spaces. After earning a Bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in Marketing, she moved to New York working for notables such as Spike Lee, Russel Simmons, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and music historian/filmmaker Greg Tate. Driven by the spirit, beauty and depth of women, she was inspired to create Honey magazine leaving its mark on the hearts of women of color. Serving as its founding Editorial Director, she helped to define a market of trendsetting women who were imitated yet underserved. The documentary based on the creation of Honey was partially funded in 2024 by PBS subsidiary, Black Public Media. The work of Honey magazine will be exhibited at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington in 2026. Dingle has spearheaded columns for Ebony.com such as Epic Black Image, highlighting the work of contemporary African American photographers and The Coolest Black Family in America interviewing over 80 couples on their family’s history and construct. Her writing is featured in books including, MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora and Uncommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race and Friendship.
Donna Schiele is a multi-hyphenate storyteller whose work spans radio, education, voiceover, and now screenwriting. As the host of Classix at Nite with Donna on Atlanta’s Classix 102.9, Donna brings warmth, relatability, and an unmistakable voice to the airwaves; qualities that also define her narrative writing. A graduate of Hampton University, Donna’s roots in storytelling began with performance and evolved through years spent nurturing voices in the classroom as an educator and curriculum coach. Her lived experiences as a Gen X Black woman raised in 1980s Atlanta, after relocating from upstate New York, inform her original series Hey Girl, a coming-of-age dramedy inspired by her own childhood. Donna’s writing blends nostalgia, humor, and cultural specificity, exploring how the echoes of our younger selves continue to shape our adult lives. Her deep understanding of human behavior, family dynamics, and the transformative power of music are at the heart of her storytelling voice. Donna is also an accomplished voice actor and podcast host, with a background in creative direction, early childhood education, and public speaking. She is currently developing several passion projects, including a picture book for preschoolers and a digital platform for women in transition. With Hey Girl!, she brings a fresh yet familiar narrative to the screen, capturing the joys and challenges of growing up Black, bold, and a little bit awkward in the vibrant heart of the South.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Cold Open
The APL unfolds inside one of the few remaining public spaces where everyone is still welcome—and reveals what it actually takes to keep that promise alive. Using a mockumentary lens, the series finds humor and meaning in the everyday contradictions of public service, capturing the leadership, resilience, and quiet heroism required to hold community together in real time.
As a public librarian and senior leader, I’ve spent more than 20 years living inside this world. I’ve seen how libraries function far beyond books or budgets—they are places where people seek access, dignity, opportunity, and belonging. This project is my way of bringing visibility to those unseen moments and telling these stories with honesty, warmth, and joy.
Why This, Us, Now?
This project is deeply personal and urgently timely. At a moment when public libraries are facing unprecedented pressure—censorship battles, shrinking resources, and expanding community needs—the people who hold these spaces together remain largely unseen. Comedy allows us to humanize them, honor their labor, and invite audiences to laugh, reflect, and recognize themselves in these public servants.
My background as a Black woman, a librarian, and a community leader shapes this story from the inside out. This is not satire from a distance—it is a love letter grounded in lived experience, told with affection, honesty, and care. The world would be poorer without stories that affirm public spaces as sacred, democratic, and deeply human. The APL exists to remind us that community happens everywhere—and that sometimes, the most important stories unfold in the loudest quiet place in the city. By supporting this project, audiences aren’t just backing a show—they’re helping preserve the visibility, value, and humanity of one of America’s last truly free public institutions.
Our Promise to You
This campaign is a commitment to move The APL from the page to the screen.
Right now, The APL is in active development. With your support, we will produce a 6–8 minute, tone-forward proof-of-concept that captures the voice, world, and ensemble of the series. This short is designed to serve as a professional calling card—one that can be shared with development partners, investors, festivals, and networks to help bring the full series to life.
What This Campaign Makes Possible
If we reach our funding goal, we will:
- Cast key roles, including Camille Bryant and core ensemble members
- Produce and edit a polished proof-of-concept short
- Create a 2-minute sizzle reel for pitching and submissions
- Finalize pitch materials to advance the project into the next stage of development
This campaign is not the end of the journey—it is the opening move.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Creative Development
Costs $2,000
Script polish & proof-of-concept adaptation. Confessional beats & tone refinement.
Casting
Costs $3,000
Lead role: Camille Bryant. 2–3 supporting ensemble roles. Casting director support. (Ensemble chemistry over scale.)
Production (2–3 Shoot Days)
Costs $8,000
Director, DP, Sound, Camera & sound equipment, Locations & permits, Production design & wardrobe. Meals & insurance
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
Editor (mockumentary pacing & tone); Sound mix; Color correction; Graphics & titles.
2-Minute Sizzle Reel
Costs $1,000
Cut from proof-of-concept; Designed for pitch meetings, festivals, labs, and development submissions.
Pitch & Submission Materials
Costs $1,000
Updated pitch deck; Series overview & logline polish; Festival & development submission fees.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Joicelyn Dingle, Donna Schiele, and Veleda Simpson met at Hampton University. That’s where our creative partnership began. For 35+ years, we have supported each other through life, storytelling, and collaboration. And now, that same bond is at the core of why we created and are presenting The APL together.
Veleda Simpson is an Atlanta-born storyteller, former senior public library leader, and digital content creator whose work centers community, public service, and lived experience. With more than two decades as a librarian, she served in administrative leadership roles in Chicago and Atlanta including Regional Library Director, and Assistant Director of Branch Services, and has worked across children’s services, education, and information access. Veleda’s career inside public institutions has given her a rare, insider perspective on the humor, humanity, and quiet heroism that unfold daily in civic spaces—stories that are often overlooked or misunderstood. Her commitment to equitable access and representation led to her service on the Executive Board of the American Library Association’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). A graduate of Hampton University and Clark Atlanta University, Veleda brings cultural specificity, authenticity, and emotional truth to her storytelling. Today, she channels her lived experience into scripted projects and digital platforms, including Vee Speaks Life, where she explores resilience, mental health, and human connection. Her work is rooted in compassion, clarity, and a belief that the most powerful stories come from the spaces we think we already know.
Joicelyn Dingle is a published writer, filmmaker and editorial content creator. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Dingle attended St. Vincent’s Academy for Girls in the historic district of the city where she was active in extracurricular activities and learned the depth, complexities and wit of women’s spaces. After earning a Bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in Marketing, she moved to New York working for notables such as Spike Lee, Russel Simmons, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and music historian/filmmaker Greg Tate. Driven by the spirit, beauty and depth of women, she was inspired to create Honey magazine leaving its mark on the hearts of women of color. Serving as its founding Editorial Director, she helped to define a market of trendsetting women who were imitated yet underserved. The documentary based on the creation of Honey was partially funded in 2024 by PBS subsidiary, Black Public Media. The work of Honey magazine will be exhibited at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington in 2026. Dingle has spearheaded columns for Ebony.com such as Epic Black Image, highlighting the work of contemporary African American photographers and The Coolest Black Family in America interviewing over 80 couples on their family’s history and construct. Her writing is featured in books including, MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora and Uncommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race and Friendship.
Donna Schiele is a multi-hyphenate storyteller whose work spans radio, education, voiceover, and now screenwriting. As the host of Classix at Nite with Donna on Atlanta’s Classix 102.9, Donna brings warmth, relatability, and an unmistakable voice to the airwaves; qualities that also define her narrative writing. A graduate of Hampton University, Donna’s roots in storytelling began with performance and evolved through years spent nurturing voices in the classroom as an educator and curriculum coach. Her lived experiences as a Gen X Black woman raised in 1980s Atlanta, after relocating from upstate New York, inform her original series Hey Girl, a coming-of-age dramedy inspired by her own childhood. Donna’s writing blends nostalgia, humor, and cultural specificity, exploring how the echoes of our younger selves continue to shape our adult lives. Her deep understanding of human behavior, family dynamics, and the transformative power of music are at the heart of her storytelling voice. Donna is also an accomplished voice actor and podcast host, with a background in creative direction, early childhood education, and public speaking. She is currently developing several passion projects, including a picture book for preschoolers and a digital platform for women in transition. With Hey Girl!, she brings a fresh yet familiar narrative to the screen, capturing the joys and challenges of growing up Black, bold, and a little bit awkward in the vibrant heart of the South.