A Bit About Me
I'm a 21 year old, self-taught artist from Oakland, California. My recent debut project was a musical short film and visual album--ZoomBug--which premiered on i-D Magazine. Over the past two years I've curated a production team consisting of other local creatives who have become like family.
My passion is using art to create spaces in which people feel safe to heal and process with similarly situated people. My team and I strive to tell stories that allow ourselves and our audience to build and imagine new worlds even as we address the struggles in our current realities.
![]()
Why This Film Concept?
Story Synopsis
MoonBaby is a peek into the surreal world that exists within each of us—these inner labyrinths of our mind where we experience both trauma, loss and ourselves. In this film, we witness Riley's (A.K.A Half-face) age 7, as she tries to suppress and escape the effects of sexual traumas acquired in her childhood. The result of such trauma manifests itself as a literal blue stain upon her face along with having split her into two people. Riley's inner child and other half-- formerly abandoned and locked away--MoonBaby, escapes and is seeking Riley’s acceptance. Now being literally forced to face herself, our protagonist unravels one of many truths: there is no way to run from MoonBaby or her scarring past.
This story is something we believe has an urgent need for representation.
About 50% of black women alone have experienced sexual assault--of that horrifying statistic, only 1 in 15 of those instances are reported. Numbers aside, I don’t know any women or femme-presenting people in my life who have not experienced sexual assault; I know even fewer who have come forward with their stories. People of color, women, and other marginalized peoples deserve a platform on which their stories are related to, amplified, and unobstructed--my team and I seek to facilitate that space and believe it is imperative in our collective healing.
The process of dealing with sexual abuse is a constant state of learning how to keep sight of ourselves during the conjugation of development and emotionally stunting traumas. Many members of our team are bringing our personal experiences to the creation process of the film and with increased representation, we can increase the resources available for collective support and healing.
Community Engagement
We're not only approaching the films creation with urgency, but also the facilitation of dialogue about the film's subject matter.
It is impossible to heal from something that is never addressed and as a community we can lean on the courage of each other to begin collective healing. Our goal is to not only produce a film but also host screenings of MoonBaby, followed by free community workshops and decompression spaces. We want to make a film that can be a catalyst for dialogue, as well as be the first to hold space for that imperative conversation. We've already begun developing the content of the workshops with local health educators and community leaders.
The greatest success would be to provide tangible resources and support for those who may be victims of sexual assault or would like more information on how to best help someone that is.
How You Can Help!
$15,500 is the least of our ideal $20,000 Budget to bring this project to life. We are seeking financial support in the form of donations! The initial $15,500 would cover all overhead cost to production from props & equipment to booking shoot locations as well as providing resources to various members of our team so that they can have the necessary tools to best contribute to the collective vision. A more detailed budgeting breakdown is as fallows:
Staff and Crew Cost
Film Department: $1,200
Styling Department: $1,000
Music Department: $850
Dance Department: $700
Production Cost
Props / equipment: $5,000
Provisions for onset Cast & Crew: $300
Space rentals: $2,850
Camera + lighting equipment: $1,500
Transportation of props / equipment: $1,000
Styling budget: $1,000
Community Outreach
$4,500
The absolute lowest the film alone can be made for is roughly: $15,500
The predicted cost to produce project: Film Production + Workshops: $20,000
Our Production Plan!
It will take a full 2 months of intense production to bring MoonBaby to life!
Pre-production Preproduction has already begun! We have been steadily working to accomplish as much as we are able to before reaching our funding goal. That process included: Storyboarding, music production, costume concept design, scripting and more! The pre-production process will continue for a little under a month after the close of our campaign on March 6th. All the funding will then allow us to purchase props equipment and book all necessary filming locations.
Filming We go into shooting March 21st, with a total of 10 filming days.
Post production We anticipate an intensive two - three week long editing period beginning at the top of April. Granted our campaign is successful - film is set to be completed & premiere at the end of April.
Latest success Story:
Upon the live screening premier of our first musical short film, ZoomBug, we were amazed to see the turnout of hundreds that attended the events and celebrate along with the many people the film touched. We want to provide and even better and enriching experience for our future audiences, building a world they feel reflected and celebrated within.
Risks & Challenges
This would be our most ambitious project to date and most complex but we are confident that with adequate resources we could be bring this vision and urgent narrative to life.
From Us to You!
Supporting this film isn't just supporting the artist involved with it’s production.
Supporting this film is to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced far too often. We are living in a time where more value and concern is being put on the stories of women, people of color, and sexual assault survivors than ever before. It is time that media begins to reflect this shift, with an increased presence of those who make up the largest majority of sexual assault victims, yet are still the least heard. It is key that in an era that still has less than 5% of major filmmakers being women - that our stories are told by us for us along with all survivors. The first step is being seen, and having the resource to adequately stand courageously in our truths.
We are able to make high production films on limited funds because we tap into the strength of our talent, hard work, and resources of the creative community and the generosity of friends like you.
Signed sincerely,
Aroma along with the AROMA production team & family