Although originally conceived as a documentary feature film, the story was far too big and multi-layered to fit into that structure so we had to re-think it as a series of webisodes.
Women have a long history as participants and leaders in fandoms, and I am continually inspired by those women who have paved the way for modern fandom, the unsung heroes who helmed the letter writing campaigns in the early days of Hollywood, who wrote, edited and distributed the 'zines of the 60's, 70's and '80's and have now added to fandoms as outspoken voices in fan journalism, fanfiction, podcasting, fanart, social media, and much much more.
This project is a celebration, a history, and an archive of women's contribution to fandom & popular culture.
Who is working on this project?:
I'm particularly proud to say that my primary crew is made up of women.
Hansi Oppenheimer (Producer, Director, Writer) I'm most well known as the Creator of the feature documentary Color Me Obsessed: A Film About The Replacements. The film is the history of the band as told by their fans. My background also includes many years managing and archiving media libraries.
Dr. Lynn Zubernis (Co-Writer, Associate Producer) Lynn is well known in the Supernatural fan community for her excellent books on fandom (Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls) and her coverage of conventions.
Chinisha Scott (Post Producer, Editor, Co-Writer) Chinisha is a filmmaker and educator. She leads the Young Women of Cinema Program at DCTV in New York– a program that assists young women to digest and understand the gravity of representation in the media, as the participants create their own original projects.
Meredith Levine (Researcher, Co-Writer) Meredith has spoken at San Diego Comic Con, Comikaze, and VidCon on the subject of fans. Her undergraduate degree is in Communication and Culture from Indiana University. Her master’s degree is in Critical Media Studies from UCLA, where she focused her studies on fandom. Her research interests include, fandom, transmedia storytelling, emerging platforms and themed entertainment.
We've had invaluable assistance along the way from the hundreds of fangirls who we have interviewed, helped us to transcribe hours & hours of footage, given us feedback on rough cuts, cosplayed as our logo Troubled Girl, bought t-shirts and mugs, and helped spread the word.
What We Need & What You Get
- We need to raise $5000 to pay our credit card for all the costs of our shooting, editing, audio mixing, traveling, screenings, promotional materials and equipment up to this date.
- If we don't meet our goal, we can still pay off at least some of our costs and continue to create the web series.
The Impact
- Squee! is important because it gives women a voice in nerd culture. It also offers opportunities for women to work together to create media and supports gender parity and representation.
- We have been very successful at presenting Squee! screenings & panels at cons. There has never been a better time for women to show that we have a voice in nerd culture and the power as consumers to demand equal representation.
- Squee! supports all marginalized people, not just women and I'm committed to offering a place to tell their stories because I believe that stories are important and if we can see ourselves in media or empathize with one another we can create a better world.
Risks & Challenges
- I've been working on Squee! since 2012. While researching a topic for a new film project in 2012, I discovered fanfic, which led me to conducting and filming a series of interviews with fanfic writers & readers. The project quickly took on a life of its own and became an exploration of women, transmedia storytelling, and fandom.
As a fangirl myself, I wanted to discuss how others felt about identifying as fangirls, our communities, the pride and occasional embarrassment we feel, and most of all the passion–the squee.
Although originally conceived as a documentary feature film, the story was far too big and multi-layered to fit into that structure so we had to re-think it as a series of webisodes.
- Once we began to think of the project as a web series it took off. I am also lucky to have found a small crew made up of women who have been incredibly generous with their time and creativity.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't contribute financially, please help us get the word out.
- Please post, share, write reviews, come to our screenings and panels and interact with me on social media.
- Please feel free to use the Indiegogo share tools!
Thank you! Squee! is a community project and wouldn't exist without the hundreds of people that have helped contribute to the project, dressing as our logo, creating merch, allowing me to interview them, writing reviews, transcribing, advising, sharing, offering financing and generally being absolutely awesome.