Concealed within a flat world of insects where humans are forbidden, a young girl, Young Thang, must embrace her full self to save The Community she loves from a storm of her own creation.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Melissa Joyner, Director/Producer Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Director/Producer Julie Cavaliere

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

In partnership with Meta, co-creators Julie Cavaliere and Michaela Ternasky-Holland bring to life Reimagined, a virtual reality (VR) animation series marking the next step in vivid immersive storytelling.

This female-led, directed and produced anthology series will take the audience into a new kind of storybook by showcasing lesser-known fables, mythology, and folklore in a gender-inclusive experience.

MELISSA: Director of Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang: Shirley Chisholm said, “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” This sentiment resonates deeply, urging us not merely to demand inclusion but to assert our presence with unwavering determination. Reimagined was not only a seat at, but an opportunity to set that table.

Graced by "The Woman with Two Skins" of Southern Nigeria I was struck: first by the title, then by the premise. We all have a second skin, an armor we don to protect and hide. Why protect? When did we learn to hide? Why were we asked? Perspective? Who is Danger? Fear? What is Ugly? What is Self? Beauty? What if what’s hidden is our most beautiful? In hiding our most beautiful, are we protecting Self, or, Danger, Fear, and Ugly?

My hope is this film inspires the bravery to embrace your full Self and say, “This is who I am.”

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

From Brothers Grimm to Philippine mythology and Nigerian folktales, each instalment is a revolving door of art styles, holding a drastically different world unique to the story itself. Reimagined expands the cinematic possibilities of VR animation with its breathtaking scenes, epic sets, and fluid transitions. The series is optimized for a broad audience from first-time virtual reality users to seasoned gamers.

MELISSA: I am ablaze with the use of color, animation, and dynamic soundscapes, the film immerses the audience in a world that is both real and magical. This project is also a tribute. From the elegiac Dunbar to emboldened Bearden, it draws inspiration from artists who inspire and is an ode to embracing what makes us unique and celebrating all of it!

This VR animated film beckons you to immerse yourself in a world where imagination transcends limitations, and wonder holds the key to overcoming challenges. Join Young Thang as she learns to listen to wisdom, trust her instincts, and embrace her full Self.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

In today's world, it's all too common to feel the pressure to conform, to put on a metaphorical second skin cloaking your full identity. In Young Thang’s world, a distinct two- and three-dimensional visual style not only immerses the audience in unconventional beauty but also symbolizes the challenges we encounter when our uniqueness is obscured and the transformation the world may reap from embracing our multidimensionality.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Working with an excited and talented community of artists, the script has blossomed into the VR experience before you. The final experience is truly capturing the heart of the script and visually stunning.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

“Thank you”

The reception has been positive and hopeful. Audiences connect with the “ride” they get to take, as we push our camera work and lean into the filmic opportunities VR can present as well as the universal themes of the story.

We have worked to take what we know about filmmaking and cinematography and translate that into VR, creating a robust project where the camera is just as alive as the characters themselves.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

From Kid Kammerdiener, a 5-year-old of few words and lover of films, triumphant thumbs up. To a white man, in his early 60’s, emerging from a headset slightly red and tearful, proving the adage that universality is found through specificity was such a humbling surprise.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

With the launch of the third volume of the Reimagined, this VR anthology animated series is seeking distribution and mobilization through location-based screenings at museums, galleries and community centers.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We are seeking the support of journalists, festival directors and galleries or centers to showcase the full Reimagined series for their communities.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

MELISSA: "The Young Thang with Two Skins; or, she was not really ugly, but beautiful, as she was born with two skins fable” is one that I hope has a lasting impact. A fable in the making that becomes a household adage. As an artist, I'd love this to foster more opportunities to create and collaborate.

MICHAELA: The work I do in XR is mainly focused on social impact. Social impact doesn’t always equate to non-fiction. When Reimagined began to unfold, I rallied behind the idea of showcasing lesser-known fictional narratives because that is essentially the work of a social impact experience. It exposes people to ideas, concepts, belief systems, and events that they have never been able to learn about or shows them a new angle or perspective of something they are aware of.

The beauty of Reimagined is what I like to call the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole effect: We start you with something somewhat familiar—Volume I: Nyssa, a re-telling of a Brothers Grimm tale, that follows a little witch learning what fear is—but then in future volumes, we give a glimpse into niche cultures and stories that are not always highlighted by mainstream media.

JULIE: The wonderful thing that we achieved with the Reimagined series is the ability for someone like myself and Melissa to step into the VR space for the first time thanks to the platform of Quill by Smoothstep which allows artists to create work in VR without being bogged down by traditional technical workflows. Allowing us to bring our knowledge from other methods of storytelling (film/TV/theatre) into VR has opened a path to continue to tell stories in this medium where it otherwise may have felt intimidating. This has enabled Reimagined to not only expand what stories are being told but also who is getting to tell those stories. I’m proud to have created a series that helps move that needle and hope we can continue to do the same as the series evolves and matures.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

MELISSA: What is your second skin protecting?

JULIE: As a filmmaker and creative, I think there is power in asking questions vs. telling an audience what to think. Each volume of the series has explored a specific storyworld and theme and asked the question- what if? In Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang, we explore the theme of code-switching and ask the question: what if a young girl wasn’t forced to hide who she was but rather was embraced for everything she is and could be?

Would you like to add anything else?

Reimagined Volume I: Nyssa and Reimagined Volume II: Mahal are currently available for free on Meta Quest TV. As we round out our trilogy with the SXSW premiere of our current volume, Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang, we are currently looking for other opportunities for the series, including but not limited to, exhibiting the three existing volumes and seeking funding and partnership for additional volumes, whether crafted in VR or in a more traditional or interactive medium.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Julie Cavaliere are currently looking for other opportunities for the Reimagined series, including but not limited to, exhibiting the three existing volumes and seeking funding and partnership for additional volumes, whether crafted in VR or in a more traditional or interactive medium.

Interview: March 2024

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang

Concealed within a flat world of insects where humans are forbidden, a young girl, Young Thang, must embrace her full self to save The Community she loves from a storm of her own creation.

Length: 15:00

Director: Melissa Joyner, Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Julie Cavaliere

Producer: Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Julie Cavaliere, Melissa Joyner

Writer: Melissa Joyner

About the writer, director and producer:

MELISSA JOYNER is a director, writer, actor, vocalist and professor with an authentic approach. She honed her craft under esteemed mentors, including the iconic Dr. Maya Angelou. Melissa's dedication led her to earn an MFA from The Actors Studio, solidifying a foundation for her multifaceted career.

JULIE CAVALIERE and MICHAELA TERNASKY-HOLLAND are the co-creators of the Reimagined series. Julie is an award-winning writer, director, producer and actor based in New York. Michaela is an Emmy award-winning creator, consultant, and speaker who utilizes immersive and interactive technology.

Key cast: Julyza Commodore (Young Thang), Debra Wilson (Spider), Nicola Delgado (Professor Beetle), QDB (Water Juju), Jackie Alexander (Young Insects/Community), Rebecca Lee Lerman (Young Insects/Community), Chris Paul Morales (Young Insects/Community)

Looking for: distributors, journalists

Twitter: @reimaginedvr

Instagram: @reimaginedvr

Hashtags used: #vr #vranimation #reimaginedvr #meta #womeninvr #quill #oculus #youngthang #metaquest3 #metaquest #worldpremiere

Website: www.reimaginedvr.cwww.rewww.reimaginedvr.cw

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Meta Quest

Funders: Meta Quest