By Tammy Matthews, Culturs Senior Editor
Seeds is a web series that offers a candid and hilarious look into the lives of young black women as they transition from young women to adults, featuring four millennial-aged characters: Beth, Danielle, Jade and Maya. These women do not appear as caricatures of themselves, but instead as three-dimensional characters speaking freely on the internal and external conflicts they face as they discover who they are. The narrative touches on intersectionality and the struggles women face whose identities are not neatly defined. Seeds is proud to be part of the recent trend in new media to create diversity in the digital world, both on and off-screen. Not only are the show’s lead characters women of color, but the team behind the show is made up of filmmakers of various ethnic, religious, and gender identities. It is a masterful balance between humor and honesty that leaves audiences pondering tough questions, and laughing to tears the next. Simply put, this comedy features content that is both relevant and necessary while presenting a view of society from a perspective that is often overlooked.
In an age when the ideal YouTube video is approximately eight seconds long, you must have a stellar story to keep audience attention. Storytelling is fundamental.
Internet-driven, short-form storytelling propels engagement. In certain environments, this storytelling is privileged, especially when people cannot find stories in popular media platforms that reflect themselves.
Matthews said she is passionate and hungry for stories and storytellers to open worlds that bring people together
“Just because the stories haven’t been told doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be shown,” said Mai Ling Matthews, manager of television development at Super Deluxe.
Matthews said she is passionate and hungry for stories and storytellers to open worlds that bring people together. The content-platform Super Deluxe — which Matthews said creates “a safe space for creative weirdos” — prides itself on new and adaptable ways to construct narratives to tell stories “to the world through the lens we see it,” Matthews said.
A good story inspires “respect for each other’s artistry,” said Seeds co-creator Deja Harrell. Representing an often-overlooked societal view, Seeds is about a team of four strong black women navigating modern Chicago. The intersectional, comedic narratives and the true-to-life characters freely address external and internal conflicts while leading change and creating diversity in digital content. The infinite space of today’s digital world empowers creators to feature authentic protagonists like those in Seeds.
SEEDS is a SHATTERGLASS FILMS PRODUCTION
STARRING
JADE | DEJA HARRELL
MAYA | KYRA JONES
BETH | DIONNE ADDAI
DANIELLE | ADIA ALLI
For more detail, see the SEEDs page on IMDB.
Check out our behind the scenes video with Scenes Creators at SeriesFest – the award winning television festival dedicated to showcasing the best and boldest in episodic storytelling from around the world.
