Is Vivian Ok? - Short Film

About Is Vivian Ok?

Is Vivian OK? is about Vivian, who after a recent Autism diagnosis, goes on a vacation with some friends. There, she has a self-explorative trip that changes her idea of friendship. 

Director's Note

Representation of the autistic experience in media is something that has been historically lacking. Is Vivian OK? hopes to show a different perspective on living with autism, specifically my perspective. I have been on a journey of coming to terms with how autism has impacted my life and relationships. I wrote IVO in an attempt to capture some of the most important aspects of my experience. Unstable friendships, sensory issues, and the feeling of being out of place are all explored as Vivian travels through a series of uncomfortable environments. Everything that happens to Vivian exists to highlight elements of autism and show the divide between her and the neurotypical world. 

Aesthetically, we are trying to show this divide as well. The first half of the film exists in the neurotypical headspace, appearing visually clear and true to life. Things change, though, when Vivian takes acid. The act of taking acid shifts the style of the film into something much more surreal, a reflection of Vivian’s mind. This isn’t your typical acid-trip film, though. While we will have some classic acid-trip visuals, a lot of the surrealism comes from other inspirations. I love the 1960s and 1970s arthouse aesthetic, which I wanted to incorporate into the film through the lens of an acid trip. Our team has a big focus on production design and costuming to achieve this goal. While the struggles of autism are the main theme, I wanted to show the vibrance and creativity that can come with it as well. 

This story is so important to me and I am so grateful for all the amazing people helping me bring it to life. Autistic people rarely get to be the star of the show and I wanted to change that, at least for this one film. I hope Vivian’s experience can resonate with people and show others that they don’t have to settle for being less than themselves in relationships. In the end, I am making this for myself and everyone who has ever felt like something about them was just a bit off. It has been so healing for me to make IVO, and I hope watching it brings comfort to others as well. 

Sincerely, Madeleine <3

What We Are Looking For

Our team comprises individuals from Emerson College, each dedicated to perfecting their expertise in their respective fields. However, crafting the most exceptional work possible, we need help raising money for our project. 

With the resources from this campaign, our goal is to create an accessible, safe, and creative space for our cast and crew to work in. This includes:

We take pride in our ambitions but would like some assistance in housing everyone comfortably and affordably. For instance, we will be staying overnight in Boxford, MA, and will need to comfortably house the cast and crew. We believe staying here, will result in the best schedule for our crew, and assist everyone in showing up to stay happy and motivated. We also need methods of transportation to account for those who live too far from public transit, and a method of transporting an extensive amount of camera, lighting, and sound equipment to set. Additionally, we need our crews well-fed and well-hydrated to keep wellness regulated and morale high. Healthy and sustainable food can get expensive for a student's budget. Finally, we believe in authenticity, therefore funding will go toward costumes for actors and elements of production design. 

Other Ways to Help

If you cannot donate - that is okay! You can support the IVO team through following us on social media, liking and sharing our posts, and keeping up with our production process on our Instagram, @isvivianok.film