Goth Grandma follows two edgy, fashionista siblings, Vincent and Maeve, on a visit to their grandparents’ house. While they initially fear they’ll be at odds due to their aesthetic and generational differences, they develop a connection deeper than they ever expected. Through a series of tableaus, we aim to elevate ordinary activities within the house, turning them into dynamic fashion editorial shoots. As the teenagers immerse themselves in helping their grandparents, we discover that despite generational divides, a profound connection can be forged. The film embodies the idea that style, rebellious spirit, and the desire for self-expression can transcend all.

The film offers the opportunity to showcase many different garments, as the siblings will have a new outfit in every scene. Our aim is to have the clothes showcased first and foremost, never sacrificing our models looking just as stellar as they would in a more traditionally staged shoot. However, the mix of irony and sincerity in the subject matter will connect very strongly with a young, individualistic demographic tired of safe, cliché marketing. In a world where radical aesthetics have been sanitized and commodified, what could be edgier than hanging out with your grandparents?

With still cameras and minimal editing, lighting will be all the more important in telling our story, drawing the eye, and making our models look rad. Still compositions will allow us to be extremely detail oriented, painting light on our sets and models very intentionally. We’ll also have the luxury of intricately composing each shot to create dynamic, unique frames. This will elevate our mundane locations into something beautiful, and most of all highlight the clothes. 

Our story will play out in still, slice of life portraits. By limiting how much we cut and move the camera, we accomplish two things. First, our film will be reminiscent in style to immaculately composed fashion photography, and second, we’ll create intimacy with our characters as we watch their relationships evolve uninterrupted.

Much like our protagonists, we’ll stick to a muted color palette. Interiors will be primarily neutrals and cool earth tones, as will the grandparent’s initial costume. The primary exception will be well placed accents of blood red to add some vampy pop to our images.

The grandparent’s home will be pretty standard octogenarian fare. Doilies, muted floral upholstery, porcelain figures and dishes, and lots of picture frames. Scattered throughout will be subtle hints that our grandparents are cooler than they let on.

Our score will be diegetic, alternating between music choices from the kids or grandparents when appropriate. This would range from emo and new order for the goths, and classical/doowop for the grandparents. Sound design will be based in realism, adding texture and life to the activities we see on screen.

The concept for this project came to me on a long drive home after road-tripping it to my baby sister’s birthday. Stopped on the shoulder of the road, was a goth couple with a flat. The girl was confidently working on changing their tire in demonia platforms. The image has stuck with me not just as a comedic juxtaposition, but as a profound statement on the enduring aspects of identity. You’re still goth when changing a tire, when visiting your grandparents, and maybe, just maybe, when you become a grandma. 

Olivia Friedman, Director

Olivia is a standup comic turned filmmaker raised in Los Angeles. Her foray into filmmaking through comedy quickly made her fall in love with the power of visual expression and spread her work into all genres. Working primarily in narrative shorts and commercials, she believes immensely in the power of both comedy and drama to shine a light on social problems and foster positive change in humanity. She is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, works at Lionsgate, and is currently working on her next project Grave Robbing for Morons. Olivia is an avid table tennis player and a proud mother of two bonsai trees.

Check out Olivia’s portfolio of work here.

Akshay Ravi is a director and producer based in LA. He graduated from USC's Zoom School of Cinematic Arts in 2020 and has since been independently producing and directing (in addition to his VFX day job). Akshay is passionate about telling stories that challenge your views and hopefully also warm your heart, and his films have screened at various film festivals around the world. When he's not working, you can find Akshay in a kitchen, reading, coming up with his next bit, playing PS5, or learning to firebend (progress is slow here).

Check out Akshay’s portfolio of work here.