A Diversity of Creatures
The story of A Diversity of Creatures has been three years in the making. From the beginning, Penelope wanted to create a "penny series" consisting of short five minute episodes, released weekly, as a way to practice cinematography and editing.
In 2021, she was finally in a position to bring the story to life. Gathering a small crew and finding actors who had never acted before (but were up to the challenge), she started mapping out a refined story and writing the script.
"What is it you desire, human creature?"
Nate is a guy that doesn't aspire for much. Haunted by trauma from his past, his only real relationship is with his best friend Valerie. One day while painting, Nate accidentally summons a creature from another world. "Gene" is able to grant any wish that Nate desires... but instead of turning his life around, Nate just shrugs and says "I'm good."
While faced with many challenges of shooting a no-budget project during a global pandemic and limited crew, A Diversity of Creatures required a lot of adaptation. Despite setbacks, the project was filled with lots of laughter and improvising. The good mood each person brought onto set helped draw out an upbeat, natural story from the script.
Hoping to revisit the story later in her career when she has more resources at her expense, Penelope is humbled by the opportunity to work on this idea and watch herself grow with each new week of filming and each new episode finalized. A Diversity of Creatures was made with an insane amount of love, and the only hope is that viewers can take a bit of joy out of it in these tough times!
