Indie Spotlight: ‘Transplanting’ Tells A Fish-Out-Of-Water Story In Appalachia

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now. Read previous installments here.

Some people move to a new city because they get a better job. Some relocate for love. And some switch up their scenery because their new home is featured on a lot of Internet top-ten lists. That last rationale sets the stage for Transplanting, a web series about a big-city slicker who takes up residence in Asheville, North Carolina.

The protagonist of Transplanting is Maeve (Hayley Heninger), who leaves New York City for the rugged terrain of Appalachia. Once there, she struggles to acclimate herself among the hippies, yogis, yuppies, and other crunchy sorts who call Asheville home. In the first episode, she gets a taste of the housing options available to her, and they’re very different from her New York apartment.

Transplanting works because of the wonderful balance between writer Lea McLellan’s script and director Andrew Vasco’s camerawork. McLellan pens characters who are round and exciting, and because viewers get such a strong sense of the personalities in play, Vasco has room to deliver visual gags that land more often than they don’t.

The first season of Transplanting, which encompasses ten episodes and two holiday specials, is available on the show’s website. A second season, also consisting of ten episodes, is expected to premiere on September 7th.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Secrets & Liars. A murderer targets two sassy young women (after first offing their friend) in this dark comedy.
• It’s Complicated. A woman ponders her sexuality after hooking up with another woman.
• Chapstick. Two girls who like girls discuss love and life.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.