Fund This: ‘Distance’ Unfolds A Long-Distance Relationship From Two Perspectives

Welcome to the Fund This column! Each week, we’ll look at a planned web series or other online video project currently in search of funding on crowdfunding sites. We’ll tell you what the series is all about and explain why it is worth your money. Do you have a project that’s currently being crowdfunded? Contact us to let us know and we may feature it in upcoming installments and check out previous installments right here.

Project Name: Distance

Asking For: $20,000 through Seed & Spark

Amount Raised Thus Far (At Time Of Post): $11,505

Days Remaining In Campaign (At Time Of Post): 14

Description: A creatively-plotted web series is looking to offer a fresh perspective (or two) on romance. Alex Dobrenko is the creator and co-star of Distance, which will depict a long-distance relationship from the points of view of both partners.

Dobrenko, who spent three years in a long-distance relationship of his own, will portray Sam, the male half of Distance‘s central partnership, while Ashley Rae Spillers will portray Emily, the female half. Each episode will be split into two halves, one shot from Sam’s perspective and the other from Emily’s. Viewers will which as Sam and Emily make time for Skype chats and phone calls with each other while still maintaining their own social circles. To make the two stories more lifelike, Sam’s will be directed by a man while Emily’s will be helmed by a woman.

Distance began as a pilot, which screened at festivals like SXSW and NYTVF. Now, with the help of his backers, Dobrenko is looking to turn his project into a full season. He and Spillers offer more details in their pitch video:

Creator Bio: Dobrenko has performed in multiple films; one of his most significant roles came in Krisha, a drama that premiered at Sundance and was later picked up for a theatrical run by the distributor A24.

Best Perk: At the $150 level, backers receive the official Distance hoodie. Perhaps ong-distance couples can each wear their own sweatshirts as a show of companionship.

Why You Should Fund It: Some web projects feel like launchpads from which their creators hope to jump to the TV and film worlds. Distance is certainly not one of those projects. With its interactive elements (viewers will be able to choose the order in which they watch Sam and Emily’s stories) and its heavy reliance on collaboration, Distance is exactly the sort of show that is made better by the medium on which it will be presented. Its creative personnel have strong track records, and Dobrenko’s idea is fresh enough to make Distance a solid bet.

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