The Erzulie filmmaking journey
An independent feature. A swamp. A mermaid. A whole lot of figuring it out. Follow Erzulie from the first pitch to the audience—and take practical lessons into your own film.
Before there was a finished movie, there was a filmmaker trying to explain an idea—and get people to believe in it. Start with the pitch, then follow the decisions that brought Erzulie to the screen.
Featured introduction · Episode 43
Christine talks through pitching Erzulie and shares the pitch itself. A starting point for filmmakers learning to communicate their own projects.
Pick the stage you’re working on. Each collection includes a short lesson and conversations about the choices, challenges, and discoveries behind Erzulie.
Read the Lesson jumps to a takeaway on this page. Explore Talks jumps to its episode collection. Watch This Moment opens a full YouTube episode near the selected discussion; Watch Full Episode starts from the beginning. You can continue watching beyond every selected moment.
Pitching the idea, building belief, and moving toward a green light.
Storyboards, locations, performance, and testing the mermaid before filming.
Adapting in the swamp, trusting your team, and protecting the story.
Working through feedback, pickups, and the details that bring a film together.
Finding viewers, creating screenings, and connecting with a community.
Real conversations from the filmmaking process. All five collections are open below; click a heading to collapse one.
The lesson
In Episode 43, Christine shares the Erzulie pitch. Episode 42 captures the frustration of waiting for people to commit, while Episode 44 celebrates reaching a funding milestone. Episode 45 returns to the work that still has to happen after a green light.
Together, these conversations show that explaining your story and organizing a production are connected jobs. People need to understand the movie, your plan, and what you are asking them to contribute.
Try this: explain your film in one minute. Then write down your next concrete ask and the steps needed to follow through.
The lesson
A mermaid on the page becomes a performer, a tail, a location, and a set of practical decisions. Episode 42 discusses extensive storyboarding and prep. Episodes 78 and 85 explore the tail and mermaid performance, while Episode 65 brings in the locations perspective.
Use preparation to discover what your film actually needs. A costume that looks right may change how an actor moves. A beautiful location may create new demands for the crew. Tests give you time to adjust the plan.
Try this: identify your most uncertain scene. Test its movement, costume, location, or effect before you schedule it.
The lesson
Erzulie’s river finale had to change when the location conditions changed. The production conversations also explore handing off responsibilities and the relationships among the people making the film.
Preparation gives you a starting point. On set, a clear understanding of the scene helps the team adapt. Know which story beat you must capture and who needs to be involved in deciding how to capture it.
Try this: write the essential story beat for your hardest scene. Discuss a workable alternative with your key crew.
The lesson
Post-production brought feedback, underwater pickups, and coordination across editing, color, sound, music, and visual effects. In Episode 54, Christine describes the trouble created when collaborators were working from different versions of the edit.
Feedback can reveal a problem without prescribing the right solution. Decide what serves the film, then make sure everyone finishing it has the same current cut and knows what changed.
Try this: keep one change list and label each shared cut clearly. Confirm the version with collaborators before they begin their next pass.
The lesson
One email helped connect Erzulie to a mermaid community. Conversations with Mermaid Rachel revealed how much mermaiding includes beyond wearing a tail. Other episodes explore screenings, marketing, and the fear of finishing a film that people might never see.
Think about the people who may connect with your story and where they already gather. Listen to their interests, build relationships, and make the next step clear—watch the film, attend a screening, or join your updates.
Try this: name three communities connected to your film. Choose one thoughtful way to introduce the project and start a conversation.
You’ve explored how Erzulie was made. Follow its next chapter for release updates, screenings, community spotlights, and news from our mermaid universe.
Turn inspiration into a project you can finish. Start with the free Filmmaker Starter Pack, or build your process with Create Your Own Content.
Explore U.S. and Canada viewing options, or follow updates about the international release.
