a pop-feminist twist on a classic tale
the little mermaid, revisited
pitch deck
by seraphina swords
logline
A Little Mermaid has 3 days to find love in LA’s music industry
or she loses her voice, her best friend, and her freedom forever
in this feminist, adult animation written to select tracks by
Lana Del Rey.
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logline
synopsis
Act I
Aliana is a young mermaid who wants nothing more than to sing and gain the immortality of fame – but her tyrannical father, King Maximo, has other ideas for the mermaids of Lumiera del Mar. All women of the sea have been cursed to sing nothing other than the Siren Song to kill humans and ensure the Maximo dynasty maintains total control over the sea. But Aliana and her best friend, the butterflyfish Mary-Anne, sneak out to the Santa Monica Pier to watch live music all the time. On her 17th birthday, she saves the life of Prince Dan, a pop star, and ends up late to her father’s celebration. There, she discovers she is to be married off to Lord Morton, an old and creepy friend of her father’s. Horrified, Aliana and Mary- Anne head to the Sea Witch, Celeste, for help. Celeste tells Aliana she can become a human for three days to try to win love, which will enable her to stay on earth and sing. When Celeste demands Aliana’s voice as part of the exchange, Aliana refuses, and Mary- Anne offers herself as the sacrifice. If she succeeds, Aliana escapes Lumiera, becomes a human, becomes famous, and brings Mary-Anne with her. If she doesn’t, both she and Mary-Anne belong to Celeste. Aliana makes the choice to accept, transforms, and Mary-Anne gets put in a jar.
synopsis
Act III
When Aliana enters the water, the sea is wild. Johnny hunts for Aliana, who manages to escape with Mary-Anne, leading him to kill Prince Dan in a loser’s rage. Celeste quickly snatches Mary-Anne from Aliana and takes Aliana’s voice, silencing her and imprisoning them both, along with Johnny. Eden, meanwhile discovers that Dan has messed with Aliana’s voice using AI. In the water, Celeste sings with Aliana’s voice, breaking the curse that has silenced them. King Maximo arrives to reclaim his daughter, which erupts into a fight with Celeste. Celeste turns into a gorgon and rages at King Maximo over the rape that resulted in Aliana’s birth. Discovering that Celeste is her mother, Aliana turns Maximo’s face to Celeste, killing him. Meanwhile, Jedi spreads Aliana’s music on her FAME channel, turning her into a viral sensation. Fangirls express their love for Aliana, transforming her into a human, which turns Mary-Anne into a human as well. Celeste becomes the ruler of Lumiera, encouraging all women to sing and reclaim their voices. Aliana becomes a star, with Mary-Anne as her manager.
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featuring the music of lana del rey
as the little mermaid, aliana
This story came to life as the music came into my life, like whispers from an alternate universe that followed my - and Aliana's - journeys through a story of lovesick redemption and artistic coming of age.
- "Season of the Witch"
Opening the film to the sea witches, back when music and magic reigned.
2. “West Coast”
Aliana dreams of singing on Earth, on a stage, with freedom she does not have at home.
3. “Love Song
Aliana saves Prince Dan’s life, and imagines a life with him.
4. "cherry"
Aliana transforms into a human, and lands on Dan’s beachfront doorstep in Malibu.
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5. "this is what makes us girls"
Missing her best friend, Aliana reconsiders the sacrifice to get her on Earth.
6. "born to die"
Aliana dreams of the possibilities of love.
7. “Love”
Aliana fantasises about the lovers in LA, herself becoming one of them.
8. "get free"
Skating, getting high & loving life in Venice Beach.
9. "video games"
Approaching her first date, Aliana wanders through an arcade and feeds her desire for Eden through her daydreams.
10. “Gods and Monsters”
Her first walk of shame ever, Aliana feels the crash of love that arises when a boy doesn’t give you what you want.
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11. “Sad Girl”
Although they had sex last night, Aliana discovers Eden has a girlfriend.
12. "dark paradise"
Aliana is hung up and totally let down by a love her whole life – and Mary Anne’s - depends on.
13. “In My Feelings”
Aliana takes her voice into her own power as she seeks the influencer, Jedi, to promote her.
15. “Money Power Glory”
Using Aliana’s voice, Celeste, the Queen Witch, celebrates her own quest and mission with Aliana now in her possession.
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14. "High by the Beach”
Getting high by the beach, Aliana films her first music video with Jedi.
16. “Lust for Life”
Celeste releases Aliana’s voice into the wind through an Ouroboros, and grants all women the power to again sing under water.
17. "Radio”
The film closes to Aliana on stage, as a human, with her best friend by her side.
Setting
The magical underwater kingdom of Lumiera del Mar, and the west side of Los Angeles
record shops & dispenseries
totally expensive
fashion dreams
westside sunsets, living free
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characters
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aliana
Aliana is a 17-year-old mermaid princess from Lumiera del Mar, an oppressive patriarchal society under water. Although she is an exceptional singing talent, she, along with every other woman, is only permitted to sing the Siren Song. She dreams of creative freedom and fame, so she can do what she was born to do – sing.
Mary-Anne
Mary-Anne is a butterflyfish who is also Aliana’s handmaiden. Without Aliana, she would be forced to swim in the “school”: a society with total conformity and no freedom of thought. Through the years of tending to Aliana they have become best friends, much to the chagrin of Aliana’s royal family.
celeste
Celeste is the Queen Sea Witch in Lumiera, at historical war with the Maximo dynasty. Although all women’s powers have been limited since the Great Fall, when women lost their voice and many powers, she is the keeper of ancient secrets, potions and spells.
King Maximo
A tyrant from birth, Maximo inherited the dynasty from his fathers. He has total control over Lumiera, its women and especially his daughters.
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Lord Morton
A close business associate of Maximo, Lord Morton is an old merman who will impart some of his great wealth to the Maximo kingdom after he marries Aliana, as orchestrated by the king.
larry the stoned pelican
Larry is Aliana and Mary-Anne's pelican friend who meets them on their excursions to Santa Monica and teaches them all sorts of human things, like how to get high.
johnny, dick & jay
Johnny is the lead shark in Maximo’s security squad. He is tired of being treated like a servant and is resentful of the king’s power, which overshadows his own. Dick and Jay are the other two members of the security squad, more loyal to the king and afraid of his power.
Aliana’s sisters
Arabella, Valentina, Camellia, Daniella, Mariana, and Angelicka are grateful for the privilege their position has afforded them. They are married with kids and expect Aliana to do the same. Arabella, Aliana’s closest sister in age, has always been on the fence about Aliana – the rest of her sisters think she’s a troublemaker.
cybele
An ancestor of Celeste, Cybele is the Queen of Lumiera before the Great Fall.
Salacia
Salacia is the Goddess of the Sea whom the witches worship.
prince dan
Prince Dan is a pop star who has had a very easy road to fame, given his dad owns Captain Talent and Captain Records. His music is especially popular among
young girls. He became a star at just 9 years old, and has grown a large ego since.
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Eden
Eden is the fatherless best friend of Prince Dan, and also his agent and dad’s protégé. The two boys have known each other since they were kids at summer camp together. Because of Dan, Eden has power in LA.
Jedi
Jedi is an influencer who exposes talent across Los Angeles. She is black, trans and fantastic.
margarita & her friends
Margarita owns the motel where Aliana finds work as a cleaner when she arrives in Venice. She's a fierce, no bullshit single mother with a beautiful boy named Luis and an awesome tribe of misfits - a couple named Sol and Ernesto, and Pear, a goddess who dances with her wheelchair.
maleficent
the other side of the story
STORY COMPARISONS
daria
satirical,
feminist animation
wicked
fairytale subversion
the diary of a teenage girl
coming of age,
sexual awakening
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opportunity
Women today deserve to see a fairytale that shows things as they are and still empowers them to live their most artistic, beautiful lives. This tale is imbued with the nostalgia of its original, its adaptations, and music that will forever represent the last decade of our lives.
Given the success of the original story, the Disney version, and Lana del Rey, The Little Mermaid, Revisited will undoubtedly find a huge audience amongst women past the age of 18. It is fresh and innovative, pushing the boundaries of genre and fairytale and what is possible when it comes to power.
Work with me
seraphinaswords@gmail.com
+61 405 921 443
Seraphina Swords is a myth, I think,
born between 2012 and 2015,
out of darkness and decay
then emerging from the flames
*
Yes, my friends
she has written all her life
first inside her mind
then in news
and fashion! magazines,
quickly losing sight
of all that mattered -
*
then here and there
and everywhere
but she was nowhere,
she needed to be
until her mind split open
(and she lost it, for a while -
terrifying, really)
and it moved right in
to fantasy -
and satire, and real life
in poetry & screen.
created by Seraphina Swords
seraphinaswords.com
seraphinaswords@gmail.com
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“She laughed and danced
with the thought of death in her heart.”
― Hans Christian Andersen,