Synopsis
Alyssum follows Alyson, a young woman who’s struggling with perfectionism as she attempts to craft the perfect bouquet for her wife, Lilith. Overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt, she battles her inner critic, represented by corrupting vines. As she spirals deeper into self-doubt, she must decide: will she push forward and embrace imperfection, or will her fears consume her?
Director Biography – Alex King
My name is Alex King, and I’m a director and storyboard artist with a passion for visual storytelling and a long-term goal of directing. I thrive in collaborative environments and bring hands-on experience from working as a Production Assistant across multiple projects.
Alyssum was created to shed light visually on what anxiety feels like. I’ve struggled with it for most of my life, and I wanted to use film to capture that overwhelming, illogical, and suffocating experience; something that words alone often can’t fully express.
One of the biggest challenges was visualizing a feeling that doesn’t physically exist. Through many iterations and VFX experiments, we finally found a way to represent that invisible weight. The effects became a tool to externalize what it feels like to drown in your mind, trapped in something unseen but deeply felt.
Making Alyssum pushed me to grow as both an artist and a storyteller. It also inspired me to start my own studio, Crow Corner Studio, so I can keep creating stories that are personal, emotional, and honest.
I hope this film reminds those who struggle with anxiety that you’re not alone and that you’re loved, even when it doesn’t go away. And for those who’ve never experienced it or haven’t recognized it in themselves, I hope Alyssum helps you understand how anxiety functions and how deeply it can affect someone’s world.