ABOUT LOVEBUG
Set in 1988 Los Angeles, Lovebug follows the story of Douglass, a young man who winds up convinced by his new and slightly older girlfriend Gracie to become a pornstar under her management… and like any good adult film star he’s going to need a name:
DOUGLASS MUST BECOME DOUGGY STYLE.
When writing Lovebug, I was always mindful of keeping the scale as low as possible, not just due to budget constraints, but in order to focus on the core of filmmaking; telling a story. Lovebug is centered around one relationship, with very few outside characters to make audiences feel they are with Douglass this relationship. They slip into Douglass’s shoes as he discovers the type of person he wants to become, and his own self-worth. Finding my own worth was a real struggle growing up, so I hope Douglass’s story can remind others that pulling oneself out of unhealthy relationships and realizing one's worth is a challenging journey.
While set in the 1980s, Lovebug's narrative remains relevant today because of what the main relationship represented then. In the 80s, engaging with adult content as the characters do was jarring due to its inaccessibility. It’s easy to see how Douglass's early exposure to a world he doesn’t understand is harmful. Today, teenagers and young adults have instant access to sex online, which can shape their perceptions from a young age. Lovebug represents how sex can be misunderstood when we are growing up. Mainstream pornography often distorts intimacy, selling a story that doesn’t represent real sex. We start to confuse the difference between offering ourselves to someone out of service versus offering out of actual love.
This is the time to tell this story, to reach the generation that has had the world in the literal palm of their hands since they can remember. Being from this generation myself, I know how the digital age has left young people without self-worth and with an unhealthy view of sex and relationships. Lovebug isn't just about a relationship between two young adults in the 80s; it's about young people today.
-Blake Kaiser, Writer & Director of Lovebug
SO WHY NOW?
FAQs
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Because it's cool!!! Duh!!!!
No. Well yes, the 1980s is a cool time period to set a film in, but there is more to it than that.
Most importantly, the 80s was an exciting time for the home video era. The rise of digital made it possible for the everyday person to shoot whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted.
In today’s world of iPhones and abundant digital cameras, it’s easy to take that for granted, but for people like Douglass and Gracie, the thrill of making your own movies (or adult films) was entirely foreign. We felt that by setting Lovebug in the 80s, we could perfectly capture what it means to navigate this new digital world in a way that wouldn’t be possible in the 1990s or 2000s.
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Douglass: The boy always in search of love. His need to matter to someone leads him into questionable scenarios that often backfire on him. After meting the charming Gracie, he agrees to dawn the adult film star mantle “Douggy Style.” As his personal and business relationship grows with Gracie, Douglass will have to find ou who h really wants to be and the consequences of his actions.
Gracie: A cunning, a natural salesperson who’s on a quest to make it big in life… even if it means using others along the way. She convinces the naie Douglass to become an adult film star under her management. Her go-getter attitude and savvy business skills make her the perfect person to head the Douggy Style video empire.
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To stay updated, follow our Instagram @lovebugthefilm, or our TikTok @lovebugfilm where we will be posting BTS, Q&A’s and fun bonus content!
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We’ve hidden a copy of Lovebug somewhere in the TCL Chinese Theater. Good luck!
All jokes. Lovebug is currently being submitted to festivals- maybe one near you. Follow our Instagram (@lovebugthefilm) to keep up to date with where the film is playing.
For now, the content on our socials and our sizzle reel will have to tide you over. :)
Did we miss something? Still have a question? Want to get involved?
