These married female creators reached 2 million views with one pilot episode
31/03/2025
Top 12 Questions with Michelle and Shana, creators of Shanelle Productions and series Elixir: After Time
by Sharon Grace Badia
Some partnerships feel like they were written in the stars—or perhaps, in this case, in the margins of a well-worn script. Meet Shana and Mich, the dynamic duo behind Elixir: After Time, a web series that blends mystery, romance, and a dash of the supernatural into something truly magnetic.
Most of us can barely decide what to eat for dinner with our partners, let alone co-write, co-direct, co-star in, and co-everything a hit web series. But Shana and Mich? They make it look easy (or at least fun).
In this interview, we get the inside scoop on their whirlwind creative process, from brainstorming sessions in a car, to filming steamy make-out scenes in the woods while random hikers awkwardly shuffled past. They spill the tea on how they balance work and romance (hint: it involves not talking about editing during date night… mostly), and how they channeled their inner Damon Salvatore and introverted bookworm to bring their characters to life.
Grab your favorite snack and settle in—this one’s a delight!
Michelle Deniesse Lugo, Alexandra Alvarez Pilonieta
A brief introduction
In the heart of Caracas, where the rhythm of the city pulsed through the streets, two girls dreamed in stereo. Shana and Mich—artists, storytellers, and sonic architects—were never content with just one voice, one language, or one medium.
Their world was built in layers: the crackle of a vintage recording, the sounds of foreign tongues, the flicker of a scene coming to life were under their hands.
With nothing but raw passion and a three-person team, they ended up teaming-up into creating Elixir: After Time— a series where they were actresses, directors, editors, colorists and... Gilfriends. The awards piled up, but the hunger to create only grew stronger.
And they were just getting started.
The Beginning
12. Q. How did you both meet?
A. We met at a nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela. Neither of us used to frequent bars or clubs, but that night we decided to go out. Mich was gonna go to another club with her friends but security didn't let her in because she was under 21, then they decided to go to another nightclub that was 18+ and that’s where Shana was.
Mich: My first impression was that she was really pretty and bold -she was the one who approached me first!
Shana: I thought she was really pretty and interesting! I liked the color of her blouse!
What is love?
11. Q. What was the moment when you realized you were in love with each other?
A. Ever since we met we didn’t stop talking. We felt this really deep connection from the beginning. We built our relationship and we fell in love soon after we met. There were so many special moments that we cannot point to one specific moment when we were like “We’re in love”, it just happened!
The love soundtrack
10. Q. If you could create a soundtrack for your love story, what song would it be?
A. We shared our first kiss to Darte un Beso by Prince Royce, so that’d probably be one. Also, Stand By Me by Ben E. King.
2 million views, one episode?
9. Q. You’ve reached over 2 million views for your Pilot episode of Elixir: After Time. How did you get the idea for your compelling web-series?
A. We got the idea from our favorite festivity: Halloween. In June 2024, when we were driving through New Jersey to film some scenes for the pilot of our first web series Again The Series, the song En Cantos by iLe and Natalia Lafourcade started playing and both of us knew we wanted to do something witch-related.
At that very moment, we started thinking and ideating storylines and even visuals for this upcoming series that we wanted to do for Halloween. Elixir has references from our favorite films, TV shows, and songs. We lived in a small town near Nashville, Tennessee, and it happened to be so inspiring for the theme, mostly for the period storyline where Ana and Isabela are living this forbidden love. [...] Given that we wanted the present time story to take place in a small town, we were also inspired by Stranger Things, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries.
When we created our first web series it was only two characters -well, three if you count our dog, but with Elixir we wanted to go a step further and challenge ourselves to play two very different characters whose lives are intertwined. We wrote Elixir thinking of what we had to work with (sets, costumes, etc), and we tried to make the most of it! Mystery is our favorite genre and it was something we were dying to do.
Past lives.
8. Q. Your series explores past lives, what are your beliefs about this theme?
A. We have studied Buddhism and Hinduism lately and we connect with their teachings and beliefs. It resonates with us. We do believe in reincarnation and past lives, so we dove deep to be able to create a coherent storyline for Elixir.
We visited many temples and studied with the experts, lamas, and gurus, and found that this subject is something very comforting for our souls. Elixir: After Time delves into the mystery of past lives and reincarnation, not just as a narrative device, but as a way to explore human connections that feel inexplicably deep. While we leave the interpretation open for our audience, we personally find the idea of past lives fascinating. Whether one believes in reincarnation literally or views it as a metaphor for how our experiences shape us, the theme allows us to ask: What if our souls carry echoes of who we once were? What if love, guilt, or unfinished business transcend time? Through Elixir, we’re not trying to give definitive answers, but rather spark curiosity about the unseen threads that may bind us across lifetimes.
Like ancient warriors on the battlefield.
7. Q. Do you think you actually knew each other in past lives?
A. We’ve definitely joked about this before—what if in a past life, we were animals running through the forest together? Or warriors on opposite sides of a battle, destined to meet again under different circumstances? The idea of past lives isn’t just about love and familiarity; it’s also about transformation, learning, and even making amends. Maybe we’ve been everything to each other—friends, rivals, strangers, or even enemies. And maybe in this life, we were meant to create something together, to tell stories about fate, time, and connection. Either way, it’s fun to imagine that our bond has existed beyond just this lifetime, but we don’t know for sure.
Managing time.
5. Q. With a small team and multiple responsibilities, how did you manage your time to meet deadlines and maintain quality?
A. Well, we set our deadlines, so we can say we challenged ourselves. We only had four days to shoot the entire series and a musical video. In post-production, we decided to release one episode per week, so it meant only one week for post per episode.
We relied heavily on meticulous planning. Every shoot was carefully scheduled to maximize time and resources,
ensuring we could capture as much as possible in a single day.
Prioritization was key. We focused on the most critical elements first—storytelling, performances, and visuals—while still maintaining high-quality sound and editing. At times, it meant long hours and difficult decisions, but we never compromised on the essence of the story.
Challanges
6. Q. What was the most challenging part of producing this series?
A. One of the biggest challenges in producing Elixir: After Time was doing almost everything ourselves. From pre-production to filming, editing, sound design, and post-production, we handled nearly every aspect of the series without the backing of a big studio or a large crew. It was exhausting but also incredibly rewarding.
Wearing multiple hats—directing, acting, producing, editing—meant long hours, constant problem-solving, and learning new skills on the go. There were moments when we wished we had a bigger team to help lighten the load, but at the same time, having full creative control allowed us to bring our vision to life exactly as we imagined it.
Key lessons.
4. Q. What are some key lessons you learned from producing "Elixir: After Time" that you'll apply to future projects?
A. One of the biggest lessons we learned and we’ll apply to future projects is the importance of adaptability. With such a small team and limited resources, we had to be flexible and ready to problem-solve on the fly. Whether it was a last-minute location change, technical difficulties, or a shift in creative direction, being able to adjust quickly was essential. We’ll keep believing in ourselves and our talent!.
Same faces, but we're not the same.
3. Q. How do you maintain intimacy and connection on screen?
A. Our connection as Mich and Shana is not the same as our characters. We feel like our characters have intimacy and connection of their own, we write that intimacy and make creative decisions toward the direction their relationship takes.
We happen to be married, but when we’re filming and creating, it’s our characters leading our bodies and gestures. We do choreograph for technical aspects such as camera movements and lighting, but the essence is led entirely by the soul and desires of our characters. Sometimes when we look at our series we’re like “Wait, when did we even do that?!”, because it’s them taking over and leading the way through the stories we created.
Kissing on camera.
2. Q. Was it weird to kiss your spouse in front of the camera?
A. When we filmed our first web series Again The Series it was super weird, and it was also Shana’s first time acting. Also Again was in the Asian gl series style so the rhythm for love scenes was slower and different. For Elixir we wanted it to be very passionate, we wanted Ana and Isabela to kiss in a very desireful way as if every second apart was agony, and when they were alone they were giving their all.
A surprising feedback.
1. Q. What feedback have you received from audiences so far?
A. The response to Elixir: After Time has been incredible. We’ve received messages from people all over the world who have connected deeply with the story, whether it’s the mystery, the romance, or the theme of past lives. Many have shared personal stories about feeling like they’ve known someone before or experiencing déjà vu, which makes us realize how universal this theme is.
Beyond the story itself, we’ve also had amazing feedback on the cinematography, sound design, and the way we build atmosphere. Viewers have told us they love the immersive, almost dreamlike quality of the series. And, of course, representation matters—a lot of LGBTQ+ audiences have thanked us for creating a sapphic series in Latin American Spanish, something they don’t often see.
It’s been incredible to see the series surpass 3 million views on YouTube, a milestone that reminds us how much this story resonates with people. Additionally, Elixir: After Time has received industry recognition, winning Best Episodic Television at the 2024 Bangkok Movie Awards and Best TV Pilot/Web Series at the 2025 Winter Kraken International Film Festival. It was also a finalist for Best LGBTQ+ Narrative at the 2025 Elegant International Film Festival.
Hearing that our series has been embraced both by audiences and within the industry keeps us going and fuels our passion to continue telling these kinds of stories.
In conclusion.
This is how love stories should sound.
Not with grand fanfares (though they’ve composed those too), but with the quiet hum of a shared language—three parts Spanish, two parts inside jokes, one part "Did we really just film that scene in a thunderstorm?".
- Sharon Grace Badia
