ATOM Awards - Limited Time Only
Karen grows increasingly reliant on the wisdom of daytime infomercials to help her move on from the past and ‘reject’ her depression, leading her to take part in a bizarre self-help seminar led by the eccentric Dr Leslie Taurus.
Interview with Writer/Director Marcus Doherty
Watch Limited Time Only here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I think the main reason was that I wanted to approach a familiar subject – mental health and the attitudes we force upon it – in a less typical way to what we’re used to seeing on screen. I’ve always loved films that deal with difficult, delicate subjects with humour and heart rather than the far more simplistic cold, bleak outlook. Depression is a subject that I care about a great deal, so after focusing on this type of filmmaking for a couple of years I decided I was ready to tackle this theme in a short film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s a story that anyone will be able to relate to on some level. Everybody’s life is affected by depression in some way, and we all have our own view towards it and how it should be ‘dealt with’ – Limited Time Only looks at the common social views and reactions that people take to mental health, and asks us to take a step back and reconsider their implications. On top of that, it’s a fun, fast-paced and moving short film with some fascinating characters played by an outstanding cast.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Naturally I was interested in these themes due to how they have impacted the people close to me, and how my own attitude has evolved and matured through these experiences. As for the specifics of the storytelling, I’ve always had a weird fascination with daytime infomercials – it’s easy to look at these cheesy ‘life-changing’ gadgets and think to yourself ‘who would buy all this junk?’ but the fact is many people do. I thought having our protagonist, Karen, obsessing over these products in an effort to ‘fix’ her life would be an entertaining and unique way of looking at unhealthy attitudes towards mental health disorders.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
I’d have to say this film has changed the most out of anything I’ve ever created. The first draft was this bizarre black comedy with a very serious, depressing open ending – it’s always very easy to take that route, especially in short films. I struggled for a long time to get the tone right and to avoid reinforcing any ignorant stigmas (e.g. ‘she’s depressed because of a tragic past experience’ or ‘someone reached out to her, now she’s happy!’)
Rehearsing with the great lead actors and discussing how they related to their own characters ended up giving me clarity on how to tell this story. I’m very proud of the way that Karen comes across as a vulnerable protagonist without ever seeming weak or like she ‘needs’ anyone’s help – the story ended up being all about her finding the support she needs within herself, and any impact that discovery has on those around her is only secondary.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve had some fantastic feedback from a lot of different people – both industry professionals and general audiences, including a lot of people who relate personally to the subject matter which has been wonderful. It’s great how varied the emotional reactions have been; some people have responded with tears and silence, while others have mainly reacted to the humour in the dialogue. Both those reactions seem to understand and appreciate the core message, so that’s pretty great!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Before we even completed the film, back when we were crowdfunding on Pozible, we caught a few people’s attention and it became clear to me just how important this type of story is to a lot of people. Even our lead actress, the super talented Michala Banas, agreed to do the film largely because of how the themes resonated with her and her passion for raising awareness. The response this film has had will certainly push me to make similar films in the future, hopefully improving with each one!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Thanks a lot for your interest in the film! Any further publicity is obviously great for the film and its key creatives, but also helps spread the word on its purpose and open up a healthy conversation on the topic.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this stage we’re really just keeping an eye out for good festivals to submit the film to so that we can get it out to more audiences! Once we’ve completed our festival run we’ll make it publicly available online.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d just love it to make people reflect on their own experiences, outlooks and prejudices, whether they’re experiencing mental health concerns themselves or perhaps know someone who is. It’s something we can always strive to understand better.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What expectations and judgments does our society place on mental health, and how does this impact those struggling with it?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We’ve all been keeping busy! I’m currently working in a full time role at Princess Pictures for an upcoming TV series, while producer Amy Booth is doing exciting work at production company Big Review TV. Editor Courtney Broad is doing a bunch of post production work experience and cinematographer Sam Broeren recently moved to the US! The four of us also worked together on a music video shoot earlier this year, and Courtney and I have just completed a full-length disability documentary. Let’s hope we get to work together again!
Interview: October 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Limited Time Only
Karen grows increasingly reliant on the wisdom of daytime infomercials to help her move on from the past and ‘reject’ her depression, leading her to take part in a bizarre self-help seminar led by the eccentric Dr Leslie Taurus.
Length: 12 minutes
Director: Marcus Doherty
Producer: Amy Booth
Writer: Marcus Doherty
Key cast: Michala Banas, Chris Connelly, Alexis Watt
Funders: Self-funding/crowd-funding
Made in association with: Swinburne University of Technology
Release date: January 2016