Culver City Film Festival - The Observer Effect
A woman is haunted by a dark watcher, a man obsessed with thoughts of her vicious murder; but as the fateful hour draws near brutal events unfold to reveal truths they could never imagine - and a secret that will change their lives forever.
Interview with Writer/Director Garret Walsh
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you very much! I’d been writing feature screenplays for more than 15 years, refining them and (I hope) improving my craft as I went, always hoping they’d get picked up or funded. The scripts started to get the sort of feedback from places like Industrial Scripts and the Blacklist website that indicated there was real potential for them and for me as a writer. As I’d always really wanted to direct (and had always written my material as a vehicle for that) I figured it was time to bite the bullet and just make a film to test whether I could really do it. I guess after so many years of wanting to and having both the feedback and for once, the means to do it, it just had to happen.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think you write and direct the kind of film you’d like to see and I’ve always loved those that completely transport the audience into a new world or show them something completely different behind this one - characters and places that only cinema can show you. I think (or at least I hope) that The Observer Effect does that too: creates a mystery that opens a world up to the audience that they never expected and leaves them exhilarated to think of what comes next.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
On a personal level - and I suppose this might be somewhat universal - I think we all feel the appeal of escapism; of imagining ourselves as another self in another story - seeing ourselves as we might be when imagined in these other contexts. I can see that theme of transformation at work both in the story of the film and the central character, Maeve - and even in the journey we all took in making it.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Oh hugely! Thinking back it’s actually hard to believe the difference in scale and ambition between what I set out with and what we shot; and unusually for an independent, we went way bigger on everything in the end! I think that’s particularly the case with our production design. Our production designer Lilla Nurie had an incredible vision for how we could achieve the most ambitious look and sets that the entire film could build to. Once I saw the potential of what she and our Construction and Art Director Aaron O’Sullivan could create, I knew I could play the entire story toward the sort of transformational finale that I would probably never have tried otherwise. And the same went for every other area of the film - everyone on the cast and crew went in with the same spirit and brought so much to it that my approach was always changing to allow that invention and craft to come through at its best.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It’s all been hugely positive - we’ve been reviewed twice and the critics seem to have come away with just the sort of reaction I’d hoped for. We also screened at the LA Shorts festival, were nominated for best Irish narrative at Kerry Film Festival and won best overall short film at the Richard Harris International Film Festival and, literally as I sit here, it’s screening at the Culver City Film Festival in Hollywood. Everyone I’ve met or talked to through these festivals has been so supportive too. It’s a great feeling to have even completed the film but it’s incredibly fulfilling to know that the audience enjoyed it too.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Only in good ways I think. People have picked up on aspects of it that they loved that I hadn’t expected but - and it’s hard to discuss without entering spoiler territory - there’s an aspect of the plot where I find it fascinating to hear people’s completely different takes on what they understand it to mean.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Well, at the very least I hope it gets the cast and crew the exposure and recognition they deserve for having come aboard a film from a first-time director and having the bravery and faith to stick with it for nearly 3 years. I’m still amazed by all their craft and that they achieved so much with so little. At my most optimistic I guess I hope this get the sort of exposure that might allow me to sell or make one of my other scripts and maybe also expand The Observer Effect short into the TV show bible it’s now become. It’d be so great to get this cast and crew back together on a feature or a show that they helped launch.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
In a nutshell, most of the above - but I think especially producers or anyone who could spread word about this film that might reach producers looking for projects, whether journalists or festival directors. The core crew I worked with on this film have talent to spare and could so easily make an incredible feature film but the reality is it’s tough to do that, talent or not, without backing.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It’s hard to say as everything about this process is so new to me - but I think the most rewarding thing would be the thought that it resonates with people; that they were absorbed by the story it told and were maybe transported for a short while they way the films I love transported me.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
It’s hard to be too specific without giving away some of the plot… how about “If there was some duty or price owed for your life being saved, how great would that price be?” In the context of our story I think it could spark an interesting and quite positive debate on the limitless value of life and how its value might be better appreciated.
Would you like to add anything else?
I think I could probably do not better than to thank the entire cast, crew and supporters of the film and say how incredibly grateful I am for all they gave to this project. It’s something that I hope they can be immensely proud of, as I know I am.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Lilla Nurie and Aaron O’Sullivan are constantly working on new short films, music videos and projects, the range and variety of them just as creative as they are. They’re also actively working on starting a Fab Lab too - early stages yet but no doubt something that’ll take off for them.
Philip Blake, our cinematographer has been working on numerous docs, commercials and music videos. He also worked on an incredible piece called “Ballet Atha Cliath” - shot on a single day all around Dublin. A “visual love letter to the city” with with incredible ballet performance and photography. https://vimeo.com/243000226
Our lead actor Vanessa Emme has had a couple of TV appearances in the past few months and will next be appearing as Helena Charles in Look Back in Anger at The Gate Theatre, Dublin in the new year.
Patrick O’Brien is busy running a gym and has appeared in a number of other short films and an episode of the Jack Taylor series.
Brendan Sheehan is also continuing his work on a number of shorts films and has appeared in an episode of Into the Badlands.
Interview: December 2017
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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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The Observer Effect
A woman is haunted by a dark watcher, a man obsessed with thoughts of her vicious murder; but as the fateful hour draws near brutal events unfold to reveal truths they could never imagine - and a secret that will change their lives forever.
Length: 19 mins
Director: Garret Walsh
Producer: Garret Walsh & Kathy Horgan
Writer: Garret Walsh
About the writer, director and producer:
Garret is a self-taught writer who decided to take the leap into directing by writing, funding and directing his own short film. In order to achieve this he partnered with Kathy Horgan of Dark Window Media:
Kathy Horgan’s credits include Bollywood feature Tera Suroor (2016), Irish/Indian feature film Hexing (2018) & Irish supernatural drama North Circular Road (2014), in addition to a number of short films. She also works for international film crews locating in Ireland.
Key cast:
Vanessa Emme: Maeve
Patrick O’Brien: The Watcher
Brendan Sheehan: Cian Hasker
Looking for (producers,buyers,film festival directors, journalists):
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theobservereffectfilm
Twitter: @TOEFilm
Instagram:No
Other: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4659712/?ref_=nm_knf_i1
Funders: Garret Walsh
Made in association with: Dark Window Media
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Official selection Snowdance Film Festival, Germany, Jan 2018
(But it’s entered in about 60 more so you never know!)