Lady Filmmakers Film Festival 2018 - Presentation
An anxiety-ridden high school girl is faced with the challenge of giving a class presentation.
Interview with Writer/Director Danielle Kampf
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made the film as a proof of concept of a 60 page pilot I wrote when I was in school.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think people should watch the film because it’s about the most common phobia, public speaking. Hopefully people who suffer from anxiety will feel less alone while watching it.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
It’s personal in the sense that we’re with Holly in every step of her journey. We spend a lot of time holding on her face and not cutting away, even at some of the ugliest moments of her anxiety but it's also extremely universal because everyone has felt like Holly at some point in their life. My goal was to not only capture Holly's specific story but also the general feelings of intimidation and anxiety.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It started as a 60-page pilot so it went through many revisions both in pre-production and post to get it down to a 12-minute film. I owe much of that to my professor who workshopped the project with me for over a year. I came into his class with a 25-page script and we brought it down to an 18-page shooting script. He helped me really focus on the true meaning of the story and how to express that in the clearest and most efficient way.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It's gotten pretty positive feedback so far which I find really encouraging! It's definitely motivating me to keep workshopping the pilot. Everywhere it's screened so far it's gotten laughs in all the right places and that feels really rewarding after working on it for so long.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
People have come up to me to discuss Holly's decision to not take the Xanax at the end. Some have thought that it gives a negative connotation to people who do take medication to treat mental illness. I don't think it does because in this particular story, the Xanax that Holly has is stolen so I think having her take it at the end wouldn't have led to a good ending, however I'm happy that it is opening up the debate. It's possible that Holly does need a prescription for her anxiety but the 12 minutes I chose to cover of her story didn't include that part.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope to develop this story and these characters further so I would like to connect with other filmmakers and producers who would want to join me on that journey!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers, distributors, bloggers and journalist; anyone who can help get it seen by people who will benefit from the message.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like for people, especially teenagers, suffering from anxiety to see this so they feel less alone.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why isn't there a more open discussion in schools available to teenagers about mental health?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently writing a few new short films that I'd like to make in the upcoming year. Our producer Jamie Sweeney is killing it as the production secretary on Orange is the New Black, our DP Nadia Gilbert is constantly shooting new projects and our editor Will Thede is an assistant editor at a trailer house!
Interview: August 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Presentation
An anxiety-ridden high school girl is faced with the challenge of giving a class presentation.
Length: 12 mins
Director: Danielle Kampf
Producer: Jamie Sweeney
Writer: Danielle Kampf
Key Cast: Emily Rey, Lily Brooks O'Briant, Vanessa Britting
Looking for: producers, distributors, journalists
Facebook: Presentation
Instagram: @daniellekampf
Where can I see it next and in the coming month? Next month it will be screening at Lady Filmmakers Festival in Beverly Hills and we're super excited!