A heartfelt, comedic web series about what happens when you get in over your head trying to do good in the world.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Darcy Miller

Watch One Bird at a Time here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your webseries?

Since I was a kid, I have been interested in how, as individuals, we can make a difference in the world. There are so many people struggling in our society right now – what’s our role? What’s our responsibility? In One Bird, the main character Julie struggles with how to help. She usually fumbles, makes a mess of it, but she always tries. We used comedy so that we could talk about some serious stuff, but still make it relatable and a lot of fun to watch.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this webseries?

It’s a very different kind of web series! It’s funny and serious, at exactly the same time. It makes us laugh at the misconceptions about the world that all of us have. It makes us ache a little about the tenderness of our connections to each other. It makes us wonder about where our society is going and what our roles are as people in that society. All at the same time.

How do personal and universal themes work in your webseries?

The series deals equally with the main characters’ personal struggles day to day — jobs and money and marriage and friendship — as well as the bigger questions of where are we headed as a larger community and a society. It deals with the frustrations of love as well as the pains and realities of homelessness and mental illness.

Darcy Miller, Betty Moyer, and Nahanni Arntzen in One Bird at a Time

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I wrote the scripts, got feedback from a wonderful group of female writers that I work with, then worked with the actors in rehearsal. We spent the early rehearsals working completely improvisationally, without the scripts – I’d give them situations to work with that were related to the characters and circumstances, and they’d just go. Then, based on those rehearsals and some of the work that came out of them, I re-wrote the scripts. Those are pretty much the ones we filmed.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

It’s been very positive! I considered that these topics could be difficult to mix with comedy; but I think because we take the serious issues with a lot of kindness and compassion, and always laugh not at the issues but at the main characters’ fumbling around the issues and their attempts and failures to do something about them, that it’s successful for a wide audience. Especially in our current day and age, when we are challenged on a day to day basis by many of the same issues these characters face.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Occasionally! Sometimes people see themes and elements in the series that I didn’t consciously intend. But since it’s trying to get at a very human, very genuine part of our struggle today, I’m interested to hear it all.

Patrick Green as Frank in One Bird at a Time

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I’m excited for the series to be viewed by a larger audience. The ideas and style are meant to inspire people to both laugh and think. To talk about the episodes after they’re over, and ponder the stories as they encounter these circumstances in their own lives.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this webseries’s message?

At this point, we’d love to have journalists on board to help us spread the word about the series – it’s a unique show in that it’s both entertaining and challenging, with universal themes – so it would be great to get the word out to a larger national and global audience. Distributors who could make it available on additional platforms would help do the same.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this webseries to have?

I hope it will help in our daily struggles with the questions these characters face – the world is so challenging right now! What am I supposed to do? What happens if I try to help, and what if I make a mess of it, should I give up or keep trying? What if I have no idea what to do or where to begin? What if I’m busy and my life is stressful enough, how can I take part in helping the people around me? There are a lot of questions, and by laughing at them, I hope it will encourage people to not give up on asking them.

Jason Rouse as Jeff in One Bird at a Time

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this webseries?

Can one person make a difference?

Would you like to add anything else?

Since each episode features a different guest star, we got to work with some of the best actors in Portland on this series. Many of these actors have gone on recently to star and co-star in big films and television projects. It’s exciting to watch them playing these wacky and heartrending roles. Also the series features original music by Alan Singley, a fantastically talented Portland indie rocker.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m co-producing a feature and working on a script that I’ll direct. All three of the other producers are working on producing other films, as well as their own projects – Aileen Sheedy is working on a new web series she wrote and will direct, Christen Kimbell is working on an indie feature, and Christine Autrand Mitchell is working on completing her feature and a new short.

Interview: September 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

One Bird at a Time

A heartfelt, comedic web series about what happens when you get in over your head trying to do good in the world.

Length: TBD

Who is being interviewed for this article? Darcy Miller

Director: Darcy Miller

Producer: Executive Produced by Darcy Miller and Jocelyn Brady, Produced by Aileen Sheedy and Darcy Miller

Co-Produced by Christen Kimbell and Christine Autrand Mitchell, Associate Produced by Melissa Gregory Rue

Writer: Darcy Miller

About the writer, director and producer:

DARCY MILLER’s (Writer, Director, Exec Producer) previous films include 180 Degrees and Rise. Caroline's Wedding, which she co-wrote, recently won the 2017 American Zoetrope Grand Prize.

AILEEN SHEEDY (Producer) is a Writer/Director/Producer. Her series The Misselthwaite Archives was nominated for the Oregon Actor Awards and the Portland Indie Short Film Awards.

Key cast: Darcy Miller, Jason Rouse

Looking for: Journalists, Distributors

Facebook: @seeinthedarkproductions

Instagram: @seeinthedarkproductions

Other: Website: www.onebirdatatimetheseries.com

Funders: Private and Seed & Spark

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? It will be streaming on Amazon and Vimeo