With a short film premiere at Cannes already under her belt for Happy Melancholy, Melbourne filmmaker Diorella Mirasol talks what’s next for her career.
Is Happy Melancholy your first short film?
I was always off with the fairies at a young age and had an extremely imaginative mind. Writing became a therapeutic medium for me from early on. Starting from writing theatre plays that I directed for school. I recall the first play I ever directed was called Captain Bumble about a grumpy pirate in grade two. It was during high school I found myself conjuring crazy stories and writing furiously which eventually lead me to study and focus on film at the Victorian College of the Arts. During my time there I learnt the fundamentals as well as the self-deprecating love/ hate relationship one has with their own art. Like a drug, I was hooked and wrote, directed and edited two short films.
Since graduating, Happy Melancholy is the first short I’ve made for the purpose of following my passion and what a rush it is to create art for the purpose of art.
Where did the idea come from for developing this short?
It had been close to three years since I last wrote and directed a short film. My last short was a drama based on a couple dealing with the domestic malaise of a turbulent relationship. This time I wanted to challenge myself by going in the complete opposite direction. I wanted to create something light and fluffy. A comedy that children would appreciate and I wanted to go bigger and better visually.
I’ve always admired the human condition and the unconventional circumstances that create strong and unique bonds. Happy Melancholy allowed me to channel my inner eccentricities and allow them to come to fruition through the characters. Although it is light and fluffy there are elements of darkness, sadness and realism beyond the dreamscape they find themselves in. Gene and Penny are both flawed characters with their own secrets and fears and I found that bringing together two characters based on their imperfections created a unique bond.
How did you raise the funds required to make this a reality?
The film itself was entirely self-funded with (the little) savings I had as well as backing from our two executive producers Kailas Prasannan and JR Viray who believed in the story and wanted to get it out. When we had calculated the initial budget it was feasible in my mind. Rookie mistake! Unfortunately when it comes to film nothing is as it seems, there’s never enough time and budget usually exceeds expectations. As we progressed I started to become obsessed with expanding the aesthetic and more shoot dates were eventually required and a location change to complete the arc to make it as believable as possible. In short, this film was my Cleopatra with Murphy’s Law taking full effect. That said I’m extremely pleased the final result has exceeded my expectations.
The film is very visually appealing. Is this something you place importance on when directing?
Without a doubt. My intention is to create a fantasy world for the audience to be immersed and invested in. The initial stages of Happy Melancholy were going to take place in very basic locations until I reevaluated the script and decided that having sharp contrasts with high impact visuals versus sterile and placid environments would be both beneficial to the overall story as well as the cinematic quality of the short.
I really wanted to create a world so different that viewers also felt like they were apart of the adventure and couldn’t pin point where the location was. I wanted them to be in the same world the characters were in at that precise moment wondering if they themselves were in a dream. As if they could smell the flowers and feel the warm rays of sunlight themselves. I’ve always been an avid fan of French films by Jean Pierre Jeunet and wanted to channel his colourful vision in the film.
One of the most intensive parts of post production and also the most exciting was the colour grade. Watching the colours come to life and creating the visual style of the film helped bring Gene and Penny’s world to life and give Happy Melancholy it’s identity.
Where was the film shot?
As a proud Melbourne kid, I was flabbergasted by the locations we were able to source within Victoria. During the time we were doing our location scout I had come across some visuals of canola fields which I was informed are in season for only two weeks in September. Timing was impeccable and we scheduled the entire shoot around the time the canola field would be at it’s brightest. The main concern was the temperamental Melbourne weather and I recall having an anxiety attack at 4am in the morning when we started our drive to Maryborough through torrential rain and ominous clouds. By the time setup and breakfast was had the film gods gave us the best weather we could imagine for the day. Although most of the crew came home looking like lobsters we all knew we had captured some brilliant footage.
Our second location was at the Rhododendron Gardens in the Dandenong Ranges which was a last minute find but yet again blended perfectly into the story. Unlike the canola field our art department had to spend a lot of time gathering and strategically placing all the petals on the ground to create the atmosphere of abundance and beauty.
We also film in Castlemaine. In total our crew spent approximately 18 hours travelling across Victoria to all these unique locations.
Even though this is a short film, is there still a long production process involved?
Of course. Sans the script, the overall project involved a lengthy production process from pre to post. In the case of Happy Melancholy and the project growing throughout the production process, as well as a lengthy post production phase inclusive of the edit, sound design, composition and colour grade, the film took close to nine months from concept to final cut. The toughest part of the production was the location scout. I was adamant about the visual style and the location needed to look surreal.
Like any operation it’s all about the crew and we were lucky enough to have an extremely hard working, talented and passionate team in charge of their own components of the film. Everyone was accountable and creative in their respective departments. We all had a common vision and we all collaborated effectively to create something we can all gives ourselves a big pat on the back for. The biggest hurdle in the production process is never being satisfied as an artist. I found myself consumed by the film for those nine months. Waking up during the early hours of the night scribbling notes when I’d had a dream or a thought during my attempts to sleep. My mind was like a bomb, constantly ticking, anticipating an explosion of ideas to come at the oddest of times whilst working a full time job.
How was the experience visiting Cannes and having your film selected in the Short Film Corner?
Cannes was an exhilarating roller coaster ride. Prior to the festival beginning, Screen Australia organised a meet and greet with fellow Australian short film makers and we were introduced to many Australians from around the world and the unique films they made. As a first timer it was great to have the support of Screen Australia for information and the best ways of tackling the festival.
My producer Olivia White and I spent our days speaking with distributors, industry professionals and film makers who were all very willing to give us feedback on Happy Melancholy, our future projects and how the world of buying and selling films work. We learnt more in the two weeks there than anywhere else. The vibe was dynamic, at times daunting but all in all it was great to know that everyone is willing to impart wisdom and inspiration to those pursuing a dream. We promoted Happy Melancholy by means of networking, social meet and greets. It’s surprising who you end up meeting and how willing they are to support aspiring film makers and we were very pleased that Happy Melancholy screened with great impact on the viewers who found it’s visual appeal to be so unique as well as a heart warming story.
The biggest lesson learnt in Cannes was that the real business happens at night when everyone is socialising as the parties allowed a more eclectic group of people to mingle. Showing support for our peers at screenings allowed us to see the caliber of work the whole world had to offer and I found myself spending a lot of time at the Short Film Corner viewing as many films as I could and enjoying them one after the other.
Then of course, there were the parties and red carpet events, which were so overwhelming. Like a dream come true. After so many years of watching the red carpet footage on my TV at home it was a surreal moment when Olivia and I walked the red carpet for the world premiere of Saint Laurent. The atmosphere was buzzing, French jazz was playing and celebrities were everywhere. The parties were spent in pavilions, exclusive bars and yachts which in itself seemed like something out of it’s own movie. All in all Cannes was the highlight of 2014 and I hope to return and learn more.
What are your thoughts on short films in general? Does it surprise you these don’t get as much mainstream recognition as full-length feature films?
The short films that appeal to me are those with heart, those that feel like a slice of life and remain emotive. It is extremely challenging to condense a story within a short film and have it make an impact the same way a feature length film can. I find successful short films are much more deliberate and strategic with information which is quite a challenge in itself.
Although it’s shorter the production process, the hard work and time cast and crew put into can sometimes be overlooked. This is of course the main stepping-stone for emerging filmmakers to gain an understanding of the production process, logistical aspects, the importance of writing and direction etc. This is where we learn to make mistakes, how we learn about conducive decision making, what the main challenges are and how we can grow from them.
With today’s technology, short attention span and everything becoming more accessible due to the internet short films are starting to get more exposure than they have before. There are so many VOD sites dedicated to showcasing talented short filmmakers however of course it’s a case of business ultimately. Short films will rarely, if ever, allow larger returns than the investments made in them. For an independent filmmaker like myself I don’t find this to be a deterrent or a gamble. The largest investment for me by making short films is showcasing what I’m capable of creating on a meager budget working independently without the backing of a major company to pay for festival and marketing costs. If anything having carte blanche has made me more tenacious and fierce about making a solid imprint in the film industry.
Has it been difficult to build a career in the relatively small Australian film industry?
Yes, it’s very difficult but building a career in film in any part of the world is a challenge. There is no shortage of talent and competition is fierce. Building a reputation takes a lot of hard work and determination and you have to be willing to put yourself out there for recognition. I sometimes think of the film industry as a jungle where it truly is survival of the fittest. Most of the time it is based on hard work and other times it’s a case of being at the right place at the right time. So just as Woody Allen says, 90% of it is just showing up. I find I don’t allow myself to be consumed by thoughts of where my career is headed within the Australian Film Industry. My priority is to continue creating, to the best of my ability, learn new things and network with those who share the same passion. Art is a contribution to society and just as long as I’m doing that and people are enjoying my work then I will be proud to be considered an Australian filmmaker.
What’s next for your film career?
I’m grateful that since Happy Melancholy and the Cannes Short Film Corner many doors have opened up and new projects are on the horizon. I’m excited to announce that I have been approached by a high-end fashion label who appreciate my visual style and have asked me to direct their new campaign. I’ve always admired the visual style of photographer Annie Leibovitz and wanted to dabble in fashion so this will be a great way to channel all my overly ambitious ideas.
Heidi Valkenburg, who plays Penny in Happy Melancholy, and I have collaborated on our own production company, Mirabug, and are in the process of co-writing for our upcoming projects Manor of Kent and Ingenue which we aim to release in 2015.
My goal for next year is to create a TV series and since 2009 I have been working on my brain child and first feature script Wives and Lovers which I’m hoping to pitch in the not too distant future.
Questions by Amelia Barnes
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