RATHMINES couple Keith Olbery and Meldi Arkinstall will wrap up four days of filming today for their project We're Gonna Get You, which aims to raise awareness and start conversations about cyberbullying. Casual primary school teacher and librarian Mr Olbery started writing the script for what was originally intended to be a play ten years ago, drawing from what he'd seen at schools and being bullied as a child. "It seems to be more and more common these days and seems to be increasing in cases," Mr Olbery said. The film follows the story of Tammy, who is bullied and considers self-harm. Mr Olbery wrote and is directing the short film, Finland's Eero Heinonen is producer and Ms Arkinstall is in operations and marketing. "It's also about showing how serious it can be," she said. "It might seem like a funny little prank, but it's actually really serious and can have really serious effects on someone's mental health." Mr Olbery said he hoped to be finished post-production by around May. "We've gone to the eSafety Commissioner and are hoping they will be interested in taking it on," he said. "It would be good as some sort of educational program for schools, we could even do a program for teachers. It's to start the conversation, to be aware...what they could possibly do about it." Mr Olbery did courses in film-making and mobile content creation at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, but this is his first film. He said he was "absolutely thrilled" to bring his vision to life. It has been funded through crowdfunding and grants from Lake Macquarie City Council and LivingWorks Australia.
Action: Meldi Arkinstall, Keith Olbery and Eero Heinonen on bench, with actors Hannah Mattenbrink and Hartnell Dean. Picture: Simone De Peak
RATHMINES couple Keith Olbery and Meldi Arkinstall will wrap up four days of filming today for their project We're Gonna Get You, which aims to raise awareness and start conversations about cyberbullying.
Casual primary school teacher and librarian Mr Olbery started writing the script for what was originally intended to be a play ten years ago, drawing from what he'd seen at schools and being bullied as a child.
"It seems to be more and more common these days and seems to be increasing in cases," Mr Olbery said.
The film follows the story of Tammy, who is bullied and considers self-harm.
Mr Olbery wrote and is directing the short film, Finland's Eero Heinonen is producer and Ms Arkinstall is in operations and marketing.
"It's also about showing how serious it can be," she said.
"It might seem like a funny little prank, but it's actually really serious and can have really serious effects on someone's mental health."
Mr Olbery said he hoped to be finished post-production by around May.
"We've gone to the eSafety Commissioner and are hoping they will be interested in taking it on," he said.
"It would be good as some sort of educational program for schools, we could even do a program for teachers. It's to start the conversation, to be aware...what they could possibly do about it."
Mr Olbery did courses in film-making and mobile content creation at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, but this is his first film.
He said he was "absolutely thrilled" to bring his vision to life.
It has been funded through crowdfunding and grants from Lake Macquarie City Council and LivingWorks Australia.
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