A Social Life (Photo – kerithlemon.com).
I want it to be about all of us.
That’s the dream of Kerith Lemon, first-time writer-director of Friday’s short* “A Social Life”. And if you consider yourself part of the modern world, one that splits our identities between online and physical “real” lives, you should have no trouble seeing yourself (and everyone you know) in her film.
By Melanie Hooks
The actual protagonist, 20-something Meredith, has little dialogue, since she interacts directly with almost no one. She tells her mother she can’t make it for a weekend barbeque because she has too many plans. Going for an early morning run, making a delicious homemade sauce, heading outside with an adorable sun hat – all of these implied activities end up online, but is Meredith actually doing any of them? What part of her Instagrammed life is she really living? And who is she living it for?
Kerith Lemon at the Q&A following the showing of “A Social Life” in Pasadena (Photo – Maelane Chan ©ColoradoBlvd.net).
Lemon, herself a media content programmer for the likes of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, found herself having this conversation more and more with her industry friends. Suddenly simply going to work and being productive weren’t enough, she said. It had to seem like she was being productive (and engaging and innovative and connected) on half a dozen social media outlets, especially to her professional peers. In short, she had to prove it.
“Then I read an article about social media envy,” she says, referring to a December 2013 Alex Williams article in The New York Times, “The Agony of Instagram.” It identified a new phenomenon: lower self-esteem and life satisfaction due to constant online comparison. “And I was horrified to realize I had it.” Exploring this concept of a life sifted through and chosen for its best presentation values, in other words ‘curated,’ resulted in her first screenwriting effort. After years of promoting others’ content, she admits to nervousness around dialogue, but the sure hand and clear storyline point to a far more seasoned storytelling sense.
Director, Writer and Producer Kerith Lemon with husband and
Executive Producer Mike Gugat (Photo – Maelane Chan ©ColoradoBlvd.net).
Smart visual choices throughout the short create the same conflict within the film viewer. Meredith’s pictures, her captions, Love count and comments all layer over her real daily life. Which one you choose to watch should tug at the viewer, says Lemon. And give you something different to notice on repeated viewings.
She plans to launch the film online by the end of March, after a strong showing on the international film circuit, including a trip to Australia for “A Social Life”’s selection and win for Best Actress in the 2015 Canberra Short Film Festival. Lemon is currently in the midst of developing two feature projects. In the meantime, you can catch the trailer for this one here. And expect to hear more from Kerith Lemon soon.
* “A Social Life” was shown Friday, March 4, at the Pasadena International Film Festival, as part of the ‘Yong Adult Female’ Block.
Screenwriter and columnist Melanie Hooks has lived on both coasts and in Hawaii, as well as the Midwest and the United Kingdom. Someday she hopes to follow JK Rowling’s lead and buy a Scottish castle. Until then, find her Pasadena discoveries here.
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