jrowe

In this submission we decided to make it about two boys, one that is very happy and one that is sad and very depressed and contemplating life. They come together eventually and the outcomes are very good at the end.

My entry is an animated short closely following the theme of peer or student relationships and how mental health affects those relationships between individuals impacted by mental health. Although the category asked for 30 seconds, our entry is around 1 minute in length due to our focus on a strong thematic message we hoped would carry through an appropriate script and time by showing how serious the topic is. Students are often impacted by stress and outside factors that lead to harmful behaviors such as distance, a lack of self motivation, and failing grades which altogether continue to contribute to poor mental health, and sometimes to suicidal thoughts. Avery’s character, the individual impacted by mental health issues, would often ask if “anything would even matter” or how she “wouldn’t mind” if something negative happened to her, showed by how overwhelming all these thoughts can be in the sequence of the animation. The black cloud following her metaphorizes how the negative seem to consume her and Sophia, her student peer, notices this behavior and reaches out first in order to comfort and support her. The animation in the video is set to prove how relationships between person to another individual serves to be important in the process of healing and that prevention is possible if someone will show that they care first.

In this video I interviewed some friends and a school counselor asking them if they knew the signs of suicide, finding out what they knew, and seeing how different people think different things when asked “What are the signs of suicide?”

This video portrays a boy walking alone in a park. I initially burdened by the stress of every day life he loses sight of hope until he encounters his friends. Receiving their support, he finds hope that this journey isn’t one to be traveled alone.

The Flower Grows Taller is a short film about noticing the signs of suicide, talking openly, and taking action. It follows two friends, one sees the other pulling away and struggling. Through real conversations and emotions, the film shows the importance of asking directly, getting help from a trusted adult, and checking in. It reminds viewers that a simple conversation can make a big difference.

Our film depicts a high schooler who is experiencing mental health struggles and masking it at school. A friend takes notice and reaches out to them.

“The Conversation” depicts the internal argument that is had with oneself about whether or not to ask someone if they are okay. The film centers around a Teen listing the warning signs they’ve noticed in their Friend, who is indeed struggling with thoughts of suicide. This conversation is paralleled by that of the Friend, who is reflecting on his own warning signs, wondering why no one notices his cries for help. Dramatic irony is central to the story, with only the audience able to see both perspectives, and to realize how close yet so far the two characters are from connecting with each other and getting help. The film ends by bridging this distance, with the Teen character finally starting a real conversation by asking the question, “are you thinking about suicide?”

Our video focuses on feeling like a burden and not wanting to ask for help when its really needed. We tried to use elements of loneliness and uncertainty this video I chose to do personally as I went through same situations a while back and feeling lonely and like a burden is something nobody should ever go through which is why em and my partner Alex Chau decided to make this video

We sent the wrong version the fírst time. Making this film was very heart wrenching for us. There are many people our age that struggle with mental health and don’t know how to seek help. Being able to get the opportunity to spread the word about our film felt very important to us.

To whom it may concern follows the story of a young adult going through a particularly harrowing bout of loneliness, and feeling as if he is being left behind as everyone starts to move forward with their lives. He starts to give away his most prized belongings, starts to lose track of his room’s cleanliness, and spends his nights alone and feeling in need of a friend. He can be any one of us, and it is up to us to make sure that no one has to feel as alone and unseen as he does.