“I really like this Charlie Kaufman quote: What is unique to you is specific to everyone.”

Based in Sydney, Lucy Coleman filmed Hot Mess in 2016 on a tiny budget with a group of actors and comedians who were committed to an extended rehearsal process.

The only other main credit to Coleman’s CV is On the Fringe, a very funny six-part web series (starring Jacinta Gregory and Sarah Gaul) set in a comedy club.

On the occasion of Hot Mess being picked up by streaming behemoth Netflix, Lucy Coleman was gracious enough to front up via Zoom to talk about the film, which she says is heavily based on her own painful experiences.

There is some salty language deployed, so be duly warned.

Please enjoy.

Hot Mess is available on iTunes, Google Play, Fetch TV and Netflix.

Lucy Coleman Interview Index
00:00 Story outline and origin;
02:10 Not offering a generalized critique of Millennials;
02:35 Personal experience has universal applicability;
02:50 Contradictions of modern womanhood;
03:50 Exploring contradictions of feminism vs desire for romance;
04:30 Boomers seeing the film as an insight into the Millennial mindset;
06:00 Pushing back on the suggestion the film is a generational critique;
07:00 Deconstructing Mum vs Loz argument; Boomer vs Millennial mentality;
09:30 Dealing with the issue of sympathy for the main character;
12:08 Is the quarter-life crisis a Millennial phenomenon?;
13:57 Achieving naturalistic performances and dialogue; Use of improv;
16:45 Text anxiety as a reflection of insecurity;
18:25 The non-Hollywood third act;
19:33 The Schembri Challenge;
20:45 The Netflix deal;
21:48 Life right now.

For some big laughs, check out Lucy Coleman’s web series On The Fringe: