DARREN MARTIN
Writer-Director-Animator
When Darren Martin began writing the script for Attic Girl, he thought it would take 7 or 8 months at the most to finish the production. Now, almost 2 years later, the film is finally finished and the entire process has left him undeniably humbled. Darren attributes his inspiration for the film to an off-hand remark he made shortly after Roe v. Wade was reversed in the summer of 2022.
He said something like, "When will we learn from our past mistakes? How many women have to die to prove a point? If Anne Frank were alive today, they'd probably call her Attic Girl."
While initially reluctant to make the film, Darren decided after much soul searching that the only thing harder than making the movie would be to not make it at all, and let the idea waste away, knowing that it could've helped someone who needed it.
"I've heard people talk about great ideas falling out of thin air, and I believe that this was one of those moments. Why God chose me, a Gentile, I'll never know. I'm pretty sure he missed," claims Darren.
In addition to playing the character Nigel Rothschild McGee, he is also the infant child in the park, and two random youtubers.
Since moving to Los Angeles 11 years ago, Darren has worked as both a copywriter and consultant for some of the biggest agencies and most well-known brands in the world. His work includes contracts with brands such as: BRITISH PETROLEUM (BP), HONDA MOTOR COMPANY, QUALCOMM, HTC, SONY, S.C. JOHNSON, FOX, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, DISNEY, AMAZON, and NETFLIX.
The film itself was created using an automated rotoscoping technique that Darren conceived while making GIFs. And, in true GIF-fashion, the film is technically a stop-motion piece, comprised of animated frames rendered at 7 frames per second, sped back up to 30 frames per second, giving the effect of fluid motion. That's why they call 'em moving pictures, folks.