The second installment of Mandurah-based social media creator Damien Martin’s mental health campaign video is set to be released this weekend, and he hopes it will make a big impact.
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Known on the web as Damo Vs The World, Martin first began production of his second suicide awareness video in June, and received a huge turnout of support from the community.
The film follows on from his first, which detailed dealing with mental health issues from his own perspective, as well as friends and family.
He is know right into the production of the follow-up, with more than 200 people taking part in detailing how issues of mental health affect families and friends.
Obviously, the recent weather has slightly jeapordised the process, but a strong example of Martin’s filmic professionalism, he’s battled through.
“I woke up Friday morning and, as you know, the weather was absolutely terrible,” Martin said.
“I basically just spent the whole day hoping like hell it was going to clear up.
“I was staying up in Perth, so as I was driving down with all the camera equipment, I said to myself, ‘man, I’m going to have to cancel the whole thing’.
“But luckily there was a clear break.”
The scene Martin shot was core to the film – a memorial scene, detailing a family paying respects to a lost loved one.
“It actually turned out really, really good,” Martin said.
“We managed to get out the balloons, which I really wanted as a strong image in the film.
“The beach and the weather, it actually ended up adding a lot of atmosphere to the whole project.”
With filming wrapping up and a marathon of editing happening this week, Martin has hopefully slated the release of the film for this weekend.
“I’ve got all the footage I need at this stage, so it’s just editing and making sure everything fits at this stage,” he said.
From that point, Martin will keep doing what he does – making videos, some serious, some more about how much he hates traffic jams.
“The social media stuff’s going pretty well, so I feel like if I keep pushing it, I’ll get somewhere,” he said.
“I’m 100 per cent set on this.”
Keep an eye on the Damo Vs The World Facebook page for updates.
If you, or anyone you know, is facing mental health issues, support is available by calling Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, Lifeline on 131 114, or beyondblue on 1300 22 46 36.
