Private Project

Harold the Plumber

A self-proclaimed idiot plumber drinks magic toilet water which instantly makes him a genius.

  • Mark Regan
    Director
    The Memory
  • Mark Regan
    Writer
    The Memory
  • Tanya Regan
    Producer
    The Memory
  • Alan Malcolm
    Key Cast
    "Harold"
  • Gino Cataldo
    Key Cast
    "Lenny"
  • Jestin Joseph
    Key Cast
    "Renny"
  • Ron Morley
    Key Cast
    "Benny"
  • Leschelle Leonhardt
    Key Cast
    "Customer 1"
  • Clare Alason
    Key Cast
    "Customer 2"
  • Imogen Di Giulio
    Key Cast
    "Newsreader"
  • Evi Ruz
    Key Cast
    "Road Rage Driver"
  • Amanda Alderson
    Key Cast
    "Doctor"
  • Scott Cathery
    Key Cast
    "Loan Shark"
  • Graham Holmes
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 14, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Mark Regan

Mark Regan is a writer and filmmaker based in Mandurah, Western Australia. He writes short and feature drama scripts and has been involved in numerous local film productions as a director, producer and cinematographer.

Mark began to create stories when he was a child and has always dreamed of sharing them with a wide audience. He is motivated to make stories that ask big questions and encourage the audience pause and reflect.

In 2002 Mark graduated from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Communications in Media and Film Studies. He has been teaching film and digital media at Murdoch Institute of Technology since 2006.

Mark co-hosts the podcast Space Brains which reviews Science Fiction films weekly. He loves taking photographs and is an all-round creative punk.

Mark’s dream is to direct compelling drama films that appeal to a wide audience and contribute to the Australian Film Industry.

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Director Statement

Would you drink toilet water if you knew it had magical powers? Harold the Plumber does.

Harold the Plumber is a story about a self-proclaimed idiot plumber who drinks magic toilet water which makes him super smart but when the concoction begins making Harold sick, he must stop consuming the potion and discover his own inner talents.

I chose to write and direct the short film Harold the Plumber because I like the idea of exploring our self-talk. The film investigates how we perceive ourselves through the narrative short film of comedy and drama genre.

While watching Harold the Plumber I want the viewer to go through Harold’s emotional journey of self-criticism. Harold starts from a place of negative self-belief (he admits he is stupid) and moves to hopeful intelligence (through drinking magic toilet water. He then must choose how to deal with those consequences, taking the audience to the climax of the narrative.

I created this narrative arc, wanting to discuss the idea that we are our own worst critic. I believe we judge ourselves the harshest. Harold perceives he is unintelligent compared to his friends. This boils down to a feeling of not being good enough. I think this is an interesting topic to investigate as I believe the idea of not feeling good enough is a common human trait that causes so many issues for so many people.

Harold the Plumber also explores the common underdog theme. This is a theme I wish to explore in all my stories. Harold is not successful, nor rich, or famous. In his eyes he is an ordinary, working class, senior aged, man, who must work his day job of being a plumber to make way in our society. I am aligned to the theme of the underdog and find its always an interesting point to start a protagonist at.

I was inspired by the style of Jared Hess’s Napoleon Dynamite and the TV series The End of the F***ing World. These visual mediums depict ordinary characters in a subtle surreal version of our world. Furthermore, I liked the idea of trying to make a kids book for adults through the short film codes and conventions. With those inspirations in mind, I crafted Harold the Plumber with visual film techniques to pull that look and feel. I chose a narrator to voice the story in a unique and peculiar manner. The narrator deliberately repeats and emphases parts of the narrative (Harold’s name, plot points and reactions). Colour, costumes, and props also played a vital role in creating the look of the world I wanted with every character deliberately being dressed in one colour. This was a deliberate quirky construction of the visual look of the film I wanted to pull off to create a story world which was like a children’s picture book.

Harold the Plumber required a large cast of actors to pull of the storyline. Alan Malcolm is a well experienced theatre and film actor who can pull off a variety of roles and I believed he was exceptional as Harold. Alan really delivered on the sadness of Harold and the exploration of Harold’s journey. The ensemble cast had to compliment and create a diverse unique world for Harold to play out his story. A very talented bunch of actors was cast, and I was extremely happy with the performance from all actors.

Creating this film helps me express my artistic themes of the underdog and questioning our reality. I believe Harold the Plumber will make a viewer stop and think about their own self perception of negative self-talk.