Indie Spotlight: We Could All Use Some ‘Happy Thoughts’

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now. Read previous installments here.

Sexual assault is a heavy topic, but Michaela Myers isn’t afraid to approach it with a touch of comedy. She is the creator and star of Happy Thoughts, a web series about a life coach who must deal with the events of her own past.

The woman at the center of Happy Thoughts is Edie, portrayed by Myers. As part of her job, Edie is often asked to work with patients who have suffered from sexual trauma, due to the fact that she has “experience” in that area. The show’s arc follows Edie’s interactions with one particular charge, and it reveals how her current line work forces her to come to grips with her past.

Happy Thoughts Episode 1 from Michaela Myers on Vimeo.

Happy Thoughts‘ biggest strength is its penchant for irony. Edie serves others, but as we see throughout the series, it takes a lot of effort — and the use of practices she bestows on her patients as well — to stay composed. Myers’ introduction of comedy into a show that deals with such a heavy subject is ironic in its own right; with its quiet brand of wit, Happy Thoughts shows us that maybe humor can also be part of a healing process. Eight episodes are available on Vimeo.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT 

• A Pitch-Dark Diorama. This noir-esque thriller series comes from India.
• Brains. A woman adjusts to her dating life in the zombie-infested post-apocalypse.
• There Are No Second Takes In Life…Take Two. Beyond its big title, this web series also boasts an expansive soundtrack.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.