An Interview with Fern Lim from ‘Human Telegraphs’

Human Telegraphs is a quirky and sweet female-driven series that follows three women as they launch an in-person message delivery business in NYC, and get tangled in the intimate, unexpected, and hilarious lives of strangers.
 
Trisha has been a type-A, driven she-boss from the time she left diapers, Margot is a shy, aspiring actor who left a sheltered religious upbringing in Alaska to find her true self in NYC, and Lily is a fiery hippie, feminist playwright. The three friends are forced to juggle the demands of their personal lives and dreams while being caught in the crossfire of other New Yorkers' relationship dramas, setbacks, and triumphs. Will their business and lives flounder or flourish in the Big Apple?
 
We spoke to actor/producer/art director/production designer Fern Lim ahead of the film’s New York screenings.
 
Nerds That Geek: We have to know, have you had any experiences like those in the series?
 
Fern Lim: Oh boy, wouldn’t that be fun! During crowdfunding, we did offer real-life in-person message delivery as a crowdfunding incentive, though no one took us up on it. But actually, part of why we created this series is to explore how strangers collide in places like NYC where the density is such that you can’t help but get into other people’s business! I have a vivid memory of bawling to my sister on the phone in broad daylight in the middle of Broadway and wailing “There’s nowhere for me to goooo!!” (To bawl privately, that is.) Life is all its messy glory is frequently in full public display in NYC!
 
NTG: Why did you think the central stories of Human Telegraphs would lend themselves so wonderfully to series form?
 
Fern Lim: Lives in NYC frequently intersect with all manner of strangers, so in the same way, each episode intersects with various strangers in various nooks of the city. These interactions unfold in little bites, which I think is more conducive to the series format! 
 
NTG: Was there any version of that script where it was a feature film?
 
Fern Lim: There wasn’t, but our writer Rachel Kay Barclay is working on a 30-minute pilot version. Fingers crossed there will be more filling servings of Human Telegraphs in the future!
 
NTG: But the plan is – to rob an old joke – ‘6 seasons and a movie’, right?
 
Fern Lim:You know it! I just realized I keep using food metaphors, but I’m at a loss for what that would be here. A grand 6-course meal with fireworks during dessert? Ha!
 
NTG: Do you have a favorite episode of the eight?
 
Fern Lim: I love the final episode! One of the last scenes in that episode is so full of brass and glory! It was a brilliant one to film too. We got a lot of attention from pedestrians and motorists… If we’d known, we might’ve used it as a marketing opportunity, say with large Human Telegraphs signs hanging up just off-camera? I still use that scene to channel badassery for my real-life self when I’m in need of sass and swagger!
 
NTG: Tell us where we can see it!
 
Fern Lim: We had our world premiere at the Big Apple Web Festival on Friday November 5th at the AMC Empire in NYC! The NYC Web Fest will also be screening episodes 2 and 7 online. And then you’ll be able to binge every single episode when we release it on YouTube on November 15th!

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