NYWIFT Blog

Kathryn O’Kane and collaborator Christopher Raby discuss their new comedic short Subtext

By Katie Chambers

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on former NYWIFT Board Member Kathryn O’Kane!

Kathryn is the co-director and co-writer of the short comedic film Subtext, which has been accepted into the 2025 LA Shorts International Film Festival, screening July 26 at 7:45 p.m. LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 400 films and attracts 10,000 attendees each year, including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging undiscovered independent filmmakers.

Subtext follows Eric, who is running late to his first date with Sara, and he just can’t stop texting. A feeling so many of us, unfortunately, are bound to relate to.

Kathryn sat down with co-director, co-writer, and editor Christopher Raby to discuss their creative process.

Kathryn O’Kane is a director and producer of documentary television and advertising. Her work in entertainment ranges from the James Beard award-winning Salt Fat Acid Heat for Netflix to the Emmy®-nominated series The World According to Jeff Goldblum for National Geographic and Iconoclasts for the Sundance Channel. With a strong belief that positive impact comes from unexpected connections, Kathryn seeks to explore society and culture through art and storytelling. 

Christopher Raby is a director, writer and producer originally from the great state of Michigan. His projects have featured Zach Galifianakis, Ego Nwodim (SNL) and Allan McLeod (You’re the Worst, Drunk History). Christopher has worked alongside many prolific filmmakers such as Joel & Ethan Coen and Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris. 

Kathryn and Christopher have worked together on branded content for the past six years. This is their first scripted collaboration.

Kathryn O’Kane and Christopher Raby

Subtext is all about our phones – and texting in particular – have become so central to and sometimes oppressive in our lives. What inspired you both to create this story? 

KOK: When I learned that text messages can be edited, my first thought was how super helpful, especially to correct typos or give further context to something. But there’s an odd little quirk about editing a text in that you can still read the original on your phone. So my second reaction was that the edit function could be a recipe for disaster – especially if you write something harsh and then decide to soften it later – because both sentiments still exist. That sparked what I hoped was the nugget of a funny idea about the limitations of texting, and I tapped Chris to help me tease out the story because I knew we worked well together, and he has a comedy background.

CR: I was thrilled Kathryn brought me into this idea as it felt like this was just the tip of the iceberg for what other text messages faux pas could occur. We also talked about how, like in the real world, there are different communication methods and tones when texting between loved ones, friends, parents, work, etc., and each of those are ripe for misunderstandings and miscommunications. The more we riffed on all those specifics, the laughs came naturally and the story began to write itself.

On the set of Subtext

I read that you had challenged yourselves to tell a story entirely through text message… how did that go? 

CR: Our initial goal was to try and tell this story by only seeing the characters’ phone screens. So, we screen recorded our personal phones and edited the whole story together from start to finish. It was quite the challenge to get the timing right with all the various text messages on screen. However, once we completed it, we saw it didn’t quite work. Something was missing. We realized what was missing was seeing who these people actually were. 

KOK: The texting provides the framework for the story and dials up the tension. But we were missing the reactions, which is where the comedy lies. So we had to adapt it to incorporate live action. I was also concerned about being able to differentiate the distinct characters since we were only seeing their conversations, so we gave each character a theme song/ringtone to help the audience understand who Eric is communicating with.

Still from Subtext

I definitely felt the character Eric’s anxiety as the text messages get out of control, and totally pull him out of his present moment. How did you, as directors, capture that tension? 

CR: There is no dialogue in our film, which was a deliberate choice as we wanted to stick to our initial desire to tell this only through text messages. So we shot it like a silent film – either by texting the messages to our actors, Matt Cordova and Kim Cooper, or more often, we would read them the line of the text they were receiving so they could react to it. 

KOK: We were very specific about where we wanted Matt to be on the street for certain story beats. And then we threw in some wild lines for his reaction. I remember Chris shouting random improvised insults at Matt, especially at the end when his character is inundated by random people. We knew we had something when the crew started laughing. Also, our DP Sara Kinney helped us create tension with a color palate that underscores the idea that these two people exist in separate spheres. Kim is filmed in the warm, inviting red of the bar, and Matt is always framed in cooler tones to keep him on the outside.

CR: Once in the edit, we were able to ramp up the tension in greater detail. Pace was important from each scene to the next in order to keep this pressure building. Kathryn and I also talked a lot about eye movement of the viewer – how to choreograph the way the eye moves around the screen so that the audience can read the text and track Eric’s reaction. With that in mind, we tightened each moment as much as we could, while still maintaining clarity of the story. 

KOK: Sound design was key as well – from the chaos of the world around Eric to the music that accompanied each character. Most importantly, we knew viewers would have their own Pavlovian response to the sound of a text “ding,” pulling them deeper into the self-imposed stress Eric was going through.

On the set of Subtext

What do you hope audiences take away from the film? 

KOK: I hope that we all become a little more aware of how the immediacy of texting influences our lives, often deters thoughtful responses, and takes us away from the present moment.

CR: I hope this film gives people something to relate to when they themselves are feeling overwhelmed by texts. Hopefully it allows them to pause and see that they may not need to respond to their text right this second. I want people to see that we shouldn’t prioritize the phone over real life.

Congrats on getting the film into LA Shorts Festival! What does inclusion in the fest mean to you?

CR: It’s our first festival we’ve gotten into, and so we’re thrilled to debut it here in LA where we shot it. I can’t wait to watch it in a full theater with our cast and crew.

KOK: Yes, seeing it on a big screen will be amazing. LA Shorts attracts over 10,000 people every year, so we’re excited about the potential exposure.

Still from Subtext

You co-wrote and co-directed the film, and Chris edited. Kathryn called it “a collaboration in every sense of the word and a delight to do together.” That is rare! I’d love to hear more about why you decided to share writing and directing duties, and what made your collaboration so fruitful. 

KOK: Chris and I shared the same vision from the very beginning. And that’s crucial because you could go down a path and realize that you want to make two different movies.

CR: We knew we were on the track when we’re laughing at the same things, or cringing at the same stuff. We spoke at length about ideas, but there were many ideas that we didn’t have to dissect because we were already on the same page. That made it all so fun and so easy.

Kathryn, I also believe this is your first narrative writing credit (?) after 20+ years as a director and producer, primarily in documentaries and advertising. What inspired you to make the leap? And are you looking forward to exploring this side of the business more?

KOK: That’s true! I’ve done a lot of documentary work, and it’s incredibly meaningful to help people tell their own stories. After working on scripted commercial and corporate projects over the years, it was time to tell my own, and this one just stared at me and wouldn’t go away. It’s always so fun to collaborate with actors, cinematographers, art department, editors and VFX artists. I hope to do a lot more of it in the future.

Poster for Subtext

What is next for each of you?

KOK: Fear not! I’m still working in documentary and making commercials, though I have fallen in love with this short format and have a more ideas percolating. So between projects, I am writing.

CR: I’m continuing to work in the documentary space as well. I’m currently working on a comedy documentary, which I’m very excited about. I’m also in the process of getting a narrative horror feature film off the ground, and writing in between all of that. And of course more collaborations to come with Kathryn! Stay tuned!

For our NYWIFT friends who are in Los Angeles, tickets for the LA Shorts International Film festival are available here! Check out Subtext on July 26 at 7:45 PM.

Follow the film on Instagram at @subtextshortfilm, Kathryn at @busy_k, and Chris at @chrisrabies.