If a picture is worth a thousand words, then music is worth a thousand emotions. Music has the magical ability to change our mood, tap into long forgotten memories, and can actually transform our entire thought process.

The idea for SMALL TOWN was inspired by a song. Those of us who grew up as part of the MTV generation, we were trained to “see” music. Images pop into our minds when we hear chords, we visualize the stories behind the lyrics, and create narratives for the emotions and moments the artists wanted to convey to us long after the song has ended. During the pandemic, as we all looked for ways to keep our creative minds alive and sane while in quarantine, I rediscovered my teenage joy of just sitting in my room, listening to music, and playing out the stories in my head. While revisiting one of my favorites, one lyrical emotion just stuck with me, and I was inspired to tell a story that reflected that feeling, that moment, that what if.  From there, our characters developed and their story began to form.

For me, bringing SMALL TOWN to life is more than just creating a film, it’s a hope of creating change, and keeping a promise. As a young girl, I watched Mary Tyler Moore toss her beret in the air, promising us we could make it after all. Yet, even after decades of awareness and advocacy, marginalized voices are still struggling to have their voices heard and respected. It’s no secret that the entertainment industry has serious representation problems. Women and people of color are vastly underrepresented, especially in behind the scenes and in roles of leadership. Ageism pushes immensely talented actors, writers, and producers into the wings. The corporatization of the studios focusing on short-term earnings and shareholder wealth has made it impossible for even seasoned creatives to stay in the business and has tragically risked the health and safety of cast and crew by putting profits over people. All of us in this field love what we do and our entertainment community that allows us to tell our stories and create our visions, but at the same time, the industry needs to do better. It must change. 

When I set out to make this film, I was determined to raise those marginalized voices, reflect those changes in my production, and help keep that promise. Small Town is written and directed by a woman, who is a proud GenXer. My producers are a diverse team of women. Our lead actors are over forty. I didn’t start production until I had saved enough money to pay a fair wage to our cast and crew. And, although we are a non-union project, we follow union rules and strict set safety rules and guidelines. We all work as a team, respectful of each other as fellow creatives and humans. People before project. No bullies or bad actors allowed. May our industry one day be the same.