Surprise: We Made a 2nd Movie! + What's Next in 2025

tl;dr — a/b studios recently produced How to Get the Girl, a proof-of-concept short film written & directed by Stephanie Hong that sets the charming setting for a feature film in the City of Sweetwater. The film screened as one of eight finalists for Film Fest Knox’s Elev8or Pitch competition, and is now part of a yearlong campaign driving audiences to plan their romantic day on Main Street.

Sweetwater set day one outside a few Main Street staples: The Lazy Beagle, Cup Runneth Over Coffeehouse, Main Street Studios, and Vittorino’s, off the surprisingly busy 11W.

When I learned that Lavender Fields Forever wouldn’t be eligible for Film Fest Knox’s Elev8or Pitch competition, the a/b studios team got to work developing a short script adapted from Stephanie’s finished feature screenplay, How to Get the Girl, ready for the challenge of the contest’s tough parameters:

• Films submitted to the competitions could not start actually filming until after the kickoff day: July 25.

• Films could be no longer than eight minutes, including credits.

• The deadline for completed films was October 17, just twelve weeks to complete the entire project.

Arguably the biggest hurdle: We had no budget to make a second film, already having crowdfunded for LFF earlier that year.

How to Get the Girl centers on a group of friends in a small town, setting the story in an authentic-feeling location much more relevant than the usually glitzy big city or stock-built backlot towns pictured in rom-coms.

One of a/b studios slate projects is Outdoorsy, a local travel TV series that explores Appalachia’s outdoor playspaces and the communities that support them. The show’s production model is to partner with regional tourism entities on episodes that generate meaningful marketing content derived from publicly available TV episodes, all driving tourism traffic along campaign pathways.

Could How to Get the Girl be similarly funded? Picturing a short film as a functional marketing asset —Campaign: Romanticizing the Sweetest Street in Tennessee

Still from How to Get the Girl — Location: Sweetwater Flower Shop

In addition to developing the short script and production logistics, the team researched potential small-town tourism partners, prepared the pitch materials, and created a working project budget that set us up like a commercial despite the intended cinematic results. This meant paying more than the usual short film favor budget and finding available professionals — as 29 other teams set out to make Elev8or Pitch films in the same timeframe.

I’d collaborated with the City of Sweetwater in my rural outreach work with the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. Of all the towns listed in the research spreadsheet, this was one where I knew who to call.

Just a few minutes into our conversation, when I’d just explained the idea briefly —

We would like to make a commercial for Sweetwater that is actually a narrative short film that will tour audiences all over the Southeast, driving new visitors to the city through innovative channels, as well as establish a creative vision for the reality of shooting a feature film right here in town. (tl;dr not at all how I worded it!)

Mainly for feedback because the only folks who’d heard the idea were too close to it. I was surprised to learn that the tourism office’s dream is “to see a Hallmark movie made in Sweetwater.”

We’d found our partners.

Sweetwater murals by Megan Lingerfelt (top right) and Cymone Wilder, painted by Kristin Luna and Scott VanVelaor of DMA Events.

The city helped organize an incredibly supportive community around the Sweetwater rom-com project, including our executive-producing partners Sweetwater Merchants and Property Owners Association, the City of Sweetwater, Monroe County, and Jinks Concrete. Our crew enjoyed local meals from The Lazy Beagle and Bradley’s Pit BBQ with tasty treats from Cup Runneth Over and Sweetwater Creamer. Having a uniformed officer to direct traffic, secure the set, and assist with company moves was invaluable, and support from location owners and locals as extras made for great production experiences.

We built an incredible cast & crew of 17 professionals plus 12 extras. We filmed at seven local locations, including five businesses:

Stephanie gave a superb pitch, and though HTGTG did not place for the top prizes, the film scored three nominations: Best Supporting Actress, Actor, and Ensemble.

• The Lazy Beagle

• Cup Runneth Over Coffeehouse

• Sweetwater Creamery

• Sweetwater Flower Shop

• Sweetwater Antiques

The resulting film was just under seven minutes long, a fast-paced comedy until the emotionally-charged conclusion. On the morning of October 17, with hours to spare, How to Get the Girl went to the Elev8or Pitch committee. It was chosen as one of the top eight Finalists, earning a spot in the live pitch event on Thursday, November 14.

Now comes the exciting part: a/b studios is putting this vision to the test by kicking off Sweetwater’s rom-com campaign in January 2025! I’m drawing from projects like Outdoorsy and St Petian, as well as my travel guide obsession from my blogger era to create a film-affiliated travel guide, ad campaign, and festival tour campaign to support the city’s broader 150th Anniversary yearlong programming. A big shout out to Kim at Visit Knoxville for her advice (and for answering my million questions) along the way!

The social media trend of romanticizing your life inspired romanticizing your travel, and Sweetwater’s monicker of the sweetest street in Tennessee sets the perfect tone for an accessible and romantic day trip.

During the film, two characters have multiple rom-com adventures that visitors can experience with their main street sweetheart, including:

• Walking through the historic downtown with a tasty coffee from Cup Runneth Over

• Exploring local shops, including Sweetwater Antiques

• Picking up a fresh flower arrangement or taking a workshop at the Sweetwater Flower Shop

• Chat over a tasty lunch at The Lazy Beagle

• Enjoy milkshakes and ice cream cones at the Sweetwater Creamery

There’s so much more to Sweetwater than this story, but we hope this little taste is enough to create a craving.

Still from How to Get the Girl — Location: Sweetwater Creamery