Memphis has a way of encouraging creative people to try things. Sometimes that means starting a new project. Sometimes it means finishing one that’s been sitting on the shelf for a while. And sometimes it means accidentally building a father-son filmmaking partnership.
Lately I’ve been working across a mix of documentary and narrative projects here in Memphis, along with a few other storytelling experiments that keep life interesting.
One of my newest narrative shorts is How Deep Is Your Love, a small conversation-driven film about a couple on a date where one person pushes a little too hard for “deeper” conversation. It’s awkward, a little funny, and probably recognizable to anyone who’s ever sat across from someone determined to turn small talk into philosophy.
The film was especially meaningful to make because I shot it alongside my son, Mason Fox Barton, as part of teaching him the basics of filmmaking. Lighting, camera setups, working with actors, and all the little moving pieces that go into making a scene come together. It’s been a really special experience learning and creating together.
Another short I’ve been finishing up is Follower, which was originally created for the Neptune 53 Hour Film Competition. It’s a crime-dramedy about a private investigator who ends up stalking the person he was hired to help. Competition films always come together quickly and creatively, and after the event I went back in and polished it up a bit to prepare it for release.
Both How Deep Is Your Love and Follower are available to watch on my YouTube channel. Honestly, one of the best ways to support a local filmmaker is simply to watch their work. Every view helps more people discover it.
Outside of narrative filmmaking, a lot of my time lately has been spent working on documentary projects with The Library Channel. Two of the shows we’ve been producing are Memphis Makers and Second Editions Presents, both of which highlight creative and community voices around the city.
Memphis Makers focuses on nonprofits and organizations doing meaningful work in Memphis. So far we’ve featured groups like Memphis Music Initiative and Memphis Union Mission, and an upcoming episode will spotlight the Community Legal Center, which provides legal assistance to people who might otherwise have difficulty accessing it.
Second Editions Presents is a tiny-desk-style music series filmed inside the used bookstore at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. It’s been a great way to showcase local and touring musicians in an intimate setting. So far we’ve had performances from Hope Clayburn and Soul Scrimmage, Louise Page, Frank McLallen, and Heels, with upcoming artists including Jeff Hulett, Singa B, North Mississippi Allstars, and several others on the way.
And because storytelling doesn’t always have to involve cameras, I’ve also been part of a livestreamed tabletop role-playing series twice a month with Shawn Roy, Lauren Roy, Stephen Teague, Jordan Alexander, and myself. The game we play is called Pirate Borg, which is basically a wild mix of improv storytelling and chaotic pirate adventure set on zombie-infested Caribbean islands.
The situations you find yourself in during the game range from galavanting around all night and partying so hard you wake up the next morning missing a leg… to befriending a walking skeleton named Giuseppi and seriously considering stuffing him full of explosives so he can be used as a human bomb to take out a giant nest of rats. It’s a ridiculous, unpredictable game, and watching the story unfold in real time is half the fun.
In a weird way, it isn’t that different from filmmaking. Both involve a group of people building a story together, reacting to each other’s ideas, and seeing where the narrative goes. It’s available on my page (search Chad Allen Barton on YouTube). We call ourselves the Bilge Brats.
Memphis has always been a great place to experiment creatively. Whether it’s documentaries about local organizations, short films made with friends and family, or a roleplaying pirate adventure, there’s something about the city that encourages collaboration and storytelling. And if things go well, you end up with a few good stories along the way.
Stay tuned for more announcements on Library Channel shows and for my own personal projects. I have a horror short I’ll be filming later this month with my son working as the cinematographer (the person who actually films it). Follow me on all the normal social medias to keep up with that journey, if’n ya would like!
This blog was written by Chad Allen Barton
Chad Allen Barton is a Memphis filmmaker whose work spans documentaries, narrative films, and collaborative creative projects. He’s particularly interested in storytelling that connects people and communities.
