"Towed"

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Director’s Statement

September 26, 2015 by grant

Grant Janes
(director/co-writer/editor)
I’ve always loved stories about people being stuck. Whenever we find ourselves stuck physically or emotionally, it’s often because of poor decisions we’ve made in our lives: decisions involving money, significant others, careers, kids and everything in between. It’s these moments that often act as emotional fulcrums in our lives – when we’re finally forced to confront the choices we’ve made that have landed us where we are.

Liza, in “Towed,” is at such a crossroads. At the beginning of the film she feels as though the world owes her something. Recovering from a recent breakup and finding herself parked in a tow-zone and out of gas, she reacts indignantly when the Tow Truck Driver attempts to take her car. It’s this same attitude that landed her in a run-down part of L.A. with no money, no gas, and seemingly no way forward.

As the story progresses, Liza realizes the Tow Truck Driver is simply doing his job and that the rest of the world cares little for her personal problems. It’s only after accepting that she needs to give up her old way of thinking – as symbolized by her stalled car – that she can allow for real change in her life, as well as a very surprising resolution to her problems.

Writing and filming “Towed” was tricky. The chemistry between the two leads – between Liza and the Tow Truck Driver – had to be palpable. And yet the Tow Truck Driver had to be, at least initially, perceived as a real threat: “Jaws” circling the boat.

Also, the on-screen action had to be literal and engaging – while the themes of change and self-awareness had to stay “under the hood” (to run with the metaphor of the stalled car). No one wants to watch a sermon on “emotional growth.”

I hope I succeeded in walking this fine line. While we faced numerous challenges (time, budget, etc.), I knew if I always hewed closely to the core of the story – the relationship between the two leads and how their interaction re-directs both of their lives – I would have a short film that an audience would thrill to.

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