Our Directors’ Thoughts

BRIAN’S STATEMENT

Stepping Into the Shade is a dynamic story full of interesting information and amazing people.  It is a creative pleasure to discover the depth of the story of Connecticut tobacco and to take that information and create entertaining and engaging scenes that will hopefully connect to audiences in a personal fashion.  We have all seen the tobacco sheds in some form or other.  I grew up in central Pennsylvania and remember seeing tobacco sheds in the valleys.  Learning about the history of tobacco farming in Connecticut and how the labor used to cultivate this crop ultimately changed culture and impacted Civil Rights has been an incredible journey of discovery.

The style and form of our documentary is unique and entertaining.  We are utilizing a host who is on a journey of discovery and we learn about the depth of tobacco farming in Connecticut through his journey.  Furthermore, our host has a personal connection to the story as he both worked picking tobacco as a youth in Connecticut and he is part of the Jamaican community who had a strong tie to tobacco farming in the region.

Our project requires multiple episodes because there is so much unique information in the story of Connecticut Tobacco Farming.  We are sure that audiences will be entertained and enlightened.