Great Small Towns

Running multiple TV series on a shoe-string budget

6/16/2025

Running multiple
TV series on a
shoe-string
budget

WHY?
Why in the world would I go through such a wide expansion over the next few years when it almost killed me, multiple times, over the last eight years, creating not one, but four, independently produced and self-funded TV series with practically no budget to speak of?
Well, the idea has always been to get a few "proof-of-concept" hyper-local series together (warts and all), and then expand them as my time and energy allows, eventually getting as many like-minded people involved as I can.
  So whatever it took... it took. Even at my own great personal expense. You just learn to roll with things and try to bounce back as best as you can.
Hey, it's a very common entrepreneurial story and I certainly wasn't the first to go through hell to get to a point of departure and growth, and I certainly will not be the last.
It's the way it is for most of us out here fighting the good fight on a daily basis for what we believe in. Most of us seem to push ourselves to the point of complete and utter brokenness just to obtain the privilege to have the opportunity to do what we feel we were put here to do.
A purpose-driven-life is never an easy path. And certainly, birthing anything into this world, of any sort, in any capacity, is never an easy thing. Period.

AUTONOMOUS/INDEPENDENT/GRASSROOTS/GUERILLA-STYLE
The simple answer as to how this expansion was designed to work has much more to do with the fact that all of the new markets I am now guiding through their initial stages are economically and creatively self-funded and self-produced with as little involvement from me as possible.
It's that basic. That simple. There's no secret. No magic or magic-bullet. No great philanthropic investor or behind-the-curtain, behind-the-scenes "financier" funding and controlling all of this.
  It will, and for the very foreseeable future, stringently remain a grassroots, small-teamed, independently funded, shoe-string production media company. Think "grassroots/guerilla-style" and you'll be right with us in our ideological mindset.
  I've already been setting up new markets over the last year, well before the website reflected the change or even before there even was a website for this new iteration of my company and show.
Once each new market is completely up on their feet, the idea is that they then, for the most part, become their own autonomously independent team with very little supervision and management on my side. It's an age-old adage. Find the right people and stay out of their way and let them do their thing.

IMPROVEMENTS & WORKING IT OUT
Of course, there are many aspects about these new series that will see a lot of improvement over my previous, one-man-production "starter" series. But that was the point of those seminal shows. Yes, they were rough, but their intent was to merely provide the foundational proof-of-concepts that I needed to grow and expand into other markets and include other people in this business. I was simply working the bugs out as I went and figuring out how to do this.
The most important thing for me through the last 8 years of development with this company wasn't really the overall high-fidelity of the series, but more than anything, it was the actual expansive business model and the day-to-day that I needed to suss out. All while making it sustainable for multiple small teams in other regions, and all, at least, on a very part-time basis. Where there's a will, there's a way. And I simply had to find a way. And ultimately, I did.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE
The entire initial concept here was always to get small groups of production people involved that really want to help make a difference on behalf of small towns and who are also, much more talented and knowledgeable than I am
All that I/we are collectively planning over the next decade will be undertaken and implemented by very small, talented "Swiss-army-knife" crews of less than three people per series, per region. Sometimes, it'll be as small as one person. And that's all we need make this work per series/per market.
In the end, these are, and will be, carefully vetted, deeply flexible, fluidly dynamic, efficiently minded, resourceful folks. A tall order for sure, but they're out there alright. Just waiting for the opportunity to express themselves and get involved with something that truly matters to them. I've already proven that much.
I actually have three of the regions you see on the "Series" home page covered at this point with around a good bakers dozen of creatives. So its working. We're just taking our time and trying to get everything lined-up correctly before any real production begins.
  There's no hurry here.
It's so much more important for me to find the right people than to rush this. Even if it is just one videographer per market to start with and we take it from there. Building slowly as things develop and come into view. This is a twenty-year marathon that I plan to grow in multiple stages. It's not a race. So steady and slow as she goes is our big 'ol mantra around here.

A COLLECTIVE OF INDEPENDENT CREATIVES
  We are all collectively using this new "Great Small Towns" platform as a hub for the independently financed and produced content we create. I, have very little to do with what happens in the other markets other than occasional meetings and consultations and very loose managerial/marketing duties. If I'm needed in any capacity, in any market, for any reason, I will of course, step in where I'm needed. But this entire company was developed from the ground up to run as collectively autonomous and as independent as possible outside of my immediately direct input.
Think of it as a creative-collective of amateur to semi-pro/pro production people who deeply care about spreading the word about small towns and can put in a few hours of hard work a month for a good cause and can even make a little extra money in the process.

NO MAGIC, JUST WORK
And that's how this is done.
There's no magic or deep-pockets anywhere in site. Just a collective belief and shared ideology that results in deeply inspired visions of all that this can ultimately mean for the world at large.
Of course, a second-to-none, never-give-up, never-quit, never-say-die work ethic among everyone involved doesn't hurt either.
It's the way and I, and now we, wouldn't have it any other way. ~A.A.

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Seeking Videographers & Co-Hosts for U.S., Canadian & U.K. Locations

5/27/2025

Seeking
Videographers
& Co-Hosts

Although I'm still single-handedly producing episodes for my local Western, New York market (and will be for the foreseeable future) I've recently had the opportunity to expand my mission to other U.S. markets as well as a few choice countries.
I'm currently seeking a few dozen local, regional and national videographers and co-hosts for TV series in the following locations:

- Louisiana
- New Orleans
- Vermont
- New England
- New York
- California
- Florida
- Canada
- WNY
- U.K.

Please eMail me for details.

Thanks! ~A.A.

The misleading perception of "Small Town USA"

5/14/2025

The
misleading
perception of
"Small Town USA"

The "Small Town USA" that's sold to the world

The hard reality for many U.S. small towns

While my entire existence revolves around discovering and producing promotional media for the "great" small towns across the United States that have retained their wonderful charm and character (and economy), sadly, most small towns in the U.S. today have fallen on some very hard times indeed.
I don't ever want to be part of the modern-media-machine that is selling a lie or false-narrative and glossing over the reality that these places now face.
In this post, I thought I'd take a look at how the fuzzily bucolic perception the world has of "Small Town USA" is now largely, a false one, and what the general "selling points" are that make this idea such an easy, attractive and honestly, lazy one to propagate.

The historical resonance, cultural symbolism, and effective marketing that have contributed to the idea of "Small Town USA" to the enduring global perception of small-town life as a key representation of the American experience is really in stark contrast to the hard and harsh reality that most small towns in America face today.
The challenges that good 'ol "Small Town USA" now has to deal with are diverse and include economic challenges, social issues, and a range of ever-shifting perspectives that may not always align with the idyllic image they portray to the world at large. But still, the seminal, quaint and idyllic "Small Town America" image endures. And thank God (and country) for that.

An older but important speech from one of my heroes, Bill Watterson...

5/7/2025

“THE CHEAPENING
OF THE COMICS”
A Speech by
Bill Watterson
10/27/1989

Originally found on brunothebandit.com

Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin & Hobbes) delivered the following speech at the Festival of Cartoon Art, held at Ohio State University in October 1989. Here he reflects on the Golden Age of comics, attacks the miserable state of modern strips, and suggests ideas on how the situation could be improved.

I received a letter from a 10-year-old this morning. He wrote, “Dear Mr. Watterson, I have been reading Calvin and Hobbes for a long time, and I’d like to know a few things. First, do you like the drawing of Calvin and Hobbes I did at the bottom of the page? Are you married, and do you have any kids? Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” What interested me about this last question was that he didn’t ask if I’d been apprehended or arrested, but if I’d been convicted. Maybe a lot of cartoonists get off on technicalities, I don’t know. It also interests me that he naturally assumed I wasn’t trifling with misdemeanors, but had gone straight to aggravated assaults and car thefts.

The Role Small Towns Play In A Region

5/4/2025

The
Role Small
Towns Play In
A Region

Small towns, often overlooked in favor of bustling urban centers, play a vital and multifaceted role in shaping a region's identity. Their influence extends beyond their physical boundaries, contributing to the unique character, culture, and sense of place that defines a larger area. Here's a breakdown of how they achieve this:

The Role Small Towns Play In Our National Identity & Culture

5/4/2025

The Role Small
Towns Play In
Our National
Identity &
Culture

Small towns are deeply woven into the fabric of America's national identity and culture for several profound reasons:

The Case For Neighborhoods As Small Towns

5/4/2025

The Case For
Neighborhoods
As Small Towns

While city neighborhoods and small towns often feel worlds apart, they share some fundamental similarities when you look beyond the obvious differences in scale and density. Here are some key ways they can be alike:

The Important Role Small Towns Play In A State

5/4/2025

The
Important
Role Small
Towns Play
In A State

Small towns hold fundamental importance for states for a multitude of interconnected reasons:

Why I Chose Covington, Louisiana, for the National Pilot Episode

4/24/2025

Why I Chose
Covington,
Louisiana
for the
Pilot

Here are some reasons why I chose Covington, Louisiana, for the national Pilot episode of "Great Small Towns":

Why are we seeing a resurgence in small town lifestyles?

4/24/2025

Why Are
We Seeing
a Resurgence
in Small-Town
Lifestyles?

While it's difficult to pinpoint a single definitive reason, the resurgence of interest in small-town lifestyles appears to be driven by a confluence of interconnected factors:

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A.A.'s BLOG

Running multiple TV series on a shoe-string budget

Running multiple
TV series on a
shoe-string
budget

Seeking Videographers & Co-Hosts for U.S., Canadian & U.K. Locations

Seeking
Videographers
& Co-Hosts

The misleading perception of "Small Town USA"

The
misleading
perception of
"Small Town USA"

An older but important speech from one of my heroes, Bill Watterson...

“THE CHEAPENING
OF THE COMICS”
A Speech by
Bill Watterson
10/27/1989

The Role Small Towns Play In A Region

The
Role Small
Towns Play In
A Region

The Role Small Towns Play In Our National Identity & Culture

The Role Small
Towns Play In
Our National
Identity &
Culture

The Case For Neighborhoods As Small Towns

The Case For
Neighborhoods
As Small Towns

The Important Role Small Towns Play In A State

The
Important
Role Small
Towns Play
In A State

Why I Chose Covington, Louisiana, for the National Pilot Episode

Why I Chose
Covington,
Louisiana
for the
Pilot

Why are we seeing a resurgence in small town lifestyles?

Why Are
We Seeing
a Resurgence
in Small-Town
Lifestyles?

A.A.'s Blog

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TELEVISION
Broadcast
Partners

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FANS
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SPONSORS
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VIDEOGRAPHERS
& tv SERIES CO-HOSTS
for theSE CITIES & REGIONS

Contact ME
[email protected]

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A.A.'s BLOG

Running multipleTV series on ashoe-stringbudget

SeekingVideographers& Co-Hosts

Themisleadingperception of"Small Town USA"

“THE CHEAPENINGOF THE COMICS”A Speech byBill Watterson10/27/1989

TheRole SmallTowns Play InA Region

The Role SmallTowns Play InOur NationalIdentity &Culture

The Case ForNeighborhoods As Small Towns

TheImportantRole SmallTowns PlayIn A State

Why I ChoseCovington,Louisianafor thePilot

Why AreWe Seeinga Resurgencein Small-TownLifestyles?

A.A.'s Blog

Archive

Category

LOCAL, regional & NationalTELEVISIONBroadcastPartners

whatFANSSay

whatSPONSORSSay

SEEKINGVIDEOGRAPHERS& tv SERIES CO-HOSTSfor theSE CITIES & REGIONS

Contact ME[email protected]

SUBSCRIBE

Running multiple
TV series on a
shoe-string
budget

Seeking
Videographers
& Co-Hosts

The
misleading
perception of
"Small Town USA"

“THE CHEAPENING
OF THE COMICS”
A Speech by
Bill Watterson
10/27/1989

The
Role Small
Towns Play In
A Region

The Role Small
Towns Play In
Our National
Identity &
Culture

The Case For
Neighborhoods
As Small Towns

The
Important
Role Small
Towns Play
In A State

Why I Chose
Covington,
Louisiana
for the
Pilot

Why Are
We Seeing
a Resurgence
in Small-Town
Lifestyles?

LOCAL, regional & National
TELEVISION
Broadcast
Partners

what
FANS
Say

what
SPONSORS
Say

SEEKING
VIDEOGRAPHERS
& tv SERIES CO-HOSTS
for theSE CITIES & REGIONS

Contact ME
[email protected]