Indie Spotlight: ‘Tinsel’s Town’ Digs Into Hollywood

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now. Read previous installments here.

The seedy side of Hollywood fame is no secret, but Tinsel’s Town approaches that subject with a unique take. The new web series from creator David C. Barry follows a failing actress who seeks attention through a YouTube vlog.

The protagonist of Tinsel’s Town is Tinsel, portrayed by Aimee-Lynn Chadwick, a bubbly young performer with big dreams. Individual episodes of the series are staged like YouTube vlogs, but as the series goes along, the darker side of Tinsel’s personality, as well as the nakedness of her pursuit of fame, come into greater focus. All the while, Chadwick plays her role with such confidence that it would be easy to mistake Tinsel’s Town as an actual vlog rather than a parody of one.

Tinsel’s Town, however, isn’t just out to skewer YouTube culture; it is interested in examining the idol worship inherent in our culture. The show’s director, Michael Lindsey-Hogg, got his start directing music videos for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. As a result, he is acutely aware of the consequence that come with fame.

According to Barry, future episodes of Tinsel’s Town will begin to turn dark. Tune into the show’s YouTube channel to see how things develop.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Thirds. College roommates prepare for life after graduation.
• Pot Luck. Lesbian friends in New Zealand discuss love at weekly potluck dinners.
• Full Movie Here. A feminist filmmaker provides her versions of well-known movies (which she may not have seen).

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.