Life & Work with Tennessee Martin of Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tennessee Martin.

Hi Tennessee, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a farm kid who split her time between Mississippi and Tennessee, I’ve always been a storyteller. I wrote poetry on napkins and novellas in spiral bound notebooks. I tried to convince my drama teacher to let me write a play for our class to perform, but we didn’t have a theater department and had never produced a play before – so she said no – but I still wrote the script.

I attended Stephens College, a women’s liberal arts school where I discovered filmmaking from a feminist perspective. It forged in me a very strong sense of self that brought me to Los Angeles to use storytelling as a way to reach people and create meaningful change in the world.

I worked as a production assistant for a short stint in unscripted until I found an opening into scripted tv. From there, I worked my way up from Assistant to Development Executive across some of the biggest companies in the business. I’ve built a career around the art of making tv and film, all while writing and producing two short films of my own, Lesbophilia (2024) directed by Michelle West and Hangry (2020) directed by Bola Ogun.

I’m an artist. I’m also an executive. That well rounded perspective gives me a keen advantage during an era when the business concentration requires you to be an expert of many things.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Many of us in the business talk about how “paying your dues” in the industry used to mean working as an assistant for 2-5 years, but the on ramp in the industry has gotten longer, especially for creative and leadership roles. Many people are working twice as long for less pay to reach half the level of success as their predecessors. I worked in the business for a decade before I finally reached executive level. I’m also a writer and producer and having seen the business from different angles – I can say my biggest obstacles have been the same as most creatives – time, money and access.

Most of us with enough free time to be creative don’t have money or access. Most of us with access in the business don’t have enough time or money. And I assume if you have money, you can likely buy access and schedule free time for yourself – but I think that’s a big part of the problem facing the industry. Only the wealthy can afford create in the current economy.

Combine this triangle of elusive resources with the new challenges the industry has been facing during the influence of big tech and the evolution of streaming – massive layoffs, fewer shows ordered, less productions, shorter seasons, fewer returning series, smaller writer’s rooms, lower residuals, etc. It’s a very difficult time in entertainment, but I believe storytelling plays a vital role in the advancement of humanity and television and film will always find an audience who wants to hear these stories.

My hope is that enough of us will come together pooling our best ideas and whatever resources we have to revitalize the industry in a more sustainable way. I recently joined the Hollywood Radio and Television Society Associates board to gather with like minded people who want to do just that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I was born in the Southern Appalachian region, so the cultural impact of my upbringing influences a lot of my work. I believe that we’ve failed to accurately depict a lot of the stories that take place in these regions, often opting for a simpler, more monolithic, stereotypical portrayal. What we fail to recognize is Appalachia spans across 13 different states and is broken up into 5 different subregions – with a vast range of human experiences that when woven together create a beautiful tapestry of stories yet to be told. I want to be known as the executive/writer/producer who gets it right with Appalachia. Who honestly and fairly depicts these stories that have been been overlooked by the entertainment industry for decades.

We often tell stories about queer people who’ve left their homes to find community and acceptance in bigger cities, but there’s a vast rural queer community that rarely gets to see themselves on screen. I’m a lesbian, and came out in the Bible Belt at fifteen years old. All the queer stories I watched growing made me believe I could only be happy if I left home . I think there’s this idea that the two cultures can’t co-exist, but I want to debunk that myth by showing queer joy, love and acceptance in red states. Showcase people who care deeply for their family and neighbors, even if proximity to one another is the thing that most closely binds them.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe there is a direct connection between luck and privilege. Luck is the uncontrollable chance of being chosen or not, while privilege is being included in the process of selection. I was born with a lot of privilege. I’m a cis able-bodied white woman in America who was afforded a decent education. With that as my starting point, I was already accessing the possibility for luck to have an impact – positively or negatively – on my life. I am extremely grateful but also very aware of that reality.

I’ve had many fortunate moments in my life – from the people I’ve met who have helped me along the way (because I had access to them) to the opportunities I’ve been selected for (because I had access to them) and my ability to make a decent living in a tumultuous economy and business (because I had access and support in these areas.)

I’ve also had some major misfortunes, but that’s where I think hard work, thoughtful strategy, and significant preparation come into play. In the words of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton “I am not throwing away my shot.” Because I’ve been so lucky, I refuse to waste the opportunities I have been given.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @TennesseeMartin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tennessee-martin-a4385858/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6236970/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_tennessee%2520m