Vincent Young has wrapped production in Los Angeles on Small Talk, his directorial debut, a period music drama starring Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), Conor Husting (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia), Rio Mangini (Wolf Pack), Sophia Del Rio (72 Hours) and Austin North (Outer Banks).
Set against the vibrant Los Angeles rock scene of the late 1970s, Small Talk follows a young band on the verge of breaking through. As success begins to arrive, ambition, romance and addiction threaten to unravel the group and the relationships that brought its members together.
The film explores the friendships, loyalties and romances surrounding the band as its rapid rise puts those bonds under increasing pressure.
Young directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with RJ Zabasky, based on a story he developed with Douglas Young. Young also produces alongside Kristifor Cvijetic and Zabasky. Douglas Young serves as executive producer, with Brian Yuran, Evan Sorlien and Chris Kim on board as co-producers.
The supporting cast features Sophie Swiszcz, Shaun Holmes, Ruben Vernier, Doug Locke, Jamison Jones, Ross Gallo, Kavan Reece, Maury Morgan, Liam Martinez and Michael Paré. Dean Fronk and Donald Pemrick handled casting.
Young said the film is ultimately about the lasting impact people have on one another.
“At its core, Small Talk is really about what we leave behind in other people,” he said. “The title came from this idea that so much of life can become noise, such as the things we say, the things we chase, and the way we present ourselves. However, none of that carries the same weight as what we actually do for someone we love.”
Young added that he was drawn to characters who are still discovering that distinction and wanted to place their journey within a vividly realized period setting.
“I wanted to tell that story inside a world that felt completely alive and specific, as though we had stepped into Los Angeles in the late ’70s rather than recreated it from a distance,” he said.
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