The Traveler
On a journey to reach her father in Arizona, Casey Jones' car breaks down en route. After deciding to walk the rest of the way until reaching a bus station, Shay Michaels offers her a ride to the nearest motel. After discovering that the motel is booked for the weekend Shay offers for Casey to stay at her place. Casey is then introduced to Logan Fuller, Shay's toxic boyfriend. With a delay in Casey's travel plans, Shay and Casey soon realize that they are more similar than initially anticipated. On her third day in town, Casey is finally able to continue her journey to Arizona, leaving Shay behind.
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Mya-Breyana MortonDirector
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Mya-Breyana MortonWriter
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Mya-Breyana MortonProducer
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Tashina SouthardProducer
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Paige BlackcloudKey Cast"Casey Jones"
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Sofia RibaKey Cast"Shay Michaels"
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Griffin Mark CombsKey Cast"Logan Fuller"
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:drama, lgbt, mental health
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Runtime:17 minutes 3 seconds
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Completion Date:May 5, 2021
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Production Budget:3,500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:2:35:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Mya-Breyana Morton is a Director, Cinematographer, and Producer based in Atlanta, Ga. She holds an M.F.A. in Film & Television Production from Savannah College of Art and Design and a B.I.S. in Sports Administration from Georgia State University. At age 19 she was the youngest student to graduate from Georgia State's Sports Administration program and at age 22, one of the youngest to graduate from SCAD's Film & Television Master's program. She was recently the cinematographer and co-producer for a short horror film entitled, "Auntie", which is currently streaming on social media platforms. "Auntie" was a viral hit and has since gained over 800,000 views. Her main goal within her career is to travel the world making films that resonate with people in new and exciting ways. Her approach in doing so is by educating herself on the craft of filmmaking and storytelling and simple trial and error.
My overall goal with this film is normalization and emotional growth. In this story, the audience watches the emotional journey that Casey Jones goes through while trying to get to Arizona. On this journey, she encounters Shay Michaels and the bond grows shortly after. Casey and Shay soon learn that they are more similar than anticipated and the sexual tension arises between them. Although Shay has a boyfriend in the film, the project is not about discovering one's sexuality and slowly coming out of the closet. This film is intended to normalize sexual fluidity and to break the cycle of toxic lifestyles. For this film, in particular, those toxic lifestyles come into play with Shay's relationship with Logan and Casey's dying relationship with her mother.
This is an idea that most individuals can relate to. Although I did not experience the exact scenarios that Casey and Shay are going through, I have had first-hand experience dealing with toxic family members and romantic partners. The main thing that drives the stories I gravitate towards and stories I tend to write is the normalization of different aspects of life. Growing up outside of America truly allowed me to understand different cultures and personalities. With this understanding, a sense of inclusion and diversity opened my mind to the various ideologies around the world. At a very young age, I was able to understand the complexities of being true to who you are, while also educating and respecting those same values in others.
My mission within this film is simple, to subtly normalize gay culture and promote emotional growth. The only way this is done is for the cinema to share everyday stories. The main takeaway the audience should have after seeing this film is that we all share similar experiences, regardless of culture, religion, or sexuality. We live in a society where there is an abundance of information that is available at any given moment. Yet, there are millions of people struggling alone on a daily basis with emotional stability and sexuality. It is our job as filmmakers to be that voice for individuals that are otherwise left unheard and isolated within society.