We recently connected with Marilyn Swick and have shared our conversation below.

Marilyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Ocean Child, which I co-wrote with Laura Koons. The storyline follows a young girl’s journey towards her destiny as a mermaid and attending the underwater School of Mermaidology & Neptunism in spite of her mother’s fears of losing her forever as a mermaid. The screenplay has been winning laurels in the film festival circuit for several years and we just wrapped on production last month in Plymouth, MA and Oahu, HI. The film also features 8 mermaids from ages 6 and up that traveled from Hawaii, Texas, Virginia, and throughout New England.

We believe it is the perfect time for a mystical mermaid story that spans generations and is inclusive across genders, ethnicities, abilities, and ages that feels heartfelt and full of endless wonder that the viewer wants to learn more about.

Our original concept was filmed 5 years ago as a proof of concept and that storyline expanded into Ocean Child which is written as a limited series. We also recorded original songs for the music video to accompany this series.

As female filmmakers it was also important to us to hire a female crew and work towards changing the narrative on the percentages of female crew hired on productions.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My passion for acting began in Columbus, Ohio as a teenager as the rest is history. Today, I am a proud SAG-AFTRA actor and an award-winning producer, director, and screenwriter. I share my time between Boston, Burbank, & NYC.

I earned my BA from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and attended the New York Film Academy. I continue to work on my acting craft with a variety of group and private coaching classes.

I am a long-standing member of Women In Film & Television LA and NE and volunteer on a variety of SAG-AFTRA local committees, I also serve on the Board of Female Songwriters Hall of Fame and served as their Awards Hostess in 2022 in Washington, DC.

I enjoy working with other student and indie filmmakers both in front of and behind the camera to support indie filmmakers to share their stories.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Taking a story from script to screen to winning in film festivals is very rewarding. In addition, I value helping other filmmakers follow their journey and achieving their dreams. It is not always easy and the long hours and the rejections are challenging, but I am dedicated to this industry and to helping others along the way. I am currently in pre-production on three projects for 2023: a supernatural thriller, an adventure feature, and a limited series called “Sleep On It”.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I think that sharing great stories, engaging photos, with friends and industry contacts is the best approach. Do not be self-serving but share the content in a positive manner that would interest others.

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.me/marilynswick
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilynswick/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.swick.3/

Image Credits
Dina K Photography
Marilyn Swick