Pretty Babies: Filmed in Oklahoma, Built for Big Conversations

In our 14th episode of Behind the Scenes, Oklahoma, we sit down with LA based writer-director Tyler Marie Evans to unpack her fearless debut feature, Pretty Babies—filmed right here in Oklahoma. Moving “beyond the gaze,” Tyler digs into why this story had to be her first: a frank, unflinching look at how we portray women, sex, power, and ambition and how the machinery of Hollywood shapes (and distorts) those narratives. We talk craft, casting, and agency, with on-set insights about working with Ashley Benson, Emily Alyn Lind, Madelaine Petsch, Sadie Stanley, and breakout Elias Kacavas. We also get real about complicity vs. critique, the difference between depiction and endorsement, and what it means to let women tell their own stories, on their own terms. If you care about independent film, representation, or simply love seeing Oklahoma on screen, this conversation is for you.