The Barn’s New Short Film YOU DON’T SAY Premieres On Omeleto
Written by A.J. Freeman with story and music by Sam Balzac, and directed by Jeffrey D. Simon.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 20, 2025
The Barn, a Los Angeles-based independent production company specializing in original movie musicals, has released its second short film, You Don’t Say, now streaming on the YouTube platform Omeleto.
The 14-minute film, shot over two days in a bookstore in upstate New York, takes an unconventional approach to the musical form. Performed live on set and blending seven different genres, You Don’t Say explores how intimacy, imperfection, and immediacy can replace the high polish often associated with traditional studio musicals.
Written by A.J. Freeman with story and music by Sam Balzac, and directed by Jeffrey D. Simon, the film stars Freeman and Balzac as two people whose conversation unfolds through song. The project was made by a small team of eight artists working under the banner of The Barn, which was founded by Simon and Matthew Andrews to produce musicals on a human scale.
Prior to its online release, You Don’t Say screened at several festivals, earning Best Comedy honors at three. Its selection by Omeleto — a platform known for curating short films from independent filmmakers — brings the work to a global audience.
The Barn’s founders describe their company as an experiment in rethinking the movie musical for independent production, with a focus on live performance and storytelling over spectacle. Their upcoming projects include Spit Me Out, which recently appeared at Out on Film in Atlanta, and West of Western, a feature-length musical currently in development.
More information is available at thebarn.la.
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