By SHANE MARLER

Peabody Main Street Interim Director

It is not every day you get to see the real Hollywood machine in action. However, IMG Pictures recently visited Peabody to shoot film footage for an upcoming documentary, “Small Town, USA.”

The documentary, to be released nationwide, will study the urbanization of rural communities in the Midwest and its effect on economic development. The film asks the question, “How will the small town way of life survive in America?”

Wynn Ponder, writer and producer of IMG Pictures, paid a visit to Peabody to witness the July Fourth celebration. Ponder was so enamored by the experience he decided Peabody was the perfect setting to showcase small town America at its best.

He contacted the Peabody Main Street office to request help recruiting some “local folks” for the film company to shoot during another trip to Peabody. Preston and Lisa Hodges and children, Tom and Tina Spencer and children, and Chris and Jennifer Young and children agreed to be the stars of the show. Gary Jones was recruited as well.

Online research into IMG Pictures reveals the company is the real deal! Their list of credits is impressive including work on Spiderman 3, Transformers, Godzilla, Blown Away, and many more. Being featured in the company’s first documentary production will be a feather in the community’s cap.

Filming took place on a typical Kansas summer Sunday. It was hot and humid and took about three hours with lots of “do-overs.”

The shots taken downtown are for promotional posters, ads, and even the home page of their website, www.smalltownusablog.com. In the actual documentary Peabody Main Street and the families filmed will provide the backdrop for the film’s premise.

After shooting at multiple locations in town, IMG packed their gear and left with a large selection of footage to use for the film. Currently in pre-production, the film will be yet another vehicle for putting Peabody on the map!