Fuquay-Varina Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources | New Beginnings

The Town of Fuquay-Varina’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department’s offerings are truly diverse, but they discovered through community surveys that some people in the town didn’t know what was available to them or how to access it- that’s where we came in.

They knew they wanted to showcase both their wide range of program offerings and how valuable their work is to a strong, connected, and growing community. This translated into 3 awareness videos, which were released throughout the month of July (National Park & Recreation Month): “New Beginnings”, “Connections”, and “Community Testimonial”.

The National Recreation & Park Association releases a theme every year to encourage departments across the country with their communication efforts. This year’s theme was “Where Community Grows” which became a catalyst in developing the creative direction.

“New Beginnings” used a storytelling approach to show the potential for connections that these programs provide. In this narrative, a family has recently moved into Fuquay-Varina and is busy unpacking their belongings and preparing for the arrival of a baby girl, but their son seems lonely and is having trouble adjusting to the move.

For this deliverable, we wanted to create a world that was true to the Fuquay-Varina experience, but with a deeper emotional pull. This effect was achieved through the use of an ARRI AMIRA camera, ZEISS SUPER SPEED MKIII lenses, lighting, cinematic haze, and even a special filter that gave the image a golden anamorphic style flare whenever light hit the lens.

Our wardrobe and set decoration choices stayed within a color palette of greens, blues, creams, and purples- natural, calming, and very on-brand for Fuquay-Varina.

But even more important than the gear and the logistics, are the skilled people we get to work with everyday who make the experience memorable from beginning to end.

While ‘New Beginnings’ is a meaningful narrative, the other two videos in the series took a different creative approach.

Both “Connections” and “Community Testimonial” offer a candid, authentic feel with their real world stories and visuals.

For “Connections” the first step was to identify which programs to highlight in order to best represent the services offered for every age group.

From there it was just a matter of filming those activities- from a heated game of pickleball at the South Park gymnasium to residents dancing the night away at a Follow Me to Fuquay-Varina concert in Centennial Square.

‍For “Community Testimonial”- people with varying connections to the PRCR department provided their unique perspectives on what the department has meant to their own lives as well as their families. Their real experiences dictated what kind of footage we needed to gather for b-roll.

Both “Connections: and “Community Testimonial” have a positive, energetic, and real look and feel- complete with natural lighting, intimate camera work, and actual residents of Fuquay-Varina for an added touch of authenticity. It was pivotal to show and tell the honest experiences of the community itself.

All in all- each of the 3 videos served as a reminder that the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources department of Fuquay-Varina helps people feel connected and involved in something bigger than themselves. They do more than maintain beautiful spaces and facilitate interactive programs- they do irreplaceable work to help our community grow.

Production Credits:

Connections

Executive Producer | Mike Cole
Production Coordinator & Project Manager | Katie Bowes, Hannah Kennedy, & Madison Boone
Creative Director | Adam Hofmann
Director of Photography | Derek DeStefano
Post Production Editor & Colorist | Jason Bullock
Music & Scoring | Jason Bullock

Community Testimonial

New Beginnings

“Dad” | Eric Lake (A-List Models & Talent)
“Mom” | Bea Noguera (Devise Talent Agency)
“Son” | Jeremiah Henderson

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