A Branded Content Shoot at Innisbrook
There’s a certain kind of pace to branded content shoots that only really shows up on location.
This one had it—before we even got to set.
Working alongside the PGA TOUR team on a branded shoot for Knockaround, we spent the day at Innisbrook Island Golf Course capturing stills during a full-scale video production. Four professional golfers, two caddies, and additional talent rotating through multiple looks across two courses.
But the schedule we shot wasn’t the original plan.
Adjusting Before the First Frame
The initial plan was simple—drive in Sunday, shoot Monday, head home that night.
Then a major storm system rolled across the state.
The decision was made to push everything a day, which meant driving over Monday and shooting Tuesday instead. On the way across, it was clear that was the right call—long stretches of heavy rain that would have shut the course down completely.
What I didn’t fully account for was what came behind it.
By the time we stepped onto the course Tuesday morning, the storm had cleared—but it had pulled one of the last cold fronts of the season through with it.
Clear skies. Mid-40s.
Not something you expect for a Florida shoot—but it shaped the pace of the morning.
Same Fundamentals, Different Environment
A lot of the work I take on lives in corporate environments—boardrooms, hospitals, manufacturing floors—where the goal is consistency, clarity, and making people comfortable on camera.
This kind of shoot isn’t that different.
The setting changes, but the fundamentals don’t. You’re still working with talent, managing time, adapting to the environment, and finding moments that feel natural within a structured production.
The difference is pace.
And on this shoot, that pace was built around two distinct approaches.
Working Across a Moving Production
The day was structured around two pieces.
“Look for the K” leaned into more composed setups early, while “A Friendly 9” shifted into a more relaxed, lifestyle feel as we followed groups across the course.
Same location. Same talent. Different energy.
That shift shaped how the stills were captured.
In the morning, while the video team focused on their setups, we used nearby areas of the course to build out additional stills—pulling talent in small groups to capture tighter action, portraits, and product-driven moments. It created space to be more intentional without slowing down the main production.
As the day opened up, that approach changed.
The afternoon moved into a more integrated rhythm—working directly alongside the video team, following live play, and reacting in real time as groups moved hole to hole. Less separation, more awareness, and a constant adjustment to timing, movement, and access.
At the same time, the production itself was moving—shifting locations mid-morning to accommodate a pro-am, then transitioning across the property into the North Course for the afternoon.
Everything was in motion.
And that movement shapes how you shoot.
Tight portrait of Peter Malnati on the green, locked in on the read.
Portrait of talent on the course during a Knockaround lifestyle campaign shoot.
Harry Higgs in warm light, captured tight during a lifestyle campaign shoot.
Final Thought
Shoots like this are a reminder that production doesn’t start when cameras roll.
It starts with decisions—sometimes the day before—about weather, timing, and how to adapt.
Everything comes out of real moments—on the green, between takes, and during live play—where the product stays part of the action. That carries through into how the images are ultimately used, across social and campaign assets.
No shift in style—just a continuation of the same approach.
Different setting. Same approach.
Always great collaborating with the PGA TOUR team and Knockaround—looking forward to more like this.
