Feels Like Florida: Capturing a Weekend in New Smyrna Beach for Visit Florida
When Visit Florida reached out to invite me to be part of their “Feels Like Florida” campaign, I was genuinely honored. This was a statewide initiative, with multiple production companies selected to create films highlighting different Florida destinations. Being trusted to take on New Smyrna Beach—a place rich with surf culture, old-Florida character, and creative energy—felt like a natural fit.
At its core, Feels Like Florida was about more than showcasing a destination. The goal was to capture what it actually feels like to be there—to experience a place through movement, texture, rhythm, and small human moments that make a trip memorable.
Concept: A Weekend Getaway, Told From the Inside
Rather than presenting New Smyrna Beach as a checklist of attractions, we centered the story around a young couple on a weekend getaway. The narrative unfolds organically as they move through the town—surfing, eating, exploring, and creating together.
Across the project, we highlighted:
A relaxed pool scene at the Hampton Inn
Dinner at Third Wave Café
Surfing at Smyrna Dunes Park
A day date exploring the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
A hands-on art experience at Jane’s Art Center
Evening drinks at New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company
Each moment was chosen to show variety without losing cohesion—active, quiet, creative, and communal experiences all living within the same weekend.
A Thread That Tied It All Together
One of the defining creative elements of this project was the use of a vintage Super 8mm film camera. Our talent filmed each other throughout the weekend, capturing fleeting, imperfect moments that felt personal and tactile.
Those scanned film textures were woven into the final edit, creating a connective thread between locations and activities. It added a sense of memory and nostalgia—something tactile and emotional that digital footage alone can’t replicate.
As it turned out, the talent also restores and sells vintage 8mm cameras, at “The Film Wave” making this element not just a stylistic choice, but an authentic extension of who they are. Those are the moments you can’t manufacture—and when they happen, you lean into them.
Production Approach & Collaboration
For this project, I handled creative concept development, logistics, and production services, and brought in Johnny and Emily Birrell to collaborate on concepting, producing, and execution. The result was a fluid, highly collaborative environment where decisions could evolve naturally on set.
Visit Florida provided campaign graphics and visual guidelines, ensuring consistency across all cities represented in the campaign. Our job was to work within that framework while still allowing the story of New Smyrna Beach to feel distinct and grounded.
This project also included a still photography component, split intentionally into two styles:
High-end branded imagery aligned with Visit Florida’s visual standards
A grittier, social-first POV style, designed to feel immediate and personal
That balance allowed the content to live across multiple platforms while maintaining a unified identity.
Deliverables
The final deliverables included:
A hero edit under 90 seconds
Multiple social-specific edits in varying lengths and aspect ratios
A complete still photography set, covering both branded and lifestyle moments
Every deliverable was designed with real-world usage in mind—flexible, adaptable, and platform-appropriate.
Why This Project Matters
This project didn’t happen by accident. Beyond my body of work, it was rooted in long-term professional relationships. My contact at Visit Florida was someone I’d worked with years earlier at a different organization. That trust—earned through consistency, collaboration, and reliability—ultimately led to this opportunity.
It’s a reminder that showing up prepared, being easy to work with, and delivering thoughtful work matters just as much as creative vision. Projects like this are built on relationships that last longer than a single production.
Crew Credits
Michael LeGrand — DP / Executive Producer
Johnny Birrell — Director
Emily Birrell — Assistant Director
Jon Noeth — AC
Kiara Nicolette — Photographer
Hillary Warren — Makeup / Set Design
Visit Florida — Client
