Robbinsville – A two-time, regional Emmy Award-winning video documentarian will be producing four short-form video documentary packages to promote Graham County tourism.
The Graham County Travel & Tourism Board of Directors agreed to take $33,500 from its reserve fund to pay for the packages.
Brooks Bennett is a two-time Midsouth Regional Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, known for story-driven and visually-rich documentaries that promote travel and tourism across North Carolina. One example of his work includes a short video documentaries for PBS about Billy Welch of Hunting Boy Wood Carving, video.pbsnc.org/video/hunting-boy-wood-carving-wrwgde/.
“Hunting Boy Wood Carving” was selected for a 30-minute documentary in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
Chelsea and Hunter Turner of Little River Creative, a Tennessee-based firm that handles marketing and social media management for Graham County Tourism, presented the concept to the tourism board at its Feb. 10 meeting.
The $33,500 contract will result in four packages, each containing a video of 3-4 minutes, a 30-second video, and two 15-second spots to be used in social media and marketing.
It’s a steal compared to other packages the board has considered, such as one pitched by Our State Magazine at $12,800 for a single video that the magazine would then control.
The concepts for the videos include triathletes training in Graham County, mountain biking on the Tsali Trail, the Sports Car Club of America Hill Climb and whitewater rafting on the Cheoah River — things that will “grab their attention,” said Chelsea Hunter.
“Graham County is a gold mine of stories that have to be told,” she said.
Many board members found the initial pitch represented a little too much high adventure for it to resonate with the more sedate demands of family camping, hiking, pontoon boating, and leisurely fishing that are popular in Graham County.
“I’m thinking more in terms of what families can participate in,” said board member Rick Davis, who owns Tallulah House. “I would like to see more family activities before I vote for it.”
Graham County Travel & Tourism Director Daniel Allison said he is working with the director to find the right mix between high adventure and family activities, and said the blending will result in a “better, stronger program.”
He met with Bennett and the Turners on Friday morning to work out details.
“We thought of some ways to accomplish both,” he said.
Bennett’s bio
Bennett has worked as a producer, director of photography, drone pilot, editor and colorist for many award-winning PBS documentary series, including PBS Terra, Overview, MUSE, North Carolina Weekend, MyHome NC, Sci-NC, The Key Ingredient, Bookwatch NC and PBS Kids.
He has over a decade of experience in film industry and has shot for Men’s Health Magazine, Live Nation Entertainment, the N.C. Department of Natural Cultural Resources, the N.C. Office of the Governor, City of Wilmington, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, Duke Health, UNC Health, Z Smith Reynolds Foundation, Lulu Press, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, Summit Design, and Westgate Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram among others.
His documentary work has been featured in film festivals across the country and has garnered 12 Emmy nominations in eight categories, including News, Arts/Culture, Lifestyle and Photography.
In 2020, Bennett received a Midsouth Regional Emmy for “The Foundation Skatepark” interstitial he shot and co-produced. In 2021, he received the Magazine Segment Midsouth Regional Emmy for his videography/drone work on “The Trip,” a MyHome NC documentary short.
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film Studies/Philosophy from N.C. State University and specializes in short-form, adventure-oriented storytelling and has a demonstrated history of success working across multiple platforms including broadcast media.
In 2021, Bennett began work on a documentary about the Snowbird Cherokees of Graham County and said he “discovered a treasure trove of stories just waiting to be told.”
He has since produced five profiles for PBS showcasing a variety of unique attractions in the Robbinsville area.
He lives in Raleigh.
The Midsouth Regional Emmys encompass the states of North Carolina (except Asheville) and Tennessee, plus northern Alabama, from July 1 to June 30, with winners announced in Nashville, Tenn.
Bennett has five nominations coming up this month for awards.