About the Project:
When I was invited to create a tourism development film for Lake Santeetlah, it didn’t feel like just another project; it felt like an inevitable evolution in my career. A kind of acknowledgement that the kind of work I’ve been quietly moving toward for years has a place, and that small towns with big hearts deserve to be seen with care, and that I can help focus a lens on those places.
Lake Santeetlah sits tucked deep within the Nantahala National Forest, a place where the air feels softer and time moves a little more slowly. It’s the kind of town you could easily pass by if you weren’t paying attention, and precisely the kind of place Atlas Mythos exists to serve.
From the beginning, I knew this film couldn’t be about spectacle. It needed to be about feeling. About what it’s like to arrive here after a long drive, to breathe, to notice the light on the water, to understand why people fall in love with this place and keep coming back. It truly is a hidden gem.
I approached the project the way I approach all storytelling work: by listening first, mainly to the client, the Mayor, and the Tourism Development Authority their goals helped to define what was shown on screen. Then I did some more listening. I listened to the rhythm of the town, the cadence of the landscape, the unspoken details that give a place its soul. My role was to translate what I heard, saw and felt, into a day in the life at the lake, with the idea that the film could invite others in without changing what makes Lake Santeetlah special.
I worked with a freelance drone photographer out of Ashville who did the principal photography, while I in turn produced, directed, and edited the film myself, shaping it with the same intention I bring to all Atlas Mythos work. Every shot was chosen to reflect the enviroment, and what makes a place special. Not to sell, but to invite. This wasn’t about creating a promotional video, it was about creating a moment of recognition for the town itself.
What excites me most about this project is not just the film, but what it represents. This is the kind of work I want to do more of: collaborating with small towns, independent businesses, and atourism boards to help them tell their stories on their own terms. To help them find the people who will truly appreciate what they offer, their kindred spirits.
Lake Santeetlah is a rare place. The kind you almost want to keep secret, and yet feel compelled to share once you’ve experienced it. If you’re looking for a peaceful escape within a two- to three-hour drive of Atlanta, Asheville, or Knoxville, I hope you’ll consider visiting. It’s a place that stays with you.
This project feels like the beginning of something meaningful, for Atlas Mythos, and for the kind of storytelling I believe in. I’m grateful to have been trusted with this story, and I’m excited to continue walking this path with places that are ready to be seen for who they truly are. That’s why Lake Santeetlah is the first place in the Atlas of Atlas Mythos, but certainly not the last, and why the flagship chocolate flavor is the Nantahala Forest flavor, the home of Lake Santeetlah and Atlas Mythos.
One of the things I’m most intentional about in my work with Atlas Mythos is making sure a story doesn’t stop at a single piece of content. When I created the tourism development film for Lake Santeetlah, the longer cinematic piece was always meant to be the anchor, the emotional foundation, and the flagship media the town can use on its website and social channels. But in today’s world, places don’t just live on websites. They live on phones, in feeds, in the small moments when someone pauses mid-scroll and thinks, I want to be there.
That’s where Stay & Play came in.
This short-form reel was intentionally included as part of the production package and edited and designed specifically for social media. While the main film below invites viewers into the feeling of Lake Santeetlah, Stay & Play is edited to appeal to a more energetic audience who would likely find the video via scrolling social media. The alternative edit explores the feeling of what it’s like to spend time there, to linger, and to adventure, to imagine a visit unfolding tailored for that specific audience.
I approach these companion edits as extensions of the same story, not afterthoughts. While Stay & Play is cut with a different rhythm, a tighter pacing, and a clearer sense of adventure, this is intentional, created to meet people where they are and gently pull them closer, and excite them about the possibility of visiting.
Including social-ready edits alongside the main film is a core part of how I work. It ensures that the story a place invests in can actually travel, reaching new audiences, supporting tourism goals, and staying relevant across platforms without losing its soul. Think of the social edits as a natural extension of the flagship film.
For Lake Santeetlah, Stay & Play highlights the simple pleasures that make the town so special: the water sports, the wild natural beauty, and the sense of adventure that takes over when you when you give yourself permission to go all out. It’s not about packing an itinerary: it’s about making space for experience at your own pace.
This layered approach to storytelling is at the heart of Atlas Mythos. One place. One story. Told thoughtfully across formats, so it can be felt, shared, and remembered, and grown with intention.
If you’re curious how this kind of work could support your town or destination, this reel is a perfect example of what it looks like when story, strategy, and care come together.
Real Places. Legendary Stories. Real Legendary.
