Luna Park is a historic neighborhood on Charleston’s West Side that was once home to an actual amusement park — roller coasters, a pool, the whole deal. The West Side Neighborhood Association wanted to tell that story properly, and I was brought on to produce a multi-part documentary series along with community outreach materials.
The series ended up as three parts tracing the full arc of the neighborhood — from farmland to amusement park to the residential community it is today. I also produced a standalone piece with John C. Norman, a longtime resident who shared firsthand memories of the park. These interviews are the kind of footage that gets more valuable with time, and I was glad we captured them when we did.
Beyond the video work, I shot aerial footage of the neighborhood, designed street sign toppers, put together a photo contest flyer, and helped develop the Facebook presence. The aerial gimbal footage of the neighborhood walk — houses, foliage, the whole landscape — gave the project a sense of place that the interview footage alone couldn’t provide.
This was one of those projects where the subject matter does the heavy lifting. You just have to show up, listen, and get out of the way.