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Readers' Choice
The Brainstorm
The Brainstorm
When the three people of the Piedmont Media design team first sat down to brainstorm video ideas for the Readers’ Choice Awards at the local coffee shop, we stared at our coffees, tea, various sweets and a blank sketchbooks. After an hour, we had a few scattered ideas, but nothing that sparked any real excitement.
The creativity showed up later, once we stepped away from our work. Funny moments, everyday observations, and casual conversations started turning into seeds for something bigger.
The Creative Process
The Creative Process
Over the next few weeks, I helped shape and stage several of those ideas. Some came from quick comments in the office, some from things we noticed while working, and some from pure spur-of-the-moment inspiration.
We shot everything ourselves using phones, cameras, and a healthy amount of humor. I collaborated with teammates to bring their ideas to life and jumped in wherever needed, whether that meant filming, directing a moment, or helping refine the timing.
The Vision
We wanted the videos to feel fun, offbeat, and proudly homemade. Something that reflected the creative spirit of a small newsroom team working together, finding joy in the process, and making something memorable without a production budget.
The Outcome
The Outcome
What you see here are the videos I directly contributed to. Some are mine from concept and filming, and others are pieces where I handled editing and final execution.
Together, they show the inventive, collaborative energy behind the Readers’ Choice Awards and how much a small team can create when everyone brings their personality to the table.
The Videos
The Videos
Best Hair Salon
Best Hair Salon
It all started at dinner with my daughter and her friend who spent the entire meal pushing his long bangs out of his face. By the time we left the restaurant, I already had a video idea. I filmed a quick clip of him doing exactly what he’d done all night: me calling his name, him swiping his bangs back. It ended up being the perfect spark for our “Best Hair Salon” promo.
I edited the footage into a short, playful video that hinted at the importance of a good haircut. No narration, no fancy graphics, just a funny, relatable moment that everyone seemed to get.
The clip was raw, but the timing, cropping, and pacing gave it a polished feel. It was the first video we created for that year’s Readers’ Choice campaign, and it’s still one of my favorites.
In a twist of fate, the star of the video (and his bangs) joined the military several months after the video. His beautiful bangs? Replaced by a buzz cut. Guess he finally found his style.
Best Coffeehouse
Best Coffeehouse
This video started the way most of my mornings do: with a cup of coffee and my dog, Maggy, plotting how to steal it.
She’s obsessed. If I walk away from my mug for even a second, she’s there - nose in, sipping like she’s earned it. So for the “Best Coffeehouse” video in our Readers’ Choice series, I decided to let her lean into the role.
With help from a coworker, we set up a camera, poured a fresh cup, and waited. Right on cue, Maggy jumped down, trotted over, and helped herself. No script, no narration, just a real-life moment that turned out to be the perfect promo.
It was short, simple, and got people’s attention because who doesn’t love a coffee-thieving dog with good taste?
Best Burger
Best Burger
This one wasn’t planned. After a long hike through some tough trails, we decided to swing by the McDonald’s drive-thru. Maggy had been such a trooper, we figured she earned a cheeseburger. Her very first one.
At first, she didn’t know what to do. The burger was almost as big as her head. Then my daughter had the idea to turn the moment into our “Best Burger” video for Readers’ Choice. She grabbed her phone and started filming.
Once Maggy realized the burger was hers - and no one was going to stop her - she went all in. We edited the video into a short promo focused entirely on her devouring that burger, with the perfect ending: my daughter’s friend chiming in from off camera, “Dang, hungry.”
Best Urgent Care
Best Urgent Care
This one came from our team’s resident skateboarder, who had the idea to stage a fall at the local skate park. She roped in a friend to attempt a trick, wipe out on purpose, and act like he was really hurt - all in the name of promoting our “Best Urgent Care” winner for Readers’ Choice.
She filmed it on a phone, totally low-budget, just hoping it would work. What none of us expected was the moment that made the whole thing: a second friend off-camera saw the fall and burst out laughing - their perfect, totally real, hardy laugh made the video.
No retakes, no fancy editing. Just great timing, a little fake drama, and a laugh that pulled it all together. It ended up being one of the most talked-about videos in the whole series. Staff and friends kept replaying it, and it stood out for being exactly what it was: simple, ridiculous, and completely human.
PSA: No skateboarders were harmed in the making of this video.
“In memory of Fluffy, our original grooming queen”
Best Pet Groomer
Best Pet Groomer
This video was created for the “Best Pet Groomer” category, but in truth, it was for Fluffy. She was our fifteen-year-old cat who adored being brushed. She would sit perfectly still with her eyes half closed, completely content, and her purr was so loud you heard it before you saw her. It was a deep, steady hum that made the whole room feel softer.
I never had to stage anything. One day, my daughter visited Fluffy in the walk-in closet that Fluffy had claimed as her kingdom. She sat on the floor and started brushing her, and the purring filled the space. I simply hit record.
It became one of the quietest videos in the series and also one of the most meaningful. Fluffy crossed the rainbow bridge a few months later, and this clip is something I truly treasure. It reminds me that some of the most powerful stories are not the loud or dramatic ones. They are the ones you can still feel in the quiet.
Who’s YOUR Favorite?
Who’s YOUR Favorite?
As our Readers’ Choice campaign gained momentum, we wanted to mix things up. Most of our videos were story-driven and character-based, so we decided to drop in something short, punchy, and built purely to grab attention and drive people to the voting page.
We pulled quick flashes from earlier videos: familiar faces, pets, and funny moments, and wove them into an 18-second highlight reel. A bold “VOTE NOW” call to action anchored the piece, along with bold text that asked, “Who’s YOUR Favorite?” followed by a rapid-fire list of award categories. The upbeat music track gave it a fast, high-energy rhythm and added a sense of urgency to vote.
It stood out in the feed and gave the campaign a fun jolt of energy. More than anything, it was a reminder to stop scrolling and start voting. And it worked.
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