A lot has changed since the last time Mike Maloney helmed the CAPC. People no longer rely so much on Yelp reviews as they do on social media influencers when they search out a good place to eat, for instance. So, when the commission decided to create a video about food and dining in Eureka Springs, Maloney contacted videographer Edward Robison.
“Mike remembered a commercial I did in 2018 and contacted me with the idea for a food video,” Robison told the Independent. “I’m a filmmaker but not a foodie, so I thought it would be fun to work with Jeremy Mason McGraw.”
Photographer McGraw, who invented the Halumin, a piece of equipment perfect for putting food in its best light, agreed, and creative history was made in the ensuing two months of concept and planning. (That fun story is posted at #eurekascene for creative process nerds.)
The challenge was how to draw new visitors to Eureka Springs’ unique world of food and dining. “The majority of people in their thirties and under get their food recommendations from people they follow online… it’s the new Yelp,” McGraw said.
With that in mind, Robison and McGraw cast a social media food influencer in the video; namely, Shantelle Moore aka @skinnithegreat, who posts on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook from her base in Little Rock. The video loosely follows her visit to Eureka Springs while capturing Eureka Springs ambiance that accompanies the dining experience.
“Plus, there’s the musical element with all the entertainment available at restaurants and bars,” McGraw said. “It’s hard to separate a good meal from all that goes with it.”
Robison and McGraw planned at the start to use the ‘80’s synth pop music of the Fossils of Ancient Robots for the video soundtrack because of their solid fan base, but as ideas began to snowball, the logical conclusion was to stage an actual event.
This will be a full-blown street party with a free concert featuring Fossils of Ancient Robots on Thursday, April 11, at Sweet Spring. Filming will begin at twilight, about 7:30 p.m., with a 30-second segment that may take several passes by a special drone Robison built to carry the weight of a low-light camera. “So be prepared to hear the Fossils play the same 30 seconds of music over and over until the take is perfect, then the full show will begin,” McGraw said.
The night’s video shoot will open with Robison’s drone filming on a path through B-Side and into MoJo’s Records on Spring St., where influencer Moore will be shopping, then out through the shop to the concert in Sweet Spring.
The entire shoot will start at sunset and last for 30-40 minutes. Locals are encouraged to check out @skinnithegreat on Instagram and click on #eurekascene for ongoing progress and information. All are invited to bring cell phones and cameras and post the fun on #eurekascene.
“We’re working like crazy to capture the energy and vibe of Eureka Springs in tandem with all the food options,” McGraw said. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to make their own video and post it. We want all the ‘scenes’ represented… food scene, art scene, music scene and more… on the clickable tag #eurekascene.”
Spring Street will be closed between Pine and Howell Sts. the evening of April 11, so plan accordingly.