Behind the Lens: Directing the Naturally Fountain Hills Docuseries

The air in the back room of the Saddle Bronc was thick with anticipation. As I finished adjusting the lights and checking the audio levels, I was visibly anxious. Like almost everyone in Fountain Hills, I had spent years attending the town's legendary St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. I had watched the fountain turn that brilliant emerald green, and I’d heard the rumors and local myths about Nessie. But sitting there, knowing I was about to get the real story from the very men who created the tradition? It was overwhelming—not gonna lie.

Word of the interview had leaked out and the room was packed to the brim with family members who were absolutely thrilled to see the old gang back together. The moment the cameras started rolling and the beer started flowing, the stories and the laughter were completely unstoppable. As the director, I had to actively push a harsh reality out of my mind: there was no way all of this gold could make it into the final edit.

That unforgettable afternoon was just the first chapter of a massive creative journey. Fountain Hills is barely 50 years old, but we are old enough that the visionary "movers and shakers" who carved this community out of the desert are aging. Some have already passed away. Last year, I realized we were facing a ticking clock: we needed to capture the history of our town in the voices of the people who actually built it, before those true accounts were gone for good.

The spark for the project didn't start in a sterile boardroom. It started over lunch at a local spot with Amanda Jacobs, the Town's Economic Development Director. We had already been collaborating on a few projects, and our meetings usually involved a lot of brainstorming, plenty of laughing, and occasionally suspending reality in search of creative ways to promote Fountain Hills. Because we had built that trusted partnership, I felt completely comfortable pitching a big idea: a documentary-style video series called Naturally Fountain Hills that would preserve aspects of our town's legacy for future generations.

Once the Town gave it an enthusiastic green light, I stepped into the role of creator, on-camera host, and editor to bring three incredible chapters of our history to life.

Now live on the Experience Fountain Hills website, here is the insider scoop on the stories behind the screen.

The original trendsetters. Long before they became local legends, the men of the Shamrock Society already had plenty of swagger—and a wild plan to turn the fountain green.

The Greening of the Fountain

They called themselves the Shamrock Society—a tight-knit group of Fountain Hills businessmen, each with a healthy amount of Irish blood and a shared desire to spice up the town's St. Patrick's Day festivities. And yes, the decades-old rumor is absolutely true: it all started with a high-stakes $250 bet.

While not all the founding members are still with us, the remaining crew was only too happy to share their origin story with the town they love so much. Every single edit in the post-production booth hurt because it meant I was leaving out a hilarious story or a priceless piece of local history.

Ultimately, I gave the families the full, unedited footage to keep as an heirloom, and then carved out three distinct, fast-paced segments for the town:

1. The Fountain Greening History

2. The Shamrock Society

3. The Legend of Nessie

The Insider Tease: Their holiday antics were supposed to include water skiing around the Fountain—a bold move considering the water is effluent and swimming or boating is strictly prohibited. But things didn't exactly go as planned. Watch the Shamrock Society segment closely to learn how a classic fail by Martin Dawson almost "sank" the entire prank before it even got started! 

This happy gourd is just one of the creative offerings visitors find at the Fountain Hills Artists Gallery, an artist-owned fine art gallery located on Avenue of the Fountains.

Art Appreciation: How Fountain Hills Became a Valley Arts Destination

Those of us who love Fountain Hills know: it has always possessed a unique, subtle lure. Its striking natural beauty has long acted as a creative magnet, attracting an eclectic mix of art aficionados, artists, and passionate visionaries who feel drawn here. Many of them spend their lives tastefully embellishing our local landscape as well as capturing aspects of its beauty in artistic works the rest of us gleefully enjoy.

What started as a single interview segment with the community champion behind the public art movement quickly blossomed into a comprehensive 5-part series as I realized just how deep the roots of this artistic community run. The finalized collection includes:

1. Art Collection Pioneers 

2. The Origins of the Public Art Committee and Art Tours 

3. The Fountain Hills Art Gallery

4. The Origins Behind the Chamber’s Fountain Hills Festival of Arts and Crafts

5. Newer Art Displays (proving that even our local utility boxes and community murals are true works of art!)

The Insider Tease: While Jackie Miles has a deep connection to the entire public art collection she and her late husband, Jerry, helped curate, she has a favorite piece—one of the massive, iconic sculptures standing right outside the Community Center. Watch the Art Collection Pioneers segment closely to find out which sculpture it is and discover the deeply personal meaning it holds for her. 

The hearts behind the stage. The dedicated Fountain Hills Theater team pauses for a rare moment together last year. While the theater family deeply misses the presence of Noël Irick (third from the left in the front row), their collective passion continues to keep the magic alive every single night.

40 Years Center Stage: The Fountain Hills Theater

As a massive theater buff, I’ve always considered the Fountain Hills Theater to be the best-kept secret in the entire Valley. Where else can you get top-tier, award-winning regional theater tickets for just $40? Even in their main stage space, the seating configuration is designed so that every single seat in the house has a perfect, bird's-eye view of the action.

Learning the history behind this local treasure was an absolute joy, and it naturally evolved into a moving 3-part series:

1. The History of the Stage

2. The Staying Power of Community Theater

3. A Family Affair

   
   

The Insider Tease: At its core, this institution has survived for over four decades because it operates less like a business and more like a tight-knit family. In the third segment, listen for the beautiful "full-circle moment" shared by Tiana Torrilhon about her family’s three generations of involvement. It’s the perfect microcosm of the massive, extended theater family that encompasses everyone who has ever stepped into the spotlight or worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

What's Next on the Horizon?

When the final edits were polished, approved by the Town, and uploaded to the Experience Fountain Hills platform, it was incredibly rewarding. But I’m hoping the storytelling doesn't stop here.

Because Fountain Hills has an almost endless well of fascinating history, I have officially submitted another proposal to the Town for an additional round of historical videos. There are so many more pioneers to interview, hidden gems to uncover, and local legends to preserve on camera before they are lost to time.

If you have any historical topics you’d like to see documented, please send me an email so I can add them to the list.

Watch the Series:

You can click any of the individual segment links above to dive straight into your favorite stories on the Town's official YouTube channel.

To see how these stories fit into the bigger picture of our community, visit the Experience Fountain Hills Website video gallery. The series is proudly featured as part of a greater, expanding video gallery showcasing everything that makes our town a spectacular place to live, visit, and do business. Head over, grab some popcorn, and start exploring!