There’s something satisfying about telling the story of a product that genuinely improves a community space.

This fall, I had the opportunity to produce, film, and edit a new product video for Great Lakes Lift, showcasing their modular gangway system — newly installed at the kayak launch in Fenton, Michigan’s Mill Pond. The Waters Edge team completed the installation just before the season wrapped up, upgrading a heavily used access point that truly needed it.

Deadlines were tight. The weather window was closing. And we had a large-scale product that definitely doesn’t fit into a “Reel-sized” frame.

So we got creative.

A Tight Production Timeline — And Using AI to Move Fast

With the season coming to a close, we didn’t have the luxury of a long pre-production cycle. To stay efficient, we leaned into AI-assisted scripting.

Using AI to generate an initial draft of the script allowed us to:

• Structure technical information clearly and quickly

• Highlight key selling points of the modular gangway

• Refine messaging without spending days in revision

• Stay on schedule before weather and daylight disappeared

The key wasn’t letting AI “write it for us.” It was using it as a starting point — then shaping the script to fit the voice of the brand and our host.

When time matters, AI can be a production tool — just like a drone or a gimbal — if you know how to direct it.

Bringing in The Dockman as Host

We brought in Jerry Wilson — better known as The Dockman — to host the piece.

Directing Jerry is always a joy. He cares deeply about getting the technical information correct. When you’re showcasing a product like a modular gangway — with hardware, structural components, and engineering considerations — accuracy matters.

We worked through the AI-assisted script together, refining language, adjusting phrasing, and making sure everything was technically sound and easy for customers to understand.

That collaboration is what turns a draft into a trustworthy message.

Filming a Product That Doesn’t Fit in the Frame

A modular gangway isn’t a small product. You can’t just throw it in a studio and call it a day. Wide 16×9 frame’s are great, but with the current state of the internet, this video would also have to fit into a vertical reel frame.

To properly capture it, we used:

• Drone footage to show scale and context at the Mill Pond kayak launch

• Timelapse photography of the gangway being assembled

• Ground-level angles to emphasize accessibility and design

• Close-ups of connection points and hardware

• Movement shots to demonstrate real-world use

Large products demand visual variety. The goal is to make viewers understand not just what it looks like — but how it functions and why it’s engineered the way it is.

Integrating 3D CAD Rendering

To take the technical storytelling further, we incorporated 3D CAD renderings of the gangway components.

This allowed us to:

• Showcase the internal hardware

• Highlight modular connections

• Explain structural engineering in a visual way

• Present the system in a clean, professional format

Combining real-world footage with 3D CAD visuals bridges the gap between marketing and engineering. It helps contractors, municipalities, and buyers see both beauty and function. Special thanks to Issac, part of the Great Lakes Lift Team for his work on the 3D renderings. 

Community Impact at Fenton’s Mill Pond

The new installation at the Fenton kayak launch is more than a product demo — it’s a real-world upgrade to public access.

The Waters Edge team handled the dock and gangway installation efficiently, and capturing that process helped ground the video in authenticity. It’s not just a product in theory — it’s a solution in action.

When you can tell the story of a product improving a local space, the marketing becomes meaningful.

Why This Project Mattered

For me, this project represents a few things:

• Using AI as a smart production tool under pressure

• Blending drone, time lapse, ground footage, and CAD rendering

• Collaborating with knowledgeable hosts like Jerry, Waters Edge Dock & Hoist and Great Lakes Lift

• Showcasing Michigan-based marine innovation

Producing product videos at this level requires more than pressing record. It requires strategy, technical understanding, and creative execution — especially when the product doesn’t fit neatly into a vertical frame.

If you’re a manufacturer or installer looking to tell the story behind your equipment, your engineering, or your installation process — that’s exactly what we do at Brandon Damon Video.

And sometimes, we even bring AI into the toolbox to make it happen.