Resident helps tell Brandon Wilde’s stories through a series of short films

When Bonnie Taylor has her camera on her, she sees Brandon Wilde as so much more than a beautiful life plan community for seniors in Evans, GA. As she films, Taylor sees a place rich with interesting stories she wants to share. Her pieces capture moments of hope, creativity, friendship, and generosity, and she fashions them into compelling visual narratives through clever editing.

Taylor, a professional videographer with 50 years of experience, has been using her skills and talents to create short films telling Brandon Wilde’s stories since she and her husband, Sterling, moved into their cottage in December 2020.

Janet Boshears’ garden full of whimsical tableaus and fairy figurines was the subject of Taylor’s first Brandon Wilde based piece.

“We moved in the middle of the pandemic lockdowns, so much of the community’s social life was still on hold to keep everyone safe,” she says. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet many people at first, but I was able to explore our new neighborhood. When I saw my next-door neighbor’s garden, I knew that it was perfect for a short movie. And the shot of the cardinal flying in was just magic.”

In the spring of 2021, Taylor interviewed several gardeners who grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs in Brandon Wilde’s mini gardens. “It was a particularly strong spring for growing and people were starting to venture out more,” she says. “Helping the gardeners share their stories was a great way to meet several of my new neighbors.”

Taylor’s latest project focuses on events, classes, and supplies that are available in the Arts & Crafts Studio in an effort to get even more residents interested in the robust program, which includes opportunities to explore painting, drawing, sketching, pottery, card making, zen doodling, knitting, crocheting, sewing, paper quilling, and more.

The five-minute film mixes music, vignettes of artists and crafters creating pieces, and instructors and participants explaining the program and their experiences in their words. “I don’t write scripts,” Taylor explains. “I edit each piece carefully, letting the images, music, and interviewees tell the story.”

Taylor recently debuted the Arts and Crafts Program film at her Master Series presentation, “From Blurred to Beautiful: Videography Since 1970,” which took attendees through the day-to-day work of videography and offered a fascinating glimpse at changes in video equipment and technologies that she’s seen of the course of the five decades in the ever-changing field. “When I was first working, there was a huge leap in portability with the Song Portapack — a battery, recorder, and camera combo that weighed 26 pounds! Now I use an iPhone 13 Pro. It weighs 7 oz. and the image quality is amazing — Steven Spielberg just shot a music video (Marcus Mumford’s “Cannibal”) using just an iPhone. I edit everything using Final Cut Pro on my home computer. It’s very different from when I began.”

Brandon Wilde’s Masters Series is a lecture series featuring residents sharing their expertise and insights on interesting topics they have deep knowledge of. Taylor’s event was well-attended and well-received.

Taylor is continuing to make short films featuring various community offerings and the stories of the people who enjoy them. Her current project looks at the men and women who create intricate and meticulously made projects in Brandon Wilde’s woodworking shop.

Follow Brandon Wilde on Facebook at facebook.com/BrandonWildeAugusta to see Taylor’s future films, and check out the community’s wellness-focused lifestyle.