Case Study: Highlighting Fort Collins as a Music City

Highlighting Fort Collins as a Music City

Fort Collins has a thriving live music scene, world-class instrument makers, and a community of artists that spans genres and generations. Visit Fort Collins, with support from the Colorado Tourism Office, set out to tell that story on a larger stage and brought Manifest Filmworks on to produce the video content that would bring it to life.

“If I’m telling somebody about Fort Collins and why I think of it as a music city, every single night of the week you can go out and find some incredible live music happening somewhere.”

– Gretta Cornett

Our Approach

To highlight the diverse range of music ambassadors in Fort Collins, we worked with Visit Fort Collins to develop an interview-driven video series featuring six voices from across the Fort Collins music ecosystem:

Chris Beeble – Engineer/Producer at The Blasting Room, Musician
Greta Cornett – Founding Member of FoCoMX, 12 Cents For Marvin
Jamal Skinner – Dubskin, Founder of The Cultural Enrichment Center
Lolita Castañeda – Lolita, 2MX2
Michael Bashkin – Owner of Bashkin Guitars
Michael Emanuele – Backstage Flash Photography

Each subject offered a distinct window into what makes Fort Collins a genuine music destination — from performance and culture to craft and community.

The Creative Process

Leading with authenticity. Tourism content lives or dies on whether viewers believe it. Our approach put real people and real stories at the center, letting Fort Collins speak for itself through the voices of those who know it best.

Structured interviews, human moments. Working with six subjects, we developed a consistent interview framework that still left room for each person's personality and perspective to come through. The goal was content that felt personal, not produced.

“What sets Fort Collins apart as a music city is the diversity, the energy, the camaraderie, the community.” – Michael Emanuele

Local Music Ambassador Profiles

Stats

Manifest Filmworks documented the city's live music landscape, capturing 6 in-depth interviews with key figures in the scene, footage across 25 venues, 10 concerts, and 2 festivals. But we didn't stop at music. To paint a complete picture of Fort Collins as a destination, we wove in additional footage capturing the outdoor recreation, mountain lifestyle, and natural landscapes of Fort Collins and the surrounding region. The result was comprehensive coverage that gave Visit Fort Collins and the Colorado Tourism Office the depth and versatility to tell Fort Collins' full story.

Interviews

Venues

Concerts

Festivals

“Fort Collins is not too big and not too small… it’s kind of the right size for artists.” – Chris Beeble

Working Within the
Tourism Sector

This project reflects our experience navigating the specific demands of destination marketing work — coordinating multiple talent subjects, aligning with DMO and state tourism priorities, and delivering content that serves both organic storytelling and paid media goals. Working with Visit Fort Collins and Colorado Tourism Office funding means understanding that every piece of content needs to earn its place in a broader strategy.

About Manifest Filmworks

Manifest Filmworks is a Fort Collins-based video production company specializing in documentary-style storytelling for tourism boards, DMOs, and destination brands. We partner with organizations that have real stories to tell — and we know how to tell them in ways that move people, literally and emotionally.

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