Choose Magic is a short, but timely film, about the struggles between our modern world, and the fleeting generational knowledge that likely holds the key to our future.
Told from the perspective of a young, sea-faring woman, we’re guided through the evolution of an ecosystem, learning in a way familiar to us all - through the lessons passed down to us by generations.
With this project, we were challenged to tell a story that connects the DOTS between healthy soil and our oceans - not to mention, all the watersheds in between. We focused our thinking on three specific DOTS. The first DOT was compost, the second was oysters, and the third, something we all love here at Gnarly Bay, sailing.
This project was captured over the course of 4 balmy days in the summer of 2021 - from the bustling boulevards of New York City to the urban backyards of Providence, Rhode Island. Throughout it all, nature never failed to teach us all the ways it can heal and restore itself — much like magic.
Follow along, in this truthful, but optimistic portrayal of the currents guiding our future.
Director - Nicole Gormley
DP - Tyler Murgo
AC/Aerials - Jack Ieronimo
Head of Production: Aaron Schurman
Post Supervisor: CJ Taglione
Edit: Stability Films
Mix + Color: Jared Blizzard
VO: Julia Kennish
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Nicole Gormley is a multi-hat wearing documentary filmmaker, television producer, and photographer with the central aim to tell stories that inspire people to rethink our relationship to nature and protect the environment. Using her natural ability to connect with people, she approaches projects from the lens of a shared human experience. After graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, she went on to produce projects for several of the world’s leading media outlets including Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series Ugly Delicious and dozens of international expeditions for National Geographic & Discovery Channel. Nicole’s directorial debut, a short documentary film titled, Lessons From Jeju, produced and distributed in partnership with Patagonia Films recently won the Woods Hole Film Festival Jury Award for Best Documentary Short (2020) and the Jury Award for Best Cinematography (2020).