The Charlottesville 29

Charlottesville restaurants’ holiday video message: Our Favorite Things, has brought joy to thousands. Who are the people behind the heart-warming video?

Most vital are the performers. The Charlottesville restaurant industry finds joy in their passion to serve, and, in the video, that passion is unmistakable. When invited to participate, none of the restaurants in the video hesitated. Afterwards, one chef described the experience of watching himself and his peers as “joyful camaraderie.”

Next most important are videographer Ian Atkins and musician Justin Esposito. Founder of Ians’ Creations, Atkins is an award-winning Charlottesville-based producer of commercial and wedding videos. A former student of film at the College of William & Mary, Atkins is a five time winner of Best of C-VILLE. For the video, Atkins recorded every performance onsite at each restaurant, and then edited them together to create the final video. Recording took roughly three full days, and editing even longer, ensuring that each segment flows seamlessly to the next.

Justin Esposito is a Charlottesville-based musician and composer, who plays multiple instruments, most notably violin. A founding member of the former band Trees on Fire, Esposito now wears multiple hats in the industry: performing, composing, soundtrack work, and teaching. For the video, Esposito recorded the entire musical soundtrack, and also joined Atkins for the video shoots to assist performers with their singing and timing.

Thank you to Atkins and Esposito for donating their time and talent to the project. The best way to show appreciation for their generosity is to support our restaurants and buy gift cards: Charlottesville Restaurant Gift Card Program.