Breathing Life Into 1986: Jarrett Bay’s 40th Anniversary and The Big Rock Tournament

If there is one week that defines the energy of the North Carolina coast, it is the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Scheduled for June 5-14, 2026, this event is the ultimate proving ground for sportfishing.

This year holds even more weight for Jarrett Bay Boatworks as they are once again the major sponsor of the tournament and it also marks their 40th anniversary. They needed a short and powerful video that could be played on Big Rock TV and on the big screen at the weigh station. Because it is their 40th anniversary, we wanted to pay homage to the past.

To be completely honest, I really wrestled with the idea of using AI for a milestone project like this. I take a lot of pride in creating videos, and letting a robot generate your visuals feels a little like cheating the creative process. However, I quickly realized that AI is just a small tool in the arsenal. In this case, it was simply the best tool available to give those authentic 1986 memories the true, living motion they deserved. Every single clip in this commercial was built from an original static photograph. By using AI video generation, we transformed still moments from 1986 into living footage that commands attention. Make sure you crank the volume up and check out the final cut below.

Looking Ahead: A Busy First Half of the Year

Seeing this Jarrett Bay piece go live at the scales is the perfect milestone for what has been an incredibly busy first half of the year. I’ve been working hard on several large scale projects which will push our production schedule well into 2027. We cannot wait to pull back the curtain and share more of this work soon. Until then, tight lines and good luck to everyone fishing Big Rock!