Film / Photography
A 16-minute landscape film created for the new 4K video wall in the expanded Frontier Texas lobby, using original footage from historic sites and landscapes across West Texas and the Texas Forts Trail Region.
The video shown here is an edited sample of the installation and not the full 16-minute film presented at Frontier Texas.
In 2024, Frontier Texas contracted me to spend the year filming across West Texas and neighboring regions for a new film that would become part of the museum’s expanded lobby. The project took me through the Texas Forts Trail Region and farther west, documenting the country surrounding the frontier forts along with historic sites, open landscapes and the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd at Fort Griffin.
The finished 16-minute film includes footage from Fort Griffin, Fort Davis, the Big Bend region and other locations connected to the history interpreted inside the museum. This was the first phase of the project, with additional filming planned as the collection of regional footage continues to grow.
Rather than use narration, I divided the film into chapters with short quotations that give the viewer context without interrupting the imagery. The music was selected to sit quietly behind the film and complement the landscape, especially important for something designed to play continuously in a public space.
The film was created specifically for the large video wall installed as part of Frontier Texas’ expansion and renovation. The screen measures 16 feet by 9.5 feet and displays at 4K resolution, giving the footage roughly 8.3 million pixels across the lobby wall. Designed and installed by Electro Acoustics of Fort Worth, the wall replaced the visual presence once provided by T.D. Kelsey’s Cattle Drive Sculpture after it was moved to the outdoor parade grounds. Frontier Texas describes the screen as a new inspirational exhibit intended to engage visitors as soon as they enter the museum. Frontier Texas
That became one of the most interesting parts of the project once the museum reopened. Visitors began sitting through the entire film rather than simply passing through the lobby, and many would stay afterward watching the landscape cycle through again. The quieter pace gives them a chance to settle into the region before moving into the more immersive experience of the museum itself, and hearing visitors describe the film as “incredibly beautiful” was especially rewarding.
The expanded facility officially celebrated its grand opening on March 1, 2025. Along with the redesigned lobby and video wall, the project added a temporary exhibit gallery, education and community space, expanded archives, administrative offices and additional parking as Frontier Texas entered its third decade.