SMYL
story
Overview
helping an emerging dentist curate a new, lifestyle-focused dental experience in Houston, Texas.
- Multi-session Photo & Video shoot
- Multi-session Photo & Video shoot
- Website Design & development
- Website Design & development
Dr. Mitchell Mactier founded SMYL Dentistry in 2020 with the goal of creating a new experience for dentistry in Houston, Texas. SMYL, an acronym for “Smile More in Your Life,” eventually opened its doors the following year in the heart of the trendy Houston Heights with a specific focus on teeth whitening and cosmetics.
Before he won a free video production session with us at The Making Of Retreat in 2022, Dr. Mac poured his heart and soul into building a lifestyle-focused brand around SMYL. It was a massive success but, unfortunately, his current website wasn’t on par with the rest of his brand and our CEO Josh Scott knew we could help him take it to the next level.
After speaking with him, Dr. Mac decided to upgrade his production session to a full-fledged StorySite.
In this article
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phase 01
the background
phase 01
the background
phase 01
the background
phase 01
the background
phase 01
the background
phase 01
the background
WHAT ACTIONS DID YOU TAKE TO PREPARE FOR THIS PROJECT?
On our initial Welcome Call, We hammered out the details of what he’d like to highlight on his website since it was going to be more lifestyle-focused and much less traditional.
Once he filled out our Brand Creator, we created a site map and I reviewed the layout and overall flow with Dr. Mac to make sure it aligned with his vision before we actually started writing the site.
After that was approved and ready to go, we move onto planning production – or the photography and video.
HOW DID THE STEPS DIFFER FROM OTHER PROJECTS?
Usually, we don’t create a site map for StorySites but since he had such a specific vision for his site, I felt this was necessary to include.
I also had a Creative Call with Dr. Mac and our videographer, Tyler Keller before the shoot to share our ideas and pin down the locations we’ll be shooting in The Heights area to maximize our time there. We discussed exactly how much of the dentistry aspect of SMYL he wanted incorporated into his content and he shared some specific shots he wanted us to capture in Houston.
josh brown, account manager
phase 02
the setup
phase 02
the setup
phase 02
the setup
phase 02
the setup
phase 02
the setup
phase 02
the setup
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE CONTENT SESSION?
On projects like SMYL, an Account Manager’s role on a more comprehensive content session is to keep everything on schedule and on pace, eliminating any distractions from the production team so they can focus on doing what they do best.
We spent the entire day before the shoot capturing b-roll and drone footage of The Heights, hitting all the locations Dr. Mac passed along for us to check out. So, when we came to the practice the following day, we were really able to focus on SMYL, their team, and the practice itself – we weren’t rushed at all.
This was a really amazing shoot, in a really unique and beautiful space. Dr. Mac's vision on this project really made it easy for the team to bring it to life.
Since the space was so gorgeous, there was no bad shot in the practice. You could point your camera anywhere and it’d be a good frame. SMYL was one of those projects where once we shot it, we could not wait to get back into the footage and assemble it. All in all this was an amazing shoot.
CAleb long, videographer
SMYL trusted us and our process fully.
What stood out the most was the unique location of the practice. Specifically, how it's integrated into a very trendy shopping area, and how Dr. Mac embraced that 100% to create a dental experience that felt more like a cool hangout spot. Their brand is beautiful, super strong, and intentional – resulting in a super loyal patient base.
Honestly, there wasn't much I felt challenged by since Dr. Mac is so photogenic and the team were all on board and engaged. Plus, the space had great light and an easy layout to shoot in.
caroline lohrey, photographer
Dr. Mac and his team knew what made them unique before we got there.
The biggest challenge was trying to find a great place for the interview setup. Our production team will always do an exceptional job but since he had an exceptionally unique space, it pushed our production team to think outside the box in terms of creativity. I think oftentimes clients want their sign or logo to be the focal point of the background but it's in a really awkward spot that just doesn't lend itself to good composition with a person in the frame.
Luckily, the center portion of the office gave us access to great light, depth, and textures that spoke much more to the vibe of the practice. I ended up being really happy with the interview composition and I think that only happens when the client trusts us to do what we think will be best.
tyler keller, videographer
COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THE WEBSITE?
Josh Brown had a lot of input creatively in terms of the design and how he wanted it to look. It was a collaborative effort. He communicated that Dr. Mac wanted to use elements from their existing logo and branding, specifically the ‘Y’ logomark.
I took a lot of inspiration from their office space and them being a young, modern lifestyle brand. Bold text with pops of color and their SMYL logo coming through in the buttons and other visual elements. A lot of the art in their office has a contemporary/pop art feel to it which I think also comes through in the design.
I really pushed this to be unique in as many ways as possible.
Brandom martin, designer
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the launch
WHAT DID WE DELIVER?
Four videos and a one-of-a-kind StorySite unlike any other we’d created, that makes you want to stop and stare – in a good way! As Dr. Mac requested, the first thing you see on SMYL’s site is that captivating Houston sunrise and skyline, followed by b-roll of their gorgeous practice.
Its bright pops of colors and stunning photography of SMYL and The Heights leave a lasting impression that fully embodies their well-established brand. Everyone who touched this project was fully committed to creating something exceptional and helping bring Dr. Mac’s unique vision to life.
WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT UNIQUE?
In a first for Studio EightyEight web development, we included Hero Loops on the top of each internal page – resulting in a site that feels more alive than ever. The menu is also different from anything we’ve ever created before and we drew inspiration from the look of a social media feed.
We also captured a lot of behind the scenes for Studio 8E8 featuring Josh Scott and our production team explaining what makes a good-looking shot, in addition to capturing social media content for SMYL as well as traditional video.
DR. MAC, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH S8E8?
Iwas blown away by the quality, efficiency, and planning behind it all. Everything from our website, to the photos and video were beautiful! I would recommend them to anyone who wants to push the boundaries, test the limits, and make dentistry cooler than it is now.
Dr. Mitchell Mactier, SMYL Dentistry
Your Story Is Worth It.
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