In just under a minute, the film tells the story of Spencer’s Place, a purpose-driven coffee shop in Surprise, Arizona, that trains and employs adults with developmental disabilities. Through the voices of the shop’s owner, staff, and job coaches, the film spotlights a community built around meaningful work.
As a student at Crown College, Vinson worked with adults who had experienced traumatic brain injuries, and supporting individuals with disabilities has remained important to him. “One of the most important things you can do for someone is to give them a sense of autonomy and independence,” Vinson said.
After graduating from Crown, Vinson worked as a corporate videographer, which helped him sharpen the skills needed to produce Spencer’s Place entirely on his own. Producing, shooting, and editing the project himself was a deliberate choice, as he had his eye on the Solo Storyteller award. The only real production delay came when Vinson’s daughter was born on the day of the shoot, requiring him to reschedule! In addition to the regional Emmy, the film has also won a Best of Competition award in the Commercial/PSA category and a Best of Fest award at the BEA's Festival of Media Arts.
Vinson remembers his time at Crown College as being foundational for his success. As a student, he was active in filmmaking, the Communication program, and even volunteered as a teaching assistant for one of Dr. Winzenburg's New Testament classes. He later returned to Crown as an Assistant Professor of Communication before moving to Arizona in 2023, where he now serves as an Associate Professor of Film Production at Huntington University.
We’re proud of the work Vinson is doing and the way he continues to use filmmaking to serve others. His Emmy-winning project reflects the kind of purposeful, real-world storytelling we hope Media Arts students carry with them beyond Crown.
