While residents may already know what makes the city such a special place to call home, spreading the word about Dowagiac’s charm to others throughout the state and country has proven difficult — until now.

Late last week, CGI Communications published its series of short, informational videos about Dowagiac on its webpage, wrapping up a project that had been in the works for more than a year. The videos may be found at a link near the bottom of the City of Dowagiac’s website, at cityofdowagiac.com.

The videos, all of which are less than two minutes in length, cover topics such as Dowagiac’s healthcare and school systems, its parks and outdoor opportunities, and the businesses and organizations that call the community home.

“The videos are one more way for people interested in coming to the city to gain an understanding on who we are and what we can provide,” said City Manager Kevin Anderson. “It is a nice marketing piece for people looking for that kind of information.”

The videos will be a useful tool for many looking to market the city, from local realtors who want to sell property, to people currently living outside Dowagiac, to economic developers who want to attract businesses to the community, said city employee Bobbie Jo Hartline, who worked with CGI Communications throughout the project.

The city worked with the Rochester, New York, video production company since late 2015 to produce the series of videos. Filming for the clips took place last summer, with Hartline leading the videographers to different parts of the community they could showcase in film.

On top of that footage, the videos also incorporate still images as well as voice-overs. Also Mayor Don Lyons provides an introduction in the first video of the series.

“I am very happy with the final product,” Hartline said. “I am proud I could help out. It was a lot of fun working behind the scenes.”

The project was paid for entirely through sponsorships from local businesses, which have their logos featured along the border of the video player. People can click on the icons to find out more about these companies, either being directed to the business’ website or playing a short video, also produced by CGI, showcasing their services.

While aimed at people outside Dowagiac, Hartline recommended that the community also check out the videos, as it may give them a new perspective on the things that make their hometown click.

“You will be surprised of many of your neighbors you will see in the videos,” Hartline said. “You will run out of fingers to count them with before you run of people you know.”