As far as coastal destinations go, the Outer Banks of North Carolina has an incredible history with inspiring settings and beautiful backdrops for daydreaming. From the birth of a nation to the birth of aviation, the Outer Banks has played a key role in the history and charm of North Carolina, the country, and the world. It's no wonder it has influenced countless stories told through television, film, radio, books and more.

One of the most recent locally filmed movies, Call Sign Romeo, portrays a high school wrestling team captain's journey to the championship match, torn by priorities and hardships. This film features an 80 percent local cast and the film included themes of aviation that came to life at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Bringing local kiteboarding culture to the screen, Send It, is a love story set on the southern section of the Outer Banks during REAL Watersports' kiteboarding event, the Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational. In order to accurately portray their characters, main actors had to to learn to kiteboard.

Other notable works include Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, based on the bestselling romance novel by Nicholas Sparks. Shot in Rodanthe, a Hatteras Island village, in an oceanfront vacation home known as "Inn at Rodanthe" that can be rented out to visitors. The Peanut Butter Falcon was co-written/directed by an Outer Banks born and raised local, Tyler Nilson. The heartfelt film is about a 22-year-old with Down Syndrome named Zak who has been abandoned by his family. He flees his caregivers to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf, Zak Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson.

The region also continues to influence popular culture. The hit Netflix series Outer Banks, though not filmed locally, is based widely on North Carolina's coastal history and lore and has gained popularity around the world. National Geographic's series, Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, highlights the area's fishing scene with local captains, while programs including the History Channel's In Search Of and Travel Channel's Expedition Unknown explore the mystery of the Lost Colony. Other films, including the 1983 sci-fi movie Brainstorm, further anchor the Outer Banks in popular culture with scenes set at iconic sites like the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Food and music productions have also showcased the area over the years. Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has featured several local restaurants such as Tortuga's Lie, The Black Pelican, Ortega'z Southwestern Grill and Outer Banks Brewing Station. Country singer Scotty McCreery released hit song, “Feelin' It” after filming the music video along the Outer Banks. The video has scenes of Scotty and friends at the beach, driving down Highway 12, climbing Bodie Island Lighthouse and eating at Dune Burger. Brad Paisley's "Waitin' On A Woman" music video was filmed at the Outlets Nags Head with the late Andy Griffith, who was a full-time resident in Manteo at the time of filming.

Those interested in learning more on the productions filmed and inspired by the Outer Banks can visit OuterBanks.org.