GREEN COVE SPRINGS — It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Monday.

That’s because a movie crew was shooting scenes for a feature film at Sunrise to Sunset diner in Green Cove Springs. The crime drama, titled Velvet, is set in December; hence, the panoply of holiday decorations.

For the eatery’s Principal Manager Richard Clark, it was a match made in Hollywood.

“They’re very cooperative and understanding,” said Clark, who welcomed Ocean State Picture Company with open arms, open menus and booths. In fact, the production marked the first time in years the restaurant had its window blinds pulled down.

The filmmakers, namely Director Justen Mann and co-writer Jesse Roberts, chose Sunrise to Sunset because it felt “lived in” and ideal for their purposes.

“It looks real, not over the top,” explained Mann, who graduated from Clay High in 2004.

It was the crew’s first time filming in town, he said, and Clark made it easy. “He is stoked about it and has been very giving. It’s been an amazing experience,” Mann said.

His on-screen inspirations include the Coen brothers' Fargo and Raising Arizona, plus Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love.

Roberts, who referred to himself as Velvet’s fourth writer, said the goal was to tell a family tale. “A realistic one, not like a Hallmark Channel movie, but not too dark either,” said Roberts, a Florida State University alumnus.

The story at hand: A drug addict named Kevin drifts around Florida, doing whatever is necessary to make it home to his daughter – the “one thing he did right,” according to Mann.

The 90-minute movie’s theme? Redemption.

Velvet is also a buddy “road” picture; the character known as Corbin emerges as the proverbial “muscle” and money collector. 

Actors Jaron Wallace (starring as Kevin) and Jas Abramowitz (portraying Corbin) shaped the original script’s bones years ago.

Wallace, who hails from Jacksonville, said he viewed his main character as a way to “explore and invest in a larger role to the fullest extent.”

As for the picture's title, here is how it came to be, according to Wallace:

"Velvet evokes something soft, warm and luxurious — fitting for a Christmastime setting, like cozying up with family for the holidays — yet it also contrasts sharply with the winding, far-from-comfortable journey our lead characters take to get back home.”

For his part, Abramowitz – a product of Kansas City – said his role was a great challenge.

“As an actor, it’s a dream playing someone of such depth,” was how he described it, noting that Corbin proceeds to have a change of heart.

For Clark, the production brought back memories of his days in New York and Boston, when he was a recruiter and marketer for Time Warner. Clark also established a cable college while in the Northeast.

On Monday, judging by the movie set’s festive décor, it looked as if Santa's elves had arrived months in advance.

It was easy for Clark to put his feelings about the rare opportunity into words: “We’re just thrilled.”