Reality TV Producer Goes Viral for Editing Family Vacation into Hilariously Dramatic (and Relatable) 'Trailer' Colson ThayerOctober 31, 2025 at 3:45 AM 0 Devin McGovern Screenshots from Devin McGovern's dramatic family vacation trailer. A reality TV producer went viral after posting a dramatic trailer using clips from a recent family vacation to Hawaii Devin McGovern and his wife Marlene Martinez tell PEOPLE they wanted to show their "real experience" of traveling with their little ones — ages 6 and 3 "Take the trip, make the memories, enjoy the happy moments because there are more happy momen...
- - Reality TV Producer Goes Viral for Editing Family Vacation into Hilariously Dramatic (and Relatable) 'Trailer'
Colson ThayerOctober 31, 2025 at 3:45 AM
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Devin McGovern
Screenshots from Devin McGovern's dramatic family vacation trailer. -
A reality TV producer went viral after posting a dramatic trailer using clips from a recent family vacation to Hawaii
Devin McGovern and his wife Marlene Martinez tell PEOPLE they wanted to show their "real experience" of traveling with their little ones — ages 6 and 3
"Take the trip, make the memories, enjoy the happy moments because there are more happy moments than bad," Martinez says
Anyone traveling on a family vacation with little ones will know it often feels more like reality TV than a tourism ad. There's screaming, crying and even a little slapping. That's why one family put together a dramatic trailer showing their "real experience" on a recent trip to Hawaii.
"What we wanted to do is share a real experience, because it's not just sunshine and rainbows all the time — parenting in general," Devin McGovern, the creator behind the viral vacation video, tells PEOPLE. "The kids are already comfortable with the phone and the camera because they're filming the good, bad and ugly all the time."
Back in September, McGovern, his wife Marlene Martinez, her father and their two young daughters took a weeklong trip to Hawaii. The Orange County, Calif. residents made a similar visit to Maui about a year and a half ago, but now that the kids are older — ages 6 and 3 — the trip felt "a lot more chaotic," according to Martinez.
McGovern, who has a background producing reality TV shows like Bar Rescue, began creating parenting content online a few years ago. So heading into the trip, he knew they were going to "film everything anyway."
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In the end, McGovern included clips from early morning airport chaos, rain on the Hawaiian beaches, the aftermath of a bloody lip and plenty of screaming and crying.
Since posting the video on Oct. 1, the video has racked up more than 5.6 million views on Instagram.
"Immediately, all of the people that follow us, all the people that know us were just like, 'Oh my gosh, we're right there with you. We're in it with you. This is so hard,'" Martinez says of the outpouring of support. "I think [friends and family] resonated with it the most, especially knowing us and knowing our family and knowing how loving and how much connection and time we spend with these girls."
"So to kind of see us all in shambles, probably was fun for them," she adds.
Courtesy of Devin McGovern
L: Marlene Martinez and Devin McGovern; R: Genevieve, 3 and Veronica, 6
While the family does have clips of the picture-perfect moments, Martinez doesn't "know if it would get as much attention."
"There's a reason why reality TV does so well. They love the fast pace. They love the drawing and grabbing you in and there is a method to it," Martinez says. "There's a science."
But the video will serve as an important lesson for their daughters Veronica and Genevieve as well.
"We want them to be real and honest," McGovern says. "If we don't talk about or even show the hard, there's no way for us to improve, because it's not sunshine and rainbows all the time."
He knows the kids aren't going to remember the time they had a meltdown, instead they're talking about "the luau," "the pineapple," and "the dancing."
Courtesy of Devin McGovern
Marlene Martinez, Devin McGovern and daughters Veronica, 6 and Genevieve, 3
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McGovern and Martinez's advice to other parents is to remain patient and know that things might not go as expected.
"Take the trip, make the memories, enjoy the happy moments because there are more happy moments than bad," Martinez says.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: October 31, 2025 at 11:09AM on Source: GRIFF MAG
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