My Role: Location Scout, Videography, Editing, Lighting, Grip
Background:
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and originally known as Blount College. It later became East Tennessee College in 1807 and has been continuously operating for 225 years ever since. As I made my journey to college, I knew that I wanted to work for a reputable institution like UTK and set out to pursue an education in the field of communication and hone my skills as a creative. In my first major content production role, I worked as a Production Assistant for the UT College of Communication and Information, where I gained critical hands-on experience and overcame early career challenges. Such challenges included scouting remote locations paramount for high production value, non-linear editing, and scheduling.
Execution:
Working on diverse projects, I developed key skills such as filming, editing, and storyboarding, helping me produce a variety of unique and captivating videos. These skills also helped me produce an incredible 30 second television spot for the university that aired on ESPN to over 6 million homes.
Furthermore, I had the privilege of developing educational and promotional material for UTK’s nuclear engineering program that worked in tandem with Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL). This content was specifically targeted to prospective engineering students as well as those wishing to invest time and financial resources into the college’s extensive network.
Additionally, I created some rather quirky and engaging videos promoting campus events and important dates, balancing creative storytelling with clear messaging that resonated with students. This often took the form of the character of “Orange Man,” which put simply, was me in an orange morphsuit. These projects taught me how to manage production timelines, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and adapt to a fast-paced campus environment while honing my skills as a videographer, editor, and improvisational actor.
Results:
My experience with the UT College of Communication & Information provided an incredible bedrock of technical skills and habits that elevated my production abilities above and beyond the competition. Having the privileged working alongside award-winning creatives like Brian Notess and Hayden Antal so early on in my career helped inspire and guide me to heights previously undreamt of.
