With so many outstanding entries, Digital Cyclops came away with a trophy! I’m very excited, and humbled that our peers would choose our video content. It definitely energizes me to continue to do better and better work.
The British Columbia Professional Videographers’ Association (BCPVA) regularly holds contests, both to showcase good work and to inspire members to improve their art. The KUDOS AWARDS are based upon a balance of professional judging and popular vote. This year, the categories were “Videos that Document an Event,” “Videos that Tell a Story,” and “Videos that Deliver a Message.” Although we came close in the other categories, we were proud to place in the category that we consider our specialty: “Videos that Document an Event.”
BCPVA Kudo Awards
When Dennis Pang of Motiv8 Media approached us about covering Frosh Week at UBC (the University of British Columbia) for Kijiji Canada, I was eager to be the primary videographer and editor for the project. Though it’s been a few years since I attended, I still remember how nervous I was arriving on campus for the first time. Frosh Week was so fun and welcoming, it helped to break the tension of those early days. I was excited to go back and capture all of that positive energy on video.
For the video, marketing manager Marc-Andre Hade asked us to show off the Kijiji branding without “hitting the audience over the head” with it. “Kijiji” would simply be a part of the celebration of beginning (or returning to) school: Frosh Week. Students have finished their first week; the weather is still nice. They’re getting their books, finding clubs to join, finding their niche in the “big pond.”
Every member of the Kijiji Team were so engaging!
I think we captured a good variety of people, activities, and colour – the bright oranges, yellows, and purples helped to bring up the energy of this video. Many of the students have a wonderful sense of humour and for some the humour comes out in a visual way. Everyone loves seeing Bagel Guy! Footage from multiple days also added to the variety we could use in the final edit. In fact, there was so much good footage, we went to using split screens to show it all off and bump up the energy of the video.
We all love Bagel Guy!
Once we had collected the raw footage, it was back to the edit bay to add effects. While it is easy to get carried away with all the things non-linear editing programs can do, simple motion graphics can add a lot of production value to a piece. We were able to use a timelapse to communicate the busyness of student life in September, the energy of getting things done. Since music played a big part in supporting the tone of this piece, I gave a fair bit of attention to the rhythm, lyrics, and mood as I edited. Some playful animations tied the music, video, and graphics to company branding in the final shot.
Are there difficulties with this type of video? Absolutely. Live event videos offer the challenge to be constantly aware and ready to capture whatever might happen on the spur of the moment. There are no re-takes. We can’t really ask people to do things again. It’s all about spontaneity. I think our team did a great job with engaging people and inviting them to be comfortable in front of the camera. Technical challenges might include inclement weather, which didn’t happen with this particular video, or low light conditions, which did happen during the evening outdoor events. The right equipment and the ability to use it is key in overcoming these challenges.
We’d like to thank Marc-Andre for allowing us the creative freedom to really show off the Kijiji brand and the collegiate excitement of UBC. We are also grateful to the BCPVA for continually inspiring us and challenging us to learn from one another and improve our craft. This Kudos Award means a great deal to us. Even better, I think, than when a UBC student (upon seeing the video) commented, “Wow, you make UBC look like so much fun!”
UBC crowd rocking out to the excellent and diverse musical acts
