Adelphi University 2018 commencement videos

For the past few years I've been fortunate enough to be asked to produce these really fun student profiles for commencement which highlight some exceptional people. This year we had some great stories to work with. Since the university is in New York and I live in Denver it was a challenge to get 5 profiles shot and editing in time for commencement. I shot them, plus other projects over two trips to NY which only gave me a couple weeks to edit the last two, but we got them in just before the deadline.

First up is Rebecca, the captain of the women's bowling team and cybersecurity expert heading out into the tech field! I learned a bit about the employment possibilities in that field while making this and she will truly have a lot of options open to her!

Here's how we got that straight on shot. Cool angles require a little risk.

Here's how we got that straight on shot. Cool angles require a little risk.

It's been a little over a year since I moved to the Canon c300 Mark II as my primary camera and I really couldn't be happier with the results. I definitely feel like the camera has contributed to upping my game and providing a more finessed execution of my work. It also makes every shot look just that much better by capturing more color information than the Sony a7sII which I still love but have now relegated to the role of B cam.

Charlotte's video is my personal favorite since it is by far the most personally inspiring story. Charlotte suffered two traumatic brain hemorrhages which left her unable to speak and paralyzed. Yet, she fought hard and worked her way back to being able to sing and rap in both french and english. She also works hard with a physical therapist and is now able to walk all over campus completely unaided. And as she says, the doctors told her she would be incapable of taking care of herself for a very long time and now she's graduating college.

Matteo was a great guy to work with. He's an Italian tennis champion and a finance major with a special interest in blockchain technology and bitcoin.

Using my Easyrig Mini and Canon c300 Mark II to shoot b-roll of tennis action shots with Matteo on a 90 degree day. That surface gets hot enough to fry your feet in your shoes.

Using my Easyrig Mini and Canon c300 Mark II to shoot b-roll of tennis action shots with Matteo on a 90 degree day. That surface gets hot enough to fry your feet in your shoes.

Lentz is another inspiring story as he is a former Marine and Wall St. banker who decided to go back to school for medicine to help people. He's recently been working in disaster relief as he moves on to the next chapter in his studies.

Live performance recording with one take, one camera

Oswaldo Machado, a conductor graduate of Adelphi University and accomplished pianist performs an improvisational piece.

Filmed in one take with a Sony a7SII on an Easy Rig Minimax. I rented the Easy Rig for a week of shooting and this was my second day with it after only using it for an hour the day before. It was also the first time using it to record a long take or performance. I had never heard Oswaldo play before and I started out with the intent to film some cutaways for a longer video I was working on, but after a few moments of hearing him play I decided not to cut the camera during the performance and I'm glad I didn't! Oswaldo's playing is truly beautiful. I can see how practice with the Easy Rig makes a big difference and the next time I attempt something like this I'll be focusing on smoother, floating transitions between angles.

Sony a7S II and Zeiss Loxia 50/2 on Easy Rig Minimax. Audio recorded on a Zoom H1 laying directly on the piano.