This is when being able to navigate details becomes critical.
In collaboration with the school’s principal, we developed a concept of a young girl being poured into by her teachers over the years while attending Carter G. Woodson. The intent was to emphasize how important a teacher’s role is in the lives of their students.
The shoot consisted of working with three young girls portraying the role of “Maya” at three different stages of her life. School was in session, so there had to be a lot of planning and scheduling time with our three students.
The girls were all on different schedules, and we had to discover a plan in which we could work with them without disrupting their education. With the help of one of the great staff members, we navigated the day smoothly with each of the girls.
The video contains a multitude of creative elements to give the impression that this was all the same person. Through match cuts (i.e. the girls walking down the hallway or middle school Maya closing the locker to High school Maya opening it), we were able to show Maya’s growth throughout the year.
We also relied on “scratch audio”, which is everyday sounds, to give the video a more real and natural feel. From the sound of Maya’s backpack shaking to the sound of the bell ringing in the hallway, the video told a warm and authentic story about a young girl being prepared for the “real world” by the teachers that shaped her.