Lever for Change Grant Pitch

StudioEducation

Jan 18

I’ve always thought that our recording studio would be perfect for when someone was looking for a professional, polished video at a reasonable cost, and I got to test out that concept recently when I was approached by the Penn State Development office. Their hope was that I could help the Micronutrients and Pregnancy Research lab at the College of Health and Human Development put together a 90-second pitch video required for the Lever for Change grant that the lab was applying for, but with the catch that it was due in just a few days and they didn’t have the budget normally set aside for an application like this.

I was able to convince them that the most economical approach would be to use our studio. Lights, a boomed microphone, and cameras were already set, teleprompter control available, and with the way we record, a live-switched edit could be completed in about an hour after filming. Me being me, I did decide to put a camera on an automated slider to add a little motion to the final product, and of course added a bit of licensed music to hopefully add to the emotional pull of the subject. We also ended up adding some still photos in the form of a short slideshow that showcased the usefulness of the product.

Alison Gernand, head of the lab, stopped in to deliver this pitch, and despite being somewhat new to filming, especially in a studio (and if I say so a bit nervous about the prospect of delivering this message) she did an amazing job. I don’t always recommend using a prompter, but it wound up being the right solution for this project. The final video had a very specific time limit, and having the pitch scripted out meant we could have more control over the pace of the delivery, and meant Alison didn’t have to worry about hitting the same points every run through.

I truly believe that what we make and put out into the world should be the best version possible given the constraints we are dealt with at the time it’s made. Although the grant application stated that shooting this pitch on a cell phone would be acceptable, would it be as effective at delivering the message? Would it adequately convey the years of research that led to this moment? A whole beautiful website is dedicated to the project, so why not create a video that shares the same level of care?

Using our studio, clients can have videos produced professionally, quickly, and affordably. The conventional thinking is that you only get to hit two sides of the triangle, but at CW Studios, we can deliver all three.