Tell us about your organization. How big is your team? Where are you based? What is your organization’s specialty in the film and video space?

Located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State, dedicated to applied technology education. The video team at the college consists of 2.5 staff members within the college’s office of Strategic Marketing & Communications. With the video team, two staff members focus on video initiatives 100% of the time; the other staff member (me) is split between video and writing priorities.

Why do you do what you do? Was there a transformative moment that solidified your career choice, your org’s success, or your commitment to storytelling?

The best part of the job is telling the story of Penn College through the eyes of its talented students, faculty/staff and alumni. The most effective way to market the value of a Penn College education to prospective students, parents and industry partners is by firsthand accounts of those who have benefited greatly from the institution’s hands-on approach to education.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

“The Road to Baja SAE Williamsport,” examines the effort of Penn College’s Baja SAE team to prepare for and compete at its home event, Baja SAE Williamsport. Featuring about 100 college teams, Baja SAE requires schools to design and build a single-seat car to survive various performance tests. The main event is a four-hour endurance race over rough, muddy terrain. The video follows the Penn College team from the design stage to finishing fourth in the endurance race.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

The mud was so bad in places during the endurance race that workers had to be pulled out of the slop when they tried to assist stuck cars. It was like the mud was quicksand in spots!

What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

Deciding where to position our three handheld cameras and drone during the various events so we could effectively showcase the scope of each car challenge. After watching the first few competitors attempt each event, we had a good idea on where to place our cameras to fully capture Penn College’s entry.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What is the most memorable response you got from this work?

It shows the tremendous effort and dedication of Penn College students to successfully compete in an international event featuring over 100 teams. We received numerous responses about how the video inspired pride in the team and the college itself.

You won a Telly Award for this piece. Why is recognition important for you, your team or your work?

The Telly Award serves as validation from industry peers for our time and effort.

Tell us what you’re up to! If there’s a new project, launch, or milestone you’d like us to celebrate with you, let us know, and we might share it with our community.

Very excited about this video: https://vimeo.com/1204645212. It follows Penn College culinary and baking students as they cook in the luxury areas at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby! It’s an amazing, unique opportunity.