This post is from Irene Rojas, Wolf Trap's summer 2011 Videographer. We'll be sorry to see her go this Friday!
A few weeks ago, we had an intern "show-and-tell." It was much like the show-and-tell sessions from when we were in kindergarten, except no one would’ve allowed me near a giant TV back then. I showed three videos that day: one about this year’s Annual Swamp Romp, one about the Theatre-in-the-Woods program, and the Wolf Trap Patrons: June At-A-Glance video. Afterwards, one of my fellow interns said one of the best things a video producer can hear. He said that before coming to work at Wolf Trap he had heard much about the “Wolf Trap experience,” but he didn’t actually know what it meant. He felt that after seeing those videos, he felt he understood it perfectly. If someone knows and understands something about Wolf Trap a little more after viewing my work than before, then I’ve done my job.
While I’ve shot a lot of concert video this summer, the videos about Swamp Romp, Theatre-in-the-Woods and the Wolf Trap Patrons: (“Beyond the Lawn Rush”) are my favorites. I am a visual storyteller and those videos were produced as stories. All three featured great interactions with patrons, performers and other Wolf Trap visitors. Some were quirky, some were more straightforward, but each was an important part of the story and represented a piece of history here at Wolf Trap.
I come from a journalism background and I approached most of my projects at Wolf Trap as I would if I were still at a news organization. While the videos here are a bit more promotional than they would for a news outlet, I still want them to be authentic. I believe dishonesty undermines the story. All the people I interviewed were real patrons… no actors, no scripts, just candid conversations.
I start off by spending five to ten minutes reading the crowd, getting a feel for the more outgoing and engaging people. While we welcome thousands of new patrons to Wolf Trap each season, you’ll notice that the people in the videos are largely repeat patrons. These people tend to have more history and more stories to share about their time here. When I asked people what kept bringing them out, I noticed there were some common ties: the ability to bring food and drink, the sound quality, the connection with nature and the camaraderie. Those responses make up the main sections of the patron video. I interviewed quite a few people over the summer and they said very similar things. One of my main goals with the videos was to feature those who had the most engaging responses. I hope the videos stayed true to the spirit of the patrons and the park itself. It was wonderful to see that the “Wolf Trap experience” had such a universal impact.
While my videos are available on Wolf Trap’s YouTube channel, see below for a look at my three favorites.
A few weeks ago, we had an intern "show-and-tell." It was much like the show-and-tell sessions from when we were in kindergarten, except no one would’ve allowed me near a giant TV back then. I showed three videos that day: one about this year’s Annual Swamp Romp, one about the Theatre-in-the-Woods program, and the Wolf Trap Patrons: June At-A-Glance video. Afterwards, one of my fellow interns said one of the best things a video producer can hear. He said that before coming to work at Wolf Trap he had heard much about the “Wolf Trap experience,” but he didn’t actually know what it meant. He felt that after seeing those videos, he felt he understood it perfectly. If someone knows and understands something about Wolf Trap a little more after viewing my work than before, then I’ve done my job.
While I’ve shot a lot of concert video this summer, the videos about Swamp Romp, Theatre-in-the-Woods and the Wolf Trap Patrons: (“Beyond the Lawn Rush”) are my favorites. I am a visual storyteller and those videos were produced as stories. All three featured great interactions with patrons, performers and other Wolf Trap visitors. Some were quirky, some were more straightforward, but each was an important part of the story and represented a piece of history here at Wolf Trap.
I come from a journalism background and I approached most of my projects at Wolf Trap as I would if I were still at a news organization. While the videos here are a bit more promotional than they would for a news outlet, I still want them to be authentic. I believe dishonesty undermines the story. All the people I interviewed were real patrons… no actors, no scripts, just candid conversations.
I start off by spending five to ten minutes reading the crowd, getting a feel for the more outgoing and engaging people. While we welcome thousands of new patrons to Wolf Trap each season, you’ll notice that the people in the videos are largely repeat patrons. These people tend to have more history and more stories to share about their time here. When I asked people what kept bringing them out, I noticed there were some common ties: the ability to bring food and drink, the sound quality, the connection with nature and the camaraderie. Those responses make up the main sections of the patron video. I interviewed quite a few people over the summer and they said very similar things. One of my main goals with the videos was to feature those who had the most engaging responses. I hope the videos stayed true to the spirit of the patrons and the park itself. It was wonderful to see that the “Wolf Trap experience” had such a universal impact.
While my videos are available on Wolf Trap’s YouTube channel, see below for a look at my three favorites.
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