The Iowa State University 2023 President’s Holiday Message featured a student pianist playing a stirring rendition of the university’s signature song in 14 of the most familiar places on campus. The shoot, over multiple days, involved the complex logistics of moving a distinctive red piano to both indoor and outdoor locations, and exact planning was needed to ensure the continuity of the music and scenes. The video culminates in a final shot of the student playing for the university president and her spouse at the foot of the campus lighted holiday tree. An email message of the video was distributed to nearly 241,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, collaborators, and peer leaders at other universities. Resulted included tens of thousands of views across the university’s social media platforms and dozens of positive messages from university supporters.
From the Judges
Like its red piano, this video stood out. It effectively showcased the campus and a talented student, using a song relevant to the university community. Many good choices were made, and the quality filming and editing elevated it beyond a typical performance.
