PoRtfolio
"Road To The Roses" Documentary
Project Details
Client
West Chester University
Industry
Higher Education, Entertainment
The West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band is a group of 300+ students that proudly represent West Chester University and the greater West Chester community. Comprised of students from more than 60 different majors, the marching band involves students from every segment of the campus population and is the largest student organization at West Chester University.
About the Project
Challenges & Solution
Skynine Joins WCU RamBand For Spectacular Rose Parade Performance Coverage
Skynine received the call as soon as our friends at the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band were invited to perform at the 135th Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. It made perfect sense—after producing their Road to Macy’s film in 2016 (along with several other fun video projects), they knew we had what it took to capture an even longer parade (more on that later)!
Two of our most seasoned cinematographers traveled with the band for six days, shadowing the members throughout the entire trip. From rehearsals at Pasadena City College, to shopping experiences and tourist attractions, and of course the city of Pasadena itself, we were there for it all. We even spent New Year’s Eve with the group on the Santa Monica beach (these students sure know how to party!).
Skynine's Cinematographers Rise Early To Capture the Parade Excitement
On New Year’s Day, we arrived at the parade route around 4 a.m. It was early, but the RamBand was ready to bring excitement to the streets of Pasadena. As cinematographers, we traveled “light”—if you can call a camera rig, motorized gimbal, microphone, and a V-mount battery “light”—knowing we had a full five and a half miles ahead of us! Capturing a parade isn’t for the faint of heart; even when you stop to get the perfect shot, the parade keeps moving—it’s a true “first to arrive, last to leave” experience!
After the primary shooting on the trip was completed, we assembled an initial rough cut to get a sense of the film’s flow. We then scheduled in-person interviews with the RamBand Drum Majors to add an additional narrative layer to the piece. These interviews helped tie up loose ends and connect parts of the film that otherwise wouldn’t have come together amidst all the chaos. We created a captivating trailer along with a handful of other social media teasers that were released every couple weeks.
Extensive Post-Production: Crafting Epic Stories From Six Days of RAW Footage
As you can imagine, post-production was a massive undertaking. Two cinema cameras shooting in RAW—plus a handful of GoPros and DJI gadgets—recording constantly for six days filled up hard drives pretty quickly. We spent the next couple of months crafting their story with some truly epic footage, and we’re thrilled with how it all turned out!
The Road to Roses premiered on Sunday, April 28th, 2024 on the Wells School of Music YouTube channel.
