--- title: Videography date: 2026-06-04T11:04:00-04:00 author: Tierra Collins canonical_url: "https://brand.umd.edu/applying-the-brand/videography" section: Pages --- # Videography *Applying the Brand* **Videography** High-quality videography is an essential and powerful medium that can articulate and elevate the distinctive qualities of the University of Maryland brand. It accomplishes the following: - Provides a **genuine view** of campus life, academic initiatives and community engagement. Content that showcases real experiences connects the university’s story with a broad audience. - Includes the **breadth and depth** of people, perspectives and departments across campus. - Integrates well-recognized campus locations and branded elements — logos, colors, clothing — in a natural way to **augment the brand experience**. # Planning Videos Pre-production, before filming begins, is one of the most important parts of the video creation process. It’s when producers/directors conceptualize the details of the video. Here are some steps that we recommend you integrate into your workflow to ensure a successful day of filming and straightforward post-production. ### Identify the video’s audience, scope and goal or messaging - **Example 1**: A 60-second lighthearted video for current students in your school/college to celebrate the end of the semester to be distributed via social media. - **Example 2**: A touching three-minute video with sit-down interviews that emphasizes the importance of continued giving to support students, intended for alums and donors to encourage philanthropy. ### Conduct pre-interviews - Have a brief (30-minute) conversation with the subject to gain a deeper understanding of what they will be talking about. - This will help you craft more targeted questions and may lead to some surprising insights that you can incorporate in the filming. ### Scout locations - Visit the space where you plan to conduct an interview or film B-roll ahead of time. - Pay attention to the sound, lighting, foot traffic and any other factors that might impact your shoot. - Look for interesting spaces with depth. ### Develop storyboards, story outlines and shot lists - Draft a storyboard or story outline based on the pre-interview(s). - Think through how specific B-roll can amplify different aspects that will be covered in the interview. - Draft a shot list of all the B-roll you plan to capture. This will ensure that you don’t forget anything on production day, and will also give you an opportunity to brainstorm creative shots. ### Secure signatures on releases - **Appearance Release**: provides UMD with permission to use a person’s likeness and voice. Participants should sign this *before* filming begins. - **Materials Release**: provides UMD with permission to use creative content (i.e. photos or videos) captured by another individual. The owner of the original material should sign this before publication. - [Download release forms](https://umd.box.com/s/falrfa6lciw1jj8967up3b2gwul0j62m) # Shooting Videos ### Interviews - Select locations with clean backdrops and minimal ambient noise. - Utilize diffused, natural window light or incorporate artificial continuous lighting to illuminate the subject and create a natural-looking environment. - Record two camera angles, when possible: one primary (wide) and one secondary (tight) for visual variety. - Conceal lavalier (clip-on) microphones when possible. If not possible, make sure wires are tidy and the lavalier is properly placed. - **Carousel Slide: Indoor Example1** — Inside / Artificial Continuous Light - **Carousel Slide: Indoor Example2** — Inside / Artificial Continuous Light - **Carousel Slide: Video Indoor Lighting Example 3** — Outside / Natural Light ### B-roll - Incorporate natural light that draws attention to your main subjects. - Use strong compositional elements: leading/converging lines, rule of thirds and framed subjects. - Capture unique angles and perspectives to increase visual interest. - Record scenes from various distances and with different focal lengths. - [Read the OMC production guide for more shooting tips.](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fy5efybP_U5NIj98XMwbJSZSNmINcFuuh-aCQ7bn5eY/edit?usp=sharing) # Editing - Organize your footage and project in a clear and consistent way, especially if collaborating. - Craft a compelling story through interview, narration or text on screen that will achieve the video’s goal and resonate with the intended audience. - Align video messaging with the university’s strategic plan. Highlight the excitement of student learning, the accomplishments of faculty, and the impact that the university has on local and global communities. - Include standard features, such as captioning and audio descriptions, so videos meet web [accessibility](https://brand.umd.edu/resources-support/accessibility) requirements. - [Read the OMC production guide for more editing tips.](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fy5efybP_U5NIj98XMwbJSZSNmINcFuuh-aCQ7bn5eY/edit?usp=sharing) - **Enterprise Series** — Tackling Grand Challenges: Discovering Biodegradable Plastic Substitutes With AI - **AI at Maryland** — Shaping the Future of AI - **Peer Review Profiles** — The Maryland Dairy Legacy: Jeff Russo # Resources ### Video Library The Office of Marketing and Communications houses a library of curated video content on [Terp Vault](https://terpvault.umd.edu/). This content is available for University of Maryland schools and colleges, freelancers doing work for the University and media outlets. ### Graphics The Office of Marketing and Communications provides a selection of standardized [video assets](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ia_5PPq1a8zt5MDtrmhd9EygTq9Tvgku?usp=drive_link) for consistent branding across departments. ### Recommended Software The University of Maryland has an enterprise account with Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes the industry-standard video editing software Premiere and After Effects. - [View detailed installation instructions](https://helpdesk.cs.umd.edu/faq/software/adobe-creative-cloud.html) ### Permissions and Releases The Office of Marketing and Communications has a standard [adult release form](https://umd.box.com/s/zwly74javzesgdvsd4o3k9ictyoc0lqo) and minor release form that allows the use of video content showing students, faculty and staff in marketing, promotional and editorial materials. - [Download release forms](https://umd.box.com/s/falrfa6lciw1jj8967up3b2gwul0j62m) - [Learn more about filming in public spaces](https://brand.umd.edu/applying-the-brand/photography#releases) If you are capturing video at an event or large gathering, you are encouraged to display language informing attendees of this. - [Download photo and video release signage](https://umd.box.com/s/flikbuc0khhrc2jqm59v2ulg3rar85cc) ### Aerial Imagery and Drone Flights The University of Maryland campus in College Park is in the FAA’s Flight-Restricted Zone. Commercial drone operations are possible, but must be performed by FAA-licensed pilots under an [authorized waiver through FAA Part 107 processes](https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators). A collection of aerial videography is housed within the university’s digital asset management system, [Terp Vault](https://terpvault.umd.edu/). # Need help? Request video support from the Office of Marketing and Communications. - [Request support](https://form.asana.com/?k=hbP3MrpJJ6deDyvFX4cGOw&d=942681546434599)