On Tuesday, October 13th, the Beren campus was bustling with Stern students adjusting back into school after an extended holiday break. However, Stern women were not the only ones on campus that day: a film crew was on campus as well. The cameras captured students’ normal day at Stern College: talking in the hallway, waiting for the elevator, eating in the caf, and sitting in class.
The footage was commissioned by YU’s Office of Admissions, and will be used to update their recruitment video to be shown at Stern College’s Open House on November 15th. According to Matthew Schwartz, admissions’ Associate Director of Operations, the admissions department updates some of their content every few years. This includes brochures, different “giveaways,” and other materials.
This year, the department chose to redo the video as the previous one was filmed about four years ago and was outdated. The video aims to relay a glimpse of what Stern College is like on a day-to-day basis, and the SCW of four years ago certainly is not the same as it is today.
About 20 hours of footage was taken in all. Schwartz explained that this is due to the unique nature of YU. It is such a complex place with a lot to it, and the crew wanted to capture what the real experience is about. They made sure to interview students from many different backgrounds, faculty from across departments, and multiple administrators.
The tough part will be narrowing down all the footage into a five-minute commercial of sorts for the university.
While the purpose of filming was primarily for the open house video, Schwartz revealed tentative plans to produce more than one video with the footage. The Office of Admissions may choose to produce more focused videos on certain aspects of the university to be released throughout the year. This way the hours of footage will be utilized in an efficient, productive manner.
The admissions department hopes that the film will impress prospective students and encourage them to apply or at least consider the school more seriously. The students and the dedication of the faculty and administration impressed the videographers. So, hopefully they will have a hit on their hands.