Plum’s not just a great media maker; its collective heart is in the right place. That’s why, each year, we choose a worthwhile organization and donate our services to make a video. This year’s lucky recipient: the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. With their Salute to Youth event coming up, we decided to create a meeting opener video to celebrate the great things the Clubs do for kids.
Over the course of a month, the Plum team visited numerous Boys & Girls Clubs sites, and I learned that the Clubs are about way more than shooting hoops. We recorded young people dancing, writing music, planning charity events, creating artwork, playing chess and- close to my own heart- producing a TV program. Oh yeah, and shooting hoops.
Besides being fun to produce, this project was a testing ground for new Plum capabilities. We captured some of the footage with our new DSLR camera, which allows us to use film-style lenses for a cinematic look. In post-production, graphics guru Kevin did some motion tracking effects that are so seamless, I’ll bet you can’t spot them. The newest Plummer, Bob, brings with him extensive audio experience, so he used ProTools to weave location sound, sound effects and music into the final audio mix.
Last Monday night, we attended the Salute to Youth event at the Pfister, along with several hundred of our closest friends. The video got a rousing ovation, but I’ll tell you who the real stars of the evening were: the young people who have overcome adversity and taken control of their lives. The audience was enthralled as high school student Cavalier Washington told of the hardships she faced at home, and how she has not only achieved academic success herself, but also tutors younger kids, assists in the computer lab and coaches soccer. She more than deserves the scholarship she was awarded. Later in the evening, as awards were handed out to community members who pour their energy into the Clubs, it became clear that this is a very special organization.
Our Boys & Girls Clubs clients have thanked us repeatedly for our donation of time and effort in creating the video. But you know, I think they gave even more to us: the chance to hang out with the dedicated staff and the enthusiastic, creative, fun kids of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
Thank you!
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