This upcoming Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. a group of approximately 150 students will gather to help film a new commercial promoting Whitman’s small and personal community. Several groups of Advanced Film Making students have been commissioned by President George Bridges to produce multiple commercials that will be featured on Whitman’s website for prospective students to watch and enjoy.
Bridges explained in an email interview the message he wants the commercials to send to prospective students.
“All will stress the personal nature of a Whitman education and why its personal approach to learning is superior to that offered at large universities,” he said.
Sophomore Meg Logue, who is working on the project, explained the selection process in an email interview.
“Each of us pitched an idea for the commercial to President Bridges, [the] dean of admission and the [chief communications officer], and they chose four pitches to be produced,” said Logue.
There are four groups of students making their own commercial. The group that Logue and sophomore Noelle Butler are in is focusing on showing the benefits of Whitman’s small community. In an email interview, Butler explained the benefits of being able to connect one-on-one with professors.
“It is impossible to know a professor personally if you are one of 500 students in a lecture classroom, but here it is the opposite. Our professors often go out of their way to get to know each of us personally, and we believe that this helps us thrive in our education,” said Butler.
President Bridges explained that the benefit of having students film and create the commercial instead of using a large-scale production company is twofold.
“Our students produce phenomenal videos while learning how to make different types of film. Their service to the college affords them creative opportunities and, at the same time, saves the college the significant expense of employing a professional production company. I am confident that the videos will be compelling and well done, revealing much about Whitman that is attractive to students. They will prove powerful in attracting creative and talented men and women to the college,” said Bridges.
Butler explained why she and her peers were motivated to make the commercial.
“This is a school where you can learn so much and have so many new experiences, and we think that is worth showing to students who are considering Whitman as an option,” she said.