This project came together organically in response to the energy of the game, and was an exciting one to edit. JMU faced Virginia Tech, an undefeated team from a higher conference, and we were expected to lose. The arena was packed with VT fans, and the atmosphere felt intense from the opening tip. Early on, I knew that if the game stayed competitive, and we pulled off an upset, I wanted to create a cinematic style recap, which is not our typical approach for basketball coverage.

I shot the game alongside four other videographers. As the momentum shifted in JMU’s favor, we quickly coordinated post game coverage in real time, assigning roles so we could capture enough material to support a larger, more cinematic recap than usual. My creative focus was the environment mostly, highlighting the contrast between a loud and confident VT crowd and the silence that followed JMU’s late-game plays. I wanted the recap to reflect how it felt to be in the arena during that shift, and wanted the JMU fans who were in attendance, to feel the adrenaline of the game all over again.

Once we won and I begun editing, I chose a cinematic, slightly tense track to mirror the arc of the game. I used early b-roll of VT and their fan presence to establish the scale of the opponent, then structured the edit to emphasize the momentum swing and the upset win. It was an exciting project to work on and helped contribute to our women’s team content with sucha a successful season happening.