A Year in Retrospect
Picking favorites is hard to do. Just ask Brad on Season 16 of Panther Sports Talk. This year, however, the Around the Corner team has it’s own perspective on the unique opportunities 2024 brought, and what made our roles in them so special. 2025 is promising, with some exciting new developments in everything video. These are the Around the Corner team’s top 5 video projects of 2024.
Eric’s Pick- Megan Franklin Hype Video
At Around the Corner, we take pride in hitting deadlines. Most projects take several weeks or months to complete as we collaborate on the pre-production, production, and post-production process. From time to time, we are asked to film an event and edit the video to share with the public in less than 24 hours. In May we followed Dr. Megan Franklin for the day as she was introduced as the new Athletic Director at the University of Northern Iowa. Many students, faculty and alums did not know much about Megan, so we wanted to introduce her and her vision for Panther athletics in this short hype video.
I feel that producing stories with a quick turnaround is a dynamic, adrenaline-fueled experience. It demands a combination of creativity, precision, and adaptability under tight deadlines. Every step is a race against time, whether it’s filming, writing, or editing all the audio and visual elements together. As the producer we battle the constant challenge of making complex stories clear and compelling for a wide audience.
When the video was officially released to the public, it brought a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. This new leadership was a historical moment for UNI and Panther athletics. Our video storytelling brought this historical moment to life by combining visuals, audio, and narrative to create an emotional connection that resonates more deeply than text alone. I firmly believe that video storytelling turns history into a living legacy that informs and shapes the future. I was proud of our team as we created this important historical video in less than 24 hours.
Devin’s Pick- World Wide Logistics
Since we focus solely on video production, we often work with agencies to bring their client’s vision to life. We had the opportunity to work with Spinutech on a project for their client, Worldwide Logistics, in Des Moines, IA. Fun fact, I started my career in that field. I have a degree from Iowa State University in Supply Chain Management and 6 years of experience working in warehouses. Weird, right? That was my first career. Now, I’m nearing 10 years of experience honing my craft in video production, my second career. Those worlds have been colliding in the best way.
As a cinematographer at ATCP, my past experience in warehouses has come in clutch on projects like this. It’s an environment where I’m comfortable and experienced, but instead of moving boxes and leading a team, I’m operating cameras and flying drones. I’ve kept up my FAA Part 107 license to fly drones commercially since 2017.
Jacob Meade (Director, ATCP) and I collaborated on the shoot for this project. “You’re really getting pro at this, Devin”, he said while monitoring over my shoulder to see the drone shot I was getting. This compliment triggered a memorable moment of clarity and reflection. Looking back, it reminded me of how much I’ve grown and improved. What excites me about that is knowing I’m surrounded by a creative team of talented individuals who support each other, and we’re all continuously improving.
Prushia’s pick- Timeless Journeys
Timeless Journeys was a unique project that was near to my heart this year. Timeless Journeys was a highly collaborative, longitudinal documentary project spanning almost the course of an entire year. The piece highlighted University of Northern Iowa theater students seeking to expand creative opportunities for aging populations in nursing homes- with or without dementia- through pictures archived by Fortepan Iowa. This project was made possible by the work of Humanities Iowa, and was thoroughly successful in accomplishing its mission.
What made this project so endearing to me as a filmmaker was the abundance of storytelling we were able to capture and explore throughout the time we spent with the participants of the class and their audience. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often. The length of the time we spent with this group allowed us to show changes in perspectives, growth, and understanding, which ultimately supported the mission of the project by showing that there is something we all can learn from the work of the participants.
As director and producer of this video, I knew that projects like these take planning, consistency, and communication from the teams that undertake them. Preparing to shoot for something you can’t predict, ensuring we are getting all the material we can as a crew to provide context and subtle shifts in perspective, and ultimately, presenting something that truthfully captures the experience are all difficult things to do for any crew. At Around the Corner Productions, projects like these excite us and are such special chances to push ourselves to do great, meaningful work that will serve to expand learning opportunities like Timeless Journeys in the future.
Jack’s Pick- Iowa Finance Authority
One of my favorite projects this year was a 30-second commercial we created for Happy Medium, featuring a new homeowner who received assistance through the Iowa Finance Authority. As the gaffer and assistant camera operator on set, it was incredibly satisfying to work with such a talented team and execute the shoot seamlessly. The collaboration with our cinematographer, Devin, and director, Jacob, was a highlight—planning the gear and setups together ensured we had the right tools for each shot. We used some amazing technology like the Monitor & Control app for our FX6 cameras, and the Sidus Link app for precise control over our Aputure lights. One of my favorite moments was lighting a movie theater scene where we shot day-for-night, using the Sidus Link app to create the effect of a projector light shining onto the set.
Our newest addition to the team, Prushia, also played a crucial role in making this shoot a success. She did a fantastic job interviewing the homeowner, ensuring they felt at ease despite all the people and bright lights on set. Her ability to build rapport and make the homeowner comfortable was instrumental in capturing an authentic interview.
The smoothness of the day’s shoot was thanks to excellent pre-production and our choice of gear. At Around the Corner Productions, we prioritize efficiency and ease of use with our gear to ensure it never becomes a barrier to capturing the content we envision. The ability to quickly adjust lighting and camera settings allowed us more time to focus on perfecting the shots. It was also a pleasure working with our client, Happy Medium—they were fantastic to collaborate with, providing clear direction while allowing us the creative freedom to bring the vision to life. Special thanks to Kyle Stoutenberg for capturing such amazing behind-the-scenes photos! The positive energy on set made this shoot one of my standout projects of the year.
Brad’s Pick- Timmermann Farms
The best videos tell the best stories. My favorite project I worked on in 2024 is a video that took me down memory lane. The Timmerman Farm’s story spotlights a four generation family farm that created a legacy with John Deere equipment. Growing up on a family farm where my Grandpa Marlyn, uncles Mark and Brian, my dad, John, and now my brother Brent, farmed together creating their own legacy, I knew this was a story worth telling.
As videographer and interviewer for this project I had a vision of what I wanted to capture and what our challenges would be. One challenge involved connecting with each family member’s perspective of the farm’s legacy. Another challenge was keeping the team safe on an active farm. As the only production person who grew up being taught farm safety, I took the lead. The results were phenomenal fall harvest images of a family farm that included toy tractors, million dollar combines, and smiles as wide as a country mile.
Capturing the spirit of family farms makes this my favorite video. I know my grandpa would be proud.