Virtual Graduations 2020/2021

Project brief

Given the ongoing COVID-19 threat, the CSL project team, working alongside the team in TU Dublin, were tasked with creating a virtual experience to confer, celebrate and congratulate the graduating class of 2020.The complete series of 21 programmes were uploaded and hosted on YouTube and live-streamed at a designated time via an embedded link on TU Dublin’s official website to a combined audience of over eight thousand students, their family and friends, along with the staff and alumni of TU Dublin

It was important that the graduation ceremonies reflected the brand values of TU Dublin and showcased TU Dublin as a contemporary and modern university as it celebrated its first TU Dublin graduates. With the programmes, we wanted to generate a sense of optimism and community for the graduates, their families and friends, the staff and alumni of TU Dublin. 

The process

The CSL team developed an overall look and feel, thematic approach and content development plan. In collaboration with the fantastic team in TU Dublin, we produced a host of content.

• Graphics and motion graphics – design all branded and transitional elements for the programme, including intro titles for each session, lower thirds, certificate and photo transitions and all other elements required, graphic transitions and visual representations and opening and closing titles.

• Keynote addresses from the President and Registrar of TU Dublin - using green screen filming and onsite filming at TU Dublin.  

• Standing ovations - pre-recorded zoom calls with Faculty applauding the graduates, to be used in lieu of the traditional live applause, 

• Musical rendition- pre-recorded rendition in the recital hall from the Head of the TU Conservatoire

• Student, faculty and alumni congratulatory Messages – pre-recorded montage of video from a selection of students, faculty and alumni. The team liaised with the selected alumni to coordinate and produce all pre-recorded addresses for the final programme.

• Audio- treatment - the incorporation of all audio elements including pre-recorded audio treatments to ensure consistency, voiceover recording and overlay, music selection and integration. 

• Final edit – bring together all the elements of pre-recorded video, audio, graphics and motion graphics to produce and edit the final programmes for live-streaming and post event on demand viewing.

Results

In a very short space of time, we produced twenty-one unique virtual graduation ceremonies which garnered a sense of community using video messages from students and staff, which showcased the talent that exists in the university with musical renditions for the Conservatoire and that demonstrated the infinite possibilities open to graduates with bespoke messages from alumni.