Own the Dome: Syracuse University Admitted Student Experience

By Katie Conti, NEW 400 (VR Storytelling) Spring 2018

Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/gn35RwJzQAY

I'm unsure if WordPress will support my VR embed, but I figure I would at least try.

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What a semester it has been.

I came into this course fascinated by the potential that VR storytelling has to impact my future career in international communications, and now I'm thinking: how can I get my future career in VR to also include international relations?! I've dealt with a learning curve, that's one thing that is certain. I arrived here with Kindergarten level video editing skills, but high curiosity, drive, & determination to improve upon this skill set. I now feel much better, but know that I have a lot to learn still. I previously knew a bit about creative strategizing and storyboarding, and have always loved brainstorming, but this course gave me a plethora of additional angles to consider when embarking on an innovative project.

For my final project, I returned to the Insta360Pro and produced another 360º video. One of my main goals for this course at the beginning of the semester was to create content that could positively impact the Syracuse University community. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to further delve into the sites of Pan Am 103 Remembrance at SU through my first 360 video project, and knew I wanted to give back in another way for my final.

Serving as a University 100 tour guide has been such a blast over the last three years. Since Freshman year, however, I've volunteered at Own the Dome and interacted with admitted students and their families in the most "uniquely Syracuse" way that I know. This experience allows admitted students to have a taste of life at Syracuse by sleeping overnight in the Carrier Dome with hundreds of future classmates and handfuls of current SU students to guide the way. Personally, I was unable to attend Own the Dome as an incoming freshman, as it occurred the same night as closing night of my senior musical. I remember wishing that I could have gone, or at least seen more of what it was like.

Thinking of this, I decided to tell the story of experiencing this event as a prospective student and as a student who returns to volunteer each year. I tried to showcase both sides of the story, and was sure to include the supportive families in several opening scenes as well. To film, I used a Globetrotter Tripod for single (in place) scenes and a telescopic pole for scenes that required tight quarters or movement. It was definitely challenging to remember not to sway the camera too much, and to avoid running into friends who ask a ton of questions about the technology while filming... I have so many bloopers!

My major issues came from sound quality/editing, but I'll say more on this in a forthcoming independent learning blogpost.

It is my hope that I can do another good edit over the summer, to adjust things like the perfect background music, fixing up the audio fuzz, venturing into the tech of color correction, and adding the proper Syracuse branding colors/fonts. I would love to give this video to the Office of Admissions to use for next year's Own the Dome recruiting activities. Additionally, I knew that a lot of my own senior friends would be the emcees, group leaders, and other kinds of volunteers, so this was done partly for them, as a little momento.

Running through the Carrier Dome at 1:00 in the morning with the most exquisite, new-out-of-the-box, cutting-edge camera was an absolute blast - I can only think that my excitement was what the first astronaut on the moon must have felt. Trying this out was one of those experiences where I feel truly grateful to be a Syracuse student, and grateful for the opportunity to enroll in Newhouse courses. This is one experience that I will not forget, and I cannot wait to build from here and stay up to date with the newest innovations in the VR/AR spheres.