What do you do when your university is launching its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign?
When that campaign is called “Dream Big,” you go big.
For TWU Marketing & Communication (MarCom), that meant creating the university’s first-ever music video with the largest cast and crew of any marketing video previously crafted by the office staff.
“The vision for the video was from the creative brain of Christopher Johnson in the chancellor’s office,” said Christy Savage, project manager for TWU Marketing. “He had the idea to use the song ‘A Million Dreams’ from ‘The Greatest Showman’ and saw how it relates to the dreams of our students. The idea was to show everything that goes into making a student’s dreams come true, from the faculty teaching to the staff working commencement, to the hard work of the students themselves.”
Marketing took that vision and ran with it.
Daniel Cantu of D Cantu Media, former senior video producer for TWU MarCom, was brought in to direct the video. Cantu envisioned the choir students rehearsing the song, with their music flowing throughout the campus community while highlighting how the community makes dreams come true.
As the video ends, the community comes together at the Margo Jones Performance Hall for the concert performance by the choir.
With the vision of the video in place, thoughts turned to casting.
The actors – all from Texas Woman’s – were chosen to showcase the variety of faculty and staff jobs and how they impact the students. Students were chosen from every college to show the goals and dreams of TWU students across all disciplines.
Authenticity was important in the performance of the song.
“We partnered with Joni Jensen (director of choral activities) and TWU choir students so that all voices heard in the video are TWU students,” Savage said. “They spent long hours filming with us and took the time to cover the song professionally. It wouldn’t have happened without them.”
The video also wouldn’t have happened without licensing being granted for use of the song. The licensing was done with the help of a licensing broker to ensure the university had the proper credentials, according to Renee Thompson, director of creative services for TWU MarCom.
Planning the video began in spring and work was completed in August – in time for its premiere at the Fall Assembly. The video also was shown at the DREAM BIG campaign launch on the Denton and Dallas campuses and will be shown at the Houston campus campaign launch Nov. 8.
The video can be viewed on the university’s YouTube channel.
Almost 70 TWU students, faculty and staff participated in making the video. Names without a designated department are students.
Concert Choir
Joni Jensen, DMA (Music)
Mariah Ferguson (Music)
Ermir Bejo (Music)
Carter Outon
Celia Nowlin
Jenny Sung
Jessie Lucas
Joseph-Kyle Matinez
Rachel Mareth
Adam Bowley
Annabelle Roycroft
Chloe Cowdrey
Elizabeth Harris
Emily Diguette
Erin Wasson
Jasper Lee
Karina ColoĊ Fuentes
Kati Muncy
Lauren Evans
Madelin Carrion
Mariah Gill
Mercedes Shook
Rachel Braunschweig
Samuel Jennings
Appearances
Carine Feyten, PhD, Chancellor & President
Chad Wick, University Ambassador
Christopher Johnson (Chancellor’s Office)
AJ Lopez III (Marketing & Communication)
Amy Ruggini (Marketing & Communication)
Ana Griffin
Arturo Leos
Ashley Marangakis
Brianna Ramirez
Brooke Speights
Caroline Slater
Chad Smith, PhD (Communication Sciences)
Cpl. Sandra Marquez (Department of Public Safety)
Esmeralda Ledesma
Flor Sanchez
Gladys "Elena" Roa-Albert
Jasmine Owens (Athletics)
Jaynee Taylor
Jess Tate (Student Union at Hubbard Hall)
Jocelyn Dennie
Jorge Figueroa, PhD (Provost’s Office)
Kylah Holt
Leslie Fredrickson (Marketing & Communication)
Leslie Pearson (Admissions)
Lilia Bynum (Reading Recovery)
Magali Castillo Nicolas
Matt Flores (Marketing & Communication)
Michael Bergel, PhD (Biology)
Molly Keefer
Oakley
Paige Anderson
Randal Hare
Sandra Ruiz
Serena Fernandez
Victor Lozada, PhD (Literacy & Learning)
Virginia Rojas
Wandaliz Turner (Center for Women in Public Policy)
Film Crew
Daniel Cantu, D Cantu Media (former senior video producer for Marketing & Communications)
Arianna Watkins (Marketing & Communication)
Renee Thompson (Marketing & Communication)
Christopher Johnson (Chancellor’s Office)
Christy Savage (Marketing & Communication)
Alem Delacruz (Marketing & Communication)
Victoria Nall (Marketing & Communication)