The Artist In Me Trailer

7012 Case Study

Project Date: March 2 to March 15, 2025

Team Member: Morgan Hayes

Role: Videographer, Photographer, and Video Editor

Objective

The goal was to create a fun, low-pressure 30-second trailer about something enjoyable that happened during Spring Break. The final product needed to be engaging, tell a story, and include sound elements.

The Challenge

Since I work in the school system year-round, I didn’t get a traditional Spring Break. While others were traveling or relaxing, I was still working. I didn’t want my trailer to be a series of clips showing me at a desk, so I had to think creatively and plan something worth capturing.

To push myself further, I added an extra challenge by deciding to complete the entire project using only my mobile device. I typically rely on my Lumix G95 camera, lighting kits, and professional gear, but for this assignment, I wanted to keep it spontaneous and lightweight.

Phase One: Planning and Inspiration

With my full-time schedule in place, I dedicated my work hours to brainstorming ideas. As I reviewed some of my recent artwork, I realized I hadn’t visited a gallery in a while. That sparked the concept: I would visit some museums and galleries.

I searched for art galleries outside of Augusta to break out of my usual surroundings. Athens and Atlanta stood out, and I decided to take a one-day trip to visit as many art galleries as possible. Since I couldn’t take time off, I had to plan everything carefully around my existing commitments.

Phase Two: Developing the Concept

I created a simple storyboard on my iPad that outlined the sequence of events: packing, driving, and viewing art. My inspiration came from the distinctive trailer styles of A24, Baz Luhrmann, and Wes Anderson. I wanted to combine their cinematic elements: A24’s mysterious tone, Anderson’s quirky pacing, and Luhrmann’s dramatic, painterly visuals.

Pic of Storyboard here

Midweek, I wrote a brief voiceover script inspired by 90s mystery movie trailers. Using the mobile app Super Sound, I recorded a few takes and chose the second as the best version. I cleaned up the audio using Adobe Podcast and saved it to my phone for editing.

For music, I browsed Envato Elements and found a royalty-free track that blended classical and contemporary styles to match the tone of the trailer.

Phase Three: Gallery Day

On Saturday, I set out on my mini art adventure. I packed two phones (one for photos, one for video) along with a mini mic, mobile gimbal, lights, and a tripod.

My first stop was the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, where I explored and captured footage of the “Waffle House Vistas” exhibit. From there, I headed to Atlanta, where a local tattoo shop was hosting a Women’s History Month gallery show. I documented the experience through both photos and video, and while I only made it to two galleries, I gathered plenty of strong content to work with.

Documentation of the videos and photos during spring break in phone camera roll

Phase Four: Editing the Trailer

I had over an hour of footage and 75 photos to work with, but the challenge was to condense it into a 30-second story. I began by sorting through the best visuals that helped communicate the spirit of the project.

Before editing, I explored my classmates’ submissions in our Slack channel to gain inspiration while making sure my final video had a distinct voice.

I edited the entire trailer in CapCut Pro on my mobile device and used Canva Pro, also on mobile, to design the title card and thumbnail.

1st pic is the creation of the opening title card, 2nd pic is the CapCut video editor mobile page used to edit the video, 3rd pic is the actual time of the trailer

Final Result

The finished trailer is 26 seconds long and captures the essence of the journey. It creates a sense of curiosity while leaving viewers wondering if the protagonist achieved her goal.

🎬 Watch the trailer here:

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