You know we have a bunch of sport teams, and you probably know they are pretty good. Maybe you've even come to a game or two - but do you really know what it takes to be a Golden Bear or Panda student-athlete?
That's the question I try to answer in Bear Path: Pandas BasketballBear Path: Pandas Basketball. It's the third instalment in a behind the scenes series where I follow our sport teams to get a true sense of the all the work and dedication that goes into putting on a Green & Gold jersey.
As the Multimedia Producer and Editor for the Athletics department, I'm constantly churning out videos on all of our sport teams and athletes. What the Bear Path series allows me to do is an extensive story and capture all the details that just can't be shared in a regular 2 minute video.
I followed the Pandas Basketball team everywhere they went for 10 days. It started on a trip to UBC where they played the rival Thunderbirds, with a full week of practices and interviews sandwiched in between a weekend series at home against UFV.
What ended up being the overwhelming theme of the whole story was not the fact that these are student-athletes balancing a full class schedule with 6 days a week of basketball as if it's no big deal. What came out of every interview, every practice, every shot of the Pandas was this incredible sense of family that this team shares. There's a reason why the word 'OHANA' (Hawaiian for family) is on the back of their practice jerseys and so prominent in the team dressing room. They truly live the meaning.
It takes a ridiculous amount of work - after 10 days of shooting, I'm left with hours upon hours of footage that I need to edit down to 21 minutes, on top of keeping up with the rest of my regular responsibilities. But with the help of the Athletics department and my co-workers, everything gets done. And I believe it's a story worth sharing.
Previous Bear Paths:
Daniil Anselmi - Multimedia Producer/Editor, Golden Bears and Pandas Athletics
Daniil is the Multimedia Producer/Editor for the Athletics department. You'll find him lugging around his camera bag back and forth between South and North Campus on a daily basis. With 17 Golden Bears or Pandas teams to cover, there's always a story to share.