LEAVENWORTH JROTC RAFFLE HYPE VIDEO

Our JROTC Foundation hosts an annual raffle to raise funds for the program, and this year they held a video contest to promote it. I wanted to create something that could win, but also tell a more complete story than my usual montage-style edits.

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I believe people want to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. To do that, I opened the video with elements of our history and moved into present-day footage of cadets working, training, and participating in the program. The goal was to make viewers feel connected and inspired to support something meaningful.

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I directed, shot, and edited this video, which was different from my usual process. Instead of just assembling footage, I worked with people directly—guiding what they said and how they said it—so I had much more control over the story from beginning to end.

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I also focused heavily on aspect ratio. I normally use 2.35:1 for cinematic shots or 4:3 for more casual videos, but neither felt right for this project. After experimenting, I chose 1.85:1, which gave the video a more balanced, documentary feel.

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Filming this project took a lot of time, as I went out to different teams and practices to capture as much footage as I could. I ended up with plenty to work with, but a lot of it didn’t fit the tone I was going for—most of the practice footage felt messy and didn’t match the energy I wanted. The football game footage stood out because everyone was in uniform and fully locked in, which made those shots feel much stronger and more impactful.

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In the end, this video won the contest.