Two years ago, I had the opportunity to take on a unique challenge outside of my usual software development work in the name of school safety. I was asked by Texas Defense Force Security to create a commercial promoting their School Officer Program. The program teams volunteer private security officers recruited from the local community and local law enforcement agencies to provide a safe and secure learning environment for students.
I was tasked with filming, editing, and producing the commercial, which proved to be an exciting but also somewhat unexpected experience. One of my biggest challenges was finding someone to narrate the video, as the original narrator had a family medical emergency at the last minute. In a pinch, I was forced to take on the role myself...deadlines. I think I sound like a dork when I hear myself in recordings, but my wife says she likes my voice - so I'm going with that.
Many of you will be familiar with the extension demos and tutorials I post, but those aren't really intended to be professional quality video production. This project needed to be polished and perfect, and I'm pretty happy with the result. Filmed with GoPro cameras on tripods and stabilizing gimbals, including royalty-free stock videos, audio, and music, starring volunteers, edited using the OpenShot video editor. All on a $0 budget.
No task is left undone when it comes to school safety.
Despite the added pressure, I'm proud of how the commercial turned out. The result is a heartwarming and informative piece that showcases the importance of the School Officer Program in keeping students safe.
I'm now sharing the video with you.
