Dodge College is proud that when our students graduate, they stay connected and collaborate as professionals. One example of this continued comradery is Replay Collective, a video marketing agency specializing in engagement-driven content targeted for the millennial generation.

Replay’s story began in spring 2014, when Siddharth Ganji (MBA and MFA/Film and Television Producing ’14), Christian Vieira (MBA and MFA/Film and Television Producing ’14), and Charles Lee (MBA/Finance ’12) used the resources available at Chapman University’s LaunchLabs to create a business plan. With the help of an investor, they raised one million dollars to form Replay Collective in July 2014.

“The idea behind Replay was to empower and trust our peers in leadership creative positions and provide video marketing solutions to local brands and influencers,” said Ganji.

Since its formation, Replay has produced a variety of content, from commercials to music videos to TV pilots. But what makes them different from everyone else is that its core principle is to put the creative forces at the forefront, and invest in its team’s talent. According to Ganji, this has led to a successful track record with their clients, allowing them to create content that boosts brands and help reach a wider audience.

replay 2

Director RJ Collins and Director of Photography Greg Cotten

It is Replay’s commitment to innovative collaboration, as well as its proven success, that compelled Dodge College to hire the company to create a new promotional video that resonates with the next generation of storytellers.

“We knew we wanted to harness the talent of our alumni to tell the Dodge College story,” said Lauren Kacura, assistant director of admissions. “Who better to tell the story than the people who actually lived it?”

Kacura and fellow administrators met with Replay last August to discuss the general overview of what they were looking for in a flashy promotional piece – to authentically replicate life as a Dodge College student through showcasing its world-class facilities open 24/7, and by including its nine undergraduate programs, eight graduate programs, a steady stream of industry guests, hands-on filmmaking in a collaborative, energetic environment, a connected alumni group, internship opportunities and a bridge to the industry with Chapman Filmed Entertainment AND, as if that weren’t challenging enough, to do it all in under two minutes.

“Almost immediately, we knew we wanted to create something cinematic, high octane, and moved at a quick pace without losing steam,” said Vieira. “It was really great because Dodge was very open to our questions and welcomed bold ideas.”

“The primary goal was to make a piece that was a celebration of the film school experience that all of us enjoyed so much” said RJ Collins (BFA/Film Production ’12), who directed the video. “When my friends and I were at Dodge we were on top of the world, and we really wanted to capture that.”

“What was exciting about writing something for Dodge was trying to summarize my four years of film school in two minutes,” said Tadeu Bijos (BFA/Film Production ’15), who helped write the spot. “From the beginning, we focused on pushing the fact that there are a million exciting things for you to do, and that you’ll find your friends and collaborators as you do them.”

replay 3

Hard at work on post production with MelodyGun

Once the script was locked in, an intense pre-production phase kicked off. The team had to plan 108 shots in 40 different locations in just 6 days. It was a complicated shoot, but Ganji and first assistant director Nicole Weber (BFA/Film Production’16) managed the moving parts rather seamlessly, with support from Dodge College administrators.

To help cast the spot, Replay turned to Stephanie Kerbis (BFA/Screen Acting ’15), of Stephanie Kerbis Casting, who “fell in love with the idea of ‘by Dodge students, for Dodge students,’” so she cast current students and alumni to authentically represent life at Dodge.

On set, Replay also brought in MelodyGun Sound, whose entire team is made up of Dodge College alumni. They were able to help with on-set sound, voice over recording, and the post- sound editorial mix.

“In the end, I think we were able to balance prospective student info with fun and energy, rather than merely creating a stale video with talking heads,” said Vieira. “Dodge always stresses the importance of unique storytelling, and we wanted to make sure that was reflected in how we promoted the school.”

Check out our amazing new promotional video to see what a great job they did!

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Promotional Video from Dodge College – Chapman U on Vimeo.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dodge College would like to thank Replay Collective and all of the alumni, students, faculty, and staff that made this video a reality. It would like to specially thank Roy Finch, James Gardner, Tina Graves, Lauren Kacura, Michele Kennedy, Dave Kost, Michael Kowalski, Kareem Marashi, Meagan O’Shea, Nick Peterson, Veston Rowe, and Pete Weitzner for all of their additional support and guidance throughout the entire project.