Final Result

When we were given the task to produce an event recap video for the event's last day, there were two challenges we faced:

1. The content of the event kept changing, up until the week of the event itself.

2. Editing a recap video that captures the energy and feeling of the event while the event is going on.

Approach

We couldn't control what went into the event. We could control how we told the story. Using clips from previous events, I assembled a mock draft that communicated the tone, pacing, and style of what the final video would eventually be, and picked the song. That draft served two purposes: it gave the editor a clear reference to work from, and it gave our Senior Director something concrete to review and approve before real footage even existed.

Solution

As real event footage came in, the editor and I worked closely to keep the final cut aligned with the approved direction — swapping real footage into the mock draft's structure and timing wherever it fit, and rebuilding sections around what actually happened where it didn't. I stayed hands-on as creative director throughout: reviewing cuts, giving direction, and keeping the edit in sync with what had already been approved. The tone and music stayed consistent from the mock draft through to final delivery, so the video never lost the feel we set out to capture, even as the content around it kept shifting.

Results

The video played on the event's last day and the audience got up and cheered. It was later featured on Todd Graves' personal Instagram (554K followers) and Raising Cane's official Instagram (1.8M followers). The post on Todd's page alone pulled in 1 million likes — nearly double his follower count.

Side note: after the official video was delivered, I put together my own director's cut for my personal social media — just my own take on the footage, no approval process attached.