SJSU Virtual Orientation
Bringing the campus experience online for 8,000 new students
In 2021, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions moved San José State University’s two-day new-student orientation online. Walcon Media created a cohesive series of more than 25 videos to welcome and prepare 8,000 incoming students for life at SJSU.
THE CHALLENGE
Reimagining Orientation
The opening video, featuring Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick K. Day, welcomed incoming students and established the tone and visual identity for the entire orientation series.
With COVID-19 restrictions preventing SJSU from holding its traditional two-day orientation on campus, the university had only a few months to transform the entire experience into a live-streamed virtual event.
The program needed to introduce incoming students to academics, financial aid, university services, campus safety, wellness, student organizations, Greek life, and the wider SJSU community. More than 25 videos had to be written, produced, and delivered—each representing a different department while still feeling like part of one unified orientation.
THE SERIES
One Visual System, Many Stories
University Housing
My SJSU
Working primarily with photographs from SJSU’s asset library, I designed an adaptable virtual environment for the entire series. Each department could feature its own imagery, messaging, and personality while the shared visual system kept more than 25 videos cohesive.
In post-production, I placed each presenter into a customized version of the virtual environment, incorporated department-specific imagery and graphics, and maintained consistent university branding across the complete series.
College of Education
Spartan Link
A Large
Production with
a Small Footprint
THE PRODUCTION
25+
Videos Produced
I worked with university departments to write and refine the scripts, guiding each one through SJSU’s review and approval process before filming. I then established a green-screen studio in a campus classroom and assembled a minimal crew: a videographer who also handled audio, a teleprompter operator, and me as producer and director.
2
Studio Shoot Days
3
Crew Members
THE RESULT
Ready for Orientation
The complete series was delivered on schedule and on budget for SJSU’s live-streamed virtual orientation.
That fall, the videos helped welcome and prepare more than 8,000 incoming students, introducing them to academics, university services, student responsibilities, and campus life before many could experience the campus in person.
The project transformed a complex, two-day event into a cohesive digital experience through thoughtful planning, an adaptable creative system, and a streamlined production approach.
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