Whether it be at spirited pep rallies, intense sports games or other lively events on campus, sophomore Arvin Chau can often be found behind his camera, capturing the moment to transform into his next video project.
Some of Chau’s video edits can be found on the school’s Instagram account, @walnut_mustangs and his personal Instagram account, @chaurvin. These projects include montages of school events and stories enhanced with intense music and special video effects. Some of his posts include a fiery edit of the girls’ senior night basketball game and a vibrant winter sports rally recap.
“I’m passionate about filming because I like to express myself through art and making videos,” Chau said. “Usually, when I make a video, I tell a story. I like how when people see my work, they feel a certain way.”
Before doing any filming or editing, Chau creates a storyboard for his projects, where he plans out shots he needs to take and how the story is going to unfold. He then chooses the music that will frame the edit: slower, calmer music for romantic and chill edits and faster hip hop beats for hype or sports edits.
“Music is a really good tool to evoke a certain emotion that you’re trying to create,” Chau said. “Just like when we read books, we imagine pictures in our head of how that world would look like, and for me, that would be in the form of a video.”
Although Chau constantly experiments with his style and brand, his favorite genres of videography to work with are short films and music videos, specifically those he makes with his classmates from Advanced Video Production. He enjoys writing out detailed stories and executing them through a visual medium.
“For short films, you can freestyle and work with a lot of people as a team. It’s really fun. [Myself] and my classmates all work together to plan the project, and we all take on different roles to make it happen,” Chau said.
Chau’s current goal for himself as a videographer is to speed up his thought process and how he comes up with creative ideas, so he can spend more time and effort on actively spinning those ideas to life. He also wants to work on fine-tuning his editing techniques so he can build up to a more professional level.
“Sometimes it gets frustrating when you don’t have any creative ideas. You just have to sit there and think about what you want to do. It can be hours, so the process is tougher than it looks,” Chau said.
Some popular video creators that Chau looks up to include Gawx and Cole Bennet, who each specialize in cinematography and creative video projects. Chau believes that videography is becoming more and more relevant in a world dominated by media usage.
“Videography is getting more important since everyone is now using social media, and they feel more attached when watching videos than reading words,” Chau said. “Every commercial we see right now is in video form, and it’s important to know how to edit or film since you can make good money out of it.”
Chau first fell in love with videography when he added the regular Video Production class to his schedule freshman year. He connected with it instantly and joined Advanced Video Production as a sophomore; he now sees filmmaking and editing as parts of his life that he wants to incorporate into his career in the future.
“A lot of my influence comes from social media. I want to know more about marketing and how to film like other creators because I really want to start my own video-related business later on,” Chau said.
Chau is still constantly learning new things in the field of videography, but his journey with filmmaking has inspired him to continue persevering in his craft.
“For those who want to pursue videography, don’t be afraid to start creating, even if the outcome is not how you wanted. It takes practice and a lot of time to refine your skills,” Chau said.
