From producing Aragon’s weekly video announcements and most recently, the Lip Dub, to creating clips sent to PBS for potential broadcasting, to filming skateboard and road trip videos with his friends, senior Josh Prado’s passion for videography is clear.
“It’s really fun when you get to see the beginning stages of one thing, and going through the process — filming, producing, post-production — and then watching the product,” Prado said. “Then you get to see not just that, but how people see it. For example, the Lip Dub was conceived by a couple of people who worked on it, and then [later], 1,700 people are going to see it.”
Through watching skate videos, other filmmakers and old films, Prado has found both interest in and inspiration for his videos.
“My favorite director is Francis Ford Coppola,” Prado said. “Not only is he great in delivering what writers give, but he puts his own visual touch to give a feeling or emotion. You could see me trying to do that in my short movies.”
In his junior year, he enrolled in digital arts teacher Nick Carrillo’s Art of Video class where he learned the technicalities of videography, how to manage a crew and created his own segments. Prado’s segments impressed both Carrillo and Leadership’s tech commission, which is in charge of video announcements.
“Every year, Ms. Perino has asked me for Art of Video students — kids with producing backgrounds who also have leadership capabilities,” Carrillo said. “He was the first one who came to my mind last year. He’s a really hard worker, really dedicated, really creative, very spirited, and that’s why I recommended him for the tech commission for leadership.”
One of Prado’s close friends, junior Robert Wilson, also notices his dedication to video.
“He is a hard worker and is ambitious with his creative ideas,” Wilson said. “He never fails to deliver when it comes to our work.”
However, with weekly deadlines, multiple projects, responsibility for video announcements and a larger audience, Prado feels a greater pressure with a larger role.
“The thing about Leadership when you’re making videos for them is that rather than making it for a class, you have an audience, so everything that you do, the risk that you take is much more amplified,” Prado said. “I feel like I’m the last line of defense because whatever changes, if I want to make something look good, I’m always pressured every week. I’m always the last person to see the product before it goes out, before everyone in the whole school sees it.”
At the same time, though, to Prado, the most important part of creating videos is not always the end product.
“What I like seeing in a person and myself is how you got to that end product,” Prado said. “I like seeing people improve themselves and struggle and pull through … [I like] seeing how one person can tackle a task and execute it efficiently. The product [may not be the best] in the end, but you tried your best, and that’s what pushed me.”
Having worked with Prado for two years, Carrillo has noticed his strengths and improvement.
“I’ve seen him embrace and take on bigger challenges and bigger projects,” Carrillo said. “He’s really good at timelines. He’s learning little things here and there like anybody would, but overall I’m very happy with him and tech commission.”
Outside of school, Prado has been a finalist for his submissions to PBS and also enjoys making videos with his friends.
“What I like about skate videos is that you get a bunch of friends, make a movie, bond together and [create] a core friendship,” Prado said.
In fact, Wilson and Prado met over their shared interest in skateboarding and videography.
“I met Josh my freshman year when he was a sophomore, and we became friends in Spanish class because we both skateboard,” Wilson said. “The next year we started to collaborate on videos in Art of Video class and for Leadership.”
Besides creating videos and spending time with his friends, Prado is also passionate about music.
“I like music because it gives me a chance to tell stories without words,” Prado said. “[Music is also] like film — there’s a process from start to finish that goes behind making that product. There’s also a good medium where you have to try to impress the audience and stay true to the original script.”
However, in the future, Prado still hopes to continue down his path of creating videos.
“I want to be a producer [and] like making documentaries because I like catching reality as it is,” Prado said. “I try to capture the good moments as it goes by before I lose it and like finding beauty in normal things.”
