"The Marquette University Christmas video has been an annual tradition for many years. The 2020 Christmas video production was done during the height of the pandemic--an emotionally and logistically challenging time. Our goal was to create a piece that was understated, familiar, warm, beautiful, moving, and also celebrated the Christmas spirit.
For these reasons, we featured a senior student named Ariana Madson. As a freshman four years prior, Ariana made her Christmas video debut singing "Joy to the World." For her 2020 video appearance, she plays acoustic guitar and sings "Let There be Peace on Earth" alone in an enclosed studio space--just Ariana and a microphone.
Shot in black and white and lit with white Christmas lights, we filmed Ariana singing live and also featured the real audio technician in the piece. A producer, a director of photography, and a gaffer rounded out the final small group of five people present on set. Shots of campus brought Marquette to everyone who was staying "safer at home."
The final piece was emailed out by our university president and posted on social media for a wide audience of students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni and was seen by more than 24,000 people. A comment received after the video's premiere: "I just saw the Christmas greetings from Marquette video. Love the simplicity of it, and that it showcases how beautiful black and white imagery can be. And the soloist! I’m curious... who’s work is this? It’s excellent.""
From the Judges
Simply stunning. It's on brand, moving, and brilliant in its simplicity. The black and white treatment is over-the-top good.
