Watch Now! 2020 Rolling River Day Camp Summer Yearbook
Watch Now! Rolling River Day Camp Yearbooks through the Years
When we first started Rolling River Day Camp in 1993, our goal was to capture the fun and excitement at camp through photo and video. As Directors, we personally took out our large, clumsy VHS and Kodak film cameras and recorded the best moments of day. By the end of the summer, we had captured hours of content and processed thousands of photos. We decided that the best way to showcase this incredible footage was to create a chronological summer montage video that could be used as a keepsake for campers and staff. And so the tradition of the Rolling River Summer Yearbook was born.
In the 1990’s, editing a 60 minute recap video took months of dedicated work. The first step was to review the footage on time-coded, VHS cassettes. Mark and I spent countless hours screening the best shots and assigned each shot to a montage featuring an appropriately-themed song. We painstakingly ensured that the footage matched the message of the song. For example, if the lyric featured the word “smile”, then we searched for a video of kids smiling.
When we finished reviewing the videos, hundreds of pages of handwritten notes were submitted to a video editor to compile the footage in our recommended outline. There were several “back and forth” edits (in person or via fax machine) but we were proud to present the Summer Yearbook on VHS tape every October at the Fall Festival. Our entire camp community loved the concept of the yearbook as this was always the first time they had seen any footage from camp. It was an amazing way to share the Rolling River experience with friends and family.
By the early 2000’s, we continued the tradition of producing a Summer Yearbook and campers, parents and staff greatly looked forward to receiving it in the fall. While we graduated to smaller cameras, typed notes and DVDs, the creation of the yearbook was still an incredible amount of work. In addition to our personal footage, we hired a professional videographer to help with filming and editing (Mike the Video Guy) as well as specially trained camp photographers. We also brought in our teenage children to provide insight and ensure we had the most relevant “soundtrack” to appeal to the campers.
Our family always looked forward to the day we received the “first draft” of the yearbook so the editing process could begin. As we neared the final edits, selected hard-copy photographs and video notes were personally handed to Mike at a given meeting spot half-way between our residences. When the final cut was ready, our family would travel upstate to Mike’s studio to add the finishing touches. Around 2005, we stumbled upon the idea of adding a few funny outtakes and the outtakes alone ultimately became a segment at the end of the video that everyone loved. After hours of editing the main footage and the outtakes in the studio, the yearbook was complete and ready for distribution!
Since 2010, digital technology has significantly simplified the production and editing process for the Summer Yearbook. Every aspect of the video and photography process is now executed with state-of-the-art computer programs, apps and social media platforms. We utilize cloud computing such as Google Drive, Dropbox and Vimeo to instantly share footage and notes with our editors. Even though social media and live streaming enables our camp community to have immediate access to camp content, our families and staff still look forward to watching the full Summer Yearbook in the fall. This year we are excited to bring you the 2020 Summer Yearbook in a full digital format via Vimeo. You can watch sections of the Yearbook on your phone, computer, iPad or TV at any time. Reliving exciting summer memories is just a click away!
While technology has changed drastically over the years, one thing remains the same- campers and their families love to cozy up to their Smart TVs or computer screens to watch themselves as the stars of the Rolling River experience. Some things never change! As told by Director Rhonda Goodman
*Thank You to Our Yearbook Editors! Mike Meyerson from Absolute Motion Video, Carlo Mastrandrea, Pat Mantle