Ideas Arcade
As a content creator for Radical Play Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, I create interviews, trailers, and promotional content that communicate the lab's projects and ideas to broader audiences. My work spans the full content process, from researching interview subjects and preparing questions to filming, editing, organizing media, and delivering polished pieces for publication and internal review.
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The Communication Challenge
RPL (Radical Play Lab) works across games, research, teaching, and experimental media. A faculty member may understand their work deeply, but someone encountering it through social media or the School of Cinematic Arts website may only give the video a few seconds of attention.
My work at RPL revolves around answering the question: “What does an audience actually need to understand about this person or project, and how can I communicate that clearly without losing their personality?”
Building Ideas Arcade
During the semester, I helped develop and produce Ideas Arcade, an interview series featuring faculty members from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
The goal was to create short, approachable conversations that revealed both the faculty member's work and the ideas behind it.
Preparing for the Interview
Before interviewing someone, I researched their work and identified the ideas that could make the conversation meaningful to someone unfamiliar with them.
The goal was to give the conversation enough structure to tell a story while still leaving room for unexpected answers.
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Preparing for the Interview
Editing for Audience Attention
My editing decisions were guided by a simple question: What does the viewer need at this exact moment to stay oriented and interested?
Decisions Included:
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Pacing: Removing pauses and repetition.
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Visual reinforcement: Using supporting footage or graphics.
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Information hierarchy: Making names, titles, projects, and key concepts immediately understandable.
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Tone: Retaining the personality of interviewee.
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Editing for Audience Attention
Responding to Feedback
I shared drafts with Professor Russworm and other collaborators, gathered feedback, and translated comments into concrete editing changes.
The interview makes sense internally, but someone unfamiliar with the faculty member may not understand the reference.
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Responding to Feedback
During the Interview
During interviews, I paid attention to:
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Which topics made them more animated
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Opportunities for natural follow-up questions
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Answers that needed clarification for a general audience
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Audio and visual consistency
Listening carefully made it possible to follow interesting ideas as they emerged.
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During the Interview
After the Interview
A full conversation may contain many interesting ideas, but the final video needs a clear reason for every moment to remain.
When reviewing footage, I looked for:
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A strong opening thought
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Statements that clearly explain the subject's work
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Personal or emotionally engaging moment
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Sections requiring visual context
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After the Interview
Improving Production Workflow
Over time, I also started thinking about how to make future content easier to produce, not just how to finish the current video
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Organized footage into shared folders
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Maintained accessible media archives
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Improved interview preparation
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Refined filming and editing workflows
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Improving Production Workflow
Outcome!
One of the most rewarding moments was seeing the Ideas Arcade work shared beyond the immediate lab. The videos were presented to the Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and members of the school's marketing team and received positive feedback.
< Key Takeaways >
The best interview questions begin after the interview starts
Preparing questions gave each conversation structure, but I learned that the most meaningful moments often emerged when I stopped thinking about my next question and listened closely to the answer in front of me. Following someone's curiosity, excitement, or unexpected story often created stronger material than anything I could have scripted beforehand.
Role
Project Lead & Content Creator
Organization
Radical Play Lab, USC School of Cinematic Arts
Content
Interviews, trailers, event media, social content
Skills
Interviewing, editing, storytelling, content strategy
Tools
