CU Homecoming: Soundtrack Switchups & Last-Minute Pivots
This CU Buffs homecoming edit ended up being one of the more challenging pieces I’ve worked on—not because of the footage, but because of the behind-the-scenes coordination it required. There was a bit of a communication breakdown between the broader CU Sports Media team (led by Serena Archer) and the CU Football-specific media team (led by John Snelson). Both teams had overlapping ideas for what the homecoming hype video should feel like, but my assignment was to craft something that leaned more into the fan experience and crowd energy.
I had completed my original version well ahead of schedule. It was sound-designed, color-graded, and ready to go. But in the eleventh hour, I was asked to revise the piece because it felt stylistically too close to another intern’s edit for the CU Football account. On top of that, there were rights concerns around the music I’d used—even though it was cleared at the time, the long-term licensing wasn’t guaranteed. So, I had to quickly re-score and re-cut the edit using royalty-free music that still captured the same level of hype and pacing.
In the end, the revised video was posted and pulled in over 20,000 views on Instagram. While I still personally prefer the original version (which felt tighter to my creative vision), it was a valuable lesson in adaptability, working across departments, and finding ways to make creative pivots without losing the essence of the piece. Projects like this sharpen your problem-solving skills in ways you can’t always anticipate
