In this success spotlight interview, Reverend Stacy Pardue discusses using the WeVideo software to create the Chaplain’s Corner videos. These videos were meant to uplift those across campus after a hard year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the interactive video below, you can watch Rev. Pardue’s interview and use the video buttons to watch a few of the Chaplain’s Corner videos.
Transcript
Paul Keys: We are here with Stacy Pardue, our Chaplain and we’re going to talk a little bit about The Chaplain’s Corner videos that she’s been producing. So welcome, Stacy, and thanks for joining us and being able to do this.
Stacy Pardue: Sure, thank you. Thanks for having me. Can you just tell us a little bit about the Chaplain’s Corner videos and how you go about creating them. Sure, Sure. Well, I must say that I was intimidated at first because technology is not my thing. My husband always says you’re good at a lot of things, but not technology.
And I have to be honest Paul and tell you that when I first contacted you, I thought for sure I would send you the clips and you would edit them, but once you talked me through it and kind of gave me the steps, it really is, I must say, quite intuitive. And it was very fun to make these.
So the way I would do it, I would use my phone to do the iPhone clips. And then once I had them in there, I would go to WeVideo.com and import those video clips into WeVideo. And you can edit them right there on the strip. It’s very simple process. And then you just slide the different pieces together. Once you finish that, once you’ve loaded all your clips and then you process it and I put it in high definition. And WeVideo then creates the video with a very lovely thumbnail of one of the pictures that’s in the video. And then go to YouTube, and I had started an account and I just imported that video into YouTube and published it. There’s some questions that you need to answer with YouTube, then published it. And once you do that, they create a link. And that’s what I would send out into the campuses, the link.
So it was lots of fun. I loved, I mostly did nature and music videos. Actually, I’ll tell you. So when I was Chaplain at Meredith in 2010 to 2016, what I primarily did was create a whole lot of community engagement programs for the campus, which is really my passion. And so when I came back, of course, with COVID, I wasn’t able to do in a community engagement to speak of, although I’m doing one project right now, that’s all virtual. But so Jean Jackson, when I chatted with her about what would she like for me to do, she said, of course, it’s been a really hard year here at Meredith with the pandemic and people are tired, they’re discouraged and frustrated and it’s just, yeah, it’s been really hard year. Would you please encourage the campus? I mean, simple. So I just came up with these videos thinking I just want to create something uplifting and fun and putting a smile on people’s face for that day. And so what’s more fun than nature and animals and beautiful scenery and music? So that’s, that’s really how I came up with those topics.
Paul Keys: What inspired you to do them?
Stacy Pardue: Yeah, I really picked the topics of nature and music because I do think they are so inspirational and encouraging, uplifting and all those good qualities that, that I think the arts really stir in us and that we can really relate to. I tried to pick some that were maybe a little unusual.
Like I went to the Tiger Rescue in North Carolina. And I mean, that was so interesting to me and the tigers were just beautiful. So I love that and I love what that group does, rescuing the tigers. I really enjoyed, I did three with some faculty and staff on campus and Bill Schmidt’s family, they play music together. So I did that one, which ended up getting the most views, too. It was really, really heartwarming and wonderful. And then I highlighted Shannon Johnstone, who is an amazing photographer. And she’s also an ultra runner. So that was really fun.
And then Angelyn Fanlo, she is a harpist and she’s somewhat new to the campus, so that was fun to introduce her as a harpist on campus. And then Tim Hendrix. He’s a brilliant pianist/organist, and I’ve known him for years. And so we did a song together. So that was really fun. My sister law is she was an organ major at Meredith and so she played the piano, she did a piece on the piano and play the Indian flute.
I really want to thank Jim Waddelow, who gave me lots of clips of student instrumentalists. And everybody really enjoyed them so much. So I’m really thankful for Jim. So many people helped me with this. Thank you to Paul who helped me figure out how to do it all. So it was really a group effort. So it was just so fun coming up with these interesting creative ideas. So there’s a lot of fun doing it.
Paul Keys: And is there anything you’d like to tell anyone who might be considering doing this?
Stacy Pardue: Yes, definitely. The bottom line is that if I can do this, you can do it. That it truly, really is not difficult. I wrote down the steps and it’s very intuitive to get it on your computer, get it on the WeVideo site, and then to get a YouTube site, it really was, was very easy. And what I’m thrilled about is that I’m sure I’ll continue to create different kinds of videos for different purposes. So I’m so glad, in fact, I really love that about being at Meredith is that it forces you to learn all the different technology, things that I probably would not be doing if I wasn’t there. And I really have appreciated that. And use the things I’ve learned so many different ways.
Paul Keys: Great. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Stacy Pardue: So one other thing is that I would be happy to sit with somebody who wants to learn how to do this. And I could literally teach them and 15 minutes how to put a video together. I mean, it’s truly that simple and intuitive. And just really encourage if anybody is hesitant to try it and but has a purpose for using it, please contact me. I would just be so happy to help with that.
Paul Keys: Awesome. Okay. Well, thanks, Stacy.