June is a season of farewells. For students, the graduation ceremony is a grand celebration; for teachers, it is a long task spanning preparation, onsite execution, and post-production.
This article is written from the perspective of a teacher who personally handled audio control and filming, documenting the entire process—from audio, presentations, filming, editing to compiling highlights. It is more than just an event record; it is a profound sharing of educational passion and technical integration.
| Graduation Ceremony |
| 畢業影片拍攝 | Graduation Video Filming |
| 小學畢業典禮工作流程 | Elementary School Graduation Workflow |
| 教師攝影剪輯心得 | Teacher’s Filming and Editing Insights |
| 教師部落格分享 | Teacher’s Blog Sharing |
| 多機位錄影剪輯 | Multi-Camera Filming and Editing |
| 畢業典禮後製影片 | Graduation Ceremony Post-Production Video |
| 小學老師紀錄 | Elementary School Teacher’s Documentation |
| Mac剪影片經驗 | Experience Editing Videos on Mac |
| 教師紀錄畢業典禮 | Teacher’s Graduation Ceremony Documentation |
| foggy 朱芳慶 | foggy Zhu Fangqing |
Every year in mid-June, the elementary school graduation ceremony takes place as scheduled.For students, it marks the conclusion of a learning journey; for teachers, it presents yet another frontstage-and-backstage challenge.
Over the past twenty years, I’ve often been assigned to handle audio or presentation control, and occasionally had the chance to take charge of filming or photography.These seemingly technical tasks actually run through the entire event and are key to ensuring the ceremony unfolds smoothly.
🎤 The Dual Role of Audio and Presentation Control
In elementary school graduation ceremonies, the host and audio controller face the most pressure.Although there are student performances during the ceremony, each lasting only three to five minutes, the pressure is distributed across classes. However, the host and audio operator must stay focused from start to finish
In recent years, as graduation ceremonies have gradually included more highlight videos and PPT presentations prepared by the counseling office, the responsibilities of the audio technician have also increased.
In addition to managing microphones and background music, I also need to synchronize the slideshow playback. If the event moves on to the awards segment but the projector still shows the previous slide, it creates an instantly awkward moment.So managing the slideshow has basically become one of my regular duties. I may be used to it now, but the pressure is still very real.
- During the 94th school year (2005) graduation ceremony, the activity center used CRT televisions. Music was played through a CD player, and volume was adjusted manually using the amplifier’s dial knob.
- By the 113th school year (2024), twenty years later, the activity center was equipped with large LED displays. The same computer was used to play both the presentation slides and the background music.In less visible spots, one or two cameras were set up for filming. It’s a one-person operation typical of small, remote schools.
🎥 Filming Doesn’t End When the Camera Stops
This time, I want to specifically talk about filming and videography. Who is the graduation ceremony video really for? The most important audience is the graduates themselves.
In the past, we used a single fixed-angle camera. While the footage was stable, it often lacked variety. Having a teacher operate the camera offered flexibility, but inexperience often led to shaky shots and poor composition.
So we eventually favored fixed positions and enhanced the main subject in post-production using digital zoom. However, this often led to degraded image quality and visible noise.
🎬 Multi-Camera Filming: Attempts and Challenges
To overcome the limitations of a single camera angle, I planned a three-camera setup this year:
Camera 1: A fixed wide shot capturing the entire stage (Sony AX700)
Camera 2: A GoPro 10 mounted on a high-angle stand to capture a diagonal wide view
Camera 3: A compact camera (360 GO3) on a tripod, which I moved during breaks in audio control to capture close-ups and interactive moments
While this added flexibility, I still had to be mindful of audience sightlines and stage movement, making the shoot quite challenging.
💻 Post-Production Is the Real Marathon
Once the ceremony ends and the footage is imported into the computer, a whole new phase of work begins.
Should I just upload footage from all three cameras as-is? If simply posted to the school’s YouTube channel, the repeated angles would lack appeal.So I chose to create a multi-camera edit to enable smooth transitions between shots.
Choice of Editing Software and Hardware
I used Final Cut Pro as the editing software, and editing 4K footage on a 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Max) was seamless.
Capturing Emotion Through Picture-in-Picture
While playing the graduation video, I chose to import the high-resolution original footage directly as a track to ensure maximum clarity.
At the same time, I wanted to capture the students’ reactions as they watched—smiles, surprise, and tears. So I added a picture-in-picture effect, showing their expressions in the bottom-right corner of the screen. It became a genuine moment of emotion unique to graduation day.
Behind-the-Scenes Highlights Complete the Perfect Ending
At the end of the graduation video, I added a segment of behind-the-scenes highlights.These were clips I captured candidly during the ceremony, showing interactions between graduates and teachers, preparations behind the stage, and on-stage performances.Presented as a slideshow, it served as the closing segment of the video, adding a sense of completeness to the whole production.
- During the 114th school year (2025) graduation ceremony, during breaks in music and slideshow playback, I used a camera to capture candid moments from the side of the stage. Later, these clips were compiled into a slideshow video that was uploaded as the graduation ceremony highlights.
📂 Graduation: Is It Really the End?
On the day of the ceremony, the following day, and even throughout the week, I continued to see the graduates.
But only after sorting the photos and completing the video editing and upload did I truly feel the ceremony task had officially ended.Is the task really over once the video is shot and uploaded? For me, not yet.
The children look forward not only to the video but also to the event photos shared on the school’s social media page.These memories are the precious records they and their families can cherish and revisit again and again.
- The graduation ceremony video from June 2025 was actually completed and uploaded for parents to view only in early July.
Conclusion: The End of a Ceremony Marks the Beginning of New Memories
The graduation ceremony is a milestone for students and a quiet celebration of dedicated efforts for teachers.
I am not just the cameraman, audio technician, or presentation operator—I am also the documentarian and editor of memories.
Farewell is never the end; it is the moment when memories begin to speak.
