Deerfield Produces Promotional Video for the MET

From October 14 to 16 of this year, Deer#eld Academy partnered with LoneSpruce, a videography and creative studio, to produce a promotional video for the Academy’s upcoming 2026 fundraising campaign. Director of Communications Jess Day described the initiative as a “comprehensive campaign,” explaining that it will raise money for many projects, including the dining hall construction, #nancial aid, faculty support, and a new dormitory. She noted that comprehensive campaigns run parallel with annual fundraising events, such as the Deer#eld Fund. Currently, the Academy has set a goal of raising $425 million through this upcoming campaign, which will run for four to #ve years. "e Academy has been in a “quiet phase,” a period before the campaign’s public announcement. "e campaign is scheduled to of- #cially begin on May 13, 2026, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. "e video will be displayed during a formal event for the Deer#eld community, where parents, alumni, select faculty, and students will gather to share their experiences, celebrating the school’s many facets. Ms. Day emphasized that the purpose of the video is to “highlight all the things that we’re raising the money for… and the things that are important [to Deer#eld], like the meaningful traditions, and everything else that makes Deer#eld great.” "e #lmmaking process began this past spring, when the LoneSpruce crew captured footage of athletic games, classroom discussions, and everyday campus life between May 13 and 14. "is fall, the crew returned to capture more footage, much of which included faculty and student participation in discussions. Ms. Day explained that, since the primary audience is alumni, the Academy “wanted to highlight teachers who are wellknown,” such as Science Teacher Heidi Valk, who has taught at Deer- #eld for almost 30 years. Ms. Day added that the crew also selected History Teacher Hayden Fox’s classroom to illustrate the humanities at Deer#eld, o$ering insight into the school’s academic environment. Beyond showcasing its classroom experiences, the Academy hopes to capture the most authentic version of campus life, something Ms. Day said was “tough to do.” To accomplish this, the crew has spent time “capturing the beauty of the place…#lming everything as you would for a movie,” Ms. Day said. “We want to show as much as we can…to show all the aspects of Deer#eld, like humanities, sciences, arts, and athletics.” Students also had the opportunity to partake in multiple scenes, contributing to the #lm’s depiction of an authentic school environment. Associate Editor for the Scroll Rory Hartblay ’26 participated in a scene where he and two other students had a discussion with Head of School John Austin in the library. Hartblay explained that the reading room on the #rst %oor had been set up to look like a mock class. During the #lmmaking process, “[the #lm crew] told us to have an actual conversation with Dr. Austin, but make it random because they weren’t actually going to take the sound from the recording,” Hartblay said. He explained that as a result, “Dr. Austin decided to have each of us make a meal for him.” Nate Ugwonali ’27 also participated in the #lming of the mock classroom with Dr. Austin. “"e #lming of the promotional video was fun,” Ugwonali said. “I got to talk to Dr. Austin about his favorite foods and books, and it was especially cool seeing [the] behind the scenes of a production like this.” Another student who was featured in the same scene, Tashvi Reddy ’27, shared her perspective on the #lming experience, stating, “"e #lm crew asked us multiple times to either take down notes, to lean in or out of the camera, and even asked Dr. Austin to say something that makes everyone laugh.” Reddy recalled that her participation was unplanned and that she happened to be studying in the library when the #lming began, and she described the experience as “unexpected but incredibly fun.” Hartblay described the #lmmaking process as being very professional, saying, “I was kind of shocked because I didn’t know that it was going to be a professional #lm crew. I thought it was just going to be like another #lm promo that Deer#eld does like with the communications o&ce, like the ones you see on Instagram every other day.” "e #lm crew also captured footage of students at the rock to display more facets of the Academy’s culture. Luc Ruminski ’27 was part of this process, and he described the experience, saying, “It was really fun getting to work with the crew, since I got to meet a bunch of new people during #lming. I was happy to represent Deer#eld and be part of the #lmmaking process.” "e #lm crew will return to campus in January of 2026 to capture scenes of a sit-down meal a!er the renovations of the new dining hall are complete. Ms. Day shared the possibility of an on-campus premiere once #lmmaking wraps up. She further expressed her excitement to witness the completion of the production and the opportunity to participate in the #lming process. “["e video] is supposed to be inspirational. It’s supposed to get people excited to participate in the campaign…and I think it’s a privilege to share things about Deer- #eld.”