Graduation 2023
Liverpool John Moores University
A graduation like no other
LJMU sought to capture the unparalleled grandeur and significance of its graduation ceremonies, particularly in celebration of its 200-year legacy. Recognising these ceremonies as pivotal milestones in the lives of its students, LJMU aimed to create a film that would reflect the ceremonial grandeur and the profound personal impact of this momentous occasion. Mocha was chosen to bring this vision to life, tasked with showcasing the event in a way that had never been seen before.

Components

Challenge
The primary challenge was to film the graduation ceremony in an innovative manner that matched the event's spectacle and emotional depth. The aim was to transcend traditional graduation films by capturing both the grandeur of the Liverpool Cathedral venue and the intimate, transformative moments of graduation. This required meticulous planning, especially for the use of First-Person View (FPV) drones within a setting filled with hundreds of attendees, ensuring safety while achieving visually stunning footage.
Approach
To meet this ambitious goal, Mocha deployed a sophisticated filming technique, utilizing FPV drones to offer a dynamic perspective of the ceremony's interior and exterior. This approach provided a unique vantage point, capturing the architectural beauty of the cathedral and the emotional atmosphere of the event. The team's careful planning and coordination ensured these aerial shots complemented the narrative without disrupting the ceremony.
Parallel to the cinematic visuals, Mocha conducted in-depth interviews with students to weave their insights and emotions into the film's narrative. This process informed the scriptwriting, ensuring that the script captured the essence of what graduation means to LJMU students. The combination of student testimonials and professional voiceovers added a deeply human and emotive layer to the film, enriching the cinematic visuals with personal stories and reflections.

