Ravi Jain, Senior Associate Director, Digital Media and Web Development at Boston College, is one of the 12 presenters of the 3rd Higher Ed Content Conference.
In this 3-question interview, Ravi shares a surprising outcome from content work, the biggest hurdle for content quality and a higher ed content dream.
1) What’s the most surprising outcome – in your work with content – you experienced in the past 12 months?
I would say the most surprising outcome was the culmination of a year long project for our Student Services group to create a video for incoming freshmen during welcome week that would showcase traditions at Boston College.
It required me to reach out across some artificial institutional barriers to engage individuals outside of my department to collaborate in order to share both knowledge and footage for the end success of the project.
2) What’s the biggest hurdle for content quality at work? How do you deal with it?
The biggest consistent hurdle for me is that we do not have a dedicated videographer or video producer in my group.
We’ve been utilizing freelance help to better leverage my own and my colleagues’ strength of storytelling, concept development and project management.
3) If you were given everything you need, what’s the first piece of content you’ll create for your school?
A rich, immersive multimedia feature story combining the editorial depth of our excellent magazine with video and interactive elements, like some of the high profile pieces that the New York Times has produced.
4) What role does video play in your content strategy?
Video is the bread and butter of the area I oversee but I myself try to embrace and look to other forms when appropriate.
One of the most satisfying pieces I produced this last year was an evocative audio piece that chronicled the walking of the El Camino trail in Spain by a Boston College class.
