Planning

 Define scope, audience, and success criteria.

 Confirm distribution channels and delivery timeline.

 Confirm branding requirements and use of approved templates.

Coordination

 Select and contract vendor; schedule interviews as needed.

 Confirm shoot days, locations, and space reservations.

Production Readiness

 Finalize logistics, access, and crew needs.

 Prepare and collect Media Release Forms if required.

General Campus Filming Guidelines

These guidelines apply to filming in non-reservable or general campus spaces:

• Filming inside the Huntsman Hall Baker Forum (lower basement level) or hallways in any Wharton building requires additional approval from Wharton Operations.
• Outdoor filming on campus does not require explicit approval but must not disrupt pedestrian traffic.

• Use the Wharton Way opening and closing graphics on all official videos.
• Keep logo usage consistent and clean:
  • Do not distort or recolor the logo
  • Avoid low-contrast or distracting backgrounds

Most of our outros feature our white logo on the Blue background.

• Use the Wharton Wedge opening and closing graphics on all official videos.
• Do not resize, reposition, recolor, or alter opening or closing graphics.
• Use the version that matches the final delivery format (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) when available.

• Use only the official Wharton logo as a watermark or video bug.
• Place the logo in a consistent, unobtrusive position that does not compete with content (usually the top right or left of the video frame).

• Do not use abbreviated logos or wordmarks.
• Ensure sufficient contrast between the logo and the background at all times (add a lift or drop shadow if necessary).

• Use Wharton typography consistently so videos feel connected across programs, formats, and platforms.
  • Use the approved on-screen type styles from the toolkit:
  • Title: Acumin Pro Condensed Ultra Black (All Caps Preferred, Cap Case is Acceptable)
  • Subtitle: Minion Bold Italic
  • Alignment rules: Interviews/Podcasts: left aligned lower thirds, right aligned when needed for framing, center-aligned as needed

• If text is hard to read, use a rectangle, a lift, or drop shadow, and/or subtle gradient behind text.
• For exact sizing and formatting rules, see: Lower Thirds + Captions pages.
• When identifying faculty with multiple titles, list each title on its own line in order of importance. If space is limited, combine titles on one line and separate them with semicolons. Use the faculty member’s Wharton.edu profile page to confirm their official title.
• All lower thirds should sit within title-safe margins.

IDs should be left-justified on the left or right-justified, locked to the respective edge of the frame.

DON’T align the IDs incorrectly by having it float or not anchored.

ID’s should be on the opposite side, and if possible, should not overlap with the subject’s body.

DON’T place the ID on the same side of the frame as the subject.

IDs should be clean and simple, with no added design elements.

DON’T Add the logo to the ID.

ID size should be consistent among all Lower Thirds.

DON’T increase the size of the ID.

Standards for all captions:

• Make captions accurate, complete, and synchronized with the spoken audio and key sound cues (music, laughter, sound effects when relevant to meaning).
• Use clear, concise language that matches the speaker’s words as closely as possible.
• Include speaker identification only when it’s not obvious who is talking.
• Use sentence case, standard punctuation, and correct spelling and grammar, following Wharton editorial style where applicable.

Workflow and delivery:

• Plan for captions as part of your post-production timeline and budget, not as a last step.
• Use platform-native caption files (such as .srt or .vtt) when possible so text remains crisp and editable.
• Review all captions as carefully as you review picture lock—check for timing, typos, and alignment with Wharton tone and terminology.

Placement and Composition

• Position captions within title-safe margins and away from critical visual information (such as lower thirds, name titles, and essential graphics).
  
• Avoid covering faces, key action, or important on-screen text whenever possible.
  
• For social formats (9:16, 1:1), adjust caption placement and size so they remain readable on small screens.

Style and readability

• Use Acumin or Arial font that is legible at small sizes on mobile and desktop.
  
• Keep line length manageable (ideally no more than two lines on screen at a time).
  
• Ensure strong contrast between caption text and the background; add a subtle box, lift, or drop shadow when needed to maintain legibility over footage.