Communicating the Value of an Interdisciplinary
Art Education

Project overview

Vega Productions partnered with Tufts University School of the Museum of Fine Arts to create a series of admissions videos focused on one thing: helping prospective students understand what it’s actually like to study art at SMFA.

Over two days, we captured interviews with students, faculty, and leadership, along with candid footage of students working across a wide range of disciplines. From that, we produced undergraduate, graduate, and overall program videos. The work later expanded into an MFA thesis exhibition video, continuing the relationship with the program.

The Challenge

SMFA has a strong reputation, but like many top programs, the real value isn’t easy to explain in a few lines of copy.

They needed a way to show what makes the experience worth it — through the people, the work, and the environment — not scripted messaging.

On top of that, we had two days to capture a wide range of voices, disciplines, and spaces. The content needed to feel broad and representative, without feeling rushed or surface-level.

The Approach

We built the project around real conversations.

Instead of scripting responses, we created space for students and faculty to speak naturally about their work and their experience. That’s where the clarity came from.

Visually, we leaned into the studios and gallery spaces — capturing students in process, not just posed moments. The goal was to make the work feel lived-in and real.

From a production standpoint, we kept things efficient and focused. A tight schedule, but intentional planning, so we could walk away with multiple strong deliverables from a short shoot.

Results

The project resulted in four core videos:

• Undergraduate admissions video
• Graduate admissions video
• SMFA overview video
• MFA thesis exhibition walkthrough

These videos now live across SMFA’s admissions channels, including as a homepage feature for prospective students.

The collaboration led to additional work, with Vega Productions continuing to support the program’s storytelling efforts.