Work hard, play hard. Sophie Cunningham brings these words to life in her daily routine. While finishing up her senior year, Sophie plays basketball for the University of Missouri. She is an amazing player and is already expected to go on to the WNBA.
Our Saint Louis cameraman, Kyle Kaiser, had the honor to work with ESPN to shoot a profile piece on Sophie Cunningham. The piece uncovers what goes on off the court. Sophie explains her take on her “dirty player” reputation, reflects on her time at the University of Missouri, and shares her hopes for her future.
The crew first caught up with Sophie on her family farm. While enjoying pie and spending time with her donkey, Mark, Sophie explained that the farm was a fun place to visit while growing up and helped her to develop her work ethic.
The interviews continued at the University of Missouri basketball court where Sophie’s family and coach gave their opinions on Sophie’s outstanding accomplishments.
To create the perfect piece, Kaiser used C300 and 5D MKII cameras for this shoot. For lighting on the farm, he used a Diva 200 which allowed for a natural look, a Light Panel to add a hair light and a Genaray Light Panel as fill. At the basketball court Kaiser bounced an HMI off the flex fill and through a quart-grid like sheet of diffusion. He also used a Light Panel to give them a hair light and filled in the shadows with a Genaray LED Panel. Lastly, an Arri 300 was used to add a yellow slash of light to help fill in the background.
Thanks for ESPN, Sophie Cunningham, and a great crew this piece really captured what it means to work hard and play hard. To see the full piece, click here!