“Meet a Mountain Lion” is a series of stories introducing members of the UCCS community to campus. Meet Miles Adler, videographer and video editor for Media Services.
1. Tell us about your background, and what brought you to UCCS.
I’m originally from Massachusetts, but I’ve lived in Connecticut, Florida, and the Southwest corner of Colorado in Ignacio. I’ve been pursuing film and videography since I was in high school, but what really kicked it off was photography, actually. I must’ve been 14 years old when I was handed my first point-and-shoot camera when I went on a charity mission to northern Peru. I showed a pretty good understanding of the subject then, and have stuck behind a camera ever since.
2. What do you do at UCCS?
I work in Media Services on campus, so we’re the division of the University Marketing and Communications team assigned to make all sorts of video media for anyone who needs a video made for pretty much anything on campus. Donor event feature? Human resources recruitment video? Academic video for an online class? Sporting event? We cover it all.
3. What do you love about UCCS?
There’s really a lot to love here. From a more amenities and non-tangible point of view, I love the location and views from campus. Pike’s Peak and the bluffs looks so awesome from campus every day!
From an occupational perspective, I love how easy it is to communicate with my immediate supervisors about doing things differently. If I feel there’s a way to make our workflow better, my production director and producer are always ears open for my suggestions and feedback. I’ve worked in some very rigid, hierarchical environments before that were the embodiment of a “but we’ve always done it this way” mentality, and UCCS is a definite upgrade. I can’t get away without mentioning some of our gear too. We get to use some wicked nice tools in the office here, especially when we go out on some high-level shoots.
4. What are you working on right now?
Right now we’re getting ready for a few live events as well as post-production (the editing) on some projects. On the post side, we’re working with Catalyst Campus, a science and tech incubator in town, on a video they’ll be taking to a conference in Utah this year. We’re also working with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience on a promotional video for them. We’ll definitely get more projects in the queue once the school year starts!
5. What energizes you at your job?
What really gets me going is the quest to, frankly, be a better videographer. I am so lucky to have a production director who has at least three decades in the film industry that I can learn from every day. It seems like I’m learning something new about production and post-production every day from him. Mentors like that aren’t easy to come by, and he’s definitely helped me refine my technique and become more efficient over the time I’ve been here.
We also have student employees that I want to help be the best they can while they’re at the university. I really enjoy helping them develop their skills on set and in the editing room to be ready for wherever they decide to go after they graduate.
6. What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?
Becoming an Eagle Scout, hands down. Not only does it run in the family, but being a Boy Scout helped me develop a lot of the outdoor skills I use today, and seriously helped my self-confidence when I was younger. 11 years in Boy Scouts was absolutely worth it.
7. What’s a goal you have for the future?
Good question. A year ago I would’ve said “survive COVID-19,” so mission accomplished! I jest. Probably to volunteer more in my area. I plan on volunteering for two organizations: The Colorado Rail Passengers Association, as well as the Green Chile Bike Bank in Pueblo.
8. What do you do with your free time?
You can find me outdoors just about every weekend! Whether it’s at the archery range, hiking fourteeners, or hitting the slopes during ski season, I’m outside pretty regularly. Colorado really is a wonderful outdoor playground.
I’m also a huge history nerd. I’m always watching lectures or other videos on the niche history of things like geopolitics, global conflicts past and present, and arms and armors.
9. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
Probably that I’m very polite, thank you for asking.
Do you know a Mountain Lion that UCCS should meet? We want to hear all about them! Invite them to share their story, and we’ll tell it to the UCCS community.