THE GENESIS OF THE DRIVE-IN GRADUATION

Businesses, working professionals, and families everywhere have been hit hard during this pandemic, but what about our young people? Can you imagine what it must be like to have your schooling, especially your senior year of high school - your prom, your college admissions process, and your graduation - entirely online? 

“The health and safety protocols that require schools to abandon traditional ceremonies and events has made it more difficult to "feel" like we are all part of a school community,” Michael Plotkin, Principal of Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School with Croton Harmon School District, says. They needed a solution for their graduation last spring. So, what did they do? “We called Wizard.”

 We sat down with Michael and Wizard Studios’ Executive Producer Jon Girson to learn about Wizard Studios’ take on drive-in graduation ceremonies, and how their success with Croton Harmon School District has fueled a momentum to create similarly spectacular drive-in graduations across the country.

1. The Beginnings of the Drive-In Graduation

When the pandemic hit, Girson and the team at Wizard Studios were tasked with creating new opportunities for the organization, even though the events industry felt like it had hit an impenetrable hurdle. “Our initial plan was to reach out to companies to provide livestream solutions for businesses,” Girson recalls, “but it seemed that that was something every other event business was offering.” So, they thought about events that were getting cancelled, and graduations came to mind. “All school activities stopped completely including proms and commencement ceremonies, and it was sad to see so many kids at a loss,“ Girson remembers. The team was familiar with the drive-in graduations model, but they thought about all the ways Wizard Studios could take it to the next level. Simply put, “it seemed like a great market to pursue.” 

At almost the same time, over at the Croton Harmon School District, Plotkin was thinking the exact same thing: “When we were looking for an alternative to our regular ceremony, we heard about schools that were considering the drive-in format.” And so they didn’t waste a second. “We called Wizard and they were incredibly responsive, flexible, and attentive to our unique needs.” And thus, this amazing partnership was born. 

2. The Inaugural Drive-In Graduation

“The first drive-in graduation which I got to experience was Croton Harmon School District, and I was extremely touched by the wonderful engaging solution we provided to them,” Girson recalls with a smile, and Plotkin agrees. “Our students, families and community cherished every moment of the celebration.  Without Wizard Studios' expertise and guidance, our students and community would have been deprived of a graduation ceremony.  The school community felt that we were able to celebrate the accomplishments of our children in a safe and meaningful way.”

With staging and trusses to lighting and sound, Wizard Studios created an unrivaled inaugural drive-in event for Croton Harmon. It was clearly very memorable for everyone involved, because both Girson and Plotkin can remember it vividly. “Seeing the inspiring video messages of teachers and administrators play on our big LED screens, listening to the combined recordings of the high school band play Pomp and Circumstance, to watching the families of graduates drive into the parking lot with their cars decorated in the school colors were all pretty incredible,” Girson recalls.

“The drive-in graduation was appreciated by our community due to the fact that we were able to restore a sense of that community, abide by an important tradition and provide our students with the recognition that they deserved, in a safe manner,” Plotkin remembers. “Family members of students also greatly appreciated being able to "participate" in the ceremony by viewing it from the live stream.” No stone was left unturned, and the drive-in graduation was an amazing success.

3. Looking Ahead to This Graduation Season 

Due to the extraordinary success of last year’s drive-in graduation ceremony, Croton Harmon School District has asked Wizard Studios back to produce their upcoming graduation! “In any sales environment the best compliment to receive is when a customer comes back to you requesting your services again,” Girson tells us. “I am thrilled that Croton Harmon School District was so pleased and impressed with our quality of service we put forth (though, not surprised) and we look forward to working with them again this year.” 

What made Plotkin want to return to working with Wizard Studios? Simply put, “the organization between our school and Wizard Studios was phenomenal,” Plotkin says. “The technicians, planners, and leadership from Wizard Studios were able to interface and collaborate with the school's personnel to create a highly functional event team.” In such upside down times, who wouldn’t appreciate a superb turn-key solution for a safe and memorable event? 

4. Advice for Graduates Everywhere

Drive-in graduations were a solution no one thought the world would need, but that’s the beauty of innovation in times of hardship. And in the spirit of a graduation, we asked these gentlemen about what advice they might offer to the graduating classes that are stepping into the unknown of 2021:

“These are challenging times for these young adults to be going out into the world,” Girson says. “I think if they look at the three vaccines (possibly more) that have come into the market within about a year to beat this pandemic they will see that anything is possible. These graduates have a tremendous amount of responsibility to save the world from future diseases, climate change, and other critical issues, and I’m very excited to watch what they will accomplish.”

Plotkin takes a moment to think, and then says, “During uncertain times such as these, be flexible, take care of yourself and do not lose sight of your dreams.” He pauses, and then echoes the sentiment of Girson: “the best way to predict the future is to actively create it.”

This spring, don’t let a graduation be a missed opportunity for the class of 2021 and their families. Create the future you actively want to see for your community this graduation season, and contact Wizard Studios today!