Case Study: Gillispie School

Situation

Private school in La Jolla, CA running an annual spring fundraiser and Paddle Raise event focused on financial assistance and tuition aid programs. Needed high-impact, authentic videos to engage parents and drive giving during their live auction-style event.

​

Problem

Limited strong video content that captured the school’s community spirit, student life, and emotional appeal. Previous materials didn’t perform as well as desired during the high-stakes live fundraiser.

​

Solution

Tidal Media Co. produces Paddle Raise videos for Gillispie every year (2023–2026+)
 

• Collaborative scripting with the development team (Dana Irwin and others)

• Half-day on-campus shoots featuring narrative-style interviews and authentic b-roll of students and campus life

• Fast revision process with multiple rounds for pacing, titles, and final CTA slides (“Raise your paddles to seed the future”)

• Vertical and horizontal versions delivered via Vimeo for social, email, and live event use
   

Results

🚀 $340k raised in a single Paddle Raise event

🔥 Video performed exceptionally well during the live event 

⭐ Ongoing annual partnership with consistent positive feedback and repeat work (including scheduled 2026 shoots)
 

Client Testimonial

“Are you sitting down? We made $340k in the paddle raise last night! Video was awesome. Crowd already fired up from the live auction then we played the video and then place went nuts. Bravo!” — Dana Irwin, Director of Development & Community Relations, Gillispie School