3 Years Strong: The 2025 Hispanic Association of Women Gala Video
Celebrating a powerful collaboration that has brought inspiring stories to life through the lens of Hamil Bros Studios.
Our Ongoing Partnership
A Creative Alliance with HAW Lubbock
We are honored to be producing the 2025 Hispanic Association of Women gala video. This markes our 3rd year in a row.
This remarkable organization, accessible online at www.lubbockhaw.net, is dedicated to a powerful mission: empowering women through enhanced access to higher education. Their long-term vision is to create a profound and lasting positive impact on the broader South Plains communities.
Over the past three years, our team has had the immense privilege of producing impactful videos for HAW. We are incredibly proud of this collaboration and have developed a specialized expertise in fundraiser video production. Our commitment extends to delivering high-quality video production services that not only showcase HAW’s vital work but also resonate deeply with their audience, leaving a truly lasting impression. We believe in the transformative power of their mission and are dedicated to helping them communicate their message effectively through compelling visual storytelling.
The 2025 HAW Gala Project
Crafting a Vision for the Future: The Message of the 2025 Hispanic Association of Women Gala Video in Lubbock
The 2025 HAW Gala fundraiser, in Lubbock, presented us with a unique set of creative and logistical challenges that ultimately led to a truly impactful video production. This year’s theme, “The Monarch Butterfly: A Legacy in Flight,” focused on the generational passing of heritage and the enduring impact of the Hispanic Association of Women. To truly embody this theme, we aimed to feature a diverse group of generational speakers who could eloquently articulate how HAW has not only influenced their individual lives but profoundly shaped their families as a whole. This broader perspective allowed us to showcase the organization’s deep-rooted influence and its ripple effect across generations.
Approaching this video production project, we were committed to bringing fresh ideas and tailored solutions to the table. We firmly believe that every Hispanic Association of Women Video Production we undertake is a distinct and invaluable opportunity to tell a compelling story that resonates deeply with the audience. Our goal was to craft a narrative that was both personal and universal, highlighting the invaluable contributions of HAW to countless lives.
A significant contributing factor to the success of this project was the extraordinary filming location secured by the ladies at HAW. They found us an absolutely incredible home to film in for the duration of our interviews. It’s a rare privilege in our line of work to operate in such luxurious and accommodating surroundings, and this amazing house provided us with an unparalleled setting.
One of the most remarkable features was the presence of 20-foot ceilings, a true luxury in our business. This architectural advantage afforded us the unique ability to work vertically, an approach not typically feasible in most of our shoots. This vertical space allowed for dynamic camera angles and creative lighting setups that significantly enhanced the visual quality of our interviews, adding depth and visual interest that perfectly complemented the powerful stories being shared.
The Lighting Setup
Understanding Our Illumination Techniques
The process of lighting these interviews presented a series of intriguing challenges and opportunities, demanding a thoughtful and adaptive approach to achieve the desired aesthetic.
The initial hurdle, even before any artificial lights were introduced, was managing a formidable 20-foot tall bay window. Given the house’s orientation, this expansive window became a dominant natural light source that, if left unchecked, would mercilessly overexpose our interviewee with unwanted sunlight for the better part of the day. To counteract this, we strategically deployed several 4×8 black solids, effectively creating a controlled environment by blocking and shaping the ambient light pouring in from the large window.
Once the natural light of Lubbock was tamed, our focus shifted to crafting the key light, the primary illumination source for our subject. Our team holds a particular fondness for the Aputure 1200D Pro, and this particular setup presented an ideal scenario for leveraging its capabilities to create a large, soft light source. We opted for a book light technique, utilizing an 8×8 Matthews Matthbounce as the reflective surface for the 1200D.
The immediate results from this pairing were remarkably pleasing, delivering a beautiful, diffused key light that set the foundation for the rest of the scene. With the key light established, we then moved on to the subtleties of fill light. Our Amaran 300C, paired with a light dome mini, served as our front fill. We meticulously positioned it high enough to ensure it provided ample illumination without creating distracting reflections in the interviewee’s glasses, a common challenge when subjects wear eyewear.
A striking architectural feature of the location was a beautiful balcony situated directly behind our on-screen talent. This immediately struck us as a perfect, unseen opportunity for a discreet backlight. Our initial attempt involved placing a light on the balcony, equipped with a spotlight attachment, to create a subtle rim light that would separate the talent from the background.
Unfortunately, the light, even with the attachment, didn’t provide the intensity we had hoped for at that distance. Reluctantly, we decided to relocate the light to the downstairs area, bringing it closer to our talent to achieve the desired brightness and effect. While the dream of a perfectly hidden backlight from the balcony didn’t materialize, adaptability is key in production, and we found a workable solution.
Illuminating the background proved to be a more demanding task than initially anticipated. Our consistent objective in lighting is to strike a delicate balance between what appears natural and what inherently looks aesthetically pleasing or “cool.” In this specific instance, our primary concern leaned towards elevating the ambient light levels in the background to seamlessly match the illumination on the foreground elements of our shots.
To achieve this, we strategically positioned an Amaran 150C in the small dining area, effectively lifting the light levels in that space. Further into the scene, behind the dining area, we introduced an Aputure Nova P300C Panel in the hallway that led into the kitchen, ensuring a consistent and pleasing exposure throughout the visible areas.
Delving even deeper into the background, within the kitchen area and directly behind the fireplace visible in the shot, we ingeniously concealed several Amaran 150Cs. These lights were not intended to be overtly visible but rather served the crucial purpose of subtly boosting the overall ambient light level within the kitchen, preventing it from falling into shadow and creating a balanced visual depth.
Ultimately, when it comes to the art and science of lighting, there is invariably far more complexity and strategic placement than is immediately apparent to the casual observer. However, it is precisely this comprehensive and carefully curated arsenal of lighting equipment and techniques that enables us to consistently achieve an immaculate and polished look for every Hispanic Association of Women Video Production session. Our commitment to meticulous planning and execution ensures that each frame is thoughtfully illuminated, contributing to a professional and visually engaging final product.
The Camera Gear
Exploring Our Equipment Arsenal
Hamil Bros Studios, based in Lubbock, has a long-standing relationship with Blackmagic Design, spanning 12 years. Our consistent use of their cameras underscores their reliability and the significant advancements in their technology over this period. As our production company has steadily expanded, investing in these upgrades has been a substantial commitment, a decision continually validated by the exceptional quality and versatility they offer.
For our recent shoot, the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K served as our primary, or “A” camera. We equipped it with the Tokina Cinema Vista 50mm prime lens, a choice that consistently delivers stunning cinematic depth and clarity, allowing us to capture intricate details and rich visual narratives. This combination provided the backbone for our principal shots, ensuring a high level of image fidelity.
Our “B” camera for this production was the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Full Frame. This camera was paired with the Tokina Cinema Vista 85mm prime lens, offering a slightly tighter field of view, ideal for complementary shots and adding a different perspective to our coverage. What truly set this “B” camera apart was its integration with our dynamic motion control rig.
This innovative rig allowed us to execute “ping pong” motion, bringing a fluid and engaging element to our interviews. The setup consists of a robust Dana Dolly, known for its smooth glides, complemented by the precision of the Emotimo ST4.3 system, which orchestrates the camera movements with remarkable accuracy. This entire rig is a testament to our commitment to elevating the production value of our content. We are particularly fond of its ability to transform interviews from static, locked-off tripod shots into more dynamic and visually compelling segments, adding a layer of professionalism and intrigue that captivates our audience.
The Stories That Matter
Capturing Compelling Narratives through Video Production

The journey of crafting compelling narratives for the Hispanic Association of Women (HAW) of Lubbock has been profoundly rewarding. Through a series of in-depth interviews, a rich tapestry of stories emerged, revealing the unwavering commitment of HAW to its core values. It’s truly remarkable how, through continuous collaboration with a brand over several years, the underlying essence of their mission becomes so vibrantly clear. With these interviews, the enduring thread of HAW’s dedication to empowering women was not just apparent, but beautifully illuminated.
Despite the diverse backgrounds of the young women interviewed, a consistent and powerful narrative resonated throughout. The overarching message was unequivocally clear: the Hispanic Association of Women of Lubbock is actively making significant strides to transform the lives of women across the South Plains. This profound impact is primarily achieved by granting scholarship dollars, providing vital financial support that enables these women to pursue and further their education.
Each story added a unique dimension to this powerful message. We heard the touching account of a daughter following in her mother’s footsteps, herself a past recipient of the esteemed HAW scholarship, illustrating a legacy of empowerment. Another compelling narrative unfolded with two sisters, who, by a fortunate discovery, both found themselves beneficiaries of the scholarship, highlighting the unexpected and far-reaching impact of HAW’s initiatives.
Time and again, the heartfelt testimonies reinforced how this scholarship serves as a powerful catalyst, inspiring these women to persevere in their educational journeys, even when faced with formidable challenges. Their shared motivation is a profound desire to honor the invaluable gift and extraordinary opportunity they have been so generously given.
This deep-seated commitment to education and empowerment is the very essence of HAW’s profound impact. It is precisely this transformative power that makes our involvement in video production for the HAW Lubbock fundraiser so incredibly meaningful to us. Our role extends beyond simply capturing images; video production provides us with an unparalleled platform to meticulously highlight these inspiring journeys, allowing their stories to resonate widely and powerfully, and ultimately, to inspire even more lives.
The Liggett Law Group's Role in the Fundraiser
Our final piece to this production puzzle was the Liggett Law Group. Ted Liggett and his team partner with us to make this production happen every year because Ted not only believes in this incredible organization, he believes in telling their story. Once the interviews were done, we just needed to capture our last small introduction with Ted. The Liggett Law Group office is always so kind and inviting to us when we arrive, making sure we can get our job done effectively and efficiently.
In this instance, with a little bit of groaning, Ted convinced his entire staff to be present while we filmed his introduction to this video. With that in mind, we had to light things for an entire group of 20+ people rather than our standard 2-3. But we managed to do that just fine by having a large source key light (Aputure 1200D plus the lightdome 150) and some 4 ft LED tube back lights. We had a smiling group of beautiful faces and Ted and Gary, his COO, were able to deliver their words and we were on our way.

Presenting the Final Video
The Stories That Matter
The annual HAW gala, a cornerstone event for the Hispanic Association of Women, was once again held at the elegant Frasier Alumni Pavilion on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock, TX. This venue consistently proves to be one of our most favored locations for live galas, known for its sophisticated ambiance and excellent facilities.
This particular year, however, presented a unique challenge. The gala coincided with the highly anticipated Texas Tech Men’s Basketball Final Four tournament game. This scheduling conflict caused a slight delay to the start of our festivities, as many attendees and our team were keenly following the game’s progress. Despite this minor setback, the evening ultimately proceeded without a hitch, a testament to the meticulous planning and dedication of the HAW team and all involved.
More importantly, the gala was a resounding success in its primary mission: raising a substantial amount of money for scholarships. The generosity of our donors and the unwavering support of the community enabled HAW to secure significant funds that will directly benefit deserving students, helping them pursue their educational dreams.
The impact of our video presentation at the gala was particularly gratifying. We received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the audience, with many expressing how deeply moved and inspired they were by its content. Later, the wonderful ladies at HAW confirmed that attendees “just gushed over the video,” highlighting its effectiveness in conveying the importance of the association’s mission and the tangible difference these scholarships make in the lives of young women. This feedback reinforced our belief in the power of visual storytelling to connect with an audience on an emotional level and drive meaningful engagement.
At Hamil Bros Studios, we understand that producing fundraiser videos extends far beyond technical execution. It’s about recognizing the profound impact these visual narratives can have. It’s about helping to create opportunities, fostering growth, and ultimately, driving positive change within communities. Every project we undertake for the Hispanic Association of Women, whether it’s a poignant testimonial or a dynamic event recap, reinforces our deep-seated commitment to this mission. We are honored to play a part in HAW’s ongoing efforts to empower and uplift through education.
Ready to Create Impact Together?
Are you ready to tell your story with professional, cinematic video production that makes an impact? Whether you represent a nonprofit, a business, or a personal brand, we specialize in crafting videos that resonate with your audience and drive real results.
Partner with a team that understands the heart of your mission and has the expertise to bring it to life on screen. Reach out today to learn more about our Hispanic Association of Women Video Production services and how we can help elevate your organization through compelling visual storytelling.
Contact us now to start your next project. Let’s make something incredible together with Hispanic Association of Women Video Production expertise.