The Elon alumnus has always had a knack for producing high-quality sports video content. This week, the cinema and television arts major will continue to do so at the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
As the ESPN broadcast counted down the waning minutes before kickoff of last week’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between Ohio State and Texas, a keen eye could spot Peter Fortunato ’21 in the sea of Buckeye scarlet and gray.
All one had to do was look for the best camera angle and, inevitably, the Elon graduate would be there.
As part of his role as assistant director of creative media for Ohio State Football, Fortunato – in a light blue media vest – stood arm’s length away from Buckeye starting quarterback Will Howard, chronicling every pass and every word of encouragement during the pregame warmup.
While AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, pulsed with anticipation of the evening’s matchup, Fortunato was already hard at work compiling content for his six-minute game recap – a recap that garnered 42,000 views during its first day on YouTube.
“It’s a lot of time and effort to get these recaps done quickly, and to a high standard, but seeing the reactions to it once it’s posted makes it worth it,” he said.
Fortunato will have one more stab at creating a game highlight video this season as Ohio State faces Notre Dame in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Interestingly, Rachel Mikolay ’23, another Elon graduate, will also work the season’s final game.
“It’s exciting to be going to the national championship,” Fortunato said this week. “It’s something that I don’t take lightly and will be an experience I talk about and remember for the rest of my career.”
It isn’t surprising to see the recent Elon graduate on the biggest stage in college sports.
Since cutting his teeth recording Elon University athletic events and producing “Elon Sports Weekly” episodes, Fortunato has steadily risen through the college media industry. After earning his degree in cinema and television arts, Fortunato honed his skills with Rutgers University’s women’s basketball team and then Wake Forest University men’s basketball program. An individual didn’t have to be a college basketball fan to see Fortunato’s immense talent in video and digital content creation.
Since he joined Ohio State’s football program in May 2023, Fortunato’s work has garnered significant attention as he created compelling visual narratives for one of the most recognizable brands in college athletics.
In his role, Fortunato is responsible for creating internal motivational videos for position groups, producing social content like “24 Hours” and “Get up, it’s Gameday” videos, and filming practices and meetings for archival purposes.
On game day, the Apex, North Carolina, native coordinates filming operations, ensuring coverage from every crucial angle on and off the field. These shots include pregame scenics and locker room speeches, as well as on-field action and post-game celebrations. As the game heads into the second half, where can you find Fortunato? Usually within earshot of head coach Ryan Day.
Once a game is over, Fortunato’s main focus is completing the aforementioned game recaps. Ideally, he wants the videos published in the next two or three days. It is no easy task considering the amount of quality work his creative media colleagues help produce.
Fortunato said he takes great pride in creating content that resonates with fans and endures beyond the season.
“I do my best to treat every game the same and to focus on doing my absolute best to capture each moment through my lens, and the national championship game will be no different,” he said.
