School of Communication senior KC Crandal talks about leading KBVR-TV and the visual storytelling art form
KC Crandal
By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - June 25, 2025
KC Crandal didn’t always know they would end up behind a camera. In fact, when he initially enrolled at Oregon State University from his hometown of Beaverton, Crandal had their sights set on biology. But just weeks before their first term, Crandal made a switch that would redirect their academic path and their whole creative future.
“I was browsing the OSU website, trying to figure out what I actually wanted to do,” he recalled. “Then I found the digital communication arts major and thought—wait, this is exactly what I want to do.”
Since making that switch, Crandal has emerged as a key figure in OSU’s student media world. From nervously holding their first camera on a Twilight Zone–themed episode of “Geeking Out About It” to becoming assistant station manager of KBVR-TV, his journey has been flooded with growth, experimentation, and joy.
Crandal had barely touched a camera before their initial camera assignment during KBVR’s orientation week, and found themselves thrown into the fray. But the support of peers and a shared sense of beginner's nerves helped create a low-pressure environment. “It was really cool to know that these people would trust you and train you if you had the passion for it,” he said. “That’s all you really need.”
Crandal quickly moved from that first crew role to becoming a student engineer, and then joined KBVR’s Creative Video team—Orange Media Network’s documentary branch. There, they found their rhythm in telling other people’s stories, especially through arts-focused features for PRISM, OSU’s student-run art and literary magazine.
“I loved talking to artists about what makes them passionate,” he said. One highlight was a short documentary Crandal created about Vianne Sarber, a ceramicist whose intricate sculptures captivated him. “Giving people a space to talk about their art is incredibly rewarding for me.”
Crandal’s intuitive understanding of visual storytelling is something he credits in part to their studio art minor, where drawing and composition classes gave him a deeper grasp of framing, visual balance, and what to highlight in a scene. “It’s all about how you arrange elements in a little rectangle to tell the best story.”
Now in their final year, Crandal has taken on leadership responsibilities as assistant station manager at KBVR-TV. “I get to make these fun videos about how awesome it is to work here,” he said. “It’s been exciting to highlight the joy of it.”
Crandal is quick to point out what makes OSU’s student media programs special. “This studio is incredible. Anyone can come in and be a volunteer, use industry-standard equipment, and get real-world experience for free. That’s kind of unheard of.”
After graduation this spring, Crandal will step into a new kind of spotlight—literally. They’ve been tapped to run lighting for a production of “The Barber of Seville” in Bend, directed by a close family friend. “My dad is an opera singer, and I grew up around opera, so this is a fun full-circle moment,” they explained. Though it’s their first time doing theater lighting, they’re excited to learn something new.
Beyond that, Crandal is keeping their horizons and their hands wide open. He is seriously considering WWOOF-ing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), a global program where volunteers work on farms in exchange for room and board. “Especially since my work is so screen-based, having something physical, being outside, growing life, that’s important to me,” he explained. Their ultimate dream is merging it all: visual storytelling, outdoor experience, and meaningful human connection.“I want to make cool videos with cool people, and get outside when I can.”
Whether he is behind a camera, editing in the studio, or getting their hands dirty in a garden bed, Crandal’s path is rooted in curiosity, creativity, and care. In his world, there’s space for both pixels and plants, and the stories that bloom between them.