Terps Esports
Where Design Meets the Arena.
Graphic designer, video director, and content strategist for the University of Maryland's competitive esports program. From game day graphics to a green-screen Valorant intro film built from scratch.
Brand identity, game day graphics, video direction, script writing, green screen production, MailChimp newsletters, social content
Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, MailChimp, DSLR, Lighting rigs
Coach Sergio Brack, Creative Director Erica Javadpour, Videographer Seth, Player AnPhu, Co-Ed Valorant team, 9-game rosters
The Cold Email That Started It All.
In November 2024, I reached out cold to Coach Sergio Brack, with no introduction, no prior connection, just a direct message expressing my interest in supporting the program's visual identity. Sergio was kind enough to sit down for an interview, and I walked in with a clear vision of what I could bring.
I got in. Starting from scratch, learning the rosters, the games, the culture, and immediately jumping into designing Game Day graphics for match days.
What I didn't know at the time was that this cold email would lead to one of the most creatively fulfilling projects of my life, directing a full-scale, green-screen Valorant character intro film with real players, real lights, and real stakes.
Game Day Graphics: Setting the Visual Tone.
My first contribution was designing graphics for match days: thumbnails, hype posts, and event visuals that needed to feel competitive, collegiate, and on-brand simultaneously. Every piece had to honor UMD's brand guidelines while pushing the esports aesthetic.
Strict rules applied: no AI-generated imagery, strict adherence to UMD brand colors (Terrapin Red, Maryland Gold, black and white), and everything built from scratch in Photoshop and Illustrator.
Elevating the Brand Identity.
When Erica Javadpour came on as manager of the standalone creatives department, she brought a new strategic lens to the work. Under her leadership, we moved beyond individual graphics and started thinking about Terps Esports as a cohesive visual brand.
We audited our existing assets, aligned on a shared visual language, and pushed the question: "What makes Terps Esports immediately recognizable?" The answer wasn't just colors or logos. It was narrative consistency across every touchpoint.
One breakthrough idea: evolve the traditional game day photo shoot into something cinematic. Each team could bring their own concept, set their own scene, and tell their own story, adding a video layer to what was previously static photography.
Brand Constraints as Creative Fuel
No AI tools. UMD brand colors only. These weren't limitations; they became the creative challenge that sharpened every decision.
Student-Led, Coach-Approved
Every design went through a feedback loop with coaches and team managers, making collaboration part of the process, not an afterthought.
From Photography to Film
The pivot from static shoots to scripted video productions was the conceptual leap that changed everything for the program's visual identity.
The Co-Ed Valorant Intro Film.
This was the one that pushed everything. Days and nights in front of Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. Script drafts. Lighting tests. Green screen setups. A storyboard built from scratch. And a vision: present the Co-Ed Valorant team as their favorite Valorant characters, each player transitions into their agent in a moment of cinematic transformation.
The Script
Spent days writing the narrative arc: player introductions, character reveals, timing beats. Every second of the film was planned on paper first.
The Storyboard
Scene-by-scene visual breakdown: camera angles, lighting moods, green screen placements, transition cues. Shared with the team before a single frame was shot.
The Shoot
Set up green screens, positioned lighting rigs, directed each player through their scenes. Did mock runs with Seth the videographer and player AnPhu.
The Edit
Post-production in Premiere Pro and After Effects: chroma key, character compositing, motion graphics, color grading, and sound design. Late nights in the office.
The Teaser
The Storyboard
Behind the Scenes
Seth, the camera goes THIS way. (I said it 4 times.)
Director mode activated. Players mildly confused.
3am. Cold coffee. 47 unreviewed takes.
On-Set Clips
Mock run with Seth
Mock shoot with AnPhu
Briefing the Women's team
The Full Co-Ed Valorant Intro Film
Written, directed, and edited by Pradeep Yellapu · Adobe Premiere Pro + After Effects · Chroma key compositing
UMD Giving Day: I Drowned Myself for Donations.
For UMD's annual Giving Day fundraising campaign, I contributed both creative direction and on-screen talent. The brief was simple: make it funny enough that people actually share it.
The result was a video of me literally drowning into a pool. Embarrassing, chaotic, and exactly what it needed to be. The campaign hit its donation target, and the video got shared far beyond our usual audience.
This project reinforced something I believe deeply: good creative work isn't always polished. Sometimes the most effective storytelling is the stuff that makes people laugh out loud and immediately send it to their friends.
Yes, that's me. Yes, it helped hit the goal.
Most Loved Work.
The Blossom Poster
Spring blossoms meet esports arena energy. This poster for the Overwatch 5 season was the most-engaged piece we put out, resonating far beyond the usual esports audience because of its unexpected softness against the competitive backdrop.
The challenge: make something that feels like spring and competition at the same time, without compromising either. No AI. Hand-crafted in Photoshop.
Spring Blossoms · OW5
The People Behind It.
This project was built on collaboration: students, coaches, managers, and players all pulling in the same direction. These are the people that made it happen.
The whole squad after surviving 6 hours of green screen chaos
Just vibing. Definitely not procrastinating edits.
First meetup of the semester. Still thawing out.
S'mores > strategy meetings. Official team policy.
The real fuel behind every deadline we ever hit.
Me, pretending I'm not afraid of heights. The wall knew.
Definitely not slipping. That's called a controlled descent.
What This Project Gave Me.
1
Full-length intro film directed and edited
9+
Game rosters designed for
100%
Donation target reached on Giving Day
4
Seasonal newsletters shipped
20+
Original graphics designed
0 AI
Tools. Every pixel hand-crafted.
This project pushed me in directions I didn't expect. I came in as a graphic designer and ended up writing scripts, directing camera angles, explaining lighting setups to players, and editing footage at 2am.
What it reinforced: design is storytelling. Whether it's a poster, a newsletter, or a 90-second film. The question is always the same: "What do we want people to feel?"
And working within constraints: no AI, strict brand guidelines, student budgets, college schedules. Every output more intentional. Limitation is a design tool.