U of T latest school to join lip dub craze
Slick video featuring 1,500 students — and a dancing president — to be released Friday
After a last-minute reshoot and down-to-the-wire editing, the University of Toronto has finally boarded the lip-dub bandwagon. But it intends to up the ante. Canada’s largest university premiered its version of the popular video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing Thursday night. Made popular by Vimeo, Youtube and universities around the world, the lip dub combines a popular song with engaged students to present a choreographed glimpse of life on campus. “Be part of the music video that will define history,” boasts the group’s Facebook page. It features more than 1,500 students and volunteers. “I thought the UBC lib dub was phenomenal,” said Sandra Zhou, one of the organizers of the U of T production. She got the idea to do one at the school after seeing the sleek University of British Columbia version that included aerial shots of the school’s Vancouver campus. For Zhou it’s also a matter of school spirit. There’s a lot of pressure to excel at one of Canada’s most prominent schools, she said. “We rarely get the chance, besides the very first week of school during frosh week, to really come together.” The video was shot over three days in the fall, with a re-shoot in February because footage from the Mississauga campus wasn’t up to the organizers’ standards. “I know that it’s going to get a lot of criticism because that’s just the nature of producing something. I’m just glad people got to really experience the unity at U of T,” Zhou said. With a generous budget from administration and outside sponsors who feature in the video, the lip dub is one in a long line produced at Canadian universities. The first, made by students at L’université du Québec à Montréal in 2009, has had more than10 million Youtube views to date, and the highly produced UBC version has been watched 1.5 million times.york University released its lip dub four
“I know that it’s going to get a lot of criticism because that’s just the nature of producing something. I’m just glad people got to really experience the unity at U of T,” SANDRA ZHOU, ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE U OF T PRODUCTION
months ago, helping to set the standard.
Lip dubs are about spontaneity, authenticity, participation and fun, according to technical communications blogger Tom Johnson.
Reviewing one directed by Vimeo co-founder Jakob Lodwick — credited with having started the phenomenon — Johnson says the lip dub “captures the essence of the web.”
With a cameo from U of T president David Naylor in white shades dancing the robot alongside cheerleaders, the U of T version is at least that.
The video is very stylized, with a certain look that comes from great cameras, extensive editing and a big budget — in contrast to the grassroots simplicity of the original UQAM video, with its shaky, handheld camera and single continuous shot.
There are a number of cuts in the piece; that’s not typical in lip dubs, but it allowed producers to include all three of the school’s campuses.
Three of the five songs used aren’t as identifiable for the average listener. There’s a strong electronic influence, which means there’s a lot more dancing than singing in this lip dub.
Organizers, who finished editing late Wednesday night, planned to host a release party at Tryst nightclub Thursday night for the10-minute video, which includes three minutes of credits. It will be released on the group’s Youtube page at 5 p.m. Friday.
“I’m just really excited to show the video,” Zhou said.