I love to come across examples of what people can accomplish when they put their minds to it! I want to share a video with you, but I have to set it up first. I came across this video at a time when I was in need of a little spiritual boost. Knowing the back story, I was into the video for just a few seconds before breaking into a smile, sensing a heartbeat increase and wanting to sing along with the song. Again, it wasn’t so much the video alone … the back story made the difference.
This video is what they call a LipDup and, by the way, this one set a new world record. A LipDup is a type of video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing to make a music video. It is made by filming individuals or a group of people lip synching while listening to a song or any recorded audio then dubbing over it in post editing with the original audio of the song.
This particular video evolved from simple pride. Newsweek magazine printed a story in January which listed Grand Rapids, Michigan, as No. 10 on a list of America’s “dying” cities. This didn’t sit well with the sassy citizens of the “Furniture City” so they decided to prove their town is very much alive. They did so via a massively multi-performer, lip-sync video done in an epic, single shot, unedited take lasting almost 10 minutes.
The video is set to a live recording of Don McLean’s “American Pie” so you WILL find yourself singing along. They shut down a good portion of downtown Grand Rapids as they coordinated more than 3,000 people, marching bands, parades, weddings, motorcades, bridges on fire, and a helicopter takeoff. The entertaining, up-beat LipDub included entertainers, political figures, and local media celebrities surrounded by hundreds of football players, musicians, cheerleaders, police and firefighters, swing dancers, kayakers and more. Watch closely for the impeccably-timed pyrotechnics!
This unique project shows a sense of kinship that is endearing to everyone because it gets at the heart of who we are, and gives us a sense of what we can do together with determination, pride, focus, communication and a keen desire to succeed.
If only more of us would do something like this without waiting until we’re pushed into a corner being forced to respond in desperation! The Human Spirit is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Let’s harness it today to face the challenges confronting us!
Enjoy this video as you recall how a so-called “dying” America city spanked a statistically-dying magazine and entertained the Internet to the tune of 2,754,494 hits
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing this story and video.
Glen