Archived Edition: April 19, 2006 | Back to Current	Sep 10, 2010

Move over, MTV: Here comes Williams
Jeremy Goldstein - EXECUTIVE EDITOR

It takes audacity to approach a college president and ask him to perform a dance named the “alumni schmooze.” And it takes courage to stand out in public, openly singing and dancing with abandon to a techno remix. But, this January, Nick Anderson ’06, Sara Beach ’06, Katie Lewkowicz ’06, Robin Stewart ’06 and Leah Weintraub ’06 displayed both traits while pursuing the goal of finally getting to check off an elusive item on their “To do before graduation” list.

Having taken to heart President Schapiro’s fall convocation speech about making the best of their final year here at Williams, the five seniors looked to the small screen to realize a long-standing ambition: a music video. Filmed on campus, performed by students, choreographed from the dorms and edited in Jesup’s media lab, the video shows off campus life by featuring familiar buildings and about 40 students who were afforded the opportunity to be a little wacky. For the five creators, the video has a greater significance than just five minutes of fame and $30 of film; it’s an effort to immortalize the camaraderie, friendships and good times that marked their years at Williams.

“I think the real motivation came from wanting to make a piece that would preserve our memories of Williams,” said Stewart, who directed, edited and choreographed the dancing, in addition to making a cameo as a rapper. “We tried to capture the fun times we’ve had here so one day we could look back and see what we loved so much about college.”

The video, which originally premiered March 15 in Bronfman Auditorium has since gained fame online, where it can be watched from a link on WSO. Eight hundred unique users had accessed the video as of this week, according to Stewart.

“Now that the video is available online, I feel like somewhat of a minor celebrity of campus,” said Beach, who played the lead female role. “I’d like a bacon and avocado on rye named after me at Pappa Charlie’s.”

The video, a spoof musical performance of a remix of the Irene Cara song “Flashdance (What a Feeling),” follows a group of students across campus, dancing and singing through the library, the eco café and Goodrich. Beach and Daniel Klein ’06 play two infatuated dorm mates. Whether attracted to the video to see the actors break out in dance while crossing Route 2 or to see the college president shed his usual professional manner, students are rapidly passing around the video as a comical spin on campus life.

Because of the significance that the video holds in the eyes of the creators, the actors in the film are all friends. The chemistry between actors and dancers, according to Stewart and Beach, is a defining aspect of the production, and allowed for a closely-knit feel to the entire process.

“Since we wanted the music video to be a record of our group of friends and places on campus, we organized it by word of mouth,” Beach said. “However, we did post on WSO an open casting call for the final dance number in Goodrich.”

The result was a production that everyone enjoyed, as evident by blooper reels and footage that was taken between scenes. “We left the camera running while we learned the dance, which provided some footage that should probably have been destroyed,” Beach said.

Some of the more comical moments during recording were the result of unforeseen events in the background. The parts of campus where the video was being shot were generally unintentionally deserted. Recording in front of the student center construction, a tractor in the background appeared to be pouring cement on Klein’s head. Beach also said she had numerous wardrobe malfunctions resulting from a lack of experience with short skirts and Ugg boots.

All of the participants were relative amateurs, though some had varying previous experience editing and filming video, which added a sense of spontaneity and freedom, according to Stewart.

“I’ve always in the back of my mind wanted to do a music video,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of like the ultimate video editing type of project. It’s free and challenging.”

Filming occured over Winter Study and though filming took place during daylight, very few people besides the actors are seen in the film.

Beyond encapsulating memories from their college days, the video provided all involved a welcome chance to do a project not for academic reasons, but personal ones.

“I’m spending way too much of my time now on problem sets and papers and a thesis,” Klein said. “It felt really good to put something together that people can enjoy rather than look at critically.”