ROADSHOW VIDEO

Our stake decided to do roadshows for our youth conference this year. Yes, a massive undertaking to be sure. And one that I found myself taking charge of. Our stake called me to be the Stake Specialist and my ward asked me to head ours, so it has pretty much been my every waking and sleeping thought since New Years. The theme - Steadfast and Immovable As the Stars. I know- you're right. Stars aren't steadfast. But, that's what the Youth leadership chose simply because I think it sounded nice.

Though mine and Hayley's original idea of a take-off on Beauty and the Beast was ultimately rejected because no one in our ward Youth is a song-and-dance type, we eventually ended up doing it anyway in video form and used the ideas of other youth in video form as well and made our skit be an Academy Awards show where we "cut" to the final segment and award of the night - Best Film. We played "trailors" for the 3nominees and then, when ours won, all the cast members flooded on stage dressed in evening gowns, etc. (after entering with the paparazzi and red-carpet treatment and sitting on the front row), started their acceptance speech and were cut-off by the orchestra music - curtains close.

At least, that's what was supposed to happen. With all the resident technical glitches, it began and ended minus the music and the lights that were to show our "stars" coming in and a few other minor things, but it was that way for everyone. I won't get started on my ire over the absence of a promised technical rehearsal (rrrr....). I think I just have done too much theater.


Ah well, it's over. And it was fun. And it was a great learning experience and a great discovery for the youth of our ward who found out that they actually like each other and they like singing and they like acting and they like performing. We got kids out to participate that haven't come regularly for many, many months. Mission accomplished.

Okay - it's a little rough. The lyrics came first and very quickly - the easy part for me. The Film? Yikes.... My first-ever attempt at videography. I filmed about 30 pieces of film and edited as best I could and took all the kids to a recording studio to put together the sound track. A great experience though it almost killed me (it took me a couple of weeks to figure out what I was doing wrong with the download that wasn't allowing me to view anything I'd downloaded off of a video card or put on the cd with a dvd player - HUGE learning curve...argh). But, it came together in the knick of time.

Anyway, Colin and friends, move over. There's a new Belle in town (Hayley was the voice of Belle - another non-singer was the face). Enjoy.....