Hey you guys, I just wanted to log in and thank you all for your nice words and compliments. I was contacted by one of the mods on my youtube a while back, asking if I'd include a similar version of the tag that Rich McWilliams and others regularly start their productions with. I'm a little hesitant to do something like that, as I don't really want to align myself with any one particular group, at the risk of alienating others. I hope you all understand my reasons for wanting to stay "independent" in this sense. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the effort you make to support Husker YouTubers much more than many other newsgroups/messageboards/blogs...I was more than happy to give your great board a little plug at the end and I'll continue to do so in the future. It's what little I can do to repay all of the kind sentiments that I've noticed your members voice from time to time about my videos.
Blackshirt's comment was very flattering (I don't fancy myself an artist, but I sure do appreciate being called one!) and it was also one of the more perceptive that I've seen regarding my videos. So I thought I might share a little background...I worked for ESPN for about 5 years (1996-2000). When I left there, many people asked me why I'd leave such a "dream job". I'd usually tell them that in five years, it wouldn't matter--I'd then be able to produce whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, on my own computer and I'd be able to broadcast it over the internet for the enjoyment of whoever wanted to watch. (It turned out that I was just slightly wrong...as it was actually about six years to the day of my leaving the worldwide leader that I uploaded my first YouTube submissions.) After I had made my decision to take my life in a different direction and move closer to home from the east coast, I aggressively contacted Huskervision in hopes that I would be able to continue my career in the sports broadcasting field. I finally received an interview in the fall of that year and was contacted via form letter on Thanksgiving weekend that I had not been chosen for that position. Apparently, they had found someone more qualified than a Nebraska alum who had spent the previous five years working for the largest sports media outlet in the world (who had letters of reference from two departmental heads and on-air personalities such as Kirk Herbstreit & Rece Davis). I didn't really want to work for any other broadcast outlet besides Huskervision...and right about that time, some other circumstances arose that made me decide to stay in my hometown of Scottsbluff and go to work in my family's restaurant business. So while the experiences that I had at ESPN definitely flavor the projects that I work on in my spare time today, some of my motivation stems from wanting to prove to myself that I can regularly give away a better product than the Athletic Department charges people for. It helps to still have contacts at ESPN who are usually able to provide me with better video than what Huskervision shoots themselves. (Which may answer one of Licensed to Ill's questions in another thread.)
As to the content of the videos, I usually let them speak for themselves. Being nothing more than a fan myself, I always try to tell the story of the season from the fans' perspective. All the while, not necessarily trying to overhype the good or downplay the bad...but rather trying to put together the images and music that really illustrate what it was like to be a fan over the course of the season. That said, sometimes contrary to my wishes, the restraints of time bring me to make decisions that leave what I'd like to include on the proverbial cutting room floor. When these types of choices present themselves, I try to keep in mind that most Husker fans worth their salt will have most of the big plays that define any given year ingrained into their memories anyway. So usually, just a snippet of a play will convey the reference I'm trying to make to most viewers. Case in point is Blackshirt316's mention of the 4th down play against CU. I cut that about three different ways and wasn't happy with any of them. I loved the iso shot of Taylor walking off shrugging his shoulders and wanted to include it because I really felt that this was the genius behind what made the play work. Considering the timing of the portion of music that I was trying to squeeze it into, there was no way that I could get the whole thing in...believe me, I tried. But flash cut to the payoff and most Husker fans will generally remember the play as a whole. Your point is well taken, in that to a viewer unfamiliar with the specifics...this might need a little additional explaination and clairification. I guess I just don't consider that to be the audience that I'm playing to. Think about it, you saw that play and knew its exact circumstances, so I guess that shows what I'm trying to explain. But if that's your only critique of the whole shebang...I consider that to be quite a compliment!
Music is always a little bit of a different story, I try to pick songs that I like, which also fit the mood of the season--and that's my most difficult challenge every year. Sometimes that means taking tunes from a wide variety of genres and that, in turn, often means that a significant portion of the audience will hate the particular tune that I select. You can never win with music, as every viewer has different tastes. But I also see videos that others cut to songs that I can't stand and I can appreciate the tune that they chose a little more after viewing them. The bottom line is that I'm the one who has to listen to the song for 30 or 40 hours while editing these things...so I guess I consider myself a little selfish about choosing music that suits my own tastes, first and foremost.
But I didn't mean to get too carried away. I just thought it was important to take some time and share some details about myself with the board and shed some light on things that I don't publicly discuss very often. I just wanted to pay back the nice things that Huskerboard has done for me with a little disclosure. I hope that nobody is offended that I don't contribute regularly...I do come by and read what's on posters' minds ever week or two. I've had bad experiences in posting on boards where my opinions were not shared by others, so I usually try to say what I feel needs said in 15 minute music videos every year...and keep it at that. But I do notice how the regulars here are usually more civil and cordial than those on some other boards I lurk on and that's one reason I'd like to do what little I can to direct some more traffic your way.
Thanks again for all of your kind words and encouragement. I only do this for the fans...and it's those fans who say nice things about Project Husker that keep me motivated to keep the project going.