'Lip-Dub' Video Goes Viral

A massive video project involving more than 200 Huntington High School students and staff has turned into a smash hit and demonstrated just how knowledgeable and technologically advanced the teenagers in the video program have become.

The lip dub music video was effectively kept under wraps until it debuted on May 27 at the Huntington Film Festival. Now, as word continues to spread about it, more and more people are clamoring to view the work. It has been posted on the school district's website and is airing on hallway televisions around the high school.

Heather Swan, a Huntington High School art teacher and the guiding force behind the district's video arts program, said the production was inspired by a lip dub music video created by students at Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Washington that involved reversing the lyrics of a song.

A lip dub is typically a type of music video that involves lip syncing and audio dubs and is filmed in a way that makes participants take on a look of spontaneity and the image of having an exceedingly good time.

The Huntington group selected the Billy Joel song, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and went to work on the time consuming project. Then they reversed the lyrics and wrote down the new verses. For example, "Funny, cause it's still rock and roll to me" translates to "Eeem-ot-lor nee-kar-lits  sti-sauk-eenuf."

"The 13 lead singers memorized the lyrics and repeatedly practiced them to match-up with the timing of the music," Mrs. Swan explained.  The 200-plus extras in the video did a variety of interesting things in the background. There was a unicyclist, tree jumpers, skateboarders, water balloon throwing, whipped cream pie fights, science experiments gone awry, hurdlers and dancers. The final filming was done in one take from start to finish. 

"The footage was reversed so it looks like the lead singers are walking forward while everything around them happens in reverse," Mrs. Swan said. Sebastian Norgaard was the production's camera man. Tom Corrao and David Lillienstein directed the video. The lead singers included Sean Harkins, Phoebe Curran, Andy Bene, Katie Levittan, Chelsea Hines, Aaron Morales, Becca Lader, David Rosenberg, Alyssa Crawley, David Lillienstein, Joe D'Esposito, Sarah Casey, and Garret Arleo. 

Many Huntington faculty members saw the production as a great way to promote school spirit and encourage students to believe they can be a part of something even bigger. Participation was open to the entire student body and the project ultimately included a diverse group of teenagers.

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