The annual college tradition of Lip Dub, a competition where each college shoots their own one take video lip syncing to a song, is upon us again. Film editors Finnian Williamson and Cindy Shi took a moment to share their thoughts on the entries.
St Catherine’s (1st place)
I can’t help but smile like an idiot whilst watching St Catherine’s lip dub. I’m not sure if it’s the upbeat chords of that throwback one-hit wonder, ‘Tonight Tonight’ by Hot Chelle Rae, but this lip dub successfully lulls me into a false sense of optimism and cheerfulness which is sorely needed in Week 13. Performer #1 sets a high bar for sing-acting, powering through three different emotions (bitterness, sadness, happiness) within the space of four seconds. Meanwhile, Performer #2’s high kick at 0:36 is so in sync with the beat, it breathes some life into my sleep-deprived zombie existence. Further props to the crew working behind the scenes for the great direction and camera work- make sure to keep your eyes peeled for all the pop culture references littered throughout. Overall, St. Cat’s lip dub is engaging, energetic, and makes you want to party on a rooftop in double denim.
Trinity (3rd place)
Initial feelings towards Trinity’s lip dub submission were uncertainty and skepticism, caused by their choice of Michael Bublé in MAY. I don’t remember the last time I heard anything by this man outside of the mid-November to December period, but these feelings of uncertainty quickly subsided and gave way to pleasant surprise. In hindsight, this was a cleverly strategic move on Trinity’s behalf, using Bublé and thoughts of Christmas to conjure up a Pavlovian response of joy towards their video. It worked though, and I found myself taken on a journey by the actors/singers. Trinity’s lip dub was essentially a rom-com, and I felt emotionally blindsided by the plot twist at 3:05, when the girl in the red dress runs off with someone else after being serenaded by the one she should have ended up with. Also, is it just me or does Performer #1’s face fit perfectly with Michael Bublé’s voice? He looks like he could have actually sang the song. Final judgement: Well played Trinity, I’m a fan.
St George’s (4th place)
St George’s LipDub is a pleasant affair. It’s nothing crazy but makes for a cute entry. Here’s my realtime thoughts whilst watching:
Oh good, more Ed Sheeran. Puppies. Second lead is great. “Castle on the Hill,” does fit well with the college’s castle like entrance. Low hanging fruit, though? That transition into “Thinking Out Loud” was so awkward. George’s has its own boy band? The lead syncers are all great. Cute elevator scene. Is that Lewis from Gen and Lewis at 3:18?? Ooh, wait. The easter egg at the beginning of the two dudes chatting in the library has paid off. What a twist. I miss college.
Uni Hall (5th place)
Uni Hall needed something spectacular to finish on. Just when you’d given up, there he was, paddling the air as he lied on a railing. Coming in at 4:43, the blonde wig wearing saviour has humble beginnings. But after the camera pans and we have the two lead lip-syncers alone together, this maestro hops behind the two, centred. What follows next is an explosion of repressed joy, the Big Bang of uncoordinated dancing, Uni Hall’s magnum opus of backup dancers. One wonders why this unsung hero was not given more screen time, and why he was allocated the lowly rock of a backdrop dancer. The kid’s got passion, dedication, attitude but most importantly, heart. I don’t know his name, and the credits weren’t kind enough to specify him, but if you’re out there reading this; thank you. You almost made this LipDub worth watching. Almost.
(Thomas More’s lip dub was not available on YouTube at the time of writing)
Finnian Williamson and Cindy Shi | Film Co-Editors