Head Honcho Josh Tyler and I were discussing TV show Fan Videos the other day. I admitted that they’re one of my guilty pleasures to which he responded that fan videos are extremely girly. In a lot of cases, Josh is right. The bulk of fan videos out there are “shipper” videos involving an ongoing romance in a show but there are other styles of fan videos. Before I get into that though, I should explain exactly what a fan video is for anyone who may not have had the privilege of viewing one. A fan video is a music video created by a fan of a TV show (or movie). Anyone with the ability to upload TV shows to his or her computer and a decent video-editing program can make one.
To make a fan video you need the following ingredients:
- A theme – examples of a theme include the relationship between two or more characters in the show, funny moments or a greatest-hits montage.
- The clips – get the scenes that best fit your theme.
- The song – in my opinion, the song is key. A good song can make even the cheesiest fan video worth watching.
If you have the above listed ingredients, all you need after that is the ability to cut and edit it together using any movie-making software.
These videos have been around for a while now. I came across a few of them a couple of years back when I first got into the ‘Buffy’ series. But now that we’re living in the age of You Tube and Google video, fan videos are much easier to share and view.
I get why some people think fan videos are kind of cheesy. A lot of them are. Some people cant stomach the videos featuring sappy girl-music and mushy romantic scenes that so many fan videos offer. Well made videos do have more to offer than make-out scenes and whiny love songs. There are plenty of great videos out there that focus on various aspects of popular shows and set them perfectly to good music.
I would be lying though if I said I didn’t enjoy a good shipper fan video every now and then. There was a video I found a month or so ago that was based on an episode of ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ titled “Unfinished Business’ (which aired in the fall of 2006). For anyone who doesn’t watch the show, I should explain that fans of ‘BSG’ are somewhat divided in whether or not Kara and Lee should get together. ‘Unfinished Business’ only served to push fans even further one-way or the other. I personally think their story is compelling and loved the episode. The maker of this video probably did as well. The username of the person who uploaded it (and probably created it) is fidesangelus.
So there’s an example of a video that used a very appropriate song to match the story. They had an easy job of getting the clips since they’re all from one episode but they did a good job timing it to the song. You can find countless videos out there that center on Lee and Kara as well as other popular TV couples like Jim and Pam, Veronica and Logan, Kate and Sawyer, Kate and Jack and pretty much every other TV couple out there. There are also videos from older shows like ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Friends’ and I even saw one for ‘My So Called Life’ somewhere.
Now onto to the non-shipper videos. I came across this fan video for ‘The Office’ the other day. It focuses on the show in general and features some great scenes from seasons 1 through 3. It was uploaded (and probably created) by Alleyi03 at Youtube.com:
The above video is great for fans of the show because it captures so many memorable laugh-out-loud moments. The choice of music was appropriate and worked for the theme. Nice job, Alleyi03!
I’ve only made one fan video myself. After capturing lots of footage from the live feeds in the ‘Big Brother: All Stars’ house, I decided to put together one of my favorite styles of montages: the 80’s training montage:
So there you have it. Sure, fan videos can be kind of cheesy but they’re also a lot of fun when you find a decent one. This is why I’ve decided to make it my mission to find the best fan videos on You Tube and feature them in a column here at TV Blend. I’ll be scouring youtube.com looking for the most entertaining fan videos. If you have a fan video that you’d like to have considered for TV Blend’s Fan Video of the Week column, email the link to me at Kelly@cinemablend.com.
Here are the requirements for submitting videos:
- It must be uploaded to youtube.com
- The video can be related to any TV show (old shows and new shows)
- It’s ok to nominate someone else’s video, just be clear about that in the email
- Please indicate whether or not you would like to be credited by name if you’re submitting a video you created.
- Put “TV Blend Fan Video” in the subject of the email
Grease: You’re The One That I Want (NBC) 8:00 pm
This is the first episode of the new series that will scout America’s talent in search for the next Danny and Sandy for the Broadway production of the hit musical, Grease. It’s a gutsy move, putting this show on Sunday nights but given this country’s love of talent shows, it’s sure to be a hit. Olivia Newton-John will make an appearance in this episode.
”How I Met Your Mother ” (CBS) 10:00 pm
First Time In New York- (new!) – Robin tries to find a way to say the L-word to Ted. Also, Robin’s sister comes into town and confesses to her that she’s ready to lose her virginity (no, not to Barney).
To Be Fat Like Me (Lifetime) 9:00 pm
A Lifetime original movie based on the true story of a girl who went undercover as an obese girl at a rivaling high school to see if the fat kid really has it as bad as people say.
”House” (FOX) 8:00 pm
Merry Little Christmas- (rerun) – House gets cranky (ok, crankier) when Cuddy refuses to prescribe him more Vicodin. There’s some hilariously politically incorrect antics when a “little person” brings her daughter in for medical assistance.
”House” (FOX) 9:00 pm
Words and Deeds- (New!) – House deals with Tritter as he prepares for his trial, then abandons his team and checks into rehab.
”Friday Night Lights” (NBC) 8:00 pm
What To Do While You’re Waiting- (New!) – Matt’s dad continues to deal with being home from Iraq. The Streets plan to sue the coach for their son’s accident.
”Ugly Betty” (ABC) 8:00 pm
Sofia’s Choice- (New!) – Betty discovers something about Sofia that causes problems with Sofia and Daniel’s relationship. Betty’s dad butts heads with his immigration caseworker.
”The Office” (NBC) 8:30 pm
Traveling Salesmen (New!) – Michael goes on the road for a sales trip. TV.com reported that Karen is in for some “surprising news.” Could this be the episode where she finds out the extent of Jim’s relationship with Pam?
”Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) 9:00 pm
Six Days (New!) – George’s dad recovers for heart surgery and prepares to undergo surgery for his cancer. Meredith’s father comes into the hospital to visit his grandchild.
The Amityville Horror (Flix) 8:00 pm
This is the 1979 version. This is the ultimate haunted house movie.
Dateline NBC (E!) 6:00 pm
Taking a break from catching predators, Dateline digs into the Seabolt twin murder mystery.
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