Contributed photo: Chelsey Starin, Erico Sanchez and Kellie Wendell dance in the music video in front of Old Main.
As the song “Gangnam Style” by Psy became a hit on the radio with its catchy beat and new dance moves, people started to become obsessed with the song.
Psy’s quirky moves insipired others, and music video renditions began to appear on YouTube.
In early November, junior Kellie Wendell noticed the videos online and decided it would be fun to try to create a music video around campus. Her goal was to complete it by midterm week of winter term, which she did.
Wendell wanted to incorporate as many groups on campus that she could.
Senior Erico Sanchez played “Psy,” the main character. Behind the scenes and on camera, junior Danny Graham and senior Nick Grecol helped Wendell make the video.
The other people on camera included members of Mecyhurst Student Ambassadors, Mercyhurst Student Government (MSG) and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). In addition, Dance and Hospitality Management majors were a part of the video.
The video would not have been complete without Mercyhurst President Thomas Gamble, Ph.D., and Parkhurst employees Rhonda Blout and Mimi Hewitt.
Once parts of the video were taped, Wendell edited the video on her computer. While the video looks quite professional, she explained the tools she used were simple.
“Editing is a little hobby I love, but unfortunately I do not have any fancy software,” said Wendell. “It was all done in Windows MovieMaker and filmed with my Canon EOS rebel T2i.”
She went on to explain that anyone can make a YouTube hit.
“All you need are your friends and a camera. We weren’t even trying to make this into a ‘YouTube hit.’ It was all just for fun, but the positive feedback made it even better,” Wendell said.
The video
Contributed photo: ROTC members have fun dancing to Gangnam Style in the video.
When asked if she thought the video was going to be so widespread, Wendell said, “Not in a million years. Once the idea was started, it quickly spread around campus. I was thrilled to have help from everyone, including Dr. Tobin and Dr. Gamble.”
With just over 2,500 views, it is one of the most popular Mercyhurst University uploads on YouTube.
“All the positive feedback we have gotten from this video has been incredible. I cannot express how grateful I am for the support from Mercyhurst. Over 2,500 views shows that our hard work has really paid off,” Wendell said.
So far, Wendell does not have any plans for future films, but she is open to new suggestions and others who would like to be involved. From the number of video participants, to the amount of viewers, this video is a prime example of the support in the Mercyhurst community.
“I hope this video shows that Mercyhurst is a lot of fun and our students have a lot of school spirit. I want this to make prospective students want to come to MU because we are more than just academics,” Wendell said.
To watch the film, go here.
