The video below has of course gone viral in a big way. A local resident with some know-how and internet saavy took it upon himself to show America and the world that his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan was not a "dying city," but one full of proud people willing to show their civic pride to the world.
Rob Bliss is a 22-year-old Internet whiz who created a nine-minute, single-shot movie, set to a live audio recording of Don McLean performing his 1971-72 hit “American Pie,” and involving as many as 3,000 Grand Rapidians singing along and taking part in a constantly shifting series of 26 scenarios, all of them written, choreographed and directed by Bliss
Rehearsed in segments for a week in advance, and shot over four hours on a Sunday afternoon — city authorities shut down the city core so that Bliss’s enormous cast and ATV-enabled camera crew could complete five full “takes,” only one of which actually reached completion — the video took six months to organize
Renowned movie critic Roger Ebert calls it “the best music video ever made"
The $40,000 budget was raised from sponsorships by local and regional businesses.
Bliss said he chose “American Pie” because “it’s inspiring, and there are words within the lyrics that lend themselves to interpretation. “It’s the right length for a lipdub, and the live version has the audience singing along, which suited our purposes perfectly.
Take a look and judge for yourself.
Source of some material: thestar.com
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