Cannes, Sundance, Toronto...we would have stunned them all.

During my surgery lecture this morning, while I was supposed to be learning about hemodynamics (less that goes into the heart, less comes out...all I need to know, right?), I had a publicity epiphany for PCOM's (first annual) Relay for Life, which is less than a month away. I'm on one of the planning committees, so sometimes I'll randomly come up with ideas and email the event co-chairs, and most of the time I'll get the green light. This idea: a publicity video featuring a series of people saying, "I Relay for ____." Enter uplifting music in the background, then cut to another (more rapid) series of people saying, "I Relay...", finishing with someone asking, "Why do YOU Relay?" (Last person TBD, I was waiting to see which one of my video victims could deliver the message with just the right amount of poignant interrogation, so that the viewer would think, "Darn, why AREN'T I Relaying? I should be Relaying! At PCOM! Sign me up!!")

It wasn't going to be Cannes material, but I had these grand artistic visions in my head. I was convinced that the American Cancer Society was going to see it and use it as the template for a future commercial, and maybe PCOM could be cast (including yours truly, but only in natural lighting, a designer wardrobe, a fan/wind machine, and with as much touching up as the finest, most expensive editing software will allow). 

So, I ran downstairs to the A/V department, borrowed a flip camera, harassed my friends and classmates with my script ("Okay, say, 'I Relay for dot dot dot.'  Except don't say 'dot dot dot.' Say, like, 'my grandmother' or something. But someone already said their grandmother, so pick someone else. Or you can say something generic, like 'I Relay for survivors.' Just say whatever strikes you, OKGO!"), sat down at my computer all excited to begin editing, and...turns out the smallest length of time you can splice footage into is 3 seconds, and a lot of people's video segments took a little over 1 (so there was no way to cut the footage without hearing my prompting). I futzed around with the editing options, but alas, my dreams of putting PCOM on the ACS publicity map were shattered. 

Of course, one upside to this...blooper reel. It's not terribly long, but it features some of my fellow committee chairs, and at 0:15, you can hear me have what sounds like an asthma attack. 

(If you're interested in a more ridiculous blooper reel (edited by my fellow OMS-II Jason), check out this one from the Student Resource Fair, held back in August. There, you can hear me have an aneurysm at the end. And in case you think "Umm...what's going on?", watch the actual video on PCOM's YouTube channel.)