Though the not-so-blue skies posed an issue for the advanced Audio Visual Production (AVP) team, students still smiled, laughed and literally tossed each other in the air for the 2019 Lip Dub. The production, set to the tune of “Mr. Blue Sky,” did not run as predicted due to the ironic weather and other factors, but many students continue to look on the bright side of the video’s imperfections.

The Lip Dub is a schoolwide music video tradition run and orchestrated by LASA’s Advanced AVP class and AVP teacher, Vanessa Mokry. Every other year since 2013, clubs, organizations, teams and even friend groups sign up and prepare to show off their group’s talents or pride to the camera that swivels through a sea of students. The process of creating a Lip Dub doesn’t just involve getting everyone in the right place at the right time for the film. The Advanced AVP class pours countless hours into deciding a song, rehearsing and editing.

“In general, it’s a difficult thing because it’s so big and it takes a while for us to start planning,” Mokry said. “The pressure is far away for a while, and then, suddenly, it’s just here,” Mokry said.

Despite the difficulty of planning, scheduling and rehearsing, Mokry said AVP continues to do the Lip Dub in order to bring smiles to the faces of LASA students and to inspire future applicants to LASA.

“We wanted to do another one because of the enthusiasm from the students mostly, and it’s a challenging event that if done well it can be really cool,” Mokry said.

Junior Daylyn Gilbert said she was inspired to apply to LASA after watching its Lip Dub because she could tell how unique of a school LASA was and aspired to be part of the Lip Dub.

“I was really excited when I found out that I was going to be a Lip Dub-er because I get to look back on it and see the video,” Gilbert said.

However, Gilbert found the experience of being a Lip Dub-er more challenging than she expected. She had to practice the choreography and improve her lip syncing skills for the final takes by over exaggerating her words when singing along to the song.

“There was a lot more that went into it than I actually thought,” Gilbert said. “Watching the video, it looks like it’s just a flow, and you just have to mouth the words and look happy. But it’s a lot harder because you’re put on the spot and everyone watching you.”

Senior and Lip Dub-er Cameron Kleinman prepared in part by listening to the song a number of times in order to get the rhythm down. He realized early in the process that not everything is going to go right and that you just have to move on.

“You go through and it starts early, or the music is off, or you mess up your lines, or you’re not in the right spot or something like that, and it’s like you just have to keep going,” Kleiman said. “You just have to roll with it.”

Mokry said that the hardest part of the planning of the Lip Dub is always timing. AVP often has to adjust dates or plans in order to fit uncontrollable factors, such as the weather. This year, it was predicted to rain during scheduled filming times. Mokry tried to reschedule the final recording to have actual “blue skies,” but it simply didn’t fit into the busy LASA calendar.

“The worst thing about it is timing things and usually there’s a weather factor. This year was the absolute worst, most disappointing timing thing,” Mokry said.

Despite the gloom the cloudy gray skies caused, Gilbert said she was still excited about the Lip Dub being filmed entirely outside this year.

“This year’s Lip Dub is gonna look more positive because of the natural light and being outside, in general, is more exciting and happier than just being inside of the hallways,” Daylyn Gilbert said.

This happy spirit is exactly what Mokry and the advanced AVP class are trying to capture in the few minutes they have. Mokry believes that students will, later on, look back on the video and cherish it as a memento of their time at LASA.

“I think they just like having some little time capsule in video form of their school of everyone being happy and silly all in just a quick five-minute film,” Mokry said.

According to Mokry, for as long as this tradition continues, it will help bring everyone at LASA together, no matter their grade, club, organization, or friend group.

“We don’t have a lot of things that bring us all together, and this thing does and it shows a quick glimpse of everybody all at once, and it’s a fun thing,” Mokry said. “A lot of things we do here are difficult.”