The Wyclef Experience

When I first heard that USFtv would be shooting Wyclef’s new music video for “If I Were President“, my first response was simply, “cool!”. I wasn’t starstruck or nervous initially-I honestly couldn’t believed (based on some of my cynical views of USF) that we were even going to be given this amazing opportunity.

When the idea sank in and it came time for the shoot, my “cool” attitude began to subside a bit, and I began to realize what a tremendous task this would actually be. Fortunately, I wasn’t responsible for many of the stressful tasks involved in the process, such as dealing with University policies or Wyclef’s management. USF students James Kilton and Alex Platt spent many hours tying together loose ends and making sure that the shoot was even able to get off the ground.

The day of the shoot, like most shoots, didn’t exactly go as planned. It was interesting to observe the conflict management that went on between the student run crew. I believe the entire crew did an excellent job handling the crowd that showed up to participate in the shoot, handling Wyclef’s requests and his not too great time management skills, and making sure to maintain a standard of professionalism that would make for an MTV-quality video while complying with University standards and concerns about displaying a positive image of USF.

As the video shoot commenced and the night rolled along to the concert, the time seemed to fly by. I suppose I was having a bit of fun, and my adrenaline was pumping as well. It was awesome to be behind the lens of a camera shooting an accomplished artist performing amongst many of my screaming and jumping peers. I had to take a step back and soak it all in to fully realize and appreciate the opportunity I was given. It was surely an experience to remember.

Below is a link to the final version of the USFtv produced video for Wyclef Jean’s “If I Were President”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVbTRHwhhEQ