Random Musings

I have a confession to make: Last week I created a viral video.

Just for the fun of it.

As far as I’m aware, it has now spread like wildfire, and people are posting the video on their Facebook walls, and many random strangers have started messaging me on Facebook telling me how much they love the video, and it’s just been uploaded by someone on STOMP (here)…and now even the Straits Times wants to interview me about it.

(How in the world did they manage to get my Facebook video uploaded on STOMP??)

Anyway, I just hope I don’t get into trouble for all this, haha!

It’s just one of those things, y’know.

It’s the first time in my life that I have ever attempted to create a viral video, and it’s probably going to be the last.

It’s one of those things that you probably want to only do once in your life.

At least I have tried, and now I know what it feels like to have created a viral video which scores of Singaporeans have enjoyed watching and sharing with others.

I’m just glad a lot of people have enjoyed it.

It’s all very encouraging.

Many said the video was hilarious.

Some even said they literally laughed their guts out.

As I said, it’s all in good fun.

We all need to learn to laugh a little.

Sometimes I think we Singaporeans takes things too seriously. =)

…

The video in question, by the way, is this one (here) about Hitler reacting to the Orchard Road flood.

Since the Orchard Road flood was a hot topic two weeks ago, some time last week I had this crazy idea of doing the Hitler spoof on it.

I felt it was a current enough topic, and one that a lot of people had strong feelings about.

(I’m sure you all must have heard about the Hitler “Downfall” internet meme by now. It’s one of the biggest memes around at the moment.)

The storyline started formulating in my mind – Hitler is looking forward to his annual holiday trip to Singapore, but learns that Orchard Road has been hit by a flash flood and that much of his favourite Liat Towers has been wiped out. This sends him into a rage.

And from then on, the ideas just started flowing.

To be honest, I knew absolutely NOTHING about creating a Hitler spoof.

That night, I literally sat at my computer for hours on end learning how to do the Hitler spoof…downloading the original clean clip, then trying to create the subtitles on iMovie (which I realised was not possible due to its severe limitations), then trying to create it on Windows Movie Maker (which couldn’t give me the exact effects I wanted, but it could work, cos anyway, I didn’t have access to any other form of subtitling software), then trying to upload it on YouTube (which I realised was not possible cos YouTube has developed a formula to automatically take down all uploads of this Hitler parody), then finally deciding to upload it on my Facebook account (which wasn’t exactly what I had initially wanted to do, but it was the only option left).

All this in one night.

I uploaded it on Facebook late last Wednesday, which was about one week after the Orchard Road flood.

It was sort of late already, and all the hoo-hah was kinda wearing off…but I caught a lucky break.

Cos two days later (Friday), there was another round of heavy flooding in Singapore, and thus my video became relevant again.

I think that’s when it really started to catch on.

It began circulating around on Facebook.

Sometimes I wished that I could have uploaded it on YouTube so I can track exactly how many hits it has received, cos on Facebook it’s impossible for me to tell just exactly how many people have viewed it.

Anyway, I could probably write another 1,000 words on my thought process as I created the clip with all the subtitles, how I set the lines and ideas all up, and the whole psychology behind humour and parody videos and all that…but I’ll leave that for another time.

Meanwhile, try to keep a look out for any articles in this Sunday’s newspapers on local parody videos!

(If the reporter kept to his word.)