The video recap of our flash mob proposal video at Times Square.
For any parties who wish to know more about the project or doubt the legitimacy of the proposal: here's the lowdown of the flash mob proposal.
The Flash Mob took place on a cold November 24, 2012 in Times Square, New York City, New York. Discussions began in August 2012 when Dave mustered the confidence to go through with the big question. He knew he wanted a flash mob but needed to flesh out the details. Dave and I are great friends and former breakdance buddies, so he asked me for help. Having worked on various productions throughout college, I immediately obliged.
Dave and I brainstormed ideas, discussing logistics, background information, the pacing, and the big moments leading up to the proposal. We mocked up plans, maps, and a sequence of events.
The original intinerary consisted of 5 separate stations, each with undercover members made from Dave's supportive networks (of course, ones his fiancee had not met yet lol). Each posed as innocent pedestrians who referenced a subtle but important detail about his relationship with E.
The team consisted of:
1) A club promoter, who urged the couple to visit Times Square and dance.
2) A lost tourist couple claiming to live from Dave and E's favorite vacation spot.
3) A Youtube band filming a live performance, using E's favorite Usher song.
4) A group of live dancers who would invite Dave to join their circle and ultimately form the flash mob proposal group.
5) A film crew of four cameraman (one being myself) set at each station stalking Dave in some capacity.
Over a hundred phone calls and emails were sent to make this happen. From the film team, to the dance crews, to the permit required to even PERFORM LIVE at Times Square—Dave and company went to significant lengths to make this happen (of course, when you're in love, these are things one should NORMALLY DO for their significant.)
The video team and I even went as far as to develop a dance tutorial video for the members of the flash mob that were not able to attend live practice sessions.
- Tutorial video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jPD8yVOmYQ
It was all very coordinated.
The actual day itself—wasn't. A lot of mishaps occurred actually, as shown in the video.
1. Two videographers got lost and/or lost track of Dave, thus missing one of the stations.
2. A bus blocked one of our critical filming spots.
3. The cops did indeed scare us with a few questions. Though they eventual let us off, it was a very tense standoff. We cannot stress enough—if you are performing a flash mob of this significance and size at a place as security-cautious as Times Square, GET YOUR PERMITS. Know the laws and be safe.
4. Our speakers arrived late.
5. Overall, plans were approximately forty-five minutes past schedule.
Luckily, we adapted. Dave stalled in the Disney store and the speakers eventually arrived. When the dance circle opened up, we even had a few outside pedestrians join in.
And the rest is history.
Other disclaimers:
- Dave was mic'd, hence the audio pick up.
- No, we do not endorse any of the products or logos shown within the video, nor is this some subliminal ad campaign. It is very difficult to film in Times Square without a logo sneaking into the footage. NO. WE ARE NOT GUERILLA MARKETERS. Everyone in the video is a REAL person with REAL reactions to a REAL event.
- The flash mob dance to "I'm All Yours" is occurring in REAL-TIME. With the exception of one guitar shot, 99% of the footage is true to the actual moment, depicted from four different angels. What you see is what actually happened.
- This channel belongs to Dave's fiancee. Please be courteous and supportive. Any inflammatory remarks can and will be deleted.
- No copyright infringement is intended. We do not claim any rights to any of the music in this production and do not broadcast said footage with commercial intentions. We post on educational grounds, sharing a wonderful moment with the world and encourage the general public to be more earnest for love. You know, MARRIAGE IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL and should you consider a flash mob route, this is one way of doing it.
That's all. We hope you enjoyed the video as much as the team and I enjoyed working on it.
May love always win the day,
- Crisanto, editor and creative consult.
wedding highlight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC7Q_tIuXbs
full wedding video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc81doEHyE8
