# Every second is a highlight #

This week is the tenth anniversary of me becoming a student at the University of York, but as important as that it's also ten years since I joined YSTV.  I'll write something more substantial about my York experience in the near future but for the moment wanted to give a little extra plug to the compilation video I put online on 6th October - ten years to the day since Mum and Dad dropped me off at Eden's Court.  Yep, a bit sad that I did it on the exact date, but the video's been largely finished for about three months now so I was keen to get it out there as soon as I could!

I first had the idea of making a "best bits" video a couple of years ago, but ended getting a bit stuck with the technology.  The basic editing software I had couldn't cope with the various file formats that YSTV has used over the years for online videos, so as most of my recordings from the station are downloaded from the website it restricted me to anything I had transferred to tape which I could then capture myself.  At the time I thought this basically amounted to the final edition of my show Small Screen, which handily had contained clips of the previous two years of the show, so rather than a YSTV highlights compilation I instead ended up making an edit based around one programme (the theme of the sequence I must admit I nicked entirely from Children's BBC's 25th anniversary highlights VT).  Despite this I got a great reaction from it, so ever since I've wanted to try and do a similar thing for the rest of YSTV's output during my time as a member.  Finally, earlier this year - through a combination of some file-conversion software and, um, Windows Movie Maker - the technology came together.  It also coincided with me discovering a load more YSTV stuff I'd transferred to VHS in my first and second years that I'd completely forgotten about, some of which I've since sent onto the current membership as they're almost certainly not held in the archive anymore (the most notable of which, scarily, was Best Broadcaster 2004 - another "best of" edit assembled annually for the National Student TV Awards).

Windows Movie Maker.  Shit, but not as shit as I thought.

Putting the new sequence together was a pretty lengthy task.  I had a fair idea of most of the clips I wanted to include but did do a fair bit of scrolling through programmes trying to find interesting or notable bits I'd forgotten about.  I didn't want a representative sequence of everything we made during that period as we've got Best Broadcaster for that, and don't particularly have anything to prove in that respect. What I really wanted to concentrate on were the memories, and the clips that show us having the great time that we did. This is harder than it may sound as student TV is rarely as Krazy-with-a-K as its reputation might suggest, with people actually putting in a lot of time and effort to make programmes as professional as possible. This meant the edit I've ended up with features a lot on outtakes, clips of our "Summer Expedition" programmes and a scary amount of custard pies.  These were only an annual feature of our Children In Need broadcast, but when edited closely together do make us look a little like some kind of low-rent version of Tiswas...

A few disclaimers, if you will.  I'd initially not wanted to feature any Small Screen at all, having "done" that in the previous edit, but late on in the edit I decided to do a quick photo-montage of the years since graduation to ram home the point somewhat that we're all still mates (and indeed the last couple of photos are us at BAFTA last year with the then-current YSTV team and back in the studio again this May, which was a nice point to end).  It seemed natural at this point in the narrative to show the very end of the series prior to this sequence, which was also our final live show whilst at the university.  The vast majority of the clips are from my time as a student but you'll notice a handful from 2006 and 2007 when we made return trips to help out with big productions.  There's a bit of an absence of material from my first year, which is a shame, but this is largely a result of the station not being online at that point and the much smaller amount of output we had then.  Considering how much of a flop it was there are a surprisingly number of clips from Off The Cuff - however, given the programme's improvised (and frequently shambolic nature) this helped get quite a few oddball bits in.  There are even a handful of other bits found on my old tapes that are getting their first airing in this sequence (yeah, look impressed).  And amusingly You Tube presents you with the option to watch the video in "1080p HD". I hate to be the one to break it to you but it's not like those old Carry On films on ITV3 - we didn't film it in high-def at the time. 

Unlike the track used in the Small Screen compilation there's no real significance to the lyrics of Domino other than I really like the track and it's a good, punchy one to edit to.  There is one line though that sums up the period of time, and it's the title of this blog.  Hopefully I've managed to get across how much fun we used to have and what a great little team we were.  I hope you enjoy it!

If you care - and this is for YSTV archive geeks only really - here's the rundown of where all the clips came from:

1.    (Verse 1) The on-air YSTV clock that introduced the vast majority of the clips featured.  I can reveal this was recorded at twelve minutes past three.

2.    YSTV Summer Expedition 2004 (July).  Running over a hill in Dublin, I think this was for an opening sequence.

3.    Elections 2005 (March).  Some behind the scenes footage I shot for a piece showing how much work went into the election night programme. 

4.    Freshers’ Fair 2003 (October).  More camcorder stuff of our stall.

5.    Woodstock 2003 (June).  Our OB control room – found on a VHS this year, this footage was never used and I’d forgotten I even filmed this.

6.    Bulletin (October 2002).  My first appearance on YSTV.

7.    YSTV Week (January 2004).  Kate’s first appearance on YSTV.

8.    NaSTA 2004 Golden Bodge (April 2004).  Our spoof BBC One dancing ident.  This was lost for years but later turned up on XTV’s website – odd considering Nexus hosted the conference.

9.    This Is Your Manifesto (March 2004).  James chases the geese for a vox pop.

10.  Snow ident (January 2003).  I found this original footage on VHS this year which is why it runs at normal speed instead of Benny Hill-speed as on the finished version.  This “Y” didn’t make the final cut so is seen here for the first time (ooh…).

11.  Bona Dicta (June 2005).  Outtake of Sarah doing her pre-titles piece to camera.

12.  Good Morning Campus (June 2005).  Outtake of Ben coughing his guts up during his regional opt.

13.  YSTV Week Special (May 2005).  Greg Dyke grimaces when asked to read the programme’s slogan “Packed With Fact”.

14.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July). 

15.  Children In Need 2003 (November).  Pete and Sarah boogie in the broom cupboard.

16.  Good Morning Campus (June 2005).  Kat and I celebrate at the end of the show.

17.  The Great Big Massive YSTV Christmas Quiz Game Show Thingy 2003 (December). 

18.  Off The Cuff (January 2004).

19.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Scarborough funfair.

 

20. (Chorus 1) YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Sarah is actually miming to S Club 7’s entirely forgettable hit “You”, fact fans.

21.  YSTV Week (May 2005).  Tom tries on the CBeebies Weekly free gift.

22.  Elections 2005 (March). 

23.  Children In Need 2003 (November).  Off-cut from the filming of the trailer.  The very first of many custard pies to be thrown in that studio in November over the next few years.

24.  This Is Your Manifesto (March 2004). James ventures into URY and makes a nuisance of himself…

25.  Elections 2006 (March).  Despite being an alumnus I was back in the hot seat again…

26.  YSTV Week (January 2005).  Kate and Kat sing a song…I forget why…

27.  Elections 2006 (March).  Sarah livens up a boring result.

28.  Stereotypes (October 2004). Outtake – Kate whacks Pete after his cheesy outro.

29.  YSTV Week Special (May 2005).  Greg meets the membership.

30.  NaSTA 2003 Golden Bodge.  You’ll obviously have guessed already but I’m meant to be Richard O’Brien.  Michael and Dave are cowboys.  Don’t ask.

 

31.  (Verse 2) YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Pretending to not be able to find the sea in Scarborough.

32.  YSTV Week (May 2005).  Tony registers his disapproval of the new BBC weather graphics by going back to basics.

33.  Roses 2005 (May).  Pat Sharp did a piece to camera for us but the microphone was left off in error – hence the subtitles.

34.  NaSTA 2004 Golden Bodge.  Jen is  playing Margaret Thatcher but I’ve really no idea why we’re dancing.

35.  The Best of YSTV Week (December 2004).  Always liked this shot.

36.  Elections 2004 Bona Dicta (March). 

37.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2004 (July).  The infamous pints of Smirnoff Ice in Dublin.  Seemed a good idea at the time.

38.  Children In Need 2004 (November).  Being quizzed on my embarassing knowledge of 90s pop music.

39.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Scarborough dodgems.

40.  Snow ident (January 2003).

41.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2004 (July). At the Guinness factory.

42.  Off The Cuff (January 2004).

43.  YSTV Week (February 2005).  During the weather forecast, Richard decided to try and fix one of the broken slats in the news desk.  I was directing, and it looked so ridiculous that I asked the vision mixer to cut it to air!

44.  YSTV Week (December 2004).  Tony does the weather, for a treat this week in his own clothes.

45.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2004 (July).  Jen awaits Rowan at Dublin airport…

46.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2004 (July)…who gives us a lovely welcome.

 

47.  (Chorus 2) YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Kate gives Tony Blair rhythm.

48.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Not sure why Rowan was so pleased at going down a slide.

49.  Off The Cuff (January 2004).  Hands-in-the-air moment after Will Young’s Evergreen.

50.  YSTV Week (May 2004).  Me and Kate appear on screen together for the first time, a couple of months before we got together.

51.  Children In Need 2004 (November).  Pete gets more pie than he bargained for.

52.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  No idea what this was about but don't they look cool?

53.  The Best of YSTV Week (December 2004).  “One take Rushworth”.

54.  Off The Cuff (October 2003). Ed fails to get a message across to Dave.

55.  YSTV Summer Expedition 2005 (July).  Rowan’s moment of victory.

 

56.  (Middle 8) Elections 2005 (March).  Behind the scenes shots of our split-site operation.

57.  Off The Cuff (October 2003).  We go to Goodricke dining hall and find a huge crowd “watching” YSTV.

58.  Small Screen (June 2005).  Our final appearance on YSTV as students.

59.  Photo montage of 2005-2012 including graduation, YSTV40, parties, our engagement and return to the station

60.  Snow ident (January 2003).

 

61.  (Chorus 3) Small Screen (November 2004).  Outtake from a spoof news sequence for the pre-titles.

62.  Elections 2007 (March 2007). A brief on-screen appearance at my final election night, reporting from the balcony.

63.  Children In Need 2003 (November).  The notorious “pie attack” where Ed and I were attacked by the freshers.  A genuine "Krazy-with-a-K" moment

64.  YSTV 40/Children In Need 2007 (November).  Following a repeat of that very clip Tom and I get second helpings.  Fittingly, our final YSTV appearance to date.

65.  Elections 2004 (March).  James takes Michael down like he’s a domino.  Something I think we all wanted to do from time to time.

66.  Goodbyes montage: Elections 2006 (with the tripod slowly giving way), Children In Need 2004, YSTV Summer Expedition 2005, Elections 2004, Elections 2005, Children In Need 2003 (crammed into the broom cupboard, post-pie attack) and our final YSTV Week from June 2005.

67.  Snow ident (January 2003).  The resolution shot, filmed from Chris’s bedroom window in Halifax College.