University of Oklahoma Athletics
Theater Premiere for History of Oklahoma Football
September 29, 2010 | Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma will unveil its new documentary, The History of Oklahoma Football Part 1, Birth of a Champion, in a screening at the Warren Theaters in Moore on Monday at 7 and 7:15 p.m.
SoonerVision, the video production unit in the OU Athletics Department produced the piece, and it was a laborious undertaking. Here' a quick review, by the numbers, of some of the effort that was poured into the venture:
10 hours of interviews
80 black and white films transferred from 1930-1947
42,200 feet of film from 1930-1947 (almost eight miles)
500 hours of logging what was actually on the film
Over 700 photos collected (used over 400 in the film)
Roughly 2,000 edits
Two full time and 10 students assisted on the project
2,000 hours of logging and cataloging old films
$20,000 cleaning, restoring and transferring films from telecine to HD video tape
Five months of research
Researched every regents note starting May 6, 1893
Worked with six other universities for photo research
1,500 hours of post production time
Used 12 books on OU football and University for research
Tickets, which are on sale now, are $8. They can be purchased at WarrenTheaters.com or any window at the theater in Moore.
CBS' Spencer Tillman, former Sooner running back and narrator for the series, will be in attendance and will sign autographs in the lobby prior to the screenings. Copies of the DVD also will be on sale at the theater's concessions stands that night.
The DVD sells for $19.99 and can be pre-ordered online through SoonerSports.com. It also is set for wide distribution in a number of stores in the coming weeks.
The first installment in the four-part series chronicles the beginning of the OU program in 1895 through the hiring of Bud Wilkinson.
"It's fascinating to see how this program developed into what we enjoy today," said Joe Castiglione, OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletics Director. "I've had the opportunity to preview Birth of a Champion and I can promise our fans that they will learn a lot about our program, and they'll do so through some very rare and entertaining footage."
Three more installments are coming in the series. The next will be highlighted by the Wilkinson years with others to include the Switzer and Stoops eras.
SoonerVision, the OU Athletics Department's video production department, is producing the series in conjunction with the school's multi-media rights holder, Sooner Sports Properties.
SERIES LAUNCH
SoonerVision, the video production unit for the University of Oklahoma's Athletics Department, is about to release part one in the most comprehensive DVD series ever issued on the history of Sooner Football.
Sooner Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for OU Athletics, underwrote the project and is handling the distribution.
Plans call for the series to be released over a four-year period with each new video expected out in September of each year. Part one, entitledThe History of Sooner Football, Birth of a Champion, encompasses the period from the inception of the program in 1895 through the hiring of Bud Wilkinson after the 1946 campaign. The running time is nearly two hours.
The High Definition production is already available for pre-order through a number of online services. The retail price is $19.95 and the first run of DVDs will number 25,000. It will be on store shelves before the holidays. Among the outlets that have committed to carrying the DVD are Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Academy Sports and Outdoor, Hibbett Sports and the OU Bookstore.
Brandon Meier, OU's Executive Director of Video Production, produced the DVD along with his staff at SoonerVision.
"From the time Brandon joined our staff, he talked about this project," said Kenny Mossman, senior associate athletics director for communications. "The final result is truly stunning and something in which Oklahoma fans can take great pride.
"The amount of work that SoonerVision poured into this effort, including the location of and refurbishing of hours of vintage video, is amazing. This DVD reflects that hard work in its incredible thoroughness. Even those fans that have soaked up every ounce of OU history will see and hear things that have never before been made available to the public."
Meier said his staff was determined to provide the most definitive piece ever done on Sooner football.
"We understand the passion of our fans and worked to produce a piece that would meet their standard," he said. "We set out to tell the comprehensive story of this program from a fresh perspective. I believe this is something that will provide hours of enjoyment to OU fans."
Spencer Tillman is the host for the series. The first installment includes commentary from authors, historians and former players. There also is rare audio of former President George Lynn Cross, who presided at Oklahoma during the hiring of Bud Wilkinson.
The SoonerVision staff began with 8,000 films in its own library and worked to get those identified and transferred to a digital format. Meier estimated that more than 8,000 man hours were invested in getting the project completed.
"I'm pleased with the final product," Meier said. "It tells some stories that haven't been told before. I find myself enamored by the old film, how they played and how the stadium looked. It's easy to get caught up in all of that. The footage is great."
SoonerVision, the video production unit in the OU Athletics Department produced the piece, and it was a laborious undertaking. Here' a quick review, by the numbers, of some of the effort that was poured into the venture:
10 hours of interviews80 black and white films transferred from 1930-194742,200 feet of film from 1930-1947 (almost eight miles)500 hours of logging what was actually on the filmOver 700 photos collected (used over 400 in the film)Roughly 2,000 editsTwo full time and 10 students assisted on the project2,000 hours of logging and cataloging old films$20,000 cleaning, restoring and transferring films from telecine to HD video tapeFive months of researchResearched every regents note starting May 6, 1893Worked with six other universities for photo research1,500 hours of post production timeUsed 12 books on OU football and University for research
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CBS' Spencer Tillman, former Sooner running back and narrator for the series, will be in attendance and will sign autographs in the lobby prior to the screenings. Copies of the DVD also will be on sale at the theater's concessions stands that night.
The DVD sells for $19.99 and can be pre-ordered online through SoonerSports.com. It also is set for wide distribution in a number of stores in the coming weeks.
The first installment in the four-part series chronicles the beginning of the OU program in 1895 through the hiring of Bud Wilkinson.
"It's fascinating to see how this program developed into what we enjoy today," said Joe Castiglione, OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletics Director. "I've had the opportunity to preview Birth of a Champion and I can promise our fans that they will learn a lot about our program, and they'll do so through some very rare and entertaining footage."
Three more installments are coming in the series. The next will be highlighted by the Wilkinson years with others to include the Switzer and Stoops eras.
SoonerVision, the OU Athletics Department's video production department, is producing the series in conjunction with the school's multi-media rights holder, Sooner Sports Properties.
SERIES LAUNCH
SoonerVision, the video production unit for the University of Oklahoma's Athletics Department, is about to release part one in the most comprehensive DVD series ever issued on the history of Sooner Football.
Sooner Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for OU Athletics, underwrote the project and is handling the distribution.
Plans call for the series to be released over a four-year period with each new video expected out in September of each year. Part one, entitledThe History of Sooner Football, Birth of a Champion, encompasses the period from the inception of the program in 1895 through the hiring of Bud Wilkinson after the 1946 campaign. The running time is nearly two hours.
The High Definition production is already available for pre-order through a number of online services. The retail price is $19.95 and the first run of DVDs will number 25,000. It will be on store shelves before the holidays. Among the outlets that have committed to carrying the DVD are Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Academy Sports and Outdoor, Hibbett Sports and the OU Bookstore.
Brandon Meier, OU's Executive Director of Video Production, produced the DVD along with his staff at SoonerVision.
"From the time Brandon joined our staff, he talked about this project," said Kenny Mossman, senior associate athletics director for communications. "The final result is truly stunning and something in which Oklahoma fans can take great pride.
"The amount of work that SoonerVision poured into this effort, including the location of and refurbishing of hours of vintage video, is amazing. This DVD reflects that hard work in its incredible thoroughness. Even those fans that have soaked up every ounce of OU history will see and hear things that have never before been made available to the public."
Meier said his staff was determined to provide the most definitive piece ever done on Sooner football.
"We understand the passion of our fans and worked to produce a piece that would meet their standard," he said. "We set out to tell the comprehensive story of this program from a fresh perspective. I believe this is something that will provide hours of enjoyment to OU fans."
Spencer Tillman is the host for the series. The first installment includes commentary from authors, historians and former players. There also is rare audio of former President George Lynn Cross, who presided at Oklahoma during the hiring of Bud Wilkinson.
The SoonerVision staff began with 8,000 films in its own library and worked to get those identified and transferred to a digital format. Meier estimated that more than 8,000 man hours were invested in getting the project completed.
"I'm pleased with the final product," Meier said. "It tells some stories that haven't been told before. I find myself enamored by the old film, how they played and how the stadium looked. It's easy to get caught up in all of that. The footage is great."
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