One of the longest-running traditions throughout the history of Fossil Ridge High School has been the school-wide Lip Dub. Every three years, the Lip Dub calls on each student, faculty member, club, and organization in the school to work together on the production.

Ridge TV takes charge on these projects, fitting together sections of a variety of songs, scenes, and tasks for different groups in order to create a unique, engaging, and overall entertaining, video to showcase the school and its student body.

In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and its residual effects despite the reopening of Fossil in Phase 4 education, the Lip Dub has had to find a way to proceed in an adjusted format. Ridge TV recently introduced their idea of an adapted Lip Dub: the Mask Dub.

The Mask Dub offers an alternative in which Ridge TV will help delegate and choreograph sections of the production in a pandemic-friendly fashion. Maya Ashby, a senior in Ridge TV, is taking on a leadership role in the production of the Mask Dub. Ashby provided some input on how this format was decided. “[The lip dub] is tradition at Fossil, so we started brainstorming around December, and in February we came up with the idea of filming with each advisory and stitching it together,” she stated.

Drawing inspiration from the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifting of our learning experience, this year’s Mask Dub will take on the theme, “Together, we overcome.” As our community has been affected by the virus, Fossil’s student body would like to come together, reignite school spirit, and prove that this horrible obstacle can be overcome.

Because of the uplifting theme, Ridge TV would like to encourage everyone to get excited and involved in the Mask Dub and show off their school spirit. Ashby explains that, “We are doing it together even though we have to be physically separate… we wanted this Mask Dub to show that ‘hey, we’re still a community, we’re still a school, not everything is dark and scary.’”

Each advisory class in the school will be delegated to a specific TV crew and zone producer. With eight crews, each producer will be in charge of ten advisories and their five to ten seconds of the video. They will undertake the responsibilities of speaking to the classes, choreographing the sections, and filming the final product.

TV crews have already been working with advisories to gradually brainstorm ideas on what they will wear and do in their sections. Throughout the week of April 5th, dress rehearsals will begin, and starting on April 20th, actual filming will begin in each advisory. From there, any final details will be added, like an attempt to work fully online students into the production, and then editing will begin.

Despite typical lip dubs showcasing specific groups, like sports teams, clubs, or classes, the advisory format offers an alternative that helps develop a sense of unity in one’s own class. “This is the last year we’re having advisory, so I think having a way to say goodbye to the class is a really good thing,” elaborated Ashby.

This does offer problems surrounding the editing of the production though, as they will be unable to make a cohesive product like in past videos. The Mask Dub’s production editor, Zach Dial, is nervous about how this will compare to the past with such an adjusted format, but he is planning to perfect how he transitions from room to room in order to make a smooth final product. Dial is motivated to make this video the most memorable Lip Dub in Fossil history to commemorate the student’s and staff’s difficult year.

Chelsea Ermer, a teacher in the Art department, has starred in two previous Lip Dubs and speaks very highly of her experience. When speaking of the audition process, she explained its different aspects, like a green screen, lip syncing, as well as creative choreography. When asked about her experience and the moments she is looking forward to, Ermer explained that, “You feel the energy go up in the school as we all come together.”

While lip dubs in years past have premiered at the People’s Choice Assembly on the seniors’ last day of school, this, akin to the other details of the production, will have to change. With an inability to hold a typical People’s Choice Assembly in the gym, the final product of the Mask Dub will be included in the pre-recorded assembly, and uploaded to YouTube separately on the SabercatFilms channel.

In the lead up to the Mask Dub and everything surrounding it, Ashby illustrated her final thoughts: “Get excited about it. Even though it isn’t what we traditionally do, it will still have the same feel and excitement, so… have fun with it.”

This story was originally published on Etched in Stone on April 1, 2021.