The Student Media Association (SMA) will collaborate with the Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon at FMU to produce a video.

The video will be used to promote an event that will raise money for 28 local children and their families, affected by life threatening diseases and conditions.
Audriana Smith, a mass communication senior and SMA President, said she is looking forward to the opportunity and is very excited about a second chance to support the event.
“I’m very excited about this project,” Smith said.  “Last year, unforeseen circumstances came in the way of us doing the project, but it only prepared us for this year.”
Andre Culbreath, a senior, double majoring in political science and biology, also serves as the internal co-director of the Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon at FMU.  He said this will be the first time that the network has joined with FMU in an effort to raise money and offer support.
“This is the first time ever,” Culbreath said.  “We’re trying to set the precedent here on campus that we are here, and we are here to stay.”
Culbreath said he and his team chose SMA to produce the video for reasons beneficial to the media organization.
“We chose them because we believe that it would be a great marketing experience for them, and a great opportunity for the mass communication students to experience production work,” Culbreath said.
Smith agreed that the opportunity will benefit the organization in a number of ways.
“SMA will benefit from this by first, educating our members about what the Miracle Network is,” Smith said.  “Second, with this event, we’re on the field doing interviews, recording and even editing.  Not only will it build experience, but gives exposure.”
The video will actually be a lip dub.  A lip dub is a video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing to make a music video.  A popular and recent example is the 2012 Olympics swim team lip dubbing Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”
The lip dub will include FMU students and organizations lip synching songs, chosen by the chairmen of the dance marathon committee.
The video will be taped at various locations on campus.  Culbreath said he chose the campus as the location to shoot to show off its beautiful features.
Smith said she is compliant with the choices made by Culbreath and his team.
“SMA is using cameras, music and dancing,” Smith said.  “We’re working with the Dance Marathon committee supplying it all, we just want the students to come and have fun.”
Taping will begin at the end of this month to ensure enough time to have the final product ready for Christmas Day.
“The lip dub will serve as a gift to the 28 kids to try to get them hyped for the event,” Culbreath said.  “We want them to see how excited Francis Marion students are that they’re (the kids) coming to our campus.”
To learn more about becoming involved in this opportunity, SMA holds meetings every Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Cauthen Educational Media Center, Room 106.  The organization is also accepting new members.
The Children’s Miracle Network at FMU holds meetings every Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Leatherman Science Facility, Room 104.  Members can also be reached at (843) 661-1294 and by email at fmudancemarathon@fmarion.edu.