OU working to make most of new video screens

By Scott Wright

Published: July 22, 2007

NORMAN — Tim George isn't quite ready to give up all the big names that will appear in Oklahoma's "There's Only One” series of introduction videos.

But OU's director of marketing will give you a hint.

"We have a prominent former Sooner who's in his first year in the NFL who happened to find his way back to Norman and happens to play up north,” George said.

Adrian Peterson — or whoever George was talking about — isn't the only prominent player making a first-time appearance among the 12-15 alumni in the "There's Only One” series this season as the videos have become a part of the increasing emphasis OU has put on entertaining the fans when the action stops.

Other names include Rocky Calmus, Jerry Tubbs, Joe Washington and Greg Pruitt.

"We've continued with some consistent players. Steve Owens is back in there,” George said. "They span from guys who played during the 47-game winning streak to players that have just been out a year or two.

"One that is really a superstar that I think people were wondering in the first couple videos when he was going to be in them — we did get Roy Williams to come back.”

Beyond the intro videos, OU has plenty in the works to improve the fan experience at Owen Field.

New video boards are already part of the upgrades for the next two seasons. To take full advantage of the new screens, the SoonerVision staff was increased by one person with the hiring of Brandon Meier as the executive director of video production for football and basketball games.

Meier, though still not quite 30 years old, has several years of experience in video production for big-screen use at the college and professional levels. After beginning his television career at 16 in North Platte, Neb., Meier moved to the University of Nebraska, where he spent eight years on the Huskervision staff.

The last four years, he's been working the big screens at NBA home games for the Houston Rockets, as well as Houston Texans football and minor-league hockey games.

"My goal is to entertain,” Meier said. "I realize that fans buy tickets to see what's going on on the field, but if I can give them some good information and maybe make them laugh a little bit, I hope it makes the experience better.”

Meier, whose first day on the job was last Monday, and the SoonerVision staff are still putting plans together for how to utilize the new video and LED boards at Owen Field.

"We're going to try a bunch of ideas and see what works,” he said. "This is a good fit for me, because I have a lot of experience with LED boards and tying them together with the video to make a cohesive show.”

Planning for the intro videos began in January, long before Meier arrived, and wrapped up shooting last week. But the new director said he was impressed with the idea already.

"I love the concept of the intros,” he said. "I walked in during the taping the other day and it looked like a Steven Spielberg movie set.”

In the fourth year of the "There's Only One” theme, George says they're always pushing to make it bigger and better, especially with the new boards.

"There's definite pressure to produce a better show,” he said. "We stay with a common theme in the intro videos, but people will see there are some new twists to it this year. People are going to notice a difference, but I think they're gonna like it a lot.”

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