https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3GJIHhypBmU

Very cool. Prepare for an onslaught of Facebook shares...

Very impressive!

Virtually everything featured is relatively recent... Shows how far we've come in a short time and makes it fun to extrapolate that trend forward.

5:47 is that how you blow a trumpet (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=serp&tok=kmavqJZ6PMSb-JYmhr-lzQ&pq=embouchure&cp=12&gs_id=7&xhr=t&q=embouchure+trumpet&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41524429,d.b2I&biw=1500&bih=704&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=3KcBUav2OKro2gX44oHgBw)?

Don't ask how I noticed a one second scene. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-H4Wby6ge3w#t=363s)

In that same vein Will, that aerial of OCU may as well be from the 90s.

5:47 is that how you blow a trumpet (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=serp&tok=kmavqJZ6PMSb-JYmhr-lzQ&pq=embouchure&cp=12&gs_id=7&xhr=t&q=embouchure+trumpet&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41524429,d.b2I&biw=1500&bih=704&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=3KcBUav2OKro2gX44oHgBw)?

Don't ask how I noticed a one second scene. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-H4Wby6ge3w#t=363s)


Ha! That's how you empty the spit valve. A rather unfortunate fraction of a second to catch.

If that can't get you jacked up about OKC, then you just aren't alive.

"...And if you don’t feel it, you ought to go have your saliva checked." - Barry Switzer

Sorry, couldn't help bringing that one full circle.

What restaurant is this:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vidcapture.jpg

I like this one a lot better than the "Big League City" one from a few years ago. It seems more genuine.

Very cool. Prepare for an onslaught of Facebook shares...

Nailed that one.

I shared this video last night on Facebook and today probably 8 or more of my friends have shared it as well. Props to the OKC C of C!

Nice video, for what it is. Unfortunately, it only dulls some into complacency about just how run down many parts of Oklahoma City is becoming. West OKC used to be a great area of town, it's now close to ghetto status in some areas. Gang activity is at all time highs. Murder rate, ditto. I like this video, but it is a Disney version. Oklahoma City exists outside of our pretty and revitalized downtown and much of it is rotting.

Nice video, for what it is. Unfortunately, it only dulls some into complacency about just how run down many parts of Oklahoma City is becoming. West OKC used to be a great area of town, it's now close to ghetto status in some areas. Gang activity is at all time highs. Murder rate, ditto. I like this video, but it is a Disney version. Oklahoma City exists outside of our pretty and revitalized downtown and much of it is rotting.

Thanks, Debbie Downer. You know, it's OK to celebrate the good while trying to fix the bad. Do you suggest that we make a video to lure businesses here by highlighting the troubles that we have? Troubles, by the way, that are no different from any other city? No one is suggesting that we're perfect, but we're trying and succeeding in a lot of areas. We can enjoy our successes and fix our problems at the same time.

Nice video, for what it is. Unfortunately, it only dulls some into complacency about just how run down many parts of Oklahoma City is becoming. West OKC used to be a great area of town, it's now close to ghetto status in some areas. Gang activity is at all time highs. Murder rate, ditto. I like this video, but it is a Disney version. Oklahoma City exists outside of our pretty and revitalized downtown and much of it is rotting.

So, you are saying all the national and international accolades OKC has garnered is undeserved? That great things aren't going on here? Or are you just trying to counter any pride OKC citizens might want to feel about their city and their fellow citizens?

Nice video, for what it is. Unfortunately, it only dulls some into complacency about just how run down many parts of Oklahoma City is becoming. West OKC used to be a great area of town, it's now close to ghetto status in some areas. Gang activity is at all time highs. Murder rate, ditto. I like this video, but it is a Disney version. Oklahoma City exists outside of our pretty and revitalized downtown and much of it is rotting.

I am not sure if much can be done to fix West OKC. It was once "the place to be" for suburban living but now that has moved to Deer Creek Edmond and West Moore. I would rather the city continue focusing on revitalizing its inner core rather than a has-been suburban area. Maybe there can be local community incentives and investments to revitalize West OKC? That's how it works in many larger cities. Maybe the city could offer an "emerging neighborhood" home buying program but city intervention should stop there.

Dayummmmm....Zookeeper got smoked! lmao

But on the real...yeah, lets show Lake Hefner and it's 500 foot dry shore lines, let's do an aerial of Oklahoma City during the fall when all the trees are dead and the grass is brown, let's show the ghetto neighborhoods and the graffiti that is strewn about all over the place, let's show the roads that are filled with potholes, and the usta be corporations that have come and gone and their properties are all run down. Make sure to include shots of all the properties downtown that are parking lots. And we definitely gotta make sure to show the portions of the North Canadian River that are not affected by locks and dams...meaning up or down stream from the Oklahoma River.

That sounds like an awesome video!

Sorry to shoot ya again but your post was definitely negative nancy...

Nice video, for what it is. Unfortunately, it only dulls some into complacency about just how run down many parts of Oklahoma City is becoming. West OKC used to be a great area of town, it's now close to ghetto status in some areas. Gang activity is at all time highs. Murder rate, ditto. I like this video, but it is a Disney version. Oklahoma City exists outside of our pretty and revitalized downtown and much of it is rotting.

And the (North) West side still isn't even CLOSE to the need that exists on the (South) East side.

Let Bethany, Warr Acres and The Village figure out West OKC and OKC can focus on it's core and other parts of the city that have been neglected for far longer...

They moved Pops downtown?!! :wink:

They moved Pops downtown?!! :wink:

Yeah, just like they moved the Tinker jets, the wind turbines, sailboats, the University of Oklahoma campus, and Remington Park downtown. This isn't a video about downtown. It's a video promoting relocating to OKC for the amenities in the metro area.

I noticed this video showed up on a rowing forum

And the (North) West side still isn't even CLOSE to the need that exists on the (South) East side.

Let Bethany, Warr Acres and The Village figure out West OKC and OKC can focus on it's core and other parts of the city that have been neglected for far longer...

Agreed. I was down on the Southside today. West OKC needs help but its nothing like the Southside. It's sad to see the condition South OKC between I-240 and I-40 is in. When I lived in OKC as a child, it was starting to get run down but it was nothing like it is today.

On a positive note, the West Moore area is awesome and is one of the prettiest suburban areas in the metro in my opinion.

What restaurant is this:

I'm trying to place it but am having difficulty too. It looks familiar though.

Why don't we try to identify the restaurants in this video:


I'll have to go back and look again, but there were a lot of long red florcent lights in one of the opening scenes. I think it was Red Prime, or it could have also been some of the funky lighting in the Underground.
Cafe 501 at Classen Curve (expansive shot from the front of the restaurant)
West (I believe there's a quick shot of the bar area)
Table with the wall with the wacky mural painted on it... anyone know where this is?
Toby Keith's
OKCMOA Restaurant (featured several times)
Unknown... a chef cooking at a table with four burners in it, and people seated around him?
Our mystery place with the J-shaped booth. The voice-over is talking about greater-OKC at this point, so perhaps it's a place in Edmond or Norman?
A Bricktown bar. Not sure which one for sure. The open expansiveness of it and the decor makes me think it might be Dollhouse?
Brix (in Bricktown)

Agreed. I was down on the Southside today. West OKC needs help but its nothing like the Southside. It's sad to see the condition South OKC between I-240 and I-40 is in. When I lived in OKC as a child, it was starting to get run down but it was nothing like it is today.

On a positive note, the West Moore area is awesome and is one of the prettiest suburban areas in the metro in my opinion.

I think what you're referring to as West Moore is actually in OKC.

On a positive note, the West Moore area is awesome and is one of the prettiest suburban areas in the metro in my opinion.

I grew up in Moore, and I have to agree, the growth there has been phenomenal. It kind of reminds me of Edmond, west of Broadway. Back in the early '70's, people would say about Edmond: "Don't buy any property on the west side of town, it will never be anything." Now look at it.

I think what you're referring to as West Moore is actually in OKC.

I think you're right on that. There is however, the south side of Moore. "I remember when that was pasture land as far as the eye could see, old man Peabody owned all of it! Had some crazy idea about breeding........pine trees!" Sorry, couldn't help using the line from Back to the Future, but it seemed fitting.

I'm trying to place it but am having difficulty too. It looks familiar though.

Why don't we try to identify the restaurants in this video:


I'll have to go back and look again, but there were a lot of long red florcent lights in one of the opening scenes. I think it was Red Prime, or it could have also been some of the funky lighting in the Underground.
Cafe 501 at Classen Curve (expansive shot from the front of the restaurant)
West (I believe there's a quick shot of the bar area)
Table with the wall with the wacky mural painted on it... anyone know where this is?
Toby Keith's
OKCMOA Restaurant (featured several times)
Unknown... a chef cooking at a table with four burners in it, and people seated around him?
Our mystery place with the J-shaped booth. The voice-over is talking about greater-OKC at this point, so perhaps it's a place in Edmond or Norman?
A Bricktown bar. Not sure which one for sure. The open expansiveness of it and the decor makes me think it might be Dollhouse?
Brix (in Bricktown)


I couldn't help but wonder if a lot of it was stock footage...

I am not sure if much can be done to fix West OKC. It was once "the place to be" for suburban living but now that has moved to Deer Creek Edmond and West Moore. I would rather the city continue focusing on revitalizing its inner core rather than a has-been suburban area. Maybe there can be local community incentives and investments to revitalize West OKC? That's how it works in many larger cities. Maybe the city could offer an "emerging neighborhood" home buying program but city intervention should stop there.

This. You can't really fix areas that were built with a 30 year lifespan...which right now is far too much of our housing stock. Focusing efforts on the inner city, on downtown and historic areas, is the most sustainable way to improve OKC.

I grew up in Moore, and I have to agree, the growth there has been phenomenal. It kind of reminds me of Edmond, west of Broadway. Back in the early '70's, people would say about Edmond: "Don't buy any property on the west side of town, it will never be anything." Now look at it.

Agreed. West Moore and Deer Creek Edmond are very similar. OKC city limits but not OKC schools and similar types of housing developments.

The video's main job is to erase people's misconceptions about Oklahoma City, and for what it's worth I think did its job quite well. People always ask me why I live here instead of in one of the larger cities I used to live in. I tell them that OKC is quite fun and getting better and better -- especially if you know the right people. I remember leaving OKC in 2001 and thinking that there would be no reason for me to return. When I came back 8 years later, I found a bustling city emerging where a big town used to be. When friends come to visit from Hong Kong or Taipei, they absolutely love going for a walk/run on the lake, taking in a Thunder game, eating pho in the Asian District, riding horses with my family in far eastern OKC, and seeing that there is a diversity of people living here.

The Chamber of Commerce spot does a better than decent job of answering the question "what's there to do there?" That being said, I found a video produced in the Chinese ghost city of Ordos that's really interesting. On the surface, it's just some friends skateboarding and filming each other. But as they skate, they get some really awesome shots of the city. This idea would work here too -- getting some people out doing something fun and active all around the city. :-D


http://vimeo.com/51333291

The Chamber of Commerce spot does a better than decent job of answering the question "what's there to do there?" That being said, I found a video produced in the Chinese ghost city of Ordos that's really interesting. On the surface, it's just some friends skateboarding and filming each other. But as they skate, they get some really awesome shots of the city. This idea would work here too -- getting some people out doing something fun and active all around the city. :-D


I'm actually getting ready to start a project similar to this.

I'm actually getting ready to start a project similar to this.

I can't wait to see it. There are some great places around town that could really be highlighted with a more human-level, action-oriented video -- and not just the Boathouse District.

Well done. As far as it not showing the negative side, it isn't meant too. It is a propaganda (not in the negative way) advertising piece from the Chamber of Commerce. Just like the vast majority of the ads out there only show you the positives of whatever they are trying to sell you.

My only fear is all the people fleeing the blue state cesspools and bringing their voting habits here.

My only fear is all the people fleeing the blue state cesspools and bringing their voting habits here.

I'm not worried about that. Oklahoma City could use a little more diversity than what it already has. Not that liberalism is nonexistent here, but the conservatism of OKC and Oklahoma makes it seem as if liberals will be a needle in a haystack out here, and that's not appealing whatsoever. More diversity equals a more interesting, unique, and appealing city, IMO.

I'm not worried about that. Oklahoma City could use a little more diversity than what it already has. Not that liberalism is nonexistent here, but the conservatism of OKC and Oklahoma makes it seem as if liberals will be a needle in a haystack out here, and that's not appealing whatsoever. More diversity equals a more interesting, unique, and appealing city, IMO.

Agreed. I am not a liberal myself but I think OKC could use some more liberal influence. One-party cities and states usually have a lot of problems, on both ends of the spectrum. I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of liberals in OKC though. Everyone I work with is liberal and I think 40% of the county voted for Obama. One thing I am certain is you will find few liberals north of 63rd or south of I-240.

And about the relocation video, I was thinking how far this city has come since the 2005 video that focused mostly on horse shows, rodeos, and western culture. The chamber of commerce in the old days weren't good at dispelling the stereotype that cowboy culture is the only thing this city has to offer.

The video's main job is to erase people's misconceptions about Oklahoma City, and for what it's worth I think did its job quite well. People always ask me why I live here instead of in one of the larger cities I used to live in. I tell them that OKC is quite fun and getting better and better -- especially if you know the right people. I remember leaving OKC in 2001 and thinking that there would be no reason for me to return. When I came back 8 years later, I found a bustling city emerging where a big town used to be. When friends come to visit from Hong Kong or Taipei, they absolutely love going for a walk/run on the lake, taking in a Thunder game, eating pho in the Asian District, riding horses with my family in far eastern OKC, and seeing that there is a diversity of people living here.

Actually this video has received a lot of criticism by people from other parts of the country for being disingenuous. OKC has a deeply ingrained stereotype people can't let go of. They see this video, and because it totally contradicts the stereotype everybody has about OKC, they see it as false advertising. I get asked all the time by people back in Charlotte if we have electricity in OKC or if people are still riding horses. The one thing I will give the critics is OKC is still primarily a family-oriented city and will never be a hipster darling, and I think the video would have been wise to show a bit of that side of OKC as well. It would have also killed the perception that this video is trying too hard to make OKC seem cool.

I think one reason this country is failing at being nothing compared to what it used to be "pre World War II" is because the people on the east and west coasts are so blatantly stupid to assume a thought in their head and ask of it, 'does Oklahoma have electricity? do you guys still ride horses?'. Seriously? Y'all are buck wack!

I'd rather no one find out about OKC except for a few esteemed and privileged so that no outsiders will ruin what we have here.

I think one reason this country is failing at being nothing compared to what it used to be "pre World War II" is because the people on the east and west coasts are so blatantly stupid to assume a thought in their head and ask of it, 'does Oklahoma have electricity? do you guys still ride horses?'. Seriously? Y'all are buck wack!

I'd rather no one find out about OKC except for a few esteemed and privileged so that no outsiders will ruin what we have here.Did you know, that every single person in Russia is a bear on a unicycle. . .

I'm down for watching that circus in Chernobyl!

I think one reason this country is failing at being nothing compared to what it used to be "pre World War II" is because the people on the east and west coasts are so blatantly stupid to assume a thought in their head and ask of it, 'does Oklahoma have electricity? do you guys still ride horses?'. Seriously? Y'all are buck wack!


There comes a point where you have to say "who cares what you think?" There will ALWAYS be people with ignorant stereotypes of Oklahomans, just like there are people in OK who think negatively of people in NY, CA, etc. No amount of professional teams, slick videos, or more progressive politics is going to change that. It's just the way the cookie crumbles. The maturity level to accept constructive criticism of ones place while having skin thick enough to fend off the ignoramuses is a nice middle ground that more in "flyover country" should take.

FWIW, this video has generated nothing but positive reaction from people in my circle, including several from outside the area. I actually felt the comments in the video were quite positive, especially considering the average age of a youtube commenter is about 13.

The one thing I will give the critics is OKC is still primarily a family-oriented city and will never be a hipster darling, and I think the video would have been wise to show a bit of that side of OKC as well. It would have also killed the perception that this video is trying too hard to make OKC seem cool.

I don't know. Even just a few years ago I would have said the same thing, but now when I go out it's clear that the "hipster", or just young creative in general, has a significant presence. Sure, you step out of the core, and it's still very Mayberry, but the inner city is genuinely becoming more vibrant, fueled in part by a youth movement to the Plaza District, MidTown, AA, etc. It is now quite possible to step out the OKC stereotype and live a life that is unlike the life you HAD to live here just 10 years ago.

The thing I always find most interesting about videos like this is how much long term residents are surprised by what they see, having no real idea of how much new stuff there is to do in the city.

Either way, from a marketing stand point, I don't think you need to tell people that you can move your family to Oklahoma City and buy a big house for cheap and just exist. However, I think there are more people that want to know what they're going to do with their family if they moved here and these videos help highlight those options, imo. OKC really does have all that stuff and the fact that some people may not even believe that is more reason as to why its good to focus on that.