You should be proud of yourselves, 311 fans. Last week, we asked you to make videos to put forth your case for being the special MTV News correspondent at 2010 311 Day (which launches this week) and you delivered in incredibly impressive ways. MTV News received dozens of entries, most of which were exceptionally clever, passionate, funny, envelope-pushing and entertaining. In collaboration with the 311 camp, MTV News has selected the winner of the contest. But before we make the official announcement, we wanted to get your feedback on some of the finalists.
First, there's JessAnn. She assumed a male alter-ego to interview herself, and has been a fan since '94. She's been to 35 shows in eight different states and has been to two previous 311 Days. She was planning on heading out to Las Vegas to hang around even though she forgot to get tickets. Is her "Freak Out"-fueled submission the best of the bunch?
She wasn't the only one who split her personality in two. Dan also edited himself into two different people, with one version of himself interviewing the second. During the clip, Dan showed off the customized outfit he has built for himself for 311 Day as well as his custom set of 311-related license plates. Is Dan the leader of this particular pack?
Alyssa also impressed us, not so much because of the originality of her video but more because of statistics. She's been to 60 shows in 23 different states, and last summer she saw seven shows in nine days (that was seven of the 22 she went to in 2009). But she also runs 311Tribute.com, a site the covers news about the band as well as photos, reviews, video and a healthy message board community. "I don't just love 311, I live 311 — every day," she says in her video. But is she the ultimate fan?
Lauren also had a top-notch submission. She sang a little song, bragged about her statistics (40 shows, five 311 Days) and showed off the photo she once took with Nick Hexum. But she also took 311's positive, inspirational way of life to the next level: She named her dog P-Nut, crafted a table as a tribute to the band and is in the process of crafting a 311-inspired dress for the big event this week. Does Lauren stand above the rest of the pack?
We really valued creativity, which is why we were drawn to Brett. Not only did he stage a fake phone call from MTV News in order to lay out his 311 resumé (all five 311 Days, 34 shows since '94) but also built his own MTV News microphone and interviewed a handful of people about the band and the event. Is Brett our official correspondent for 2010 311 Day?
Finally, we were impressed by Dave, who works at a TV news station in Pennsylvania and put his resources to good use, creating graphics, interviewing people he works with and generally laying out an impressive package. Will his creative presentation make him our grand-prize winner?
So those are the finalists. MTV News has selected a winner, so you'll be hearing from him or her tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the finalists (as well as the rest of the awesome clips sent in by fans) and let us know what you think of them in the comments below!