One video told the story of Connor Woodle, born without thumbs but now enjoying two fully functioning hands, thanks to University of Virginia surgeons.
Another offered a reminder of Charlottesville’s beauty and potential, right when we needed it most. Still others showed a breakthrough that changed medicine forever or highlighted a beloved faculty member who shares hard-won wisdom with her students every day.
And then there is the video of Ed Helms singing “This Little Light of Mine” on the Lawn. It’s part-hilarious, part-poignant, and entirely memorable.
UVA’s video producers have played witness to these and many more pivotal, meaningful and wonderful moments in the University’s recent history. They tell powerful stories in just a few minutes – an increasingly important skill in the current digital media landscape.
According to Pew Research Center, 73 percent of U.S. adults said they used YouTube. That’s more than any other social media platform – even Facebook, which attracted 68 percent of American adults. The number was even higher for 18- to 24-year-olds, 94 percent of whom reported using YouTube.
The two social media sites define videos views differently. Facebook counts a video as “viewed” anytime it plays for at least three seconds, while YouTube only counts videos that have been viewed for at least 30 seconds. However, both play an important role in sharing video content directly with large audiences and creating those “viral” moments that take on a life of their own.
Here are 10 of our top-performing videos on the two sites from the past five years. It’s worth noting that another annual top performer – UVA’s holiday video – was just released this month. Catch it here if you missed it.