'Seven-Minute Sopranos' Video Turns Grad Into Internet Sensation

By: Nicholas Carra

Posted: 5/6/07

For most, YouTube is a diverse collection of meaningless but humorous videos: a squirrel waterskiing, a dog talking or even a two-year-old swearing. But for one recent UConn graduate, YouTube proved more practical as a gateway to a career in Hollywood.

Paul Gulyas, who graduated from UConn last May and childhood friend Joe Sabia, who grew up in Milford and graduated from Boston College, fused a passion for the TV show "The Soprano's" with artistic creativity to create "7-Minute Sopranos," according to an interview with both Gulyas and Sabia.

As its title suggests, the YouTube clip compresses the plot of David Chase's popular HBO series to a mere seven minutes. Viewers are bombarded with the show's crucial scenes accompanied by humorous narration.

As the video gained viewers, Gulyas received a flattering e-mail from executive producer Matthew Weiner the second night following its YouTube premiere. The clip's increasing notoriety prompted Virginia Heffernan from the New York Times to e-mail Gulyas, resulting in a half-page article advertising the Sopranos recap in the weekend section of the paper.

But the success of the clip did not end there. The article, while noting the creativity of the piece, did present the question: "What will Mr. Chase think, then, of the video Cliffs Notes to his Iliad?"

According to the article, Chase's reaction mixed laughter with a nostalgic remembrance of how far the series had come.

"I was very excited to see that David Chase watched it while on the set of the series finale and laughed the whole way through," Gulyas said.

Chase's approval spread to the show's cast as well. On a trip to Las Vegas two weeks ago, Gulyas' uncles found themselves sharing a roulette table with Robert Iler, who plays the role of A.J. Soprano. When asked if he had seen the clip himself, Iler emphatically replied that the entire cast has religiously watched the video in amusement since it was first posted on YouTube.

"That is huge for me," Gulyas said, "[It's] such a trip to imagine these people I watch on screen every week are watching something that I made for a change and enjoying it."

At only 23, Gulyas' career opportunities are already vast. Moving to Los Angeles in October and currently living with five roomates in the Hollywood Hills, Gulyas has already found success in a city that offers both prosperity and poverty. Following the New York Times article, Gulyas was hired by HBO Lab, creating internet content and working to launch his own site soon: RunAwayBox.com.

Sabia, working on a show titled "The BC" in Boston, gained national recognition and eventually a position as a producer, writer and developer of new media online content for HBO out in Los Angeles, where he has worked since September.

Gulyas and Sabia both estimated that their collaboration for the Sopranos clip required 90-100 hours to create in total. Gulyas himself wrote the narration fairly quickly and painstakingly hand-picked each clip from the show; recalling the episode and season from memory for many of them. Sabia then edited the material, which took considerably more time.

Gulyas traced the concept of the video to the then impending April 8 premiere of the final season. Re-watching previous seasons with his roommates, the group began to discuss a project dealing with the series.

"Joe came to me with the idea of doing a re-cap of all the seasons really fast," Gulyas said. "So I wrote it and picked out the clips, he masterfully edited them all together, and the rest is history."

Both Gulyas and Sabia referenced college as a vital factor in molding who they are today. Gulyas, a psychology and sociology major, highlighted numerous writing and Italian-American classes as invaluable influences on his character. With a passion for screenwriting, Gulyas always focused on applying his writing skill to the Hollywood format.

"I am still very interested in a career in psychology," Gulyas said. "But I decided that now is the only time in my life where I can take a risk like moving across the country to Hollywood and not have to worry about consequences if it doesn't work out."

Optimistically, Gulyas added, "But so far it seems like I won't have to worry about that."

Sabia majored in political science and economics, subjects that don't exactly apply to his current work.

"It isn't your major that will determine where you go in life," Sabia said. "It's doing what you love that will; I'm kind of an example in that sense."

Gulyas said that recent graduates can benefit from risks created by the lack of a career to lose.

"When you graduate, you may feel grown up," Gulyas said. "But you're not. You're still a kid. Don't be afraid to take chances, because the consequences of messing up now are infinitesimal."

Above all other times in an individual's life, Gulyas feels that it is the early 20s that are pivotal to seeking one's "dream job."

"If you want to move to Morocco and be a belly dancer, then move to Morocco and be a belly dancer," Gulyas said. "You have your degree to fall back on."

Sabia similarly believes that with heightened passion comes heightened performance at any given job.

"Money will always come later," Sabia said. "You have too much time to prove your talents, skills, and energy before big checks will start coming."

Being 75 percent Italian-American, Gulyas' family is one of his top priorities. As a result, their opinion of his work is as critical as cement shoes to a mob boss. But luckily for Gulyas, his reputation in the eyes of his family isn't sleeping with the fishes.

"My grandma told me she doesn't get it," Gulyas said. "But she assures me she loves it."