Dan Lanning isn’t pretending Oregon’s “Ducks vs. Them” videos are anything other than what they are: a polished showcase for the program when things go right.
The No. 15 Ducks have turned the series into part of their brand, right alongside NIL deals, bold uniform looks, and the kind of slick presentation that keeps Oregon in the spotlight. The postgame film has become a hit with fans, but one question keeps coming up - why doesn’t Oregon release an episode after a loss, like the 39-31 road defeat to Oklahoma State in the regular season?
Lanning addressed that on “The Unafraid Show” in an interview with CW Sports and On3 Sports college football analyst and former Oregon tight end George Wrighster III.
“I get a chance to glance at them before,” Lanning said. “I think it's always given us a great behind-the-scenes view of what's going on in our program.
You know, what are we trying to detail. Obviously, it's a recruiting tool, it's a marketing tool.”
He then explained why the school doesn’t put out the same kind of content after a setback.
“I know that people have asked 'why don't you release them if you don't win?' Well, it's like, why would we advertise that?
We want to advertise the positives of our program. We want to advertise the things that go really well in our program and make sure that people can see what's going on and all the work that's really put in behind the scenes.
And obviously our staff does an unbelievable job at creating those and giving a little glimpse at what it's like to be a player here,” Lanning added.
That’s the tradeoff with a team-made video series like this one. The dramatic music, the cinematic shots, the inside access - it all works because it sells the program in the best possible light. But that same purpose also explains why the series doesn’t try to cover every result with the same lens.
Oregon senior associate director of video Scott Anderson has also become a familiar face around the project, often sharing details about how “Ducks vs. Them” comes together. He’s involved in the season intro trailers, the uniform release videos, and even the “Yes, There's Moore” promotional video for senior quarterback Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy campaign.
Anderson regularly posts the running time of videos, behind-the-scenes notes about how they were made, the music used in certain clips, and calls for Duck fan stories to help shape the team’s work.
The video department’s efforts have already been recognized with seven 2025 Emmy nomations.
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