diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index 200f2575df..500db414f4 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -816,12 +816,9 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
 
         self.assertGreater(len(verticals), 0)
 
-        new_component_location = Location('i4x', 'edX', 'toy', 'video', 'new_component')
-        source_template_location = Location('i4x', 'edx', 'templates', 'video', 'default')
-
-        module_store.clone_item(source_template_location, new_component_location)
         parent = verticals[0]
-        module_store.update_children(parent.location, parent.children + [new_component_location.url()])
+
+        ItemFactory.create(parent_location=parent.location, category="video", display_name="untitled")
 
         root_dir = path(mkdtemp_clean())
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
index ecc1813c4c..5354297c2b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class VideoDescriptor(VideoFields,
         Override the base implementation. We don't actually have anything in the 'data' field
         (it's an empty string), so we just return a simple XML element
         """
-        return etree.fromstring('<video />')
+        return etree.Element('video')
 
 
 def _parse_video_xml(video, xml_data):
diff --git a/common/test/data/toy/vertical/vertical_test.xml b/common/test/data/toy/vertical/vertical_test.xml
index f241ef7906..e801a4ac86 100644
--- a/common/test/data/toy/vertical/vertical_test.xml
+++ b/common/test/data/toy/vertical/vertical_test.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <sequential>
-        <video display_name="default" youtube_id_0_75="JMD_ifUUfsU" youtube_id_1_0="OEoXaMPEzfM" youtube_id_1_25="AKqURZnYqpk" youtube_id_1_5="DYpADpL7jAY" name="sample_video"/>
         <poll_question name="T1_changemind_poll_foo_2" display_name="Change your answer" reset="false">
         <p>Have you changed your mind?</p>
         <answer id="yes">Yes</answer>