It wasn’t too long ago that creating video content was literally a full-on production. Lights, dollies, camera rentals, a staff of film-makers, and a bag full of money were required. Oh, and time. Lots and lots of time.

Today, that power is not just in the palm of your hand, but in the hands of every member of your community. And you can access this vast array of talented, passionate, and enthusiastic filmmakers around the world in real-time. If you’re not tapping into this incredible advantage, you’re missing out on a limitless supply of quality, authentic content that will propel your brand forward.

The Benefits of User-Directed Community Content

At Cinebody, we’ve worked on projects large and small for major brand names, and we’ve seen firsthand the impact that community content has.

Budget is not an issue

Forget about the headache of financing a major production. As filmmaker Jason Reitman has said, times have changed: “When I started, you needed to buy film, you needed to rent a film camera and get the insurance that went along with that,” he told Recode. “Now… Sean Baker made “Tangerine” on an iPhone… one of the best films of the year.” With user-directed content the equipment, talent, and locations are all taken care of by your community. They own the phones. They film themselves and their friends. They travel to the places that excite them, be it a concert, trade show, or conference.

Time is on your side

Finally, right?! The days of pulling out your hair (if you have any left) are over. This kind of content is not only easy and quick to acquire, but you can run thousands of different projects simultaneously. You’re really only limited by the size of your community. What’s more, as you relay instructions to the users in real-time, you get changes in minutes, not days.

Ideas can be vetted before being rolled out

Got an idea? Something that could be expensive to implement on a large scale? Your community can help. With Cinebody’s user-directed content you can dip your toe in the water to see what’s resonating with them. If it works, you’re all set. If it doesn’t, you haven’t wasted a lot of time and money. Think of it as rapid prototyping meeting the world’s biggest focus group.

Content is always being made

Whether it’s a non-profit, a school, a religious outfit, a health organization, or a major brand, the people are already out there making content for you. We are surrounded by millions of hours of content created by communities, and every day more is being created.

Just reach out to your own community and give them some guidelines. Maybe it’s filming the local fun-run. Perhaps it’s recording an event or concert from a fan’s-eye view. You may want employees from around the world to record their success stories. Whatever the ask, you will be inundated with footage. All you have to do is collect it.

Everyone can play

As so many experts have said, “content is king.” That’s a no-brainer. However, there’s more to the story than that. It needs to be authentic, relevant, constantly updated, and readily available. That was once something only the big boys could afford to do. Now, everyone and anyone is a player.

User-directed content has leveled the playing field, and it’s time to take advantage of it.