Top 4 Ways Cinebody Incorporated UGC Into High-End Productions

Confession: we can’t see the future (if we could, we’d be on a beach with a BitCoin fortune). 

But although we can’t see what’s coming, we CAN predict the future of the commercial film industry. We use our knowledge of history, current trends, and success stories to steer us to the next phase of this business we love. And we know, with certainty, that the future is a hybrid of traditional filming methods and User Generated Content. 

Let’s just set aside the lessons we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and look at the reasons that have inspired change for decades; budget, time, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

With UGC content, you’re streamlining the process and putting the camera in the hands of the users. No expensive equipment to rent. No locations to scout. No travel issues. No crew. And yet you still have the power to direct from afar and get exactly what you want for a fraction of the cost. 

Let’s look at four ways Cinebody was utilized to mix the slick footage people expect, with the genuine UGC people are craving. 

1. Adding Authenticity to Sum 41's "Catching Fire" Music Video

Sum 41 - Catching Fire ft. nothing,nowhere

Earlier this year, pop-punk veterans Sum 41 released Catching Fire, a hit single from their latest album. A huge departure from their iconic party anthem “Fat Lip,” the song deals with suicide and heartbreak. The lead singer, Deryck Whibley, was inspired to write the song after feeling genuine loss from the tragic deaths of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington. The music industry heavily relies on user-generated content examples, and this song is an excellent example of how musicians can use their own experiences to connect with their audience on a deeper level.

The solution was to mix traditional filming methods, which are constantly and burdensome, with authentic moments from real fans who had lost someone to suicide. The ask was simple: write the name of a loved one on your hand or a piece of paper, and the date you lost them, and bring it slowly into frame. As Cinebody allows you to control the filming specs on participants’ phones, all the footage was seamlessly edited into post-production. 

The end result is a hybrid production between UGC and traditionally shot footage, and a moving tribute to suicide that received over a quarter of a million YouTube views in under two weeks. 

2: Getting personal with Colorado Mesa University footage

CMU | Making Mavericks - Angel Bautista-Ponce

Colorado Mesa University wanted to showcase the daily lives of students in a docu-series they called “Making Mavericks.” But a lot of hurdles stood in their way, including COVID-19 restrictions, budget, timing, and the sheer logistical time and expense it would take to film students around the clock. 

So CMU and their agency partner, Defy Them All, had to think like mavericks themselves, and went for a mix of traditional footage for some shots, and UGC for the others. Cinebody was the perfect tool for this job. 

Not only did it make casting a breeze, which is important when there’s a 10-hour round trip between the Denver-based production agency, Lumenati, and the campus, but it also got the students quickly up to speed with the software. And when the chosen students were let loose with their smartphones, they were able to capture incredible footage any time of the day and night when the film crew was elsewhere. This footage was more intimate, very authentic, and was able to be edited quickly as it’s instantly uploaded to the cloud. And once again, the finished product is the best of both worlds. Slick footage, genuine insights, and a fantastic way to recruit students. 

3. Changing Expectations Using Manna Tree Employees

Manna Tree : Meet Our Team

Manna Tree is not your average private equity firm. It’s committed to improving human health through nutrition, investing in, and actively partnering with, growth-stage companies. It never bows down to the mighty dollar, and wanted to showcase that through its employees. 

Manna Tree had the money to create a slick production with a full-scale crew, but knew that getting across the human touch would take UGC.  So, a traditional film production crew would capture picturesque A-roll interviews and soundbites, while Cinebody would get that essential, and genuine, employee B-roll. This is the footage that captures the humanity, connection, emotions, and genuine reactions of the down-to-earth people working at Manna Tree. And it proved, yet again, that when you go with a hybrid model, you can look sharp and still be authentic. 

4. Documenting Purpose with Illegal Pete's

Illegal Pete's | Hope for the Day Mural

You probably know Illegal Pete’s for its fantastic burritos. But this is also a brand that heavily focuses on mental health awareness, especially for its employees. Mental health issues are commonplace in the restaurant industry, and Illegal Petes has seen it firsthand with the recent loss of a cherished employee. When COVID-19 struck last year, it amplified the issue, and so Illegal Pete’s teamed up with Hope For The Day, a national suicide prevention organization, to commission a one-of-a-kind mural at one of the restaurant’s busiest locations in Denver. 

The purpose of the mural; a symbol of hope. One that champions mental health awareness, touching the lives of anyone feeling down to know it’s normal, acceptable, and that help is always at hand. But something this extensive required collaboration and it was the perfect opportunity to document the creation of the artwork using a mix of traditional and UGC-style filming. Indeed, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, and the inherent inaccessibility of the artistic and idea curation process, any kind of lengthy 24/7 docu-style filming was just impossible. Cinebody was chosen to help the artist capture her entire process front to back, to include perspectives on mental health from a myriad of geographically sparse individuals involved in the project, and the obstacles endured to get this mighty feat done during a pandemic. Mixing this authentic, often moving video with traditionally-shot footage gave the final cut the polish it needed, while maintaining the realism of a process that created a beautiful, gargantuan, and very important piece of social art. 

Those are just four stories highlighting the power of the new byrid production method, and we have many more. As the industry continues to embrace this way of working, you will see a growing need for UGC. Be ready to move quickly on it.