Ready to Make a Killer Video? All You Need is One Fan
One fan? Seriously?
In our experience, this is not only possible, but may well be the better way to create content. At Cinebody we’ve seen hundreds of fan-based activations. They’ve varied in size and scope, from a megastar like Slash and his massive crowds, to a father and his young son attending a Broncos game. But what they all had in common is how few fans it took to get the awesome content.
Now, are we saying that footage from 100s of fans and attendees isn’t great? Not at all. The more the merrier in some cases, and those additional perspectives certainly add to the experience. But in truth, you can create a powerful video filled with a variety of great content primarily using just one fan.
Which fan? Do a little homework.
Fans are everywhere, and they’re vocal about their support. It won’t take long to look through social media sites and forums to find the kind of fans who love taking video and attending events. In most cases, they’ll be more than happy to get the footage for you as a volunteer. But of course, offering an incentive, free tickets, swag, or exposure can definitely bait the hook.
You call the shots. The fan gets them.
It really is as simple as that.
The fan becomes the operator of your principle camera, and is the go-to person for every shot. One fan working alone can grab the exact content you need, from those impressive shots at the foot of the stage, to the crowd work, the fans, and the scenery. Other fans can supply b-roll and perspectives to round out the story.
The production itself is simple. You’re seeing the fan’s footage come in immediately after it’s taken, and can begin building the narrative. Need to direct your fan to get a better angle or a different close up? Push notifications enable instant feedback with the fan.
In fact, this setup is so nimble and effective, it makes the old way of doing things look like a dinosaur. (And we all know what happened to them.)
One good fan leads to many others.
Another huge advantage of engaging a fan is the connections he or she already has. People who love the same artists or genres run in the same circles, and engage with each other. This can lead to an avalanche of additional footage for your project.
Take the recent AANZ recap tour created with Cinebody for Slash’s Asia tour. One fan followed the band throughout the tour, following the shot list to chronicle each stop, each venue, and every amazing perspective from the shows. That footage, combined with her friends’ content & other fan footage, made the video a hit with over 100K views in less than two weeks.
And when you consider that fan filmed entirely for free, imagine what she would have captured if she were incentivized. Yes, one fan really can make a difference. And you’ll realize that the second you see the footage come rolling in.
