BITE-SIZE PLAYS
The 'Bite-Size Plays' theatre company, renowned for their critically acclaimed short plays across the UK's vibrant theatre scene, including celebrated appearances at the Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe Festivals, sought to expand their reach and engage new audiences through social media. This dedicated troupe of performers and creatives, driven by passion and artistic integrity, needed a strategy to translate their stage success into digital engagement.
Following insightful creative meetings with the company's founder, I developed a focused, short-run social media video strategy designed to capture the essence of their unique theatrical style. The campaign centered around two key video components: a compelling 1-minute teaser promo, designed to pique interest and showcase the dynamism of their performances, and a second variant featuring engaging, vox-pop style talking head interviews.
These interviews provided an intimate glimpse into the creative minds behind 'Bite-Size Plays,' featuring candid conversations with their creative director and various performers. By sharing their personal insights and artistic philosophies, we aimed to humanize the company and build a deeper connection with potential audience members.
The strategic distribution of these videos across social media platforms resulted in a significant increase in online visibility and engagement. The campaign not only amplified the company's existing reputation but also introduced 'Bite-Size Plays' to a wider, digitally savvy audience, effectively bridging the gap between their theatrical prowess and the digital realm. The success of this project demonstrated the power of targeted video content in expanding the reach and impact of live performance art.
See the results
The 'Meet the Team' videos were strategically distributed across YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and company websites, achieving widespread visibility. This cross-platform approach significantly boosted engagement, fostering goodwill both internally among colleagues and externally with clients and customers.
Project X-Ray
1. Aims
The primary aim of this project was to generate significant social media buzz for Bite-Size Plays, a long-running theatre company renowned for their critically acclaimed short plays at prestigious events like the Edinburgh Festival and Brighton Fringe. Their existing social media presence was intermittent and unstructured, lacking the consistent engagement necessary to expand their audience and create a vibrant online community.
4. Resources
Resource constraints were a recurring theme, particularly with location challenges and performer availability.
We had to maximise the use of available resources, adapting to limitations and finding innovative solutions to ensure the project's success. This demanded resourcefulness and a 'make it work' attitude from the entire team.
2. Dependencies
One of the key dependencies was the voluntary nature of the performers. Organising shoots and rehearsals proved challenging, as scheduling around their availability and securing suitable premises required flexibility and creative problem-solving. We navigated various location options until a venue was secured for a limited time, demanding efficient planning and execution.
5. Challenges
Shooting actors, while exciting and different from working with non-performers, presented its own set of challenges. This was a highly collaborative filmmaking process, where we had to carefully select and agree upon specific sections of the plays to be performed. All of this was done in the presence of the founder and artistic director, requiring a delicate balance between creative vision and practical execution.
3. Technical
The technical aspects of the shoot presented unique challenges. We worked within a small rehearsal space with limited lighting, compounded by a short time frame and a nighttime shoot. This necessitated creative lighting solutions and efficient shooting techniques to capture high-quality footage within a constrained environment.
6. Outcomes
The project culminated in the creation of four compelling social media promo videos: two generic adverts showcasing the plays and two vox-pop style talking head promos featuring interviews with the creative team. These videos were strategically deployed across social media platforms, resulting in a remarkable 300% increase in Bite-Size Plays' normal social media engagement numbers. This significant boost in visibility and interaction proved the effectiveness of our targeted video strategy in expanding their audience reach.