Only a handful of sports are broadcasted to wide audiences around the world. But for the sports without mass viewership, the participating athletes have had to find innovative ways to captivate loyal fans. Because video technology is rapidly developing, many of these athletes have chosen video as a means to promote themselves and their sport. In the past, athletes spent years compiling enough footage to create full-length videos. Now, creating high-quality videos and releasing them to a mass audience can be done with lightning speed on nothing but a cell phone, allowing for instant communication with fans. Web series are the new DVDs and Instagram is the new magazine.
To take a closer look at this trend, Shutterstock, in partnership with Red Bull Media House, has created Focused, a new series that explores how athletes use video for creativity, promotion, and progression in their sports.
Our first episode features freestyle mountain biker Aaron Chase, who has been in the sport long enough to see these changes in sports video production. He’s gone from releasing a year’s worth of 16 millimeter film to using a GoPro for two-minute weekly videos of him traveling the world. Instead of meeting his fans at the rare release party, he now communicates with them directly on Instagram. From trips to Peru to strapping a GoPro on his head during back surgery, Aaron Chase is changing the game by combining innovative storytelling with cutting-edge technology.
To watch more from Aaron’s perspective check out Through My Eyes on Red Bull TV.
The Shutterstock collection now features over 17,000 clips from Red Bull Media House. Click here to check it out.