THE MLS HYPE VIDEO

Making MLS Hype Video

THE IDEA

MLS wanted to expand their team presence to a new market and Detroit was on the short list. As massive soccer fans ourselves, we followed the deliberations closely, hoping that Detroit would be picked.  In an effort to contribute to the discussion, we decided to do a video that highlighted Detroit as a fantastic MLS pick and, in turn, showcased our skill set as a creative agency.  We feel that our hype video did just that.

MLS Logo

GETTING STARTED

The first step was Location Scouting.  We spent two days wandering Detroit taking photos and making notes of the spots we wanted to feature. Because so much of Detroit is iconic, we wanted to avoid the spaces that have already been seen.  We wanted to avoid the Detroit that everyone knows. The challenge then became finding locations that showed the different aspects of Detroit: its history, diversity, architecture, and revitalization.  We researched both online as well as visited Detroit and avoided the popular destinations. The locations we chose were picked for their subtlety.  These locations are ones that non-native Detroiters might not recognize and ones that native-Detroiters have grown up loving.

The next step was establishing how we wanted to portray the emotion and vibrancy of soccer combined with the grit and resilience of Detroit.  We put pen to paper and sketched out multiple storyboards, adjusting and improving until we felt we had the right look and feel.  We then vetted different models until we found the model who represented the exact characteristics we feel Detroit as a whole has, specifically strength, rhythm, and determination.

MLS Storyboards

THE SHOOT

Once pre-production was complete, it was time to shoot.  We chose an early November morning for our video shoot and arrived at the city just as dawn broke.  Due to our location scouting, we were able to move through the city efficiently, hitting each previously chosen location quickly and with purpose.  However, as it was an early morning in late autumn, fog had descended on the city and threatened to hinder our shoot.  As every project comes with a level of improvisation, we decided to use the fog to our advantage and continued shooting.  The final shots turned out fantastic.  The interplay between the fog, the city, and our model was exactly what we wanted.

Downtown juggle
Parking structure juggle
Team MLS Shoot

EDIT ROOM

For our video, we knew that our most important decision was the music.  We wanted our featured song to be strong, energetic, and decisive.  Andrew Jowett, Videographer and Head of Content, had a particular soundtrack in his head throughout pre- and post-production.  This song was largely the inspiration for our video and informed much of our shoot.  Once we combined song and film, we worked through various versions and edits to ensure it captured exactly the vibe we wanted.  Because of our meticulous planning and focus, we were able to put an incredible video together within a short period of time.

Edit Room

THE RESULTS

We had an awesome time creating the MLS hype video. The excitement and buzz around the Detroit bid for an MLS team inspired us to create a video that would showcase the passion we have for soccer and for Detroit as a city.  As a result of our hard work, we were featured on major news networks throughout Detroit.  Our video on WXYZ-7 has over 35k views, an achievement we didn’t dream possible.  Despite this being an informal project, we were able to bring attention to both the city of Detroit and our own brand.  We are proud of what we were able to accomplish and grateful for the doors it has opened.  We are currently looking for our next endeavor.  Will it be you?

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