iBroadway

Ready for your close up? The cast of ROCK OF AGES proved they were BORN ready when we asked them to create their own footage for the production’s exclusive video diary. They performed like true troupers, providing hundreds of handmade videos chronicling all kinds of backstage folderol and giving fans a peek into what it’s like to be in a hit show. They took their cameras on the town, too, filming in restaurants, at the closing party of HAIR in Central Park and Lauren Molina even took viewers on surfing safari to Far Rockaway beach. “I had a blast using the cameras,” says Molina. “It was fun and easy. Fans at the stage door told me how much they loved watching the videos, too. Certain women didn’t want footage taken in the dressing room, though, because people get naked in there!”

We gave the ROA-ers Flip cameras (www.theflip.com), which cost a little more than $100 apiece. They’re small, light and hold up to an hour of footage; plus they’re simple to use—just point and push record. We ended up posting about 40 videos, uploading them to Youtube and embedding them on the official site. At AMC, we’re starting to include Youtube videos on sites, rather than creating custom players: They’re cheaper, load more easily, are more reliable and have all those nifty “social” features like sharing, rating and auto-loading related videos built right in. It’s also a user interface that people already know how to use, which helps increase functionality—never a bad thing.

The fan response to videos from cast members Molina, Constantine Maroulis, Tad Wilson and Will Swenson was amazing. In fact, the Diary quickly became the most popular feature with users, garnering 35,620 views since the campaign launched last October.

Video Diaries are an easy, fun way to build brand loyalty for a show, to keep people on your site and generate viral attention for your production—and your cast. Best of all, they’re CHEAP! What’s not to love, right?