Hoodslam: Connecting
Wrestling and Anime Fans
A Bay Area underground wrestling organization is having an
anime inspired show. We want to show how their passion as
anime fans inspires them.
OVERVIEW
Crunchyroll, an anime streaming company, had a new campaign to showcase the deep connection between anime and its fans. This opportunity arose when Hoodslam, a local wrestling company, hosted an anime-themed event, aligning perfectly with that campaign.
I was just hired and was familiar with pro-wrestling, so this was an opportunity to showcase my skills as a storyteller. I pitched this video to my supervisor who connected me with our head of marketing. He was a fan of pro-wrestling so it was an easy sell.
Timeline
1.5 months total
-
3 days pre-production
-
6 hours of filming
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1 month to edit
-
2 weeks revisions
Team
• 1 Producer/Editor
• 1 Camera Op
Tools
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe Photoshop
FINAL VIDEO
PROBLEM
We were planning to relaunch our YouTube channel to be more fan-centric so this was the perfect project to show our audience the new direction.
However, I found out about this show 3 days beforehand. Normally, we would take weeks to prepare, but given the timeframe and that it's a one-time event, I had to scramble.
SOLUTION
For this project, I had to act as producer and editor to create a short documentary bridging the worlds of anime and wrestling, showcasing the excitement of anime-loving wrestlers, and emphasizing the similarities between the two mediums — both known for their visuals and over-the-top nature.
MY CONTRIBUTIONS
This was mostly a solo project, except for having an additional camera op to help film the event. Ideally, there would've been a team of 3 people minimum, but I had to make due.
As producer, I had to plan everything, deal with logistics and expectations, handle clearances, record audio and video, interview subjects, and direct others.
As video editor, I had to craft the story and align it to the campaign, make it entertaining to the viewer, and show the wrestlers and organization in a good light.
MY PROCESS & SIMILARITIES TO UX
01
Pre-production // Research
To prepare for the show:
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Set expectations with stakeholders
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Reach out to Hoodslam to tell them the idea of the video and get permission
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Gather staff to help during recording
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Figure out and prep what gear I'll need
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Storyboard how I was to edit the story
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Determine what questions I'll need to ask during the interview to get that story
03
Post-Production // Prototype
With 15 hours of footage, I had to edit the story. These were the steps involved:
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Organize the footage
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Sort out b-roll (supplemental footage)
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Assemble individual storylines
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Weave the storylines together and make sure everything flows
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Color correction and clean-up audio
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Create a rough cut (about 30 min) for initial feedback before cutting it down
02
Production // Design
At the shoot, I had to do the following:
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Set up who to interview
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Prep camera op on footage I wanted
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Interview three wrestlers
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Figure out the story beats I wanted
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Record/monitor audio for interviews
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Direct camera op for b-roll
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Shoot video
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Interview additional subjects
04
Feedback // Testing
Once I get it down to my final cut, I show it to the following for notes:
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My team and supervisor
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The wrestlers
-
Legal department
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Stakeholders
After iterating on their notes and everyone signs-off, we release the video.
RESULTS
The documentary served as a turning point in revamping Crunchyroll's YouTube channel, shifting towards longer, fan-centric content. Receiving significant viewership and positive feedback from the YouTube audience and recognition from stakeholders, it achieved the desired marketing direction and aligned with organizational objectives.
The goal was to double the views.
We got over 5x the views and proved there was an audience for this kind of content.
The goal was to double the views of the channel's normal videos, which was about 5k. We got over 5x that goal with about 28k views and an additional 50k+ views from various social videos. This proved that there was an audience for this kind of content.
Stakeholders loved the video so much that they played it in its entirety at an all-hands meeting. I got to present the video, answer questions, and give credit to my camera op who did a great job getting the footage I wanted.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Time Management: Having 3 days to prepare a shoot is incredibly short, but since we’re shooting an event, I had no choice and had to make it work. I feared that stakeholders would think this was the norm.
Camera Help: Getting a camera op on short notice was difficult since they usually need to be booked weeks ahead. After finding all my contacts were busy, I convinced a coworker to help on his day off. As thanks, I got him a gift and convinced my supervisor to give him an extra day off.
Release Permissions: Due to an unannounced change from the legal team, we had to get written releases. Previously, we got on-video releases, but the legal team wanted to be extra careful. This left me hunting down signatures while worrying that I would need to remove wrestlers who didn’t sign the release. Luckily, they all did.
CONCLUSION
This case study shows how creating compelling video content mirrors UX design principles. From meticulous planning to iterative refinement, each step showed a commitment to understanding and engaging the audience effectively while keeping the goals of stakeholders in mind.
While this came together very quickly, I greatly enjoyed this project and it was a big success both in terms of metrics and getting recognition from stakeholders. I tend to excel under time pressure, so I was able to deal with issues as they came up.