The Producer's Faction

03/30/2024

"I don't really use Facebook. I just use Insta."

"I don't really use X/Twitter. I just use TikTok."

What do the promoters in your area like to use to promote their shows? Not being reachable or findable on a certain social media platform is known in marketing as a "friction point ". A friction point is a small annoying thing that makes someone say "forget it". When the gas pump won't take your card and tells you to come inside and you say "screw it" and just leave, that's a friction point. When you click on an article you want to read online and it asks you for your email first and you close the page--that's a friction point. If you think about yourself you'll see that it doesn't take much to cause you to say "Screw this". People are just like you. If a fan or a promoter wants to learn more about you and they see that it's hard to find you online their interest level drops.

If a promoter does 80-90% of their event promotion on one platform then you need to be on that platform. Help share the event poster, cut promos, get private messages that go out to whoever is working the show that day...

If there is a Facebook Messenger Chat to talk over plans with the wrestlers, refs, and ring crew and you "Don't really use messenger" and someone has to text you separately to relay the message that's a friction point.

It's not about what platform you like. Get on the most popular ones. Be reachable, be findable, help promote, and have notifications on. 👍🏽

02/24/2024

"I want to get into production! I'm a (booker/wrestler/vlogger) and I want my stuff to look good. What should I spend the most on? A good camera?"

No. Lighting. Above everything. Invest first in your EDUCATION about lighting. Follow this page, go find a YouTube series on lighting, buy an e-course. If the lighting is proper you can record it on a 5 year old Samsung Galaxy or iPhone and it'll still pop. If the lighting sucks you can record it on a $20,000 Red Raptor cinema camera and it still won't save you.

Nothing can save bad lighting. Learn lighting.

To record a promo for Ricky Steamboat's retirement match the WWE took OVER AN HOUR just to adjust and angle the lights in the room. Speaks volumes.

08/15/2023

When you have free time in the ring and you're recording your friends practice whipping and pushing the camera with the direction people are moving to intensify the movement. The first few times you try it it'll be random and may not look great. But the more you do it you train your hand the correct way to whip the camera.
Andy Optimal Rabb1t Rogu3

07/05/2023

In the wrestling world in 2023, with very few exceptions, you will identify with one of these three.
A) You HAVE a social media and marketing team.
B) You ARE your own social media and marketing team.
C) Not many people know you exist.

⭐ NXT star and JPWA Grad Channing Lorenzo became his own social media and marketing team right up until he was signed by the WWE. He focused on his look, sound, photos, videos, and social media posts. Upon signing he was able to do a little less because he now HAS a social media and marketing team as WWE promotes talent.

⭐ Even while she was still training at the JPWA NXT's Ivy Nile had a team of videographers and photographers she worked with to get great content.

⭐ Dillon McQueen is a Social Media and Marketing MACHINE.

Go down the list... AJ, Silas, Kenzie, Kylie, JR, Wayne, etc. If they are making something happen, and you keep seeing their name, they either are a marketing and social "team" or they have access to one--compelling posts, good photos, good videos, event promotion, shares.

Ask yourself--Have you hired or do you have access to a social media and marketing team?

If the answer is "no" then are you doing the work to become your own social media and marketing team?

If the answer to that is also "no" then you're now swimming upstream and have slim odds of getting your name out there.

07/04/2023

06/19/2023

Parallax effect can be a fun but difficult shot. You'll almost certainly need a gimbal even if you're filming with a cell phone. You'll need to keep focus on your subject even if you have to tap the subject to maintain focus. You'll need the right focal length for the background to be creamy/dreamy and to have the spin look.

06/03/2023

Indy Wrestler: "Here is a promo I just recorded. What do you think?"

(Copy paste answer) Not bad but you probably should have had the camera a bit closer to show your eyes and to fill up the frame with yourself instead of all that dead space. You probably also want to have some contrast with your background so that you pop out from it rather than blending in.

"Oh gotcha. Yeah you're right. You watched it that fast?"

No. I've not gotten to watch it yet. I'll look at it here in a second.

"........ "

😂
Save these screenshots for reference. Keep them in your phone. If what you filmed is a lot more zoomed out than this then delete and try again. 👌

05/10/2023

This is why you need to be promoting the show that's booking you:::

Something that's important to notice here is that this ad from the WWE says "sponsored". That means not only did they post it but they paid money to Facebook to make sure that you saw it. Think about that. One of the oldest, most successful companies IN THE WORLD doesn't assume that you know to come to the show unless they tell you it's happening.

The WWE could say "We don't need to promote. We've got a pretty loyal fan base. They will find out that we're coming and they will show up." But that's NOT what they do. They reach out to draw you in EVERY time.

If a promoter is booking you for a show you need to offer to hype that show on your social media EVERY time. Not saying you need to spend money to boost the post. But at least let your friends know. First time booked there? Promote that show. 10th time working there? At least offer to promote that show. You're their champ? Offer to promote that show.

The promoter may tell you not to worry about it. Maybe it's a sell-out room. But the OFFER to promote should always be there.

Not only that, but you should self educate about how to make your posts brief, catchy, compelling, well lit, good sound, and edited correctly. There are tons of free lessons on YouTube and even wrestling specific lessons here on our page.

Wrestling isn't just falling down. Neither is promoting just unlocking your phone and randomly recording something.

Effort 👏 sells 👏

05/03/2023

In 2023 the cross-dissolve transition should almost never be used. There is a reason for that. People use the top names in entertainment to set the standard for what looks pro and what looks amateurish. If you watch Show Intros, Hype Videos, Titantron videos from AEW, WWE, NWA, cross dissolve is rarely used. If you watch Hollywood blockbusters you won't often find cross dissolve there either. You mainly see hard cuts from one shot to the next, which is the best transition--hands down.

Cross dissolve has a function. It tells the viewer we are jumping far forward or backward in time. So if someone begins dreaming about something from years ago we will see a cross dissolve to get us back. If we are jumping forward in the scene to 24 hours later a cross dissolve tells us we are moving forward. And some slow scenes like weddings, tributes, or memorials get cross dissolve.

Here is the biggest thing. THE CASUAL VIEWER NORMALLY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SEEING. Always remember that. They just know how a video makes them FEEL. Someone could watch a WWE show intro or hype video with hard cuts. They watch your hype video with cross dissolve between each shot. At the end when you ask them what was different they may not even be able to say "I kept seeing cross dissolve". Normally what they'll say is "I don't really know how to explain why, but the second video looked low-budget. WWE's looked more pro."

Your editing software comes with a couple dozen transitions. And all but about 3 of them are unusable garbage. And even those 3 should only be used when you have a reason to use them.