Set up an AUTOMATIC, data-driven video creation workflow for SPORTS

Ivan Stankov

This article was written by Ivan, Creative Director at Plainly. He has over 6 years of experience in the video editing and motion design industry. Ivan is passionate about sharing his expertise with video editors, motion designers, and those aspiring to enter the field.

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Are you ready to serve up some unbeatable content for your audience? Imagine effortlessly creating dynamic, data-driven videos for events like the Roland Garros while keeping the quality of your videos at the highest possible level. Say goodbye to boring slideshows and tiresome video editing! We’re talking about a fully automated workflow for creating engaging, attention-grabbing motion graphics videos at scale.

The Power of Automation in Video Production

If you're part of a creative agency or news company, you know how crucial speed and volume are when it comes to big sporting events, world events, or any other significant occurrences like Roland Garros. The demand for fresh content is immense, meaning you need to supply as many videos as possible. However, maintaining quality while producing content quickly can be challenging.

Enter the unbeatable combination of After Effects and Plainly. This powerful duo enables you to create high-quality, dynamic videos automatically, ensuring you stand out from the crowd.

Success Stories: Proximus and Bua Forward

In 2022, during the FIFA World Cup, a mobile communication company from Belgium, Proximus, tracked the heart rate, decibel levels, and movement of Belgian football supporters. They used this data to create animated graphs and publish these videos across their platform and social media. The entire project ran under the Belgian Heartbeat campaign and brought significant exposure to Proximus.

Similarly, a media company, BurdaForward, used the same workflow for the FIFA World Cup. They combined After Effects and Plainly to automatically generate videos with lineups and player information. Both Proximus and BurdaForward utilized a fully automated workflow to generate data-driven videos at scale, allowing them to produce relevant, timely, and high-quality content.

Rolling Out Automated Videos for Roland Garros

We employed the same workflow to create videos with match results for one of the largest tennis tournaments, a Grand Slam—Roland Garros. Here’s a breakdown of what we did:

Template Creation: We created a super cool template in After Effects. The template showcases match results, including a wealth of data like player names, sets, games, aces, points, and more.
Upload to Plainly: We uploaded the template to Plainly and used the Plainly API along with the results API to create a fully automated workflow.
Automation in Action: Whenever a match is finished, a finished video with match results is generated and distributed wherever we want.
Programmatic Feeds: We even created a constantly updated programmatic feed of these videos on our website. Anyone who signs up can download and use these videos. We're continually adding new feeds designed for fast-paced publishers who need video content but lack the resources to create it themselves.

The Benefits of Automated, Data-Driven Videos

Having an automated workflow for data-driven videos in your arsenal offers numerous advantages:

Broadcast-Quality Videos: Regularly produce high-quality videos on a daily or even hourly basis.
Time and Cost Savings: Save significant time and money on tedious video editing tasks.
Content Licensing Opportunities: Potentially license your content to other creative agencies or news companies.
Consistency and Engagement: Stay consistent with your content delivery, hook your audience, and bring a ton of engagement to your platforms.

Get Started with Plainly

If you want to create your own feeds or sign up for our programmatic feeds, get in touch with us or start a 14-day free trial on our website. By adopting this automated approach, you can revolutionize your video production process, ensuring you meet the demands of today’s fast-paced content landscape with ease and efficiency.

Ready to transform your content strategy and create dynamic, data-driven videos effortlessly? Visit us at plainlyvideos.com and discover how you can scale your video production like never before.