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The Challenge for DraftKings:
DraftKings, a fantasy sports contest and sports betting provider, streams live daily for twelve hours to YouTube. That’s a lot of content to deliver every day, and to fill the gaps between the various featured segments, the creative team generates graphics which include promos for current contests, the schedule of what’s next on the stream, and information from their Sportsbook website.
In addition to their daily live streaming, DraftKings also engages with their audience through various promotional strategies. For instance, they frequently highlight upcoming events, offer exclusive contests, and provide insights into player statistics, which enhances viewer engagement. This not only attracts new users but also retains existing ones who are keen to stay updated on their favorite sports.
Templater for the Win
Every day, the creative team faces the challenge of producing graphics that are not only informative but also visually appealing. To achieve this, Jason emphasizes the importance of design consistency across all graphics. This means that colors, fonts, and styles are standardized, which helps in maintaining the brand’s identity while providing a seamless viewer experience.
Jason Brennan, senior video editor and graphic designer, is one of the creative team members responsible for pulling together all of this data each day and then painstakingly producing these detailed but eye-catching informational graphics.
The integration of Dataclay Templater has revolutionized the way DraftKings handles data-driven graphics. For example, during major sports events like the Super Bowl or NBA Finals, the volume of graphics needed skyrockets. Templater allows the team to quickly adapt by simply updating the spreadsheet with the latest statistics, player highlights, and promotional offers, which are then automatically reflected in their graphics.
Overwhelmed by the repetitive burden of manually generating these daily, Jason and the design team at DraftKings created a series of templates in After Effects. They then linked these After Effects compositions to Google Sheets using Dataclay Templater so that members of the DK customer experience team could simply fill out the spreadsheet and have these graphics generated in minutes instead of hours. It’s a win for the entire team, enabling those without design experience to leverage the creative skills of their talented in-house artists without adding to anyone’s workload.
The video feed not only showcases the graphics but also the intricate animations that are created using After Effects. These animations play a crucial role in retaining viewer attention, especially during long live streams. Creative transitions between graphics can enhance the overall production value and ensure that the audience remains engaged throughout the program.
A Look at the Finished Video Feed…
The video below shows a typical day’s interstitial feed with the various DraftKing templates complete with transitions.
Moreover, automating lower thirds has allowed DraftKings to maintain a high standard of quality without sacrificing speed. These lower thirds often feature player names, statistics, or breaking news, and are essential for informing viewers without interrupting the flow of the broadcast. By using Templater, Jason’s team can ensure that these graphics are frequently updated in real-time during live events, providing viewers with the most current information.
Automating the Creation of Lower Thirds
Furthermore, the adaptability of Templater means that DraftKings is equipped to handle last-minute changes, such as unexpected player injuries or changes in match schedules. This flexibility is vital in the fast-paced world of sports broadcasting, where information can change at a moment’s notice. The ability to quickly update graphics and still deliver a polished final product significantly enhances their competitive edge in the industry.
In addition to efficiency, Templater’s impact on quality control cannot be overstated. By reducing manual entry errors, the team can focus on more creative aspects of production. This means that instead of worrying about whether all the data is correct, Jason and his team can dedicate their time to crafting engaging visual stories that captivate their audience.
Jason and the team found another benefit of Templater – automating the output of lower thirds for their videos. Again, by leveraging Google Sheets, the team can simply fill in all the information for the day and then perform a batch export when complete. This dramatically reduced the time needed to produce titles.
Dataclay Templater Saves Time and Speeds Up Post Workflow
DraftKings’ innovative use of Templater demonstrates the power of media automation to transform video production workflows. By seamlessly integrating with Google Sheets and After Effects, Templater empowers DraftKings’ creative team to efficiently generate high-quality graphics, streamline content creation, and deliver a compelling viewing experience for their audience. Templater’s ability to automate repetitive tasks, ensure brand consistency, and reduce errors makes it an indispensable tool for media professionals seeking to optimize their workflows and unlock new levels of creative efficiency.
