Cheerleading Videos / DVDs
A Great Way To Raise Funds
Producing your own cheerleading videos is great fun
And can be a brilliant fundraiser.
Producing your own films is perhaps something for larger more established squads. It is however surprisingly easy and a really neat thing for your team to produce.
Finding someone to film and produce your videos / DVDs
Camcorder technology has really come on in the last few years and you can get really professional results on quite small and inexpensive cameras. There are also many computer programs that allow you to easily edit your films.
You may however prefer to use a professional or talented amateur to take care of this side of things. Another option is to see if you local college offers modules in media production. Putting together your cheerleading videos might be just the project a young wannabe Steven Speilberg is looking for.
Its a question of asking around and doing your sums. You need a product that is of good enough quality to sell. You don't however want to shell out lots of cash if you will not sell enough to recoup your outlay.
Selling the videos / DVDs
The videos can be sold at any events or competitions that your squad attends.
They will prove popular with families and supporters. They will also make great presents for younger girls and interested spectators.
Don't miss an opportunity to plug your video. Its the sort of visual story that local press, TV and radio would just love to do a feature about - make sure they know all about it.
What type of cheerleading videos / DVDs ?
Although we all still talk of videos the reality is of course that its most likely you will wish to produce your film as a DVD.
There are really 2 types of film you can produce.
- A compilation of footage from your squad's cheerleading events or competitions. - These will be sold mostly to members of your team and their families. This type of film provide a great record of yourselves as cheerleaders. Something to look back on at the end of the season and a treasure trove of memories for the future.
- A more general look at cheerleading and / or instructions and routines - These can include anything you want but take a bit more work and planning.
This second type of cheerleading videos is perhaps more involved but has a much wider appeal and will almost certainly raise more cash.
This type of video works best with a narrator who knows her stuff. You could use a team member (every squad has a wannabe TV presenter) to introduce the sections with a little piece to camera.
Below are a selection of segments you might like to include:
- Cheerleading History - A brief look at the history of cheerleading. If you can come up with any old film footage this can make a great addition. If not still photos can be incorporated. Time to have a word with Mum and her friends and see what they've got in their archive.
- Cheerleading Clothing - Following on nicely from cheerleading history take a look at how cheerleading uniforms have changed over the years. And what has stayed the same!
- Cheerleading Basics - How is the squad organised. How does training take place. Regular cheerleading commitments. Cheerleading competitions. College cheerleading. NFL Cheerleading. The National Cheerleading Association. Include some cheerleading statistics - its always great to know how many people around the world are involved etc.
The rest of the video will probably be a basic guide to the commoner moves and cheerleading chants and cheers. Either use the whole squad or get key team members to strut their stuff.
- Basic Cheerleading Chants and Cheers - Go through the basic chants and shouts and then show how they can be built up into more complicated complete cheers.
- Cheerleading Jumps - Show how the younger girls begin practising the basic jumps. Gradually show more complicated stuff and end up with your top cheerleading jumps.
- Cheeerleading Routines - Show how the cheers and jumps are put together into routines. You would probably want to show a couple of longer routines with a commentary.
- Cheerleading Tips - Get the girls to each do a little piece to camera with their top cheerleading tips or funny / special moments.
- Cheerleading Stunts - If you have anyone particularly good include their best stunts and tricks. If the squad as a whole has a special routine get it on camera - Time to start practising that cheerleading pyramid.
- And when it all goes wrong! - Seems weird but people love to see those little compilations of clips when it all goes pear shaped! These clips can come from actual footage of real life cheerleading or from the inevitable mistakes during filming.
- The End - End on a special cheer to bring the whole thing to a close.
Producing cheerleading videos / DVDs can be really good fun. You will learn a lot about something new.
Best of all though you will end up with something really personal to your squad. Something to look back on with a smile in years to come.
Get it right and your film can also be a great little fundraiser.
Lights Camera Action!
