Bates Motel & Cinemagraphs: A Perfect Pairing

Back in March we released a series of Psycho inspired cinemagraphs for the Season 2 Premiere of A&E’s hit show Bates Motel. A&E was ecstatic with the results and got great feedback from fans of the show. Last week they decided to take Flixel Studios created cinemagraphs in a whole new direction with a live brand activation event.  Just like the show, living photos have an eerie quality; something that surprises and makes you catch your breath―it’s a perfect pairing. For A&E 2015 Upfront, Flixel Studios produced and delivered a live cinemagraph experience. Here’s the cast of Bates Motel in their very own cinemagraph!

The cast of Bates Motel in their Flixel cinemagraph

The iconic Bates Motel house can be seen in the distance, with rolling clouds and a flickering lantern. The idea:

Live Cinemagraph Experience

Traditionally, cinemagraphs are seen as a strictly digital medium for one purpose: viewing. While you can’t print a cinemagraph, there are many ways to use them for interactive experiences.

With this type of brand activation and setup, there are multiple touch points. The offline experience, and the online.

– Offline and Interactive: A&E creates an exciting photo booth for fans and potential clients to interact with.

– Online and Social: The cinemagraphs can then be easily shared on social media to promote the event and brand.

With pro photographer, Lindsay Adler, capturing all of the photos and directing and staging each shot, the night was a complete success. A team of editors pulled it all together, sending each individual their own personal Bates Motel cinemagraph.

Lindsay Adler

“People were thrilled by the setup-they were inspired by the incredible set and excited to see the final, unusual result. This was no typical photo booth but instead a living photo that they could become a part of! In fact, several people kept coming back for more!

How can you make a Bates Motel photo set interactive and creepy? Add a flickering light, real stairs, and ominous clouds in the background… talk about making a memorable photo booth! It was a fun challenge to be able to bring this still/motion hybrid to life. I had to try to imitate lighting, have just the right camera angle, and find a way to bring cohesion between all of the elements to create a ‘real but surreal’ result!” -Lindsay Adler

Who doesn’t love a fun photo booth? Add in the digital element and it becomes super simple for people to share their memories on their favourite social channels. Check out the other A&E Upfront Bates Motel cinemagraphs here. And let us know if we can elevate your brand with a live and interactive cinemagraph experience.