Preston Bus Station Project
Marketing projects, just like businesses, come in all shapes and sizes. This particular project came in the distinctive shape of the iconic Preston Bus Station.
For over a year we have been working with ICP (In Certain Places), an arts initiative run from within UCLan. We enjoy working with the creative team that makes up ICP because we have come to learn that their projects are always fun and often happen at key local landmarks.
This time we were asked to help profile an art project that encompassed the entire length of Preston Bus Station.
About Preston Bus Station
In 2012 the future of the Preston Bus Station seemed uncertain. Amid budget cuts and the worst recession for decades the building was deemed too large, rundown and expensive to continue running. This lead to many vocal debates about the future of this Preston Landmark.
Fast forward to 2018 and you see Preston Bus Station undergoing a full refurbishment. As its 50th birthday approached, many local organisations began creating events to celebrate this historic building. One of these events was the project we assisted with in July 2019.
Created by artist, Keith Harrison, this live choreographed disruption saw 32 double decker buses move in time with eight volunteers who made up the conductors. As a soundtrack played through the station’s PA system, Keith instructed movement of the conductors along the entire length of the bus station.
Our job was to record and document the event for ICP. A live stream was to enable people from any location to be part of the event while a 4K recording was to be taken for use on local news and for archive purposes.
Find out more about this project on the UCLan website.
Our Involvement – Live Broadcast from Preston Bus Station
Initially, we were approached by ICP to live stream the event on both Facebook and Twitter. Following an initial consultation, it was decided to also record 4K footage for use following the event.
Due to the limitation of time, it was decided to keep this project simple. The live broadcasts would be produced from our mobile phones.
One phone would be used to broadcast onto Facebook while the other would broadcast onto Twitter, both via the ICP accounts. The main difference between the two being that the Facebook broadcast would be shot in landscape while the Twitter broadcast would be shot in portrait.
The Conductor Live Facebook Video – Preston Bus Station
For the Facebook broadcast, we would use a gimbal to allow for smooth panning and tracking shots. Unfortunately, due to a lack of personnel, the Twitter broadcast was a secondary consideration. Both would be shot by our Creative Director, Terri Juniper using one hand for each phone.
4K Video Recording
Not long before this project began, we took delivery of a Nikon D7500. This new camera facilitates 4K recording as well as many other handy features. It was quickly decided that the use of this camera would be advantageous for profiling the event.
This camera quickly became integral to the project when BBC Northwest News wished to feature the project that night but had no spare film crews. They asked if we could send footage into the newsroom for use on TV.
Our objectives were now twofold. Broadcast the project live on Facebook and Twitter. At the same time record 4K footage to be used on the news that night and for future projects.
The Results
It was our objective to make the event accessible to anyone who wished to experience the occasion but could not be at Preston Bus Station. Below are the results taken from the live Facebook and Twitter videos.
Facebook Live
- 8,300 people reached
- 9,400 total minutes viewed
- 5,500 unique views
- 257 engagements (161 reactions, 49 comments and 47 shares)*
*Please note: figures differ from photo as the above metrics include engagements from private profiles.
Twitter Live
- 30,400 impressions
- 1,254 engagements
- 355 link clicks
- 20 Retweets
Out of all the tweets promoting the event the live video generated 21% of all impressions and 40% of the engagements.
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience working on this project with the ICP team. It is a pleasure to see such ambitious art projects taking place in Preston and a privilege to be asked to support them. If you would like to know more about this project and future events, please visit the ICP website.
