C-TRAN - Video Storytelling

Target Audience: The target audience for C-TRAN's videos is the general public, including those who ride the system and the taxpayers who help support it.

Strategy Objective:Despite these limitations, C-TRAN has produced most of its video content in-house, and continues to expand its uses of video as a form of public outreach. One employee, the Public Affairs Coordinator, does nearly all of C-TRAN's video shooting, editing and production despite no formal training in video. Other than a camera purchased for $1,499 in 2018, the only cost to the agency for its video projects is staff time. Recent in-house videos include: An explainer of the bus on shoulder concept as it was put into use for the first time locally, a series of how-to-ride videos for paratransit, a longer-form video recapping the first year of C-TRAN's bus rapid transit system, plus feature-style videos that highlighted, among other things, different employee groups and behind-the-scenes subjects.

Situation Challenge: C-TRAN has placed an increased emphasis on the use of video in the past year as a way communicate important information to riders and to tell the story of our agency ' who we are, and why we do what we do. But as a relatively small agency, with a communication and public affairs staff of four people, C-TRAN lacks the resources to devote full-time staff to video or hire out video production to an outside company. We also lack the high-end video and sound equipment that many video projects use. At the same time, C-TRAN recognizes the increasing importance of video as a preferred way for people consume information from a variety of sources.

Results Impact: C-TRAN's in-house videos have consistently been well-received by the public in Clark County and our peer agencies in Washington and Oregon. In September, C-TRAN led a video workshop for the Washington State Transit Association, encouraging other small- to medium-sized agencies to venture into in-house video production. They have been a powerful tool for public outreach and brand-building; several of C-TRAN videos have tallied thousands of combined views on Facebook, YouTube and other platforms. And internally, they have improved employee engagement and interest in helping tell our story to the public and showcase the people that keep Clark County moving every day.

Why Submit: Many transit agencies now use video as a crucial tool for public outreach and information. What makes C-TRAN's video work stand out, we believe, is the quality we produce in-house that's truly on a shoestring budget. We have made the best use of the resources and staff we have without having to bring in outside help (and additional cost) to meet our goals. And we continue to improve and expand the ways we use video in a cost-effective, yet impactful way.