Key Takeaways

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Common themes and tactics present in the Top 25 Viral Aerial Sport videos included: 

Content Themes: 

• POV BASE Jump: Moments before and during a base jump, shot from the creator's point of view.
• Hot Air Balloon Drop: Footage of a skydiver holding on to or standing on the edge of a hot air balloon and then dropping.
• FPV Drone Freestyle: Footage from an FPV racing quadcopter showcasing drone flips, rolls, power loops, and proximity flying.
• Aerial Acrobatics: Footage of skydivers performing acrobatic stunts while free-falling.
• Jet Suit Flying: Creators defy gravity wearing a jet suit—videos showcase takeoffs and landings.

Viral Tactics: 

• 360° Camera Footage: 36% of the viral videos analyzed were filmed using a GoPro Max or an Insta360 camera, allowing the viewer to see the action from all angles. 
• Last Words: In many viral BASE Jump and Hot Air Balloon Drop videos, the jumper can be heard saying "last words" before they jump.
• Just Hanging: In two of Freddy Chase's "viral" videos, he is shown holding onto the ledge of a hot air balloon as it floats above the city, giving his last words before letting go and free falling towards the ground. Additionally, Maja Kuczynska shared a video which went viral (20M views) where she hangs onto the side of a plane before launching herself into the sky.
• Follow Cam: About a quarter of viral videos analyzed used footage of one person shooting footage of another as they both mid-air.
• Split Screen: FPV Drone Freestyle videos utilize a divided screen so viewers can watch the pilot's radio as they perform. 
• Music Sync: Many of these viral videos feature perfectly synchronized music to capture your attention and elicit an excited, emotional reaction to these adrenaline-provoking aerial stunts.
• Short & Sweet: 100% of videos were optimized for mobile (9:16 ratio) and under a minute in length.

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This research identified common themes and tactics in the Top 25 Viral* Aerial Sport videos. 

*Viral videos are defined as videos with: >20M Views on TikTok and  >10M Views on Instagram, Facebook Video and YouTube.

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Amongst the viral Aerial Sport videos, the following content themes were identified: 

1. POV BASE Jump‍

Moments before and during a base jump shot from the creator’s point of view. [Example 1, 2]

87M  Views

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2. Hot Air Balloon Drop

‍Footage of a skydiver holding on to or standing on the edge of a hot air balloon and then dropping. [Example 1, 2]

87M  Views

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3. FPV Drone Freestyle

‍Epic footage from an FPV racing quadcopter showcasing drone flips, rolls, power loops, and proximity flying. [Example 1, 2]

44M  Views

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4. Aerial Acrobatics

‍Footage of skydivers performing acrobatic stunts while free-falling. [Example 1, 2]

20M  Views

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5. Jet Suit Flying

Creators defy gravity wearing a jet suit—videos showcase takeoffs and landings. [Example 1, 2]

21M  Views

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Viral Tactic:

1. 360° Camera Footage

36% of the viral videos analyzed were filmed using a GoPro Max or an Insta360 camera, allowing the viewer to see the action from all angles. 

These cameras are equipped with multiple wide-angle lenses arranged in a circular formation, which allows them to capture every angle at once, creating an unobstructed view of the aerial stunt.

This type of footage allows the viewer to experience the stunt from the athlete's point of view and also get a sense of how the stunt appears from additional angles.

19M Views

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17M  Views

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2. Last Words

In many viral BASE jump and Hot Air Balloon Drop videos, the jumper can be heard saying “last words” before they jump or let go.

In the second video below, Freddy Chase is shown holding onto the side of a hot air balloon and sharing his final words before letting go. In the first video below, Jonni DiJulius countdowns before jumping off the top of a boom lift over a bridge at Bridge Day 2022.

Sharing the last words of athletes just before they do their stunts can give viewers an idea of what the experience is like and what the athletes are thinking just before.

42M Views

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38M Views

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3. Just Hanging

In two of Freddy Chase's “viral” videos, he is shown holding onto the ledge of a hot air balloon as it floats above the city, giving his last words before letting go and free falling towards the ground (1,2). 

The cover image of this video makes it look as though Freddy is about to lose his grip, which encourages people to click on it.

Furthermore, Maja Kuczynska shared a video which went viral (20M views) where she appears to hold onto the side of a plane before launching herself into the sky.

87M Views

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20M  Views

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4. Follow Cam

About a quarter of viral videos analyzed used “follow cam” footage. This is the type of footage that requires two people working together and having one capture footage of the other while both are in mid-air.

86M  Views

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12M Views

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5. Split Screen

FPV Drone Freestyle videos utilize a split screen so that viewers can watch the pilot's radio as they perform flips, rolls, power loops, and proximity flight. 

44M Views

‍

10M Views

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6. Music Sync

Many viral videos feature perfectly synchronized music to capture your attention and elicit an excited, emotional reaction to these adrenaline-provoking aerial stunts.

Instagram: 83% of the viral videos on Instagram featured music.

EDM: 24% of the viral videos analyzed feature EDM music, often pairing the song's drop with an action sequence such as a BASE jump or drone drop.

Hip-Hop: Two of the 25 viral videos analyzed hip-hop music (1,2). 

26M Views

‍

11M Views

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7. Short & Sweet

Looking at the videos that went “viral” across all platforms, videos optimized for mobile viewing performed the best, with 100% of the videos being vertically oriented.

Additionally, short-form aerial content performed the best, with 100% of the videos analyzed under a minute in length. The longest viral video was 52 seconds, and the shortest was 6 seconds.

25M Views

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10M Views