Beyond the lens: Visual storytelling connects UNC athletes and fans

The game may end when the clock strikes zero, but the motion doesn’t stop there: Photos and videos from the game allow moments from University of Northern Colorado athletics to continue reaching fans long after the stadium clears out. 

For some athletes at UNC, these photos and videos can provide a deeper connection to the school and the UNC community, including a way to share their experiences with friends, family members and fans who might not be able to watch from the stands. 

For Malaina Alifano, a junior journalism major and third-year member of the UNC softball team, social media allows her family members outside of Colorado to stay up-to-date and connected with her season. 

Alifano is from San Francisco, and many family members and friends are still there, making it hard for them to travel to Colorado to watch her play. 

“My whole family follows the account,” Alifano said. “I know that a bunch of my extended family and friends also follow the account because being from California it’s kind of difficult for them to come out across the country every weekend.” 

The team's social media page has been a go-to source for her family and friends to follow what the team is up to, and keep up with all of her games. 

While athletes like Alifano experience what it’s like to be in front of the lens, that connection starts with the visual content created around UNC athletics.

Eden Trujillo, a junior studio art and design major with a focus in film, creates content for Bear Vision, UNC athletics’ video team. She said filming content captures the emotion, intensity and energy that surrounds a game and its athletes. 

“For me, I want to try and show the student behind the athlete,” Trujillo said. “So I’ll try and get solo shots or shots of them having fun.” 

Trujillo said she looks for moments on the field or court that are outside of game action, including athletes interacting with teammates and coaches, to make them more relatable to viewers. 

Once those moments are captured, social media provides a place for those photos and videos to reach fans and tell a larger story about UNC athletics. 

Bailey Patterson, director of brand strategy and social media for UNC athletics, said the department mainly uses social media as the platform to not only share information with fans such as upcoming games, ticket sales, events, scores and statistics, but also showcase its student-athletes. 

“Good photos from games or practices always do really well on socials, but videos that portray a student-athlete or team’s personality do even better,” Patterson said. “While everyone knows that these athletes are here to compete, fans also love being able to see the college kids behind the competition.” 

Patterson said the department aims for its content to not only focus on wins and losses, but go beyond the score to help the community connect and understand UNC’s athletes. 

“I want our content to give fans an opportunity to see those individuals for who they are – not just as athletes, but as students, teammates, friends, and members of the Bear community,” Patterson said.