Taking up the ‘30 Day Reel Challenge’, or the ‘30 Days, 30 Reels
Challenge’, is an opportunity for Instagram content creators to improve the
quality of their content and learn to utilize the power of social media. The
challenge entails creating 30 reels (short videos synced to audio tracks),
based on particular prompts or themes, within a couple of months. The
challenge, especially its 30 day variant, gained traction across the world as
influencers of every field hopped onto the trend.
While the trend began in August 2021 after
Instagram rolled out their ‘reels’ feature, influencers continue to take up the
challenge for self improvement. Reels quickly caught on in Goa as local content
creators began sharing their posts in reel format. The 30 reels trend has not
gone unnoticed by Goan influencers, several of whom have taken part in the
challenge since its emergence. Reels focused on food and travel in Goa have
garnered attention from followers and highlighted some of the state’s cuisine
and scenic beauty.
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An aerial cinematographer, Kiran Mayenkar has taken up the 30
Day Reel Challenge to explore Goa’s beauty through the use of drone
photography. “When the lockdown restrictions were lifted, I bought a drone and
started exploring Goa. I was always interested in drones and photography, and
over time I convinced my parents to invest in a DJI drone. I began to post
aerial shots on Instagram that captured the places I would visit, and people
became aware of this. Then, I began posting reels, sometimes every weekend, on
alternate days or on weekdays. That’s how I became an aerial cinematographer,”
says Kiran.
After taking up the challenge, Kiran noticed differences in his
content and work ethics. “I shoot a lot of content but I don’t post nearly as
much online. The 30 Day Reel Challenge is a chance to upgrade my skills and the
quality of content that I post. At first, I was least interested in the process
of making a reel. Selecting the content, searching for an appropriate song and
editing the reels, I just couldn’t get into the habit. This challenge has done
wonders for my consistency. At one point, I started posting barely a couple of
times a month, but now I post content every alternate day. I’ve realised now
that the reels don’t actually take much time to edit and that I can continue
developing my editing and photography skills while posting consistently,” says
Kiran.
He further adds, “I began the challenge towards the end of
November and so far I have posted 25 out of the 30 planned reels. As I enjoy
travelling, some of these reels also capture the beauty of other places in
India that I have visited, like Karwar and Ujjain. I also don’t post the exact
location of my reels because it’s been noticed by influencers that this
attracts more attention to the spot and visitors end up littering and leaving
behind garbage at these beautiful spots.”
How do reels contribute to the image of the state? Kiran pointed
out that social media’s influence has grown to rival that of other media. “Due
to Goa’s popularity, I’ve seen a lot of people post pictures of Goa online, but
unfortunately, most of them focus on the party culture along certain regions on
the coast. Depictions of Goa in Bollywood are geared towards the party
stereotype as well, when Goa is so much more than that. I want to portray the
real Goa, the other side that until recently was less explored. I’d like to
capture its beauty through drones. Reels are a new way to get through to active
users of social media, and since they’re produced by people and not media
houses, it’s easier for an audience to relate to them,” says Kiran.
What
are his plans after completing the challenge? Kiran says, “I’m actually
learning to build my own first person view drone. They are used in cinema,
agriculture and other industries and require skill to operate. I want to
contribute to the drone scene in Goa and help those who are interested in
flying FPV drones but can’t afford to learn in an expensive school.”
