Binge Society: Hollywood in the Age of Social Media
How Jellysmack is bringing your favorite blockbusters to the small screen
Even the big movie studios have invested in growing their social media presence as a marketing strategy. And Binge Society is proof that it’s working. Started just two short years ago in September 2019, they’ve already racked up more than 3 million followers on YouTube alone. And Binge Society is just the latest in a growing variety of Jellysmack original channels on everything from sports to beauty to pranks.
So, how does film content become social media content? Aren’t social networks all about keeping it short and sweet in the era of ever-shrinking attention spans? As it turns out, film content goes way beyond feature films themselves. There are gags and bloopers, looks behind-the-scenes and compilations, best-ofs and iconic scenes. It’s really a whole universe to explore.
Origin Story
In September 2019, Marine Bruneteau, current Lead at Binge Society, was interning as a Social Media Analyst in Games and Sports and helping with internal communications videos. About 2 months into her internship, Jellysmack decided to launch Binge Society.
Cécile Dehesdin, Head of Entertainment Media, had noticed Marine right away. She thought her editing and community management skills would be perfect for Binge Society and got her on the team. Although, the word team might give off the wrong impression. At the time, there was just one Video Editor, one Community Manager/Content Strategist, and one Chief Editor. So, it was more like The Three Musketeers. Marine is the last of these OGs still on the Binge Society team. “It’s my baby,” she jokes.
But, working with Hollywood content is a privilege. The rights have to be acquired first, and it can be a long slog. And that’s where Olivier Delfosse, master negotiator, came in. “We couldn’t have done it without him,” quips Marine. Olivier, in turn, credits Marie-Claude Rubin, Director of Account Management. “She works tirelessly each day managing the relationships with our partners, signing new deals, and navigating digital rights management,” he says. Once they landed the deal with their first major studio, it was go time.
How it grew
Licensing rights in hand, they hit the ground running. Binge Society had the advantage of coming after other successful Jellysmack channels like Gamology and Oh My Goal. So, the winning formula was already in place: AB tests of different taglines and thumbnails, YouTube SEO, and carefully chosen hashtags. And with the catalogue of a major Hollywood studio at their fingertips, they were sitting on a content gold mine.
But, it wasn’t all numbers, algorithms, and deals with Hollywood big shots. Binge Society needed to develop its own original take on the material to keep from “drowning in the sea of content that is scene compilations,” says Content Strategy intern Manuela Bueno Fuentes.
After all, Binge Society isn’t the only movie buff channel on the internet. So, they keep an eye on the competition and try to mix it up. “Some of their videos are 7 years old. When we post, we always give it a fresh perspective.” The tone is different, too. “We talk to our audience as if they were our best friends,” says Marine. It’s a welcoming community.
To maximize reach and relevance, everything is perfectly coordinated: clips from horror films are posted at 8pm, whereas clips from action movies are posted during the day. Taglines and descriptions are checked and rechecked to be sure that they meet studio standards and guidelines. It’s a well-oiled machine. “I think that’s part of the reason for our success,” says Marine. “We’ve really mastered our processes, and everything runs very smoothly.”
One of Jellysmack’s signature values is standout: being original and going above and beyond. And they certainly do. A few weeks ago, they posted a compilation of the funniest scenes from a legendary horror franchise. They’ve also done rankings of the best characters and the best fight sequences in action movies. It’s all about taking people by surprise, innovating.
There are sure things as well. “Action clips start with the first punch,” says Content Strategist Juliette Hallot. The goal is to grab the audience’s attention with the most riveting moments. Marine spends a lot of time poring over big blockbusters like popular action and romance franchises. “There are worse things to get paid for.”
The combination of synergy, tech, and standout have all contributed to Binge’s rise to the top. When Juliette joined the company in 2020, “There were less than 50,000 subscribers. Now there are over 3 million.”
Working with the Majors and Making an Impact
Marine still finds it a bit surreal when an email from a major studio pops up in her inbox. “We’re well aware of how lucky we are to be working with some of the biggest studios in the world. It’s not an opportunity that everyone gets,” she says. Marie-Claude agrees. They’re in regular contact with the studios, making sure that everything is up to par and that agreements are being respected.
But, all of the pressure, behind-the-scenes prep, and legalese is well worth it, given the success of the channel and the impact they’re having. They’re reaching millions of people all over the world in both anglophone and francophone countries. Manuela also believes that film can be a vehicle for social change.
She is a big fan of film culture and an advocate for the arts in general. “The impact it has on people is real. It has such an important place in our society. It’s an easy segway to open a bigger conversation.” She cites big influential franchises that she grew up with like Star Wars and Harry Potter, as formative of her youth. “They’re labors of love. There’s so much behind it that they put out to the world.”
Although Juliette and Marine don’t have a formal education in film, they both say it’s influenced them as well. Juliette grew up with the Marvel movies and loves the Marvel universe. She used to get teased. People said it was “a guy thing.” Nothing could be farther from the truth, at least at Jellysmack. Case in point: the Binge Society team is all women. “I wouldn’t say it’s a revolution,” says Juliette, “but I do think that we’re moving in the right direction.”
As for Marine, she’s a self-described “fan of everything pop culture” and grateful to be where she is today. The content is “hugely enriching for me and for the other members of the team.”
The Future
The team has certainly got everything going for them, and they’re racking up YouTube subscribers on a daily basis. At the time of this writing, they’re nearing 3 million. And the sky’s the limit. They’ve now got deals with several major studios, but there are no thoughts of stopping there.
They’re continuing to widen their reach, increase their revenue, and well on the way to conquering the world of Hollywood online. Though Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok seem to be the ideal channels for their content (for now), they certainly haven’t ruled out moving onto other platforms. “We’re not on Instagram yet, but we are starting out on Twitter,” says Manuela. More social handles equals more visibility and more impact.
The team itself has more than doubled in size to meet the demands of the growing platform. They’ve even added a former studio employee to their ranks. “He was so impressed with Binge’s growth,” says Olivier, “that he decided to come and work for us.” On YouTube, they’re launching Binge Family, a new channel with kid-friendly content from animated and other family-oriented films. It’s a new demographic and a new generation of cinephiles.
Are deals with other studios on the horizon? Marine admits that she’s got her sights set on a few more mega names. Marie-Claude wants Binge to be “the #1 movie channel on the internet.” For now, they’re excited to dive into the newest content they’ve licensed.
Although a lot is changing, one thing stays the same. No matter the content, no matter the studio, they honor the Binge Society mantra: “We love entertainment as much as we love to entertain.”
