My local Magic: The Gathering group has grown this year beyond what any of our members imagined. What started off as four people simply looking to play the fantasy card game more consistently has blossomed into a 60-plus person Discord group hosting regular events. I’m happy to have played a small part in spreading the word about our group, Friends at Instant Speed (FIS), through the medium of video.
Earlier this year, I volunteered to conceptualize, film, direct and edit some promotional videos introducing the group. I created a shot list, bought a new tripod, and coordinated a shoot day at an awesome Somerville comic book shop, Comicazi. I sought to highlight the fun and casual nature of FIS, which mostly plays Commander: a popular MTG game mode.
Other members of FIS served as actors in the videos, and I directed them mainly to convey basic emotions and perform simple movements. I asked them to show excitement and dismay, to shuffle their decks, to draw cards and play them. I had them stand in front of a curtain with their decks, creating a flash-sequence introduction for some of the fun friends you can make at FIS. We also filmed a gag oriented around a card called Counterspell, which reverses a card played by someone else. Then after capturing all of the scripted footage, I let everyone play the game normally and captured that as well.
In post production, I began by sequencing clips to an upbeat music track I found through Adobe Stock. Communicating the fun factor and camaraderie of FIS in the span of only 30 seconds—15 seconds for the social media version—was the main challenge. The copywriting did the heavy lifting in that regard. I kept it simple: “Play Casual Commander,” “Make Nerdy Friends.” Here’s a fun fact: the font of the copy is the same font used in the original Magic: The Gathering logo.
After the copywriting, I designed an animation that incorporated the FIS logo, created in After Effects using masks and particle effects. And I performed basic color correction to bring up the contrast and shadows of the footage, making the final product appear less washed out.
The end result proved worth it, and you can find these promotional videos on FIS’s socials. And if you enjoy Magic: The Gathering and casual Commander, you should come play with us.
I would like to thank my friends—the actors involved in the shoot, the rest of the FIS creative team for helping our group grow, and Comicazi for lending us their space.
With many new events on the horizon in 2026, I am excited to see how Friends at Instant Speed continues to grow.
John Buday: Digital Storytelling 