Bryan Singer is a one-man marketing machine for “X-Men: Apocalypse.” Armed with only a mobile device, the director’s turned his Instagram feed into the best source of photos, videos and information from the franchise’s set.
The move is part of a trend studios have embraced: Actors and directors are releasing official first-look photos and videos on their own social accounts to mobilize their fan bases.
But few people have been as dedicated to posting regular updates as Singer. Starting with a scouting trip to Montreal 22 weeks ago, the director’s shared everything from casting reveals and props to production art and behind the scenes sneak peeks.
So, what drives Singer to share so much with his 105,000 Instagram followers? “There’s something deep-seeded in the mythology of ‘X-Men.’ In the idea of identity. The feeling of being an outsider. It strikes at the core of every growing person,” he said in Instagram’s blog.
As for the character he’s most excited about: Apocalypse. “To me, he transcends traditional ‘X-Men’ characters. As I’ve said before, he views himself as the God of the Old Testament. And for the first time in the ‘X-Men’ universe, he challenges the entire world, mutants and humans alike.”
Singer even used the social platform to tease his appearance at Comic-Con. And, even more importantly, that he’d be bringing some new footage from the movie. “Also hoping I can bring some stuff to show you #hallh from #xmenapocalypse,” he wrote to accompany a 15 second clip of “X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut” posted last week.
Whatever he shares from San Diego, you can be sure Singer will give his Instagram fans a front-row seat to the action.
Instagram users will also be able to follow the highlights from Comic-Con thanks to a special trending tag the social network just launched as part of their new Explore page. Voices of Comic-Con will feature a curated collection of interesting accounts related to the event, with updates from industry players and influencers such as Singer, Chris Hardwick, Olivia Munn, Chris Pratt and Stephen Amell.
See some of the X-Men highlights from Singer’s Instagram account: