Tensilemania is a company wide design and 3D printing challenge created by the Markforged internal creative video team, alongside a few key members from engineering and marketing. Together, we called ourselves the Gauntlet Throwers.

Our goal in the Gauntlet Throwers group was to create an execute a company wide challenge that we could turn into YouTube content that would be:

• Fun to compete in

• Engaging for our employees and audience

• Increase our brand awareness

• Use as a recruiting tool

• Attract more subscribers to our channel

• Etc

We started with a simple contest - we wanted to create a march madness style competition where teams could compete against each other. We decided earlier on that we would use our universal tensile testing machine, the Instron, to bring this competition to life. After brief moments of ideating, we knew right off away that we wanted to lean into a wrestling theme, and just like that - Tensilemania was born.

My role during the months leading up to our Tensilemania event and during was as a producer, in addition to owning the visuals (lighting, camera, etc.). I helped ideate with the team on creative, set deadlines, communicated with stakeholders and contractors we’d need, create rules, own technical preparation, film assets prior to the event, and work with our TD to make sure camera and lighting worked and looked flawlessly.