Mannequin Challenge Mania

From celebrities to college students, collaborations across the globe are occurring, capturing video feed of the mannequin challenge that emerged less than a month ago. 

Believed to have first emerged at a high school in Jacksonville Florida as a prank near the end of October 2016, the social media trend captures video footage of people posing in creative ways for at least a minute. The challenge is said to be a 'fake' way to freeze time as it allows participates to live out science fiction fantasies in a sense (think X:Men - Days of the Future Past). 

In relation to sci-fi films, the 'freezing' challenge is about gathering a group of participants who will remain motionless in a scene that is accompanied by music, while someone weaves through them with a camera capturing the stillness and expressions. 

This internet sensation, created organically and by accident less than a month ago by a group of high school friends reminds us of the power the internet holds along with the power of a hashtag. By searching #mannequinnchallenge on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, you can find thousands of submissions from across the globe.

Mad Terms

• Challenge - event that encourages others to engage and compete 
• Mannequin - clothed model on display or promoting something
• Viral - information spread over the internet rapidly 

This form of entertainment is based on creativity and participants can 'challenge' or call out other schools / celebrities or groups to compete by creating their own recording of the mannequin challenge. Submissions are appreciated or shared based on their creativity or highest number of participants at a time in a recording - the end result is that it looks like someone pressed pause during a movie, while everyone is in a different, sometimes entertaining pose.

This challenge is less than a month old, and already has over 42 thousand mentions and submissions on Instagram. 

Hillary Clinton & her campaign party freeze on a flight

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in the challenge last week with the Cavaliers

Want to host a mannequin challenge? Follow the steps below 

• get five or more participants 
• pose in scene / setting where you can film without interruption 
• select someone to record the group pose for one full minute minimum 
• be sure that person captures all angles of the group together 
• upload video to social channel accompanied with #mannequinchallenge
• watch the comments and shares come in!