Chase A Cloud

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the TV programming and acquisitions director at Walt Disney Company Japan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase A Cloud?

We have a documentary channel in Japan, and one of our series is about wild animals. We wanted to create an animation based on it and hired Chase A Cloud to create an IP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chase A Cloud provides us with animated video production. They've written the storyline based on our documentary series. The team has created characters with their own storylines and backgrounds. They wrote the script for the first episode, the bible, and the teaser. For the teaser, they also created the music. The team provides their own equipment and studios. Chase A Cloud has finished the pitching deck, and we're currently in the process of pitching the project. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with three teammates from Chase A Cloud. Stani (Producer, Director, Writer, Editor & Animator) is our team lead, Vladislav (Director) writes the scripts, and Sava (Director, Lead Animator & Illustrator) is in charge of animation. 

How did you come to work with Chase A Cloud?

They had previously produced a promotional video for us. For that project, Chase A Cloud shot amazing footage and provided great-looking animatics — we were blown away. We had never worked with a production company like them, and since we loved the product so much and it was a success, we decided to give them a bigger project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $6,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project started in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Chase A Cloud has created great work, and we believe the series will be a global hit if it's greenlit. The animation looks great and moves amazingly. Moreover, they're total professionals with tons of creative ideas. They don't like doing less — they always do more than is asked. For example, we only needed the teaser and bible to pitch the series, but they did more than that perfectly. Overall, Chase A Cloud gives more than 100%, so we're happy we chose them.

How did Chase A Cloud perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though we're far from each other, we've managed to find the time for our Zoom meetings to discuss the project, and they update us quite often. When they show us animations, they send us links where we can see their progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with Chase A Cloud's passion and creativity. I don't think we could have found another provider like them; we're very happy to work with a top-class team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think they need to improve anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should hire them because they provide the best quality work!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of 88 International, a music and education nonprofit that drives social impact projects in developing countries like Tunisia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase A Cloud?

We needed someone to provide us with video production services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chase A Cloud essentially documented our music project called Tunisia through film. They were in charge of distilling the concept, storyboarding, scriptwriting, and the production process, which included video interviews of several people involved in the project.

Moreover, we collaborated with them in shaping and developing the story we wanted to tell and dedicated the time to schedule the actual filming days and the post-production phase.

What is the team composition?

We interacted with several people throughout the duration of the project, including the production team and administrative staff.

How did you come to work with Chase A Cloud?

We hired Chase A Cloud through a formal procurement process required by the grant we received to kickstart this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about €26,500 (approximately $26,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from August 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Feedback from the thousands of members we have been extremely positive. The video that Chase A Cloud produced went beyond our expectations, and we were all very happy with the final product.

Thanks to them, we were able to convey our venture's social implications and impact, which helped us acquire new donors for the project.

How did Chase A Cloud perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been managing projects for 15 years, so I consider myself very experienced when it comes to that. Chase A Cloud was well-suited for this project, as they made clear plans that everyone seamlessly understood.

They exhibited great flexibility, communication skills, and fluid execution.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is up to international standards, and we were very impressed with their film experience, cost-effective solutions, and approach to communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to communicate every possible piece of information because they’re very active listeners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Executive Director at The Beecher's Foundation. We provide free nutrition and food education for fourth-grade teachers throughout the US. Through three hours of interactive curriculum, students learn how to see through food marketing messages and use nutrition labels and ingredient lists to help them make smart choices for themselves and their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase A Cloud, and what were your goals?

We hired Chase a Cloud to create a series of animated videos used throughout our program. The animations feature Chip (an adventurous and daring bag of chips) and Dip (a techy level-headed container of guacamole), two undercover Food Detectives who are stealing marketing secrets from Krave, Inc - the biggest food company in the world, whose boss only cares about how much money he can make. The goals were to make our program fun and engaging so that students are in the right mindset to explore and learn, and ultimately retain information about how food companies market to children.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We interviewed over a dozen animation studios worldwide and narrowed it down to our top 3. Chase a Cloud was always our #1 pick throughout the process due to their creativity - they took our idea and made it better, created an entire universe in which the characters could live, and were truly passionate about the project itself. They were also within budget and could finish the project within our timeframe. But ultimately the overall creativity they brought the project was what made them stand out.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We started by creating mood boards and exploring different styles of animations. We fleshed out the basic storyline and spent a lot of time creating our cast of characters, primarily our heroes (chip and Dip) and villain (evil marketing boss man). Chase a Cloud then went straight to producing timed animatics with music rather than static storyboards -this was another selling point, as it moved the project along more quickly and allowed us to give more precise and helpful feedback from the get-go.

We then worked together to revise and finalize the scripts and continued to give feedback on animatics. Next came hiring voice actors - Chase a Cloud worked with us to get an idea of what we were after and then managed the casting process, giving us top contenders for each role. We then sat in on the recordings to give feedback and be involved in the recording process, which was great. After that, Chase a Cloud delivered the animations, we did a final round of feedback and tweaking, and the project was completed. It far exceeded any expectations we had going into the process.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked primarily with Stani, the owner, and Sava, the director and animator. We had weekly calls and daily emails when we were in the midst of the creative phase. I felt we had the perfect balance of being involved enough to make sure we were getting what we wanted and giving the team creative freedom to expand or even push back on our ideas when needed. We are not animation experts, and they are - every time they pushed back on a suggestion we made, it was to push us to be better. They were true partners throughout the experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our program was in-person for 12 years, and during our workshop we cooked chili with the students. Teachers LOVED it. Many were heartbroken when we stopped offering in-person learning and chili cooking (thanks to Covid). We wanted to recapture some of the magic from our in-person workshop, which is why we hired Chase a Cloud to create the Food Detectives universe. Fast forward a year later, and many teachers have written us saying that the new virtual program is the best they've ever experienced and is "as good or better" than the old program.

Truly the best compliment we could ever expect to receive. We also get requests from students asking for more Chip and Dip videos or telling us that it is the most fun they've had in school. With the new virtual program featuring Chase a Cloud's work, we expanded our reach from 2 to 25 states over the course of 6 months and are looking forward to another year of growth.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The tool we used the most for project management was Miro and it was very helpful. We got insight into what they were working on and were able to stay up to date on their progress. It was also nice to have one place to keep track of everything vs. a million emails and attachments. They delivered on time, no issues there. We communicated via email and in a weekly Zoom call, it worked very well.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their creativity and commitment to a project - it really felt like by the end they loved our project as much as we did. Other studios we interviewed delivered mock ups and ideas based on exactly what we asked, whereas Chase a Cloud took our idea and made it better than we could ever have dreamed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We are so glad we got to work with Chase a Cloud and plan to use them for future projects. We have absolutely no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Managing Director for BOOST+, a creative production agency. We deliver creative solutions in the sweet spot between technology, entertainment and advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase a cloud, and what were your goals?

We were looking for a studio to realize an animation film on very short notice.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Chase a Cloud's creativity and enthusiasm were a great fit for this project. They did a great job putting together a treatment on short notice and diving immediately into production.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

Working from a script, we did a treatment, then an animatic, then final animation.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked directly with the owner and lead producer, who was a pleasure to work with. His English was also great. We did feedback with online review tools.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The film was used for an awards competition where the client placed third. They were very pleased with the results.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Timelines were very tight. Everyone worked very well to meet the demanding deadlines while maintaining quality and a creative voice.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was very happy with the enthusiasm in making sure the content was well-polished despite the tight deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I was very happy with the production - no suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a video production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase A Cloud?

We needed a creative partner to collaborate with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I have a partnership with Tongal, and Chase A Cloud has been helping us with animation services for commercials for major brands. They set pre production expectations for our scripts, hire writers for storyboards, and create rough animations before producing the commercials. Their highly respected team handles all the production stages, taking care of edition and voiceover casting in case it’s needed.

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–4 executives from their team, but Stani (Owner) is in charge of the whole team.

How did you come to work with Chase A Cloud?

They’re part of Tongal’s creative team, and we chose them because they provided a detailed vision of the pitch they provided when responding to our RFP.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our KPIs have shown that they’ve successfully created content that has given us good ROI.

How did Chase A Cloud perform from a project management standpoint?

They outperform my expectations meeting deadlines within a budget. We use phone and video calls, along with emails and the Tongal platform in terms of communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to go above and beyond is the most impressive thing for me. They excel at animation, and I’m excited about what they can do for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s something they can improve on — they’re fantastic, and I love working with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that they have a detailed production plan to move forward, including a timeline of development, pre production, video production, and post production.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Creative Director at National Geographic /Walt Disney Company Japan, which runs television networks and media services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase a cloud?

This is the first-ever online event produced by National Geographic Japan. our objectives are 3 components:

1. increase subscription of our official Nat geo YouTube channel
2. develop new targets
3. increase awarness of National Geographic Explorers Explorer in local market. so we needed an imaginary /premium storytelling video to enhance the event.

What were your goals for this project?

As mentioned, the increase of traffic in Nat Geo YouTube channel was main goal.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chase a cloud?

our US Brand team had worked with Chase A Cloud a few years ago. I already saw videos produced by them, which were just amazing works. They knew our brand. There were no questions to work with them.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

They worked with us at the past. so it was quite easy to start how they adopted our brand languages in this project. They spent a huge amount of time to research and interview with our talent, Yukinori. At the same time, they scoped in Japanese culture to make depth in message of the video.

Since Covid-19, there were many difficulties to make this project possible; no travels, super limited accesses to film and time. They were humble to communicate with a talent, locations, and local film unit. It was every day work to solve problems and execute ideas. It was so hard for them, but they made an amazing work more than I imagined.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had no issues to communicate in distance. Despite a time difference between Bulgaria and Japan, they backed up daily call to make things without any problems. The whole process was well managed to plan on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The event made a great success with over 150% traffic of views. We had hundreds of live chat comments. It lured viewer's eyes at the beginning of the event and kept them for rest of the show. I really believe that the impact of the video made its success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The most important thing was that they respected our flow at most. They carefully picked up what we had, then they managed the whole project with no stress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

You can see a variety of visual techniques in the video; animation, CG, and of course great cinematography. They were 4-5 people team, each one had deep knowledges and skils ol each components. they were like "7 samurais"! But the most impressive part of their service is both their idea and storytelling skills. I mentioned early, they had keen eyes in cultural mixology. They mixed a balance between reality and Fantasy.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really do work with them more to show people the best visionary experience.

BACKGROUND

I am the founder of a Bulgaria-based nonprofit that more so feels and acts like a bootstrapped tech startup. We are building a global community of Bulgarians who are trying to stay informed and enaged with Bulgaria, with a focus on education, professional development and community building. All of this is powered by our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We introduced a paid membership model into the organization recently and needed someone to try and distill the various things that we do into a short, yet informative and engaging explainer video. We wanted to use it as one of the key things to promote the membership opportunities -- so a crucial piece of work.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chase a cloud?

I'd known the guys previously, but hadn't worked with them. We sent out an RFP to 3 studios because this was our first animated video project and we weren't sure what to expect.

They came back to with a winning proposal -- timely reponse, clear communication and expectation setting, asked a ton of questions before prescribing a solution, found a cost-effective way to do the video (we are a self-funded nonprofit so more cash goes to the cause that way), great portfolio of work. It was a no brainer to work with them, clear best choice in all catefories

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

We initially had a couple of meetings / calls with the Chase a Cloud team to discuss our goals and that's the best solution to get there. I liked that they didn't straight up say invest X (a fair % of the total), but looked for alternative solutions. We then proceeded to work on the script, each iteration of which was sent to them for commens and they made valuable improvements on the copy.

In parallel, we talked about art direction and animation style -- the guys were sharp enough to notice that we had discrepancies between our brand styleguide and the landing page we wanted to do. This is  outside of their field of work and quite easy to just not bother, but it shows you their focus on quality in all aspects.

The Voice Over we settled on, interestingly, was the one they had recorded for the sake of putting together the first video draft. It was just so natural and flowed so well we opted to stay with it. 

We only had minor comments on the actual drafts. They showed us an initial draft which was quite promising and shortly thereafter, the whole thing was complete. They took our feedback to heart and quickly adapted or explained why a certain thing had to done that specific way -- I liked that, they had a vision and wanted to make it happen.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Quite smooth. They used just the right amout of PM tools to keep us engaged without overcomplicating the relationship. Once we decided we were going to work together, we moved conversations from emails to Discord where we had a channel just for our project.

We interacted directly with the creatives which was great -- short feedback loop with fewer people. Response times were super quick, it was like they were on our team! And we are probably their smallest client so great customer service :)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

It's still the early days, but we're received overwhelmingly positive responses for the video! A few people messaged to say how much they enjoyed it. We've had several people become members in the first day after launching the campaign as well, a good start.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As mentioned above, we synced up quite well and they felt like a part of our team. Could have not been happier with their attitude, approach, committment to quality and timelines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It's hard to point out a single impressive thing, they are just a full package. But I had to pick one, I'd probably say their willingness to go above and beyond in making sure what you get is a polished final product that delivers results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Lynx Animation Studios from Macedonia is specialised in high-end 2D animation, video games and illustration. Our international team consists of highly skilled artists and animators from around the globe. We develop and produce our own IP’s, both for traditional film & TV, as well as for the video game industry. Lynx Animation Studios is today the biggest 2D animation studio in the Balkans. We train our artists and animators in-house. I am creative director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase a cloud?

John Vardar vs the Galaxy - a feature animation we're working on.

What were your goals for this project?

They were doing layouts for some of the scenes .

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met at MIFA Annecy 2019 and we instantly had a click. They showed me their previous work which is very high quality.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

We delivered storyboards and concept art, Chase a Cloud delivered back layouts. In many places, the layouts were better than the actual storyboards.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Very professional and highly organized.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The film is still in production, yet, we decided to continue with Chase a Cloud not only in the preproduction process as previously intended, but in the production as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Surprisingly, there weren't any problems, which is rare in this industry.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The creativity and efficiency. They managed to deliver more than we expected.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive producer at Tongal. Tongal is a studio on demand powered by a global creative community. We connect entertainment companies and brands with up-and-coming talent to develop video content via our proprietary tech platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase a cloud?

We needed video production services for a range of projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've worked with Chase a cloud for three years now. As a full-service production company, they do everything from pre-production to post-production, and delivery. We started out having them produce an animated video for a client, as a smaller project. We later hired them for a few projects with National Geographic and National Geographic Kids. Our latest project with them has been for a 14-episode animated series for Mattel and Fisher-Price. They typically do animated work for us, but they also excel at live-action.

What is the team composition?

It depends on the scope of the project, but we typically work with anywhere between 5–30 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Chase a cloud?

We found them through our platform. As an open forum for anyone in the world to submit pitches to do work, we'll post a brief on our site to complete a project. In this case, Chase a cloud had the strongest pitch, so they were greenlit. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our most recent project with them had a budget of $500,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2016 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their animated series, “Rescue Heroes,” on the Fisher-Price YouTube channel has garnered tens of millions of views. We were definitely aiming for high view counts, high engagement and likes, which we've definitely seen. They're truly creative visionaries. 

How did Chase a cloud perform from a project management standpoint?

The reason we have worked with them over and over again is that they're very dependable, they put everything into the project, always meet deadlines, and are very responsive to feedback. We spend a lot of time with them trying to assess what's the most efficient and appropriate production schedule and workflow to make sure everything runs smoothly. There's an open line of communication, making things transparent and as smooth as possible. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are unique in the animation space in that they can do everything from pre-production to post-production. Not many international animation studios have those capabilities. They handle development, breaking down scripts, storyboarding, animatics, voice recording, and everything else. They're really skilled at putting everything together, and that increases efficiency and saves money.

Another place where they stand out is in that they're really capable both in animation and live-action, which not many production companies can say. It's a really big aspect for us; for example, they did a National Geographic docu-series for us in which not only were they able to travel around and capture live footage, but they were also able to add high-level special effects and little bits of animation to enhance the video to make it stand out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning when we worked with them, they didn't have a dedicated producer on their team to be purely logistical, which is especially important with more complex projects. Since then, they've found ways to do that function by hiring the right people to spearhead the production management piece of the puzzle.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Because it's a team that's extremely capable and very hands-on, and one that likes to be involved in creative discussion, you can get more out of the engagement if you involve them in the earlier stages of the creative process. They have great ideas and they like interacting with the entire process. It would be something to take advantage of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a company in the video gaming analytics space. We provide video ad optimization for free-to-play games. I'm the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase a cloud?

We first contacted them years ago, just as we were launching our first product. We needed a product explanation video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first project with them was a short animated video. The process was highly structured, and we knew that we wanted a fun video that viewers would watch all the way through. They guided us through the whole process, and they helped us establish the goals, messaging, and branding within the resulting media. We worked together on the narrative script, then they produced all the animation. We changed little things, but they got everything right almost immediately.

As the product evolved, we made changes and re-released the video. We've since produced two or three other videos through the same process.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is their CEO. I'm not sure how many animators and music creators work behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Chase a cloud?

We looked for similar products that we liked and discovered one that Chase a cloud produced. We reached out to them and started working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first video launched before a big conference in March 2014, and I believe we started working together that January. We've since worked together on other production projects, and we still have an active relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We're a B2B business, so our website doesn't have the kind of traffic a B2C business might have. The video definitely helped our business, and we got a lot of positive feedback from users. We asked new users how they found us, and at least 40% of those users mentioned the video that Chase a cloud produced. It was one of the strongest reasons that potential customers reached out to us.

How did Chase a cloud perform from a project management standpoint?

Making a video like this is a complex undertaking. They were very meticulous, and we were incredibly happy with their leadership. They managed the project perfectly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

At the time, local agencies would have charged twice as much for the level of quality they provided. On a human level, they're an absolute pleasure to work with. They took leadership in the project, and their approach was unique to our product. They took a deep dive to understand our product and our goals, and they did a tremendous job. Based on the effort they put in, they could have easily charged us more.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything they should improve. From our perspective, they're perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of their creative leadership, and don't direct them too much. Explain your goals to them, and they'll give you great results if you let them follow their own process.