CinemaTech

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Bless Payments

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Enable migrants to send money transfers back home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CinemaTech to accomplish?

• Develop a video showing the heart-felt moment of receiving a money transfer from a relative overseas
• Video to be consistent with other videos in the series in different locations

SOLUTION

How did you find CinemaTech?

Referral

Why did you select CinemaTech over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from CinemaTech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Develop a video of someone receiving money from family/loved ones/relatives/friends from Australia. 

• Location: Common place in the country (at home, outside, in a village, etc) 
• Output: 30 sec video (with 15 sec video version) 
• Video Sizes - 1:1 ratio - 4:5 ratio - 9:16 ratio - 16:9 ratio

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

All deliverables produced on budget within our timeframes to the specifications requested.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes. Ali produced a timeframe that was largely stuck to. He kept me in the loop throughout and found the right balance between email messages and quick whatsapp messages.

What was your primary form of communication with CinemaTech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They clearly have a talented team. I enjoyed the process of working with Ali and his team, from brainstorming ideas, storyboarding, picking locations, talent, creating custom music and editing post production.

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

Can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the lead for international video production at the UK based charity Penny Appeal, who deliver charitable programmes in 30 countries globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CinemaTech, and what were your goals?

We wanted to highlight some of our programmes running in Pakistan, and to produce documentaries showcasing these projects with the intention of raising funds to support their ongoing goals in addition to providing feedback to those who had donated.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for production companies in the area through Google, and received 5 proposals. We selected Cinematech after a video interview to discuss the project, feeling that their vision matched what we were looking to create.

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

Over the course of one year we worked together to develop and deliver three separate projects. For each project we had regular video calls at each stage of production - through from the initial thoughts on the brief, finding the characters and developing the stories, the production stage itself and finally the post-production, which was carried out in the UK by internal Penny Appeal staff with feedback and support from Cinematech.

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

We worked directly with the director of the company, and had strong communication lines with some of those involved in the production, including the DOP. All feedback was taken on board and implemented.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to use the documentaries produced as feedback to the donors, which were widely praised for the clarity with which the information was given, as well as the stunning visuals. Some of the programmes can be quite intricate in the details they need to convey, so I would class this as a success.

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

The director was extremely easy to communicate with, and any problems that arose during pre-production were communicated to us in real time as they were solved.

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

The energy and passion that CinemaTech show towards their work aligns with their ability to deliver - a really high quality production company that we found easy to trust.

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

I only wish that we were able to travel out for the production to work alongside them, but due to the pandemic restrictions in place this wasn't possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a creative director and founder at CityLights Media. We’re a boutique media production house. We specialize in creating short-form narrative content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CinemaTech?

They’re our production partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We tend to develop the content and then we bring them on board as our camera rental house and director of photography (DP). We’ve done a range of projects ranging from a digital video commercial for a makeup brand to short-form narrative content that’s gone on to play at multiple international film festivals to documentary content as well. We have a great collaboration going with them, and they’re a pleasure to work with.

They’ve also provided lighting and line-production services. On smaller jobs, we’ve used their in-house team to provide a range of technical services. They also helped with office space and post-production rental facilities.

What is the team composition?

There are two people I speak with. My primary go-to is Yasir (Director of Photography & Co-Partner) who’s worked on all my projects for the past two-and-a-half years. Ali (CEO) is who I go to when Yasir is out of town or I need something smaller. They’re both extremely considerate and always trying to solve problems.

How did you come to work with CinemaTech?

It was through a reference through another DP that I was working with. I went to CinemaTech’s offices and was impressed. There are very few rental houses in Pakistan that offer full production services from pre- to post-production and also have such an extensive inventory.

How much have you invested with them?

In the past year, we’ve spent just over $10,000 USD, and overall it’s probably around $18,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them exclusively for the past two-and-a-half years, since June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re being played at international festivals that no short film from Pakistan has ever been played at before. That’s a huge success metric for us, as we’re producing a lot of independent short films. The level and quality of content we’re producing is very much at the international standard, which isn’t really done in Pakistan; a lot of times production drops the ball or is outsourced. We’re working exclusively with a Pakistani team and still managing to create content that’s competing with films made from industries much more advanced than ours.

Another indicator of success would be a commercial we did with them in early 2020. It reached over 2 million views. For the budget we were operating at — it was also a brand re-launch — it was definitely a great success. It was also our first time using a new studio in CinemaTech’s building.

How did CinemaTech perform from a project management standpoint?

We develop the idea and do a lot of the casting and pre-production and then come to CinemaTech with our pre-production plan. We’ll discuss how to go about everything: what would be the most efficient shooting schedule, what would be the most effective partnership.

They’re not just a camera rental company. They ensure that the product you’re building together really has legs. If there’s an issue with scheduling or if they vouch for someone, we take in their opinion. They can also offer pre-production as well, but it depends on what we’re working on. They’ve hired me as a freelance director as well, and that’s when they take on the pre-production role.

They’re extremely professional and know how to take care of their equipment and clients. That level is rare in the rental and production worlds here in Pakistan.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always willing to go the extra mile to ensure the client is satisfied. They’re also reliable and trustworthy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Treat them as a trusted partner; you’ll have a better experience and can leverage their experience producing content in Pakistan. They’re almost always shooting and have shot in many different environments across the country.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Super Jermaine Entertainment

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Event planning, Video and Audio Editing, Principal photography and commercial videography.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CinemaTech to accomplish?

• To edit and post production services

SOLUTION

How did you find CinemaTech?

Referral

Why did you select CinemaTech over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CinemaTech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They were very reliable, easy to work with and had great energy. I recommend all to use their services. The work is done well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Both projects were done on time and on budget.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were always responsive and prompt.

What was your primary form of communication with CinemaTech?

Virtual Meeting

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

I was impressed with their customer service and quality of work.

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

Not that I can think of right now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Photography of SENTRY

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SENTRY is a soup to nuts FILM & MEDIA HOUSE based in SALT LAKE CITY, UT.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CinemaTech to accomplish?

• Equipment Provider

SOLUTION

How did you find CinemaTech?

Referral

Why did you select CinemaTech over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CinemaTech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

CinemaTech helped us seamlessly source, rent, prepare, and check the film & production gear locally that was necessary for our film project to be completed in an efficient manner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Simple measure for success: the gear was everything we needed and more, all in great condition and just right for the project.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were timely in all aspects and everything that we needed they handled flawlessly.

What was your primary form of communication with CinemaTech?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

My absolute favorite thing of CinemaTech: beside the scope of work being handled perfectly, CinemaTech was BY FAR one of my favorite companies we have ever collaborated with. Ali is one of the kindest, most dedicated & personable people, who, besides providing wonderful services, really made us feel like family during our time working together. The care of the company is unmatched, in my opinion.

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

None are coming to mind with my experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Producer of WZRD Media

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We produce sports documentaries, commercials, and branded content around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CinemaTech to accomplish?

• Help us produce a short film in Karachi, Pakistan
• Scout and gain access to all needed locations
• Hire all crew
• Provide transport, housing, food, etc for the international crew

SOLUTION

How did you find CinemaTech?

Referral

Why did you select CinemaTech over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from CinemaTech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The vendor was hired to help us with all production and prep on the ground in Karachi. This included hiring all crew, securing and scouting locations, liasing with talent, providing transport, food, and lodging for traveling crew.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

CinemaTech pulled off the project with extraordinary precision and attention to detail. They were able to take our creative and put together a team that executed with excellence. The project went extremely smooth and I would absolutely work with them again.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Ali was always extremely responsive and pro-active for all the needs of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with CinemaTech?

Virtual Meeting

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

The ability to produce to the creative and help elevate it with great locations and crew was impressive.

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

Nothing that comes to mind.