Deep Sky

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an Associate Product Manager for the Home Environment category at a leading small kitchen & home appliance company. My role includes management and development of air purifiers, humidifiers and odor elimination appliances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were in need of animated videos to tell the story of our air purifiers. We wanted to show dirty air being pulled into the air purifier filter, show the layers of the filters, highlight the features of the air purifier. Deep Sky reviewed the marketing materials provided to them to learn about the air purifiers. And after a meeting to discuss our vision, they came back with a storyboard that met our vision nearly perfectly.

SOLUTION

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

We selected Depp Sky as a recommendation from our internal ID team.

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

We started with discovery meeting, which I reviewed the needs of the video(s) and provided an overview of how the product functions. I followed up with a PPT that included images of the product and competitor examples. Team Deep Sky replied several days later with their first draft of a storyboard. We had a few rounds of changes before deciding on final SUPERS.

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

I primarily worked with Blake and they were fantastic. From first meeting, Blake was easy to communicate with and they were on top of the projects. Blake was gracious and understanding of the many questions I had, as this was one of only a few projects of this matter I have managed. I appreciated their flexibility, support, and communication style.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Too early to report progress or success.

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

The project manager, Blake, was very easy to work with. They communicated weekly or daily if needed, to keep me up to date of the project progress. Our interactions were professional, yet informal. I provided a date in which we aimed to have the videos complete and Blake did an excellent job at keeping us and the animators on track. If there were delays, Blake communicated in a timely manor, setting expectations about when the final video would be available.

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

They took the time to learn and understand how our air purifiers worked and the benefits of using them, This understanding of the product helped them see our vision and goals of the videos.

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

Keep on doing what ya' doing!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a tech company in the global sales operations organization. Part of my position plans the annual training events for our global sales and application engineer teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Deep Sky to create animated hosts for our virtual event to drive engagement and enhance the virtual experience.

SOLUTION

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

We found Deep Sky online and they worked with us on our short timeline and limited budget. Great team to work with!

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

We created (3) different videos with (4) different character animations that tied to different activities within our virtual event. We had them create virtual backgrounds and customize character animations that fit in with our company and products.

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

We worked with Jack E., Blake B. and Jared H. within Deep Sky. All great to work with!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Outcomes included a completely new and different approach to how we tackle and stream virtual events. We received positive feedback from our attendees and increased engagement within our live sessions that incorporated animated hosts from Deep Sky.

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

Great project management. Helped keep us on track with our timeline to make sure we would hit our overall deadline.

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

The team was really great at taking ideas from our team and doing what they could to incorporate them into the animation or background! Whatever requests we had for our animations, they were able to make them happen!

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

Nope!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Video Department Director at a mid-sized advertising agency. We have offices in Portland, OR and New York City and shoot all over the country as well as internationally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hire Deep Sky on a regular basis for more advanced motion graphics and most of our VFX needs. This particular project was bringing a figure skater (that we shot on green screen ) to life in an Olympic stadium.

SOLUTION

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

We have a long history of working with Deep Sky on all sorts of different projects. We knew we could trust them to do the job, make it look great and keep it on budget.

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

Step 1 was a Zoom call to go over the creative and storyboards. From there, we delivered the edit and Deep Sky did their magic. They sent over preview renders for feedback before rending out the final outputs for our editor.

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

I worked with a project manager and a visual effects artist. Feedback was simple since this was a very specific project scope. Deep Sky provided mp4s for review and we emailed feedback back to the project manager and artist. The process didn't need to be anything more than that for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bottom line - we loved the final deliverables and the client really loves it! Everyone is beyond happy.

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

Again, this was a smaller project with a basic scope, so management and communication was all done easily via email. Timeliness was great! Deep Sky made sure to deliver what we needed to meet our client's deadlines.

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

Versatility. I can basically go to Deep Sky for any motion or VFX needs.

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

Nope. All thumbs up from me for the Deep Sky team!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the former marketing strategy director at a cloud-native security company, which secures software that has been built in the cloud.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Deep Sky?

In order to talk about our infrastructure, we needed to describe how it works, and since we work with the cloud, we didn't have any visual depiction to share. We went to them hoping they could sit with me and brainstorm imagery that would be able to represent us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created animation explainer videos to capture our brand and what it had to offer. One of the main solutions that they helped me figure out was a continuum of cloud-native technologies. We white boarded some of the main concepts into a graphic system, that could be pulled into a storyboard, and ultimately the video. In order for us to get a complete voice-over, we did a full greenscreen shoot. They got us on the soundstage and it took three hours to complete three shoots, total. They captured our CTO speaking through how our company works, and the main concepts behind it. We intercut between that speech and the animation. Overall they did a really great job. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with eight people throughout the duration of the video creation process.

How did you come to work with Deep Sky?

I went online and thought their work was great, and it really spoke to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2017, and our engagement ended in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had huge views on YouTube, and more importantly, what differentiated us in our space was making sure we could put a visual explanation to what we do. A lot of people have told us why they went with us because the videos demystified the process, and educated them on what we do. 

How did Deep Sky perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great and were able to realize when they needed help expressing a particular concept and reached out for clarification. Our overall timelines were kept, and they turned around most segments in under a month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their versatility was incredible. They dove into a real hardcore technology challenge, and they have more versatility than any other company I've ever seen who specializes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don't think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to come in with strong ideas and an abstract of what you want to convey, rather than just letting them work from scratch. It'll let them know you're ready to be a collaborative presence.