Early Light Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director and co-founder of Believe Big. We help patients face, fight, and overcome cancer. We help to bridge the gap between conventional medicine and complementary medicine for fighting cancer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We usually have two patients who share their testimonials at an in-person event, which corresponded with the heightened restrictions due to COVID-19. We wanted to protect our patients and decided to hire Early Light Media to videotape their testimonials to play at our event. Unfortunately, the event didn’t occur due to the gathering restrictions to under ten people. We moved the event to a live stream event and needed to coordinate video recordings.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media recorded a patient testimonial in their studio. They then coordinated all of the video recordings from different individuals. We had a patient thank you video. We had my video that included my husband, which their team contracted out to a vendor here in Denver. That actually had to be canceled due to a stay at home order.

Then, we submitted the videos that we made using our equipment to Early Light Media. They made all of the videos into a seamless product that we can show at a live-streamed fundraising event. Their team added subtitles to the content. They also created a video that showed someone typing our numbers and our text to donate keyword. As well, their team helped us research platforms to upload and set up all of the backend pieces to make our video capable of live streaming.

What is the team composition?

We worked with probably 3–4 people including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

I went online and googled the best production crew in Baltimore. Their name was at the top of the list and that drew me to their website where I saw samples of their work. I connected with them. We had worked with one of their videographers in the past, so it was nice to know that we were in good hands.

How much have you invested with them?

We ended up spending about $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020 and the video went live in April.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People said that the video was incredibly produced. Our supporters and people who watched the video were impressed with Early Light Media’s work.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Early Light Media was excellent as far as organizing and communicating. Their team overcommunicated to make sure that everything was in place despite all of the changes that happened around us.

They worked around the clock to make the video happen so that we would have the video tested and on hand before the event. Their team was responsive. Any text or email, we got a response back. Even the owner spent a Sunday evening helping me to make sure that the platforms worked properly. Their team went above and beyond to help.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The final product speaks volumes. What stood out to me was that their hearts were behind their efforts. Their team really cared about the project and that spoke volumes to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Share your vision for what you want to accomplish. Their team can help to coordinate the pieces and make sure that the finished product is what you hoped for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications Manager at Health Care for the Homeless, a federally qualified health center in Baltimore that delivers medical, behavioral health, dental and supportive housing care to people experiencing homelessness. We have three clinic locations in downtown, West Baltimore and Baltimore County and a staff of around 230 people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Early Light Media?

We hired Early Light Media to produce a video for our largest fundraising event of the year - the Chocolate Affair. This video is a crucial element of the evening's program, helping to give a window into the work of Health Care for the Homeless through the story of one of our clients. With 800 attendees and a Fund-a-Need Auction that follows the video, there is a lot of pressure to create an emotionally compelling experience.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to show our supporters the impact that care with dignity can have on one person's life - walking the audience through the emotional and internal journey from isolation and homelessness to health, family and the safety of home. Our goal was to share this story in a way that put the client at the forefront of change and highlighted the trusting relationships he had with nurse practitioners, therapists and case managers. After watching the video, guests were prompted to support the work of Health Care for the Homeless - with a goal of raising $200,000.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

For the last number of years, we had worked with a freelance videographer and wanted to build out other options for video work. I reached out to colleagues at foundations and non-profits to see who they recommended and got glowing reviews for Early Light Media. I followed up by reading online reviews (all positive) and reached out to ELM to get a better picture of their process and an estimate for the project. After an in-person meeting with one of their Directors, we were impressed with the approach to the work, their experience and focus on telling human stories and felt like he understood our goals and style of storytelling. They were willing to meet our budget, and we felt good about giving this new company a try.

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

Once we selected ELM, my team identified clients and providers willing to participate and their contact information. The Director followed up with pre-interview calls to build rapport and start to get a sense of story. From there, I worked to schedule our first filming day, which included one-on-one interviews with providers, client-provider interactions, b-roll around the facility and then a one-on-one interview in the client's home.

They provided day-of shoot schedules and drafted interview questions for my review in advance. Once filming was complete (including additional shoots with a third provider as well as the client's family members which they arranged), they provided transcripts of the interviews and an initial script for our review. From there, they moved into the first cut of the video and subsequent versions based on my team's edits. We finalized ahead of the event with a 6 1/2 minute professional video to show at our gala.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They provided a 2-person filming crew and one primary editor for the post-production work. They had a project manager who facilitated communication between groups throughout. We worked closely together for the planning stages of the video – as a health care center, our providers’ availability for filming was limited and they were flexible when we needed to reschedule even while encouraging us to plan as efficiently as possible. Throughout the process, they were always open to feedback and ideas for scenes to shoot or characters to include and at the same time were able to operate independently to get additional footage when my team wasn’t available. They treated our clients with respect and had a very comfortable interview style. After filming, we received multiple round of rough drafts which we were able to offer feedback on. In other experiences, I’ve had to reiterate the same edits over multiple rounds. With ELM, they immediately incorporated edits or explained why it wouldn’t work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After showing the video at the Chocolate Affair, the client featured in the film got a standing ovation from the 800 people in the room. Over the next 20 minutes, we raised over $200,000 dollars - meeting our fundraising goal. Since then, our Director of Development has used the video to reach out to supporters who were not able to attend and has gotten very positive feedback across the board. We look forward to using this video in our New Hire Orientation to give new staff members a window in the work they will be part of as well as to show future supporters the impact of life-saving care.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The ELM crew was a joy to work with. They were extremely responsive and communicative from start to finish. They were professional, personable and reliable - and they helped to keep me on track with deadlines and scheduling as well. During the post-production process, they used Frame.io, which allows you to insert comments directly into the video at the proper timestamp. This saved me so much time in providing feedback and made the entire editing process extremely efficient and straightforward.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Only ever having worked with freelance videographers, I was extremely impressed with the process, the thoughtfulness and the flexibility that ELM brought to our project. I was nervous initially about the idea of only two days to shoot, but we were able to get our filming days scheduled in a smart, efficient way that set the rest of the project up for success. The quality of the footage was leagues above what we've gotten in the past - resulting in a truly beautiful film.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While it's always difficult to gauge how long a round of edits will take, it would have been helpful to get a sense of the turnaround time after each round was submitted. I often needed to block time on about three teammates' calendars for reviewing later versions of the video, and wasn't always sure whether we would get an updated version in time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: I’m the production and creative manager of a healthcare marketing communications firm.

Respondent 2: I’m a creative director at the firm

Respondent 3: I’m an art director at the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

R2: We wanted to create awareness for one of our client’s and their program.

R3: We came up with a concept to film a couple of patients in the Maryland area. We hired Early Light Media to help us shoot and edit those videos.

R1: We needed help telling these stories as proof of the care that these patients receive is better than the perceived notion of a hospital.  We wanted to tell these stories in a big and creative way.

R2: We also wanted to be real and honest. We wanted someone to bring these stories to life and make them genuine but also looking beautiful and heartfelt to resonate with consumers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R3: We shared the storyboard, minimal keyframes, and a script. Early Light Media not only saw our vision immediately but also expanded on it. Their team added their thoughts and suggestions that we hadn’t even considered to areas of that project.

R2: From our storyboards, they created shooting boards and mapped each shot for the videos. Their team determined the final product’s look so that there were no surprises during the shoot.

R1: Their team scouted and found a location for us in advance.

R2: Our client was sensitive about the location because it’s a secure place, but Early Light Media worked with them on their terms.

R1: We worked with two patients. For each, their team created a long-form video, a 30-second version, and two different 15-second versions.

What is the team composition?

R1: We worked with Dave (Director and Founder, Early Light Media) on the shoot directly. I also worked with Nikki (Account Manager, Early Light Media) in terms of the production’s details.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

R1: I searched for production companies in our client’s area. We liked their portfolio as it aligned with our creative needs.

R3: They produced the documentary-style videos that we wanted.

R1: When I reached out to them for a proposal, they understood our idea right away. Their team also had a location in mind.

R2: The decision also came down to the budget, which their team accommodated.

What is the status of this engagement?

R2: We signed the initial agreement in October 2019 and the project finished in February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R3: We’re all proud of the final product.

R2: We get great feedback. We put this shoot— from mapping the shots to scouting locations—in their hands, which wasn’t easy. Early Light Media managed the art of interviewing and relating to people. The first cuts of the videos were amazing. I was blown away by their team’s colorist and music creation. Working with them was a fantastic experience. I would work with them again.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

R1: We communicated by email but also had a few initial calls. Once we awarded the project to Early Light Media, we had a couple of calls with them to talk about our ideas and goals.

R2: During editing, we communicated by email mostly. We also worked with them for postproduction. It’s not easy to edit offline but our back and forth went smoothly. We got on the phone to them to make our ideas clear. We never felt like we needed to talk to them more or less.

R1: Whenever we wanted to get on the phone with them, they were available for that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R2: They’re nice people. Most importantly, we were able to work with them and have a relationship with them. Even if they handled production well but had attitudes, the process would’ve been terrible. Their team was welcoming from the minute when we touched down to the moment when we finished.

R3: It felt like a partnership.

R2: Their team was the whole package. The directing, camera work, and drone shots were beautiful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R2: No, I don’t have anything to add.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

R2: If you want a vendor to collaborate and add to the project, you’ll get that with Early Light Media. It’s a collaborative process—a partnership. Their team works with you to bring your ideas to life. Go into the project with an open mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for meetings and conventions at Visit Baltimore, a non-governmental tourism marketing agency for Baltimore City and the greater region. I support and market conventions and meetings, bringing business to the convention center and area hotels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

I’ve worked with Early Light for several years, and they’ve helped me address quite a few challenges. When I first started working with them, we had no video content programs. They help me set up a series that told the story of being in Baltimore from the point of view of a meeting attendee or a meeting planner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Every project starts with a detailed conversation where they ask us about our needs and then follow up with an estimate. We’ve done all different types of videos; it depends on whatever we need at the time.

What is the team composition?

I usually work with 2–3 people, sometimes four.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

Early Light approached Visit Baltimore about a partnership. They came in and did a presentation—a capabilities pitch—to our marketing team. I liked their reel and what they had to say.

When a big project came up—it was a year-long project, a series of 4–5 videos—I included them on the RFP. We awarded them the job, and I’ve been working with them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $800,000–$100,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them at least five years ago. Now, anytime I have a video project come my way, I always go to Early Light. I’m planning to kick off another project with them in the next month or so.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten only positive feedback about our videos; that’s why I continue to work with them. Not only am I happy with the videos, but my CEO and leadership team also think very highly of them. Our sales team loved the first series that we did. Anytime I have someone reach out for a video production company in Baltimore; I send them to Early Light.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

For some projects, I will act as a producer, but other projects are more turnkey in the sense that Early Light handles everything. It depends on the budget and time constraints, as well as the specific requirements of the video. I’ve called on them before to come in during an emergency, and they’ve always made it work for me. Other times, I’ve had to jump in and help.

They’re great, and they keep me on task. We’re a small nonprofit, so I wear a lot of hats and tend to fall behind on email sometimes. They always follow up to make sure that we stay on schedule. 

If it’s a big project, we’ll kick it off over the phone, but the majority of our communication happens over email. They’re open to phone calls, though. Every now and again, I’ll call them, like if we’re getting close to a shoot day and something urgent comes up, and they are easy to reach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve always been able to complete our projects on time and within the estimate. They ask a ton of questions at the beginning so that we don’t have to implement multiple rounds of edits midway through the project. They’re also collaborative—they offer excellent ideas while taking our feedback and edits and leaving their personal touch on the product.

The quality of their work also sets them apart. The final deliverable is always exceptionally high, no matter the scope of the project. I pitch them all types of videos, and even the little ones that aren’t as glamorous get the same attention to detail. You don’t find that at every boutique agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything that I see as a point of improvement at this time. They’re doing a great job. Communication is excellent, and the quality of work is high. I’ve been working with them for five years at this point, and I’m very happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an open conversation. They’re full of great ideas, and they have tons of experience, so they make for great collaborators. Most people tend to do everything over email, but sometimes, having a conversation to toss ideas back and forth can make a huge difference. That’s the way to get to know new creatives that you haven’t yet worked with.

I love hearing their ideas, even if we can’t use them. Just hearing about the potential is helpful. They’ll look at your challenges with a fresh perspective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a digital marketer targeting electronic engineers with test & measurement solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Early Light Media?

Early Light Media recorded a customer testimonial video for us that focused on a new solution for 5G NR testing.

What were your goals for this project?

To tell a story about how our customer is at the forefront of 5G technology, and how they use our instruments for testing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My cousin, who works for a marketing agency in Baltimore, recommended Early Light. After contacting them and receiving a quick response, reasonable rates, and the ability to meet our deadline, I knew they were the right choice for the project.

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

We first had a brief meeting about our objectives, then went over the logistics. A team of two showed up to the video site and we spent a few hours recording. Then about 1-2 weeks later I received the first cut of the video. I submitted a few minor changes, then received the final version.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

I worked closely with one person on scheduling and billing. There were two people who attended the filming. Everyone was very professional and great to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally our video was well received inside of the company and has received several views on our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There was a very effective workflow between our teams. I am overly impressed with Early Light Media.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed by the coaching of the presenter in the video to deliver the lines we needed for the video. I was even more impressed with the final cut and how they were able to take 1/2 day of filming and crunch it to less than a minute of perfection.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No areas for improvement! We are 100% satisfied with Early Light Media's work. Seriously!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior content creator for an online retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We’ve worked with Early Light Media on several occasions. We typically hire them for short-form video production.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Over the course of our several engagements, Early Light Media has produced many videos. They typically create reputational video content with narratives and documentary-style videos. Their team produced one longer product that documented a very large, important conference for our company. From there, they created shorter, edited clips of the full version. 

What is the team composition?

The team size varies depending on the video project. They’ve provided a team of five before, but it’s usually two people working with. However, they’ll adjust depending on our needs. 

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

Like so many good relationships, we found Early Light Media through a connection in the industry. A trusted production partner of mine connected me with them for a job on the East Coast. After they did a great job, I decided to continue using them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent in the range of $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve had an ongoing relationship since 2017. Although we don’t have a current project, we just wrapped on one up last week, and I plan to use them again. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work continues to be great. For example, the video they captured of our company’s major conference was immensely helpful and high quality. The video definitely got noticed and received comments. They were hired to do something and added more value than we expected for that project. 

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through phone calls and emails. As we get closer to the project, I prefer to speak things through with them, and they’re always available. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, I come from a network news background, so I like their lean style as opposed to a big agency approach. Their flexibility is great—we appreciate that they can adjust on a moment’s notice. If we need an additional lighting person or B-camera, they can capably make those changes. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve; we’ve had only good experiences with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be communicative. They bring a lot of great ideas, so even if you don’t come prepared with a specific direction and hands-on approach, they’ll be able to work well with just a discovery brief. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am president of OmniVista Health, LLC. We are direct to consumer publishing and marketing company. We publish e-letters and newsletters on alternative health and nutritional supplements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media ?

We hired Early Light Media to help us create a seven-part docu-series.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We kicked things off with a description we were looking for. It was definitely a project that was a lot bigger than Early Light had done before, so we had an initial one-on-one, for them to ask questions and get a better sense of our vision and end goals. They really did a great job of trying to fully understand what it is we were trying to do.

We were looking to create an informational docu-series, on the topic of medical marijuana and CBD. It was going to be a series of interviews put together into a seven-part documentary, with seven hours of content that we needed to create and produce. Their team helped us with storyboarding, ideation, fleshed out the plan of action, line up interviews, coordinate filming, and post- production. They were very good about working openly, and this scope of project was new for them, but also very new for us too. It involved multiple shoots in multiple locations, multiple cities.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one of their key associates and 5 other people during the actual shoots.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media ?

We introduced to them by one of their previous marketing partners, who was working with our company as well. They made the introduction and after sitting down and meeting with their team, we really got a great sense of how proactive they were. We knew they were going to come in and take the lead and help flesh out the ideas and really pull the story together. I really liked that proactive approach that they had. They really brought some independent thinking to the table, and it really helped with the end results. We really needed someone who I could trust, and we needed someone who could lead the sessions in a credible, authoritative way.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2019, and we wrapped up in May 2019. We've continued to keep in contact for tweaks, getting additional materials, and other post-production was done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've gotten great feedback, as far as it being well produced and professional looking. It was very good movie-grade material and very compelling with how it all came together and how we bring so much content that we needed to boil down. We've gotten a lot of great feedback from the viewers, as well as the people who were interviewed for the content. They were really blown away by how well it's all just come together. It's been really great feedback to get.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We had initial meetings in person, email back and forth, but also just quick phone calls, to help nail down final details. In terms of project management, they were among the best of any project managers I've had for bigger projects in the past.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really did a great job of making the project feel like their own. Therefore, they made it the best that it could be, while still keeping their client in mind, which I believe is a very difficult thing to do. They bring that level of professionalism to it and wanting to do the best job, but always coming back to what the client wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don't think so, especially as this was such a large and unique project that required both of us to figure out as we went on. They were great about doing that as a team, which I appreciated. They were always looking for additional feedback and input along the way, which was great and helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be open to input and feedback, but also don't be afraid to give feedback. We had a very good dial log, in which we would kick off with some ideas, but they were very open to getting that feedback from us. Making the process as collaborative as possible makes it a stronger end product overall.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of marketing and communications for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. We’re a nonprofit that works hard to help people find jobs and careers headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

A lot of people know Goodwill from our retail stores and donations. But a lot of people don’t know why we do what we do. We had a gala to celebrate our 100th anniversary in Baltimore where we wanted to tell our story well. We decided to show a video at the event but needed a partner to produce it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media produced a four-and-a-half-minute music video to show at our gala. We had an initial call, which involved a few members of their team and provided them with a foundation to build on. The idea behind the video was to tell our story in a creative and fun way. We had an hour-and-a-half brainstorming session when we kicked around ideas, talked about who we are as an organization, and discussed vital scenes. We formulated different ideas about fun ways to talk about who we are, such as a music video.

After, their team wrote the script, integrating our organization’s stats. Then, they filmed the music video. Their team filmed someone shopping in our store but also involved a breakout music piece. They recorded the song, which included a choir and a local rapper, in a studio. Then, their team went on location to film a person shopping in our store. They were clear about what they were going to accomplish, finishing an hour earlier than expected. We had a tight deadline, and Early Light Media ran with the project. Following filming, their team had a cut ready to roll within three days.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact has been Darren. I’ve worked with two other people probably.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

An event consultant had heard about them. We interviewed three different vendors, but I had a good feeling about Early Light Media. Their team had good word of mouth, and I liked their previous work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000 on the project

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in early September 2019, and our partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the event, we got a million compliments about the video. It was tremendous. I’m working with Early Light Media to develop the video for digital targets. To be honest, I didn’t hear one bad comment about it.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated by phone calls, text, and e-mails. We had a quick deadline and their team met it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t want to use creativity because that’s boring. With a lot of different vendors, I’ve been the one driving concept creation. We fed Early Light Media a bunch of information in terms of what we wanted to accomplish. Their team developed the whole concept and made it special.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have nothing to add.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want to accomplish right away.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization is DC United, a major league soccer team that has been around since 1996 when the league was formed. I am a senior video producer and videographer, and I’ve been with the organization since 2007.

I’m usually heavily involved with all the video production that we do for the team, whether that’s videos for fans in the stadium, social media posts, or big announcements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

The first time we hired Early Light Media, it was in 2015 to shoot and produce a fun start of the season video for in the stadium, and we’ve worked with them on a couple of high-quality videos since then, the biggest of which was our announcement video for Wayne Rooney joining the team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the Wayne Rooney announcement video, they met us at FedEx Field for the shoot, and we had him come in for about two hours. They were nice enough to bring drinks and food in the morning, which made everyone’s experience a little bit better.

The whole thing was very quick — they had separate photographers filming the promo and a behind-the-scenes video — and felt like a mini-movie shoot. We got some great shots of him and of our branding on him that we are still able to use to this day for generic videos.

Then they handled all of the editing themselves. They’re a one-stop-shop in that regard, because you do the filming and then usually get you a draft of the video in a couple of weeks. They take feedback on the work and then produce the final result in very little time.

What is the team composition?

I’d say they had between 6–10 people working on the project, including a VP producer, and someone who manages the shoot.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

I came to know him from someone who used to work with us that referred us based on the quality of their work. We liked what we saw in their portfolio and the fact that they’re based locally, so we decided to give them a try.

How much have you invested with them?

I would say we spent around $15,000 on the Wayne Rooney video specifically. Other projects have been as low as $4,200, and in general, their prices are really fair.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with them in 2015 and are continuing to do so, but the Wayne Rooney video lasted from May–June 2018, so about four weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten incredibly positive feedback on all of our work with Early Light Media. I think part of that’s Wayne, but people on the internet — fans or not — really loved those videos. I definitely credit that to the quality of the product we put out there. I think it at least doubled our engagement and really helped build our momentum as we were heading into a new stadium.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate primarily through email or over the phone. They do a good job of being responsive and always turn video edits around extremely quickly for our feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to communicate, despite being a small company, is really impressive. We always feel important to them because of how much attention they pay to us and our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t really have any suggestions for improvements. Their prices are fair, the product is good, and they met their deadlines, so I don’t have anything to complain about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be honest with them and give them your plan and what you hope to accomplish creatively. Then, be open to what they suggest, because the way to get the best product is to be open-minded about their suggestions. They really know what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and Founder of PayActiv, a B2B financial services company based out of Silicone Valley. Through financial wellness tools, we work towards assisting lower-income or hourly-wage workers who make up two-thirds of the American workforce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We needed to educate employers about our services. In order to maximize our efficacy, we were quite adamant that we go through businesses—instead of a direct-to-consumer model.

There were case studies and data that we wanted to convey to employers who could offer our tools. We needed to shed light on this blind spot in the industry that we’ve worked so hard to address. We figured that a video would be the best way to communicate our mission and goals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media came prepared; they'd done their homework to understand our industry. They had also done research on the kinds of people they captured in the film. Their team was very hands-on, filming over many hours and in various different cities. It was stellar to see them so immersed in the heart of the project. They worked on the film through to its launch and screenings in various cities.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 4–5 people, but Darren (Director & Co-Founder, Early Light Media) and Jody (Director of Post Production, Early Light Media) were my primary points of contact.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

The producer of this project had partaken in a previous project with Darren. They recommended Early Light to me, and so I got on a call with Darren. By the end of that hour-long phone call, I knew they were the guys for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2018, and the video was released in June of 2019.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The finished product was impactful and moving; it’s induced tears at every screening I’ve witnessed. Early Light was able to lay out the important facts with simplicity and dignity. They were able to capture the soul of what we do without over-dramatizing the content.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They were near-perfect on that front. We communicated them through email, phone, and text.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Darren, one of the founders, has a journalism background and a heart of gold. His compassion for the world comes through in his film. Our project required a certain amount of sensitivity around specific issues, and he delivered an exceptional product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While I’m inclined to say that there’s always room for improvement, the results were spectacular. I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and take their advice. They have experience and knowhow; they’re not just order-takers. Their ideas can really add value to your project.