Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of Foley Family Wines

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fine Wines & Spirits Brands

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio) to accomplish?

• Create captivating video content to introduce a new premium whiskey brand

SOLUTION

How did you find Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio)?

Referral

Why did you select Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio) over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio) were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Direct, cast and produce long and short form video content, anchored by a location shoot in remote area on a working cattle ranch in West Texas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project quality was exceptional for the tight budget and timeline. The team brought great creative input and solutions to various challenges that emerged.

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

Project delivered on time and on budget with a positive and professional, solutions-minded team that navigated seamlessly our requirements that at times were fluid and unpredictable given the short deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio)?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Sally (Co-Founder, Producer & Director) and her team were a dream to work with — they were proactive, organized, and creative. We especially appreciate the team's willingness to collaborate closely with a client towards a great outcome. I would absolutely work with Sally and her team again.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Electric Pearl Productions (Formerly Headlands Studio) could have done differently?

none.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the executive director of a nonprofit called Truth Be Told.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Headlands Studio?

Our nonprofit needed more visibility in the community to help us tell our story. Our idea was to have a short video on our homepage to tell the story of our organization and our mission in working within the community. I was introduced to Jenelle (Co-Founder, Producer, Director & Editor), who introduced me to Sally (Filmmaker & Co-Founder), and we started working together.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To provide initial context, the nonprofit provides programs for incarcerated women and supports them upon their release. In order for Headlands Studio to tell the nonprofit's story, we had to deal with many moving pieces and administrative red tape to get the film crew inside the prison. Jennell and Sally were great in complying with every step and doing everything on their part to keep the project moving along.

We started the project in June 2019 by laying out the objectives and talking points we wanted to cover within the video’s five-minute runtime.  We laid out ideas of how we could convey the story. Sally and Jenelle asked great questions and listened deeply to ultimately come up with their approach.

Around August 2019, we received clearance from the prison for Sally and Jennell to film our classes and interview some of the incarcerated women in our program. They also shot B-roll clips of a particular graduate who had been released from prison and was back in the community. The team followed that graduate throughout a day in her life, highlighting the challenges and successes that she’d experienced.

From there, Headlands started editing the materials as we moved into the following year. Meanwhile, I had a fundraising event coming up. I told Headlands that our campaign would be more powerful if we had a video to accompany it. I asked them if they'd be willing to do more interviews with some of our formerly incarcerated graduates if they could use some of that footage as raw material in the longer video they were developing. 

Sally and Jennell had a can-do attitude and made it happen. In the end, we had shorter promo videos for the January fundraiser, as well as a longer promo video for the nonprofit's website later that spring.

What is the team composition?

We worked exclusively with Sally and Jennell. Headlands had a video editor and an animator on the project as well.

How did you come to work with Headlands Studio?

Jenelle was personally referred to me by a friend. 

How much have you invested with them?

The nonprofit didn't invest a dollar because the videos that Headlands Studio produced were an in-kind contribution to the nonprofit worth $1,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted roughly from June 2019–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was absolutely floored when I watched the final video. Not only did Headlands hit every single talking point we hoped to make visible, their creative editing and visual storytelling were above and beyond what we expected. We achieved so much visibility because of that promo video, which truly improved the professionalism of the organization. It gave us a visual presence in the community.

Moreover, it was a pleasure working with Sally and Jennell. Throughout the entire process, they were respectful of the prison environment and considered at every turn how their work might be impacting the environment. More importantly, they were respectful with the women in our program, conducting interviews with sensitivity. It was important to both Sally and Jennell to seek first to understand so they could tell an accurate story while being respectful of everyone involved. Overall, it was easy working with them because they were consummate professionals with big hearts.

How did Headlands Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. To communicate, we used a combination of emails, phone calls, and texting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Headlands was passionate about their craft. Their professionalism, responsiveness, and communication skills were all impressive. They were also extremely skillful in filmmaking. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend Headlands. If you have an opportunity to work with them, you’re in for a treat because they’re so good at what they do. It will be a real pleasure to work with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior producer at a creative agency based in Rochester, New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Headlands Studio?

A client tasked us to capture some interviews and B-roll for a short documentary series we were producing for them. 

The interview subjects were in Seguin, Texas, so we needed a local production partner due to COVID-19 restrictions preventing us from traveling and filming in person.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Headlands shot some interviews and B-roll for us. We first provided them with film treatment, storyboards, and interview questions. Then, the team started scheduling the shoot with the interview subjects.

For some of the interviews, our in-house director led them via video call. However, the Headlands team led the rest of the interviews while we listened in.

In terms of the B-roll, the Headlands team used a drone to capture the footage. They repeated the process 2–3 times so we could choose from the clips. In addition, the team also spoke to passersby and locals.

The Headlands team then delivered all the footage to us. We’re now editing it in-house.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Sally (Co-Founder & Filmmaker) and Jennell (Co-Founder, Producer, Director & Editor). They also have a crew that they work it.

How did you come to work with Headlands Studio?

I searched on Google for production companies in the Austin or San Antonio area. I singled out three agencies in total, but Headlands was our first choice.

Headlands stood out to me because of their portfolio and experience with documentaries. Additionally, they’re a minority- and women-owned business.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from October–November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were all incredibly pleased with how the Headlands crew framed the footage. The team was highly professional, so we never had any concerns about having them interview the subjects — we knew they would represent our client and our company well.

How did Headlands Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Headlands was so easy to work with and communicative. They always got back to me within half a day or even sooner. 

Furthermore, the crew was accommodating when it came to our subjects’ schedules as well as our business hours. There was a bit of a time zone difference, but they were always willing to have meetings when it was convenient for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were able to lean on them as our eyes on the ground, and we trusted them to use their expertise to find great organic footage and conduct well-conducted interviews. It was a true partnership.

Currently, we’re actively discussing doing another project in Seguin with our client. If that pushes through, we’ll definitely work with Headlands again. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be completely open to their insights and trust their expertise. Additionally, treat them like a partner and be transparent with them. Overall, I highly recommend Headlands.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Creative Leader in marketing for a SaaS wellness company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Headlands to do a series of customer testimonials in the Austin area. We wanted quality interviews, great b-roll and still photography.

SOLUTION

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

We needed a team with a good eye that could elevate our project from typical SaaS marketing to something more. Headlands has a very creative approach and an excellent aesthetic that moves what could be ordinary into extraordinary.

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

We had a kick off call to discuss the approach and review the goals. Headlands then came back with an estimate and a creative approach. They then met with our customer, did all the production and scouting, and provided casting for the shoot. We were able to be very hands-off, which we appreciated. Then they delivered the assets directly to us for post-production.

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

We worked directly with Sally and Jennell. They were very responsive and took the initiative to get the work done on time and as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have 3 beautiful testimonial videos to share with potential customers and the public, along with tons of assets to use for marketing in general. We loved that the team was able to bring us a diverse cast and approach.

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

It was simple and easy. We gave them the info to get started and they did the rest!

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

Love that it's woman-owned and women-led. They were a diverse company with a creative portfolio that shows its exemplary work.

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

Video production during a global pandemic isn't easy. Normally someone from our company would have been on set to help give a little direction. Because we couldn't be there, it would have been nice to get a few snaps/shots during the shoot days just to see what was happening and be able to provide feedback, but ultimately we got what we needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the content marketing manager at Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Headlands Studio?

It was big video production for our golf programming for 2021.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a brief about our needs for a hero video (longer than a minute) and then a couple of different social cuts. The concept was kind of half-baked and we pitched it to them. They jumped on board and helped us visualize the idea in a video format and pull together a team of people. We needed a little bit of animation, and they had a production crew assembled to meet our needs. They also worked with us and our location and talent to bring it all to life. The end deliverables included a number of social cuts — 5-6 15-second videos — and then the hero video that’s one minute long. We were simultaneously doing a photoshoot piggybacking off of the production but we had a separate photographer for that. The social cuts are targeted at Instagram (both feed and stories) YouTube, Facebook, and a variety of microsites. Additionally, they’ll be screened at live events, like golf tournaments.

What is the team composition?

We worked with both Jennell and Sally.

How did you come to work with Headlands Studio?

I got an email from Jennell, and I try to keep track of those from smaller production companies. I’m always happy to meet people, so we contact and learned about how they work. There was a lot of synergy and we kept up a relationship until a product that fits their bill came to mind.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a bit under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2020. The hero video is live and we’re finalizing social cuts at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been fantastic from the beginning. We have a complicated team on our end when it comes to feedback, but they’ve been a pleasure. They ask questions when they needed to. Communication was clear, constant, and comfortable. I’m looking forward to working with them again.

How did Headlands Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Our timelines changed based on delayed feedback from our end or shifting locations, and they were extremely transparent. They gave us updates about not only that change but on all subsequent changes that would happen with it. I have no complaints here.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a two-person production company with a network of people they can assemble based on the project, and I love that. Personality-wise, they’re a pleasure to work with. They’re really nice, and there’s no ego involved. They understood our needs really well, as well as the needs of our other team, which my creative team is answering to.

They understood the intricacies of producing commercial work, and they didn’t sacrifice creativity. They walked that line well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really don’t have anything. Everything went so well, and anything we needed they were there to provide it. They have it down. I’m looking forward to seeing where they take their talents next. They’re pretty low-key on their external marketing and they have so much potential, but with us and with other brands.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with them felt like a real partnership, working as an extension of our team. This benefited everybody. I’m sure they could execute on a fully fleshed-out vision, and we got a lot out of working with them to bring their experience and vision to bear on our project. It was very collaborative.