ELEMENT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of New England develops, supports and provides programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. We fulfill our mission by supporting families of seriously ill children, creating programs that keep families close to each other and the vital healthcare services they need in order to enable children to live happier, healthier lives. - Gretchen, CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Ronald McDonald House Charities of New England has been privileged to work with ELEMENT productions (Kristen & Mike) on the development, production, editing and execution of a multi-episode video series to highlight our Meals with Love Program that helps support children and families staying within our houses in New England. ELEMENT advised on the social media platforms to utilize for maximum exposure, designed the video content/script, expertly edited the video(s) and provided easily accessible technology and video links for our staff to utilize across the recommended social media platforms.

Not only is the team at ELEMENT the best in the field and in the country in what they professionally do, they also are about the kindest people on the planet to work with too! They utilized their vast expertise to quickly hone in on organizational mission and goals. This has been extremely helpful as a nonprofit CEO with a very small team. As a result of their efforts our Meals with Love Program has obtained greater exposure and we have more volunteers who are interested in providing this critical service to our children and families.

They are also highly responsive, always answering questions almost immediately via email; and they truly understand the challenges around deadlines for nonprofits. This is my second professional position I've been able to work with ELEMENT Productions. The first was when I served as an executive in higher education. At that time I had a much larger budget and it was crystal clear to me that there was nobody close to matching the expansive skill-set and expertise that ELEMENT could offer for a prime-time video commercial.

I was thrilled with the process and end results on that project and I'm equally as happy and frankly thrilled with the results of this current project on a nonprofit scale. I highly recommend the entire team at ELEMENT for all of your video and production needs. They are truly second to none in the field.

SOLUTION

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

This was the second time I worked directly with the ELEMENT team. They came highly recommended by peers/experts in the field, and I think that is a true testament of talent and professionalism - they are the go-to production folks that their peers in the field recommend (so you know the company is a great mix of talent, delivery on project, and expert advice).

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

For this current project, I shared my ideas, hopes and goals of wanting to engage the greater community in our Meals with Love Program, while also highlighting key stakeholders/partners who have already made a difference to our families. Ideas and hopes are one thing, but the ELEMENT team was able to then talk about various options, how those options perform based on my goals and what I could expect for a final product (and the timeline).

They went above and beyond and I was really impressed that they are able to work with folks who have some degree of creativity but are unsure of how to execute something in the production space. ELEMENT was able to encourage and work with ideas but also gently re-direct concepts and outputs in a way that the client feels valued and not foolish on suggestions. My experience is that I have also felt part of the process - they are great at listening and then executing based on their expertise.

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

I worked directly with Kristen and Mike. Kristen went above and beyond to take an idea and come up with an awesome concept, script and plan. She is engaging, kind, supportive and a top-notch professional who is very organized and in complete command of the process (in a great way!). I have worked closely with Mike Nolan several times in-person on production shoots and also virtually throughout the editing process. Mike is creative, kind, extremely helpful, and excellent at making folks comfortable in front of the camera.

I am a CEO with a speech impediment and Mike was so patient with me in trying to get my voice and words right while I was very nervous (and all in front of my team). He really builds people up and is very encouraging. His editing skills are nothing short of spectacular! I have no idea how he does it with the sausage making he is given, but he produces the very best, fun, engaging, and compelling videos. For us at RMHCNE, he showed the "love" in our programs through his video production and editing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have increased our Meals with Love volunteers and also introduced a variety of supporters and stakeholders who support our nonprofit to the greater community.

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

Their communication style is excellent - it is immediate, constructive, supportive and they deliver on the timeline they promise.

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

There are a lot of companies in New England and certainly in the country who do this type of work. What makes ELEMENT stand out is not only the finished product, but the process and how easy they make it for busy professionals to get their goals accomplished. Above all, they really are awesome people and that helps them understand missions and purpose very quickly. They get how our mission impacts the greater good, and that's worth its weight in gold.

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

They give 100% to all of their clients whether the budget is small or large and that really matters to me. I will only use ELEMENT for any needs I have and there is nothing that I can think of that needs to be improved upon. Other firms/companies in the creative space have a lot to learn from them in many ways.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

At the time of this production, I was a Creative Director for a financial company. Maidenhouse was about 60 people in size, creating all marketing communications for John Hancock, a Fortune 500 Finance/Life Insurance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ELEMENT?

We wanted to create a :30 and :15 second TV/online video spot that felt like a "real" spot, shot by "real" directors with "real" talent in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, where gatherings of more than 6 people were illegal. We needed casting, wardrobe, lighting, sound design, etc, and we wanted to play our normal agency role of having input at every stage, but were unable to travel anywhere.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a spot in the middle of the pandemic that did not resemble a spot created in the middle of a pandemic. We wanted the same performance and picture quality that we would have at any other time.

SOLUTION

How did you select ELEMENT?

Our executive producer triple bid the job and ELEMENT was one of the three. Their bid was so ridiculously over-the-top in all that it offered, I almost felt like my producer had misquoted the budget. They ended up offering up 5-6 of their directors on roster, each of whom prepared a selection of possible scenes to shoot for our vignette-based campaign, each featuring the director's family members or Covid "pod" members as talent, some of whom were professional actors. The caliber of the directors, their creative approaches to shooting during the pandemic, and the impressive diversity of their thinking really sealed the deal for us.

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

We produced two commercials with four vignettes in each. We shot with five different directors, using four different casts. ELEMENT set it up so that we could watch the whole production via Zoom, with one "central" director overseeing the whole production. For each set up, we were given the opportunity to weigh in on lighting and wardrobe before each scene, and give feedback frequently during performances, just like in a "real" shoot, only from the comfort of our homes. The editor was also able to watch via Zoom, so he could hear our real-time feedback about which takes we particularly liked or weigh in on any concerns about timing for edits, which was invaluable.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The line producer as well as the central director, let us know when to give feedback during the process. We could also text the line producer if there was any pressing needs to communicate with the director during filming. So, for each scene we shot, we had the director of that scene, our overall director for the whole production, the line producer, and the editor on Zoom. Everyone was exceedingly flexible when it came to trying different things, and we felt less pressed for time because there was no "company move."

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The resulting videos were a creative showpiece for our company, and the only brand advertising we were able to produce in 2020. They achieved their objective of raising brand awareness and consideration among our target groups.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were beyond thrilled with the flexibility, collaboration, and creativity the ELEMENT team brought to this production. What we thought would be a logistical nightmare - shooting a vignette commercial remotely - ended up being fun, productive (no pun intended) and very successful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to bend over backward to get us the spots we wanted, whether that involved using their own children and pets, finding creative areas to shoot (a home reconstruction project, antique car, and garage were all offered up), or pulling out the all-star team from their roster. They were so collaborative and their joy of producing film was evident throughout.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They over delivered in every sense.