The Human Expansion Co.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP creative director for an advertising agency in Washington, DC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Human Expansion Co.?

We needed help creating a short documentary for one of our government clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Human Expansion helped develop and concept a short film, working in tandem with our company and our client. They produced, directed, and edited the film, arranging for logistics to shoot in Liberia, Africa.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with David (Partner and Director, The Human Expansion Co.), as well as a director of photography, camera man, and a couple producers back in the US.

How did you come to work with The Human Expansion Co.?

I've known David for several years and had worked with him in the past. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from July to October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The film was very well-received and the client was extremely happy with the final product. It's been shown at conferences and used as a tool for the client to present their work to others.

How did The Human Expansion Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm more than happy with their performance. They met our expectations and pulled off a logistically challenging shoot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity and thoughtfulness sets them apart from other production companies. They were able to thoroughly understand the subject matter, which is reflected in the final product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Approach your work as a partnership with the vendor you choose to work with. The Human Expansion is a great addition to any team, so I'm confident that an open-minded, collaborative approach will lead to great outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the general manager of a small bicycle manufacturer in San Francisco, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Human Expansion Co.?

We were developing a new integrated lighted bicycle, and our goal was to develop a Kickstarter video to raise funding for this bicycle and serve as a promotional video in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done our own Kickstarters in the past, and we had an idea of what we wanted, but we wanted to elevate the quality with professional video equipment. The Human Expansion Co. did a lot of the groundwork for the script and the videography. They created two videos for us. One was a three-minute promo video for the bike, and the other was one-two minutes and captured the company process and the culture of cycling in San Francisco. The videos included several animations, and they worked with outside graphics houses and animation studious to accomplish that.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with two creative directors, and on the day of the shoot, they brought about six people to our shop.

How did you come to work with The Human Expansion Co.?

The general manager that preceded me arranged the partnership. It was a symbiotic relationship in that they were beginning a new chapter in their company and were looking to create an addition to their portfolio and thought our project could showcase their abilities, and we were in need of a firm that could create our video. We both benefitted from working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2016 through March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've posted the videos on Instagram and YouTube, and the quality has been great. The shots were pretty wide-ranging from drone work to very macro and close shots of the bike. It was very impressive. The videos focused on the integrated lights of our bike. People loved the dynamic shots of our bike, and they really captured what it's like to ride through the city.

How did The Human Expansion Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

They handled a lot of the logistics. We provided the space, the bikes, and the models for the video, but they brought all the equipment and people they needed, and they were very professional. They coordinated with the animation studios. In terms of our time, we knew we could let them work and everything would be completed on time. They provided regular updates, and they were very agreeable working partners.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They brought fresh ideas compared to the Kickstarter videos we had done in the past. They had a solid grasp of what we wanted the video to look like, and they executed it flawlessly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did not require much communication after the video was completed, but what communication we did need could have been more organized.

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to have a detailed vision of your project, but it is worthwhile to let them do their job as creative people and not hold them to many strict guidelines. Be open to their ideas and their creativity.