JMaverick Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of the company. We have a seafood hall and oyster bar-restaurant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We engaged them to put together four separate videos. It’s difficult to convey in words the unique experience that a guest has when they come into our space. We wanted to capture a sensory experience in one video. We also wanted a recruitment video to show what we do and what makes working for us unique. We also wanted a video that communicated our values to be part of the onboarding process. As well, we needed a video to feature our wholesale business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

JMaverick Studios created four videos and each video was anywhere from 3–5 minutes long. They helped to develop the vision and direction for each one. We communicated our ultimate objectives for each video and Jeremy (Founder and Director, JMaverick Studios) provided ideas to capture our goals with compelling content. He created scripts and parameters around production such as timelines and locations.

In the first video, JMaverick captured the one-of-a-kind seafood experience that we have as part of our business. We wanted the video to enticingly communicate  why guests should visit our business. They had a creative approach and came up with the idea to not use words. Their team put together a visual and sound piece that captures the sensory experience that guests can expect when they enter our doors. Their team came on-site for the shoot, which took two days and ten hours each day.

They created a second video, which was a recruitment video to engage potential employees. The third video captured our company's core values to supplement the onboarding process with existing employees. The final video JMaverick Studios created was a selling tool for potential customers that would live on our wholesale website.

What is the team composition?

When putting together the ideas, our team worked with Jeremy. Jeremy, two camera guys, and one audio engineer came on-site for the shoot. A sound and color editor was involved in the project too. 

How did you come to work with JMaverick Studios?

JMaverick Studios created another video for us eight years ago that presented our business at the time. It was a positive experience. When we put together our ideas for videos this year, his name popped into our minds immediately. We didn’t know if the collaboration would work because JMaverick Studios’ based in L.A. and we’re in New York. We had an initial conversation on the phone about our ideas and Jeremey came up with ways to create these videos immediately, so we brought him in. We didn’t even consider anyone else.

How much have you invested with them?

From top to bottom, the project was in the ballpark of $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We reached out to Jeremy in September 2019 and finalized the videos within a one-month period.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, I showed the videos to our management team that was blown away by what JMaverick Studios put together. Their team had a creative approach to capture what we do here.

How did JMaverick Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They were communicative via email and their communication was on point. Jeremy was responsive and collaborative, sharing ideas and providing direction. JMaverick Studios was one-step-ahead and thought about aspects that we didn’t, which made the process much easier. We had to drive and guide the process when working with photographers or videographers in the past.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management was the most positive component of the engagement. Jeremy was thorough, detailed-oriented, and engaged, which made for a positive experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t say there is.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Establish a vision and be clear with your objective. JMaverick Studios brings the expertise and creativity to achieve the desired end result. Be communicative with Jeremy and his team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of IMPAKT, a non-profit that helps people align their online spending with their values.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

I was looking for help developing a video for a Kickstarter campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a pre-existing script, but they developed the storyboard in terms of where animations were happening, and all aspects of direction. They acted as a guiding hand in production. It was very much their vision. The final cut was just under two minutes long, and involved images and animation interspersed with us speaking directly into the camera.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Jeremy, the founder, as well as an associate of his who acted as a cinematographer.

How did you come to work with JMaverick Studios?

Jeremy is a friend of a friend and he was recommended to me. I interviewed a few people to potentially help us, but Jeremy was both the most excited for the project and had the most to bring to the table.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February to May 2017. The video launched in October 2017, but that was because the graphic animator we used, which was separate from JMaverick, had a lengthy process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Kickstarter campaign raised $30,00 from over 600 people.

How did JMaverick Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They were extremely responsive and deliverables were done on time. Jeremy consistently made himself available to schedule conference calls and to conduct production meetings. There was also a lot of collaboration between people that included animators and cinematographers. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their passion. Not only do they have a great amount of experience, as well as artistic and aesthetic talent, but they bring a lot of their personality and care to each of their projects, which manifests itself in the way they work and manage their team.

They also have a very dramatic style and are good at creating a sense of intimacy, which they felt was important to convey, given the scope of the project: helping people align their spending with their values.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone else who needed to execute similar projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the branch manager at Benchmark Mortgage. We provide residential mortgage financing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We were looking to shoot several videos, both consumer facing and B2B.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had rough ideas around all of the videos I was looking to create, which included explainer videos, a company bio video, and a video to send to new generated leads. We worked together to create more formal storyboards, and I went on to do most of the scripting due to the specific nature of the content. I also did voiceovers for our animated content. Out of the eight total videos we created, five of them were informative, animated videos that explained the process of getting a mortgage. The other three were live action.

What is the team composition?

Jeremy (Director & Founder, JMaverick) was our sole point of contact, but he made have had other people working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with JMaverick?

I found JMaverick on Thumbtack and selected them out of a number of bids that came through. They offered a high level of responsiveness at a reasonable cost. I also looked at their portfolio and previous videos lined up with what we were aiming for.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018, and they’re in the process of completing the last few videos now. We also have them lined up for another few videos over the coming months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t released the videos yet, but the ones that they’ve completed are exactly what we were looking for. The quality is great and everyone we’ve shown them to has been impressed. We’re very excited to release them and see the response.

How did JMaverick perform from a project management standpoint?

They were perfect. Everything has been delivered on time and they do a great job keeping us updated on the editing process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re price competitive and deliver what they promise. There are no surprises with them. They work quickly and do things right the first time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a fairly clear idea of what it is you’re looking to accomplish and explain it in as much detail as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am currently the director of design for a UX/UI enterprise an enterprise software company, but the project was contracted during my previous job as a co-founder of a web-documentary startup. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We were trying to film and develop short episodes for a web documentary. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

JMaverick Studios provided shooting on location in several cities that spanned the Bay Area. They provided professional lighting, sound capture, the footage itself, and post editing. Jeremy Williams (Founder, JMaverick Studios) planned and advised our vision and expectations to blueprint the videos. They provided a full video production package with a precise plan of execution.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three to four people on set and was provided with a post-production team.

How did you come to work with JMaverick Studios?

I became acquainted with Jeremy through a technology store. He told me his expertise was video production and we eventually decided to start a project.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $40,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from 2009–2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Independent from the very high-quality work JMaverick provided us, I decided not to further pursue the product that was to be promoted. JMaverick was, however, a worthwhile studio to hire due to their exceptional video production.

How did JMaverick Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Jeremy was highly organized, regimented, and always keeping his team organized. He talked and listened to us in person and addressed any concerns that might have arose during a shoot or during post-production.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They execute their shoot strictly to a deadline and are precise with their work. They set up and filmed very fast and skillfully without any problems. It was very transparent that they knew what they were doing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there could have been any improvements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of TCI Aluminum. We're a full service aluminum distributor that processes materials for medical equipment, national defense, and other industries throughout the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We were looking for a company to produce some videos for our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a plan, helped us create a storyboard and a script, and then produced a few videos of our machines in operation. The videos are about one minute long: one video is an interview and the rest are documentaries about the machines and the way they work.

What is the team composition?

I mostly worked with Jeremy (Williams, Founder, JMaverick).

How did you come to work with them?

I was referred to them. I saw some of the work JMaverick had done for other companies and liked it. Besides, they seemed very professional and offered a new perspective.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000. They offered me a very good rate.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on this project in 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has been getting more traffic after we added the videos and our business looks more professional.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They established a smooth process and were easy to work with. We mostly talked on the phone and they also came on site a couple of times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're professional and creative. They offer other services that we weren't able to use–for example, they can take drone footage from overhead, which we were considering but decided not to do because our machines had a better front view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They exceeded my expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing and communications for a pediatric healthcare nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We needed video production services for a large conference we organize biannually.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

JMaverick created an opening video for our conference using footage we had from working with previous production companies. They also provided audiovisual services throughout the conference, recording interviews that I conducted with key speakers. In total, they produced three or four videos, which were used to promote the event on our website, targeting pediatricians and future attendees.

What is the team composition?

Jeremy (Founder and Director, JMaverick Studios) acted as our project lead. He probably worked with about five others on his team to collect and edit content.

How did you come to work with JMaverick Studios?

They reached out to me on LinkedIn, because we had a contact in common. We happened to be looking for a production company at that time, so my marketing manager developed an RFP. We considered a few other firms, but ended up selecting JMaverick.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we invested $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from around July to October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since posting JMaverick's videos to our website, our conference attendance has doubled from about 500 to 1,000. Our website traffic has also seen an increase in visitors. The videos have been well received across the board.

How did JMaverick Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Jeremy remained responsive and professional throughout the project. It was a great experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're flexible and accommodating. We had a lot of moving parts, so the scope of the project kept shifting, but they were very responsive and willing to work with us as changes arose. They also executed the videos with a great deal of creative vision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had new members of our team unfamiliar with the project, which resulted in a lot of back and forth. Some of the review processes could have gone more smoothly, but that's partially our fault. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a coordinator for a large software development firm. I oversee various programs and events within the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

A guest speaker was coming to our headquarters and we wanted to create a five-minute highlight video for people who couldn’t attend the event.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

JMaverick brought their equipment to the event and tested the audio before it started. They recorded everything from the session and took different still shots. Filming was done from multiple angles. They edited the footage together to create the highlight video we requested.

What is the team composition?

They usually assign two or three people for each project and work alongside our audio person.

How did you come to work with JMaverick Studios?

I’ve only been in this role for a year and a half, so I don’t know how they were initially brought on. We’ve used JMaverick on 4–5 projects that required video recording since I’ve been with the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2015. Our most recent engagement together ended in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Highlight videos are a common request and we have quite a few viewers, so a high-quality product was imperative. The final cut of the video was easy to understand and without jarring jump-cuts. Having done this for events we’ve held in the past, JMaverick consistently retains the critical information the speaker wants to convey. Some of the videos resemble mini-TED Talks, while others have an interview format. Each session is different from the others, but JMaverick does a perfect job every time.

How did JMaverick Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re reliable, timely, and we’ve never had an issue with them. Everyone is responsive to logistical elements like follow-ups and payments. They maintained a pleasant demeanor when interacting with anyone from our company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is genuine and extremely trustworthy. We can tell they love what they do and remain composed even when working within a tight deadline. While filming, they stay alert and conduct themselves professionally. They seamlessly blend into events and we often forget they’re recording.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I was new to the role, so JMaverick actually taught me about the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of The Toy People, which is based around a documentary I have been working on for the last seven years. The film is called Dennis and Lois, but they are known as The Toy People. The company was set up to fund, channel money into, and pay for the documentary.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick?

We needed some help with promoting, supporting, and attracting donations to our Kickstarter campaign in order to reach our goal. We decided internally that social media would be a big part of that, and I needed someone to focus on it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired them to manage all the social media for the campaign. They provided daily clips to help promote the campaign and entice people to contribute money, visit the page, and make a donation. We were successful. The social media videos and photographs were posted across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Jeremy [Founder, JMaverick Studios] worked every platform and provided some nice content. They had all the passwords and posted all the content. We were very pleased because they helped push us over the edge to make our goal.

We provided content and Jeremy edited, placed graphics, ran the posts by me, and posted the content across every platform. He took care of editing and motion graphics. He also shot some video content for me, but most of his work was editing, titles, and motion graphics. He provided around 35 different clips.

We tried to put one out either daily or every other day. They set up way more than that and put about 70 in the queue. We only trickled out the better ones because we didn’t want to overdo it, but I have been slowly posting the remaining ones.

I work as a photographer and filmmaker under my own name, and JMaverick provided motion graphics for some of my commercials. They are talented and pleasant to work with. I have always been very happy with them.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jeremy. Although we were on different coasts, he was very accessible and our collaboration was seamless.

How did you come to work with JMaverick?

I had crossed paths with Jeremy because he worked for a company that I used to freelance for. I knew that he was a talented editor and filmmaker; on occasion, I tapped into his abilities when he was a freelancer. When he started JMaverick, I decided they would be a good choice to manage my kick starter campaign.

How much have you invested in them?

I invested between $7,500–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from July–September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We ran a successful campaign, and a lot of its success can be attributed to his social media posting. The Kickstarter brought in $46,000 from all sorts of sources. We reached our goal, and I credit him as a big part of that.

How did JMaverick perform from a project management standpoint?

Jeremy was great. He was super organized. He took projects very seriously, gave me options, and communicated well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated the enthusiasm the most. Jeremy is a super enthusiastic individual, and he runs that company in the same way. He is on the ball, always looking up. You need that type of energy around when going through a Kickstarter, in which success is doubtful. You need someone who is excited the whole time, and he was. I don’t think he ever worried that we weren’t going to hit our goal.

He had a sense for which content will resonate on social media and which content won’t. We had a lot of conversations about which kinds of material we should release. He was better able to gauge what the younger generation responds to than me, and I appreciated his insight on which posts would resonate. That wasn’t something I could have figured out, but it came naturally to him since he is young and more engaged with that world than I am.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The time difference was difficult, but I was surprised at how early he woke up and started responding to texts. I have no complaints because we hit our goal and the project was successful all around. I would definitely use him again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the CMO at CeilingSPORT, which is a new game targeted towards kids. I'm in charge of all the marketing components and establishing new partnerships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick Studios?

We were a new business and needed a partner to help us create our brand identity. We were looking for a company help us produce videos that would tell our story in a professional and creative way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a few conference calls and discussed our vision with them. They coached us in terms of the formats we should use to display the content and helped us with storyboarding. Then, they created three videos for us capturing the risque feel that we wanted and featuring kids playing the sports game. The videos are geared towards the college audience. 

What is the team composition? 

Jeremy (Founder, JMaverick Studios) was our primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with them?

I worked with Jeremy in the past. I reached out to him because I knew that he did great work and was very professional.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in January 2018 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos have concise and engaging stories. One of our videos on Facebook generated close to 10,000 website visits. We sponsored this video to get an added push and were able to get inexpensive clicks and good interaction – they're not just bounces. 

We have 28% completion rate on our Kickstarter video, which means that 28% of people who watched the video, watched it till the end.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint? 

They have very fast turnaround times and are easy to work with. They laid out an outline plan and helped us craft the story, guiding us through the entire process. We were able to go to market within a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're amazing storytellers and have a good eye for design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. They're very accommodating and easy to work with. They're always willing to go an extra mile for us. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of creative at a brand experience design firm that focuses on pop-up events and other brand interactions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JMaverick?

Originally, we were looking for a group to join us in attending several events around the world and to film interviews, highlights, etc., for later use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve used them for a variety of work over the last few years. Many of the projects involve capturing a specific event and editing it into a sizzle reel or a closing video for promotional purposes. We’ve also used them to film on-site interviews for use on social media to promote any kind of content that we’re creating around an event that lasts multiple days. Lastly, they’ve created videos leading up to an event that are used during general session and during the events themselves. Their scope has included live-action filming, all editing and finalizing, motion graphics, and animations.

They sometimes work independently for on-site projects that we outsource entirely, but usually a creative director on our end provides some guidance on what exactly we’re looking for. The first project we worked on together involved travelling with us for a year, during which they filmed about 25 events we attended. Since then they’ve taken on a much broader scope of work that has included their full range of video services. JMaverick has worked with about five clients of ours total, and they always create a relationship with them in a way that not many vendors can.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Jeremy (Director & Founder, Jmaverick), but he had a staff that assisted with equipment and motion graphics/animations.

How did you come to work with JMaverick?

Jeremy and I had worked together before he created JMaverick. I hired them immediately when I saw he was starting the group.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $50,000-$200,000 over the course of the engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April of 2013, and we finished our most recent project with them in June of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we were travelling with him on our first project, Jeremy and his team provided rich content and great motion graphics that made our booth come to life. Without their effort during those first steps, our presentations would have been very static.

How did JMaverick perform from a project management standpoint?

Jeremy is an amazing guy to work with, and his team follows his leadership very effectively. Will (Visual Effects & Animation, JMaverick) was also very involved throughout the process, and they were both incredibly professional. They reliably managed timelines and always exceeded all expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The JMaverick team is very passionate, and their dedication to bringing creative to life makes them unique.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Advice for potential customers?

Allow them to be your partner, instead of dictating what you want out of them. Everyone on their team has a lot to offer, and if you don’t give them some creative freedom, you’ll be missing out on what separates them from other production firms.