Magic Hour Entertainment

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an account manager at Leo Burnett, an advertising agency. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magic Hour Entertainment?

I gave them a brief to deliver four films within the span of three months for my client, an incumbent Omani telecommunications company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Magic Hour Entertainment stepped in and somehow managed to get the connections we needed to receive municipal approvals for photoshoots and filming overnight. That was a big shock for me. I’ve worked in advertising for five years, and I’ve never seen that happen. The ask was pretty big for them: to shoot four films all over Oman, on actual locations. They managed to make it happen. 

We shot the first part, and this included things like shooting on-ground in mosques, where it’s difficult to get permits. Then, we actually had to go and shoot on yachts and public transport. Magic Hour Entertainment managed to get those permits with ease. 

How did you come to work with Magic Hour Entertainment?

My client asked me to start working with Omani production houses, so I reached out to some local contacts, and they gave me a reference for Magic Hour Entertainment. I reached out to them, and we had a meeting.

How much have you invested with them?

The first project we did was about $500,000–$1 million. We’ve done other, smaller projects with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took us from November 2018–January 2020. We actually launched a second part of the project, which is now ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I would highly recommend working with Magic Hour Entertainment. These people are well-networked, and they managed to get approvals and permits very quickly. I loved the fact that they were very honest about it. Whatever they committed to, they delivered. As an agency, we always strive for that. They’ve always delivered what they committed to us, and they often beat the deadline. I’ve shared their contacts with a lot of people, and I highly recommend Magic Hour Entertainment for people working in Oman.

How did Magic Hour Entertainment perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve worked with other production houses that weren’t nearly as responsive. If we sent an email, they wouldn’t reply for a week. Magic Hour Entertainment was the only production house I’ve met that got back to me in time, and they delivered whatever they committed to, usually before the deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Magic Hour Entertainment was the most responsive and agile team I’ve worked with for these kinds of projects. They also knew their game when it comes to social and digital media, which is very important for an agency like ours.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I couldn’t say what they can improve on because I don’t have something to compare them with. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend interacting with the main person there, Sohail (Founder, Magic Hour Entertainment and have a one-on-one briefing. They have a gift for understanding the requirements, so it’s better to have a personal reach-out instead of just shooting the request to them. If they understand the requirements, they will deliver.