Mint Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of an enterprise parking management software provider for universities and cities. Our product provides a system of record for those managing parking operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mint Studios?

We hired Mint Studios to help create a series of documentaries. We wanted the films to focus on customer testimonials and the benefits of using our product. Our goal was the have these videos last between 5–7 minutes and serve as a celebration of our users and the software itself.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the project with a kick-off meeting and a few follow-up calls. In these sessions, we discussed our goals and ideas for the videos, including creating the term “parkumentary” for the documentary series. From there, Mint Studios started the filming, interviewing, and editing of the videos. After reviewing the first cuts, we moved forward with finding the right music and tone. They created four of these documentaries for us.

In addition to the “parkumentary” series, Mint Studios support our corporate branding efforts. They created a couple more videos from scratch to raise enthusiasm for our user conference. We gave them our ideas, and they handled the production, filming, and editing processes. In total, their team has produced between 5–6 short videos for us, so far.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Matt (President, Mint Studios) and his partner also supports us throughout the project.

How did you come to work with Mint Studios?

Our marketing director was searching for a local company with experience in video production. We interviewed several vendors, but we felt a strong connection with Mint Studios. They understood our goals, and we hired them to do all of our videos after seeing their success with the first one we assigned them.  

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent over $30,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received very positive feedback from our customers. For example, there have been several instances in which viewers ask to be a part of the documentaries because of how great the videos look. Our sales have benefitted from the productions, as well, and people now recognize our product as a credible, popular item.

Additionally, several individuals who participated in filming our “parkumentaries” have been chosen for speaking engagements, which further spreads the popularity into the parking-related world. The videos are also supporting our world premiere efforts, so they’ve helped our internal marketing attempts.

How did Mint Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Mint Studios did a good job managing the project. They met our deadlines, but we could tell they were busy during the editing process. Their response time would be sometimes slow down, but it never negatively impacted the project. They were receptive to our feedback and willing to contribute their own unique ideas.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The results speak for themselves—the videos are outstanding and have significantly helped our business. When our company was acquired recently, we were told the documentaries incited enthusiasm about the future and made us a more attractive company to move forward with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although everything was delivered within our timeframe, they could improve their delivery time for the first cut of the videos. Our team was excited to see the edits, but it took slightly longer than expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d highly recommend working with them. Mint Studios produce high-quality work for an excellent value, so they’re a great choice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head producer for a film production company. We package financially viable media productions such as feature films, short forms, TV pilots. Our production management includes line production and tax incentive audits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mint Studios? 

We needed a partner to work hand in hand with us to co-manage a variety of services. This ranged from pre-packaging film productions, pre-marketing/branding materials, and introduction services to post-production services and editing. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to package vendors, crew, and schedules within a reasonable budget while still maintaining a high-quality end product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them by word-of-mouth in Austin.

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

We relied on them for several services, from production support on small highlight videos to editing lengthy feature films. The latter required hiring crew/vendors and picking up shoots as needed. They helped us find new ways to develop low-cost budgets that we could back creatively using local resources.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process? 

We communicated daily through phone calls and email, and they also used Basecamp to ensure that tasks were getting done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With their support, we finished post-production for one of our feature films just in time to meet festival deadlines. This helped ready the film for a world premiere at SXSW. From there, we continued on a world tour of festivals across China, France, and Brazil, winning awards and over 15 main festival selects. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs? 

They had a great workflow, scheduling efficient meetings so that both sides knew what needed to get done. We shared responsibilities to finish each project’s goals. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I liked how goal-driven the team was. They were organized problem solvers who remained calm in high-stress situations. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

At times, it would have been nice to have a larger infrastructure of people to work through specific tasks. But, in the end, having a focused, boutique team helped us stay on track to produce high-quality work.