MotionCue

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a sales manager at Upwork. We're a platform that connects freelancers, agencies, or anyone who has skillsets for specialties, with companies that might be interested in leveraging their talent. We're the portal that connect those two entities. It's also a place where agencies or freelancers can create a profile, advertise themselves, and pickup additional work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

At UpWork, we recently did a contest where anyone within our organization could submit an idea of a new way we could be working. My partner and I were finalists in this contest and we were given a small budget and were told we could leverage freelancers to create a final presentation to deliver to the entire company. We wanted to create an explainer video of what our idea would be.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had hired a different company to complete our explainer video. Four days before it was due, they informed us that they wouldn't be able to compete it. I contacted MotionCue and we had a quick ten-minute call. The video itself was about one minute, and it included motion graphics and sample images with a voice over. Since they were creating a video about products that didn't exist yet, they also had to create what the graphics for the new products would look like, too.

Additionally, they submitted a couple of tweaks to the voiceover after a final product was delivered, which they were able to turn around in just a couple of hours.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with four members from their team.

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

They're an agency that has a profile on our platform and have done work in the past for some of our clients. I've seen their work, and they've done other projects for our company as well. They were familiar with our brand guidelines, style, and formatting.

They've done some great work for our clients and our colleagues that have worked with them. I was even able to provide them with reference examples using other videos they had created for my clients.

How much have you invested with them?    

We invested $2,000 in this project, and I gave them an additional bonus for being able to complete the project so quickly.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in December 2019 for 4-5 days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They had the video done for us done on time, and they needed very little direction. They knew exactly what our vision was, were able to make it better by providing suggestions, and they worked all weekend since they knew it would be a tight turnaround. With their help, we were able to win the contest.

They were so wonderful to work with, very clear on setting expectations, but also provided guidance and were able to work under little direction. It was a great experience all around, and I had confidence that they were able to get it done. I put a lot of trust in them, and throughout the entire process knew they were going to be spot-on.

The final production was way better than I could have ever anticipated. Everyone was very impressed with the video, and I mentioned I would make personal introductions for their company from now on because it was such a great experience.

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, we communicated through our own platform and used its chat feature. Next, we moved to a conference call to clarify a few things. From there, we communicated through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was easy to tell they were experts. Their responsiveness was on point and they knew the right questions to ask, which moved the process along right away. I felt very supported by them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was a little unsure who did what in the agency. For me, it didn't matter, because someone would always respond and that's all I needed. Moving forward, I want to be able to introduce them properly and pinpoint their roles accurately.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be specific around what your given deadlines are and to have an understanding of what you want out of the project. I would highly recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

InterPark is a commercial real estate company that specializes in parking facilities located in central business districts and off-airport locations throughout the country. I am the director of product management and marketing at InterPark. I manage all of the digital experiences (websites, apps, widgets, etc) and digital marketing initiatives (SEM, SEO, Social, audio, branding, etc).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MotionCue?

We have a specific product for our central business district garages called iParkit Express. Anyone with an account can scan in and out with their Express Pass and get charged their applicable rate. We wanted a video to play at locations and promote via YouTube that marketed this capability.

What were your goals for this project?

A video that conveyed all the value propositions, had a professional polish and showed off how easy it was to sign up.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

MotionCue is a preferred vendor on the UpWork platform.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

1. Initial exploration call 2. Collection of app screens and branded assets 3. Highlights of key pieces to show and how-to 4. Approval of script and storyboard 5. Back and forth on the iteration process

What was the team composition?

Myself. Re-used existing creative from our designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall downloads and usage of the app are up since the start of video content promotion.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very efficient. First thing in the morning was best for real-time back and forth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ideas and the polish on their work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I was very satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Tribyl. We provide solutions in the B2B sales intelligence space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

We engaged MotionCue to create an explanatory video to convey our solution, the problem it solves, and the value it brings to customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was no mean feat trying to produce a 2-minute video—I now have a lot more respect for people making 90-minute movies!

I don’t believe an outsider can tell our story better than we can, so I did the heavy lifting in laying out the strategy behind the script. We needed to understand our audience and create a hook that would stand out in a crowded space. Ultimately, we went with an unusual structure to distinguish the video from others like it. 

After that, MotionCue handled end-to-end production, including the animation and voice-over work.

What is the team composition?

I was handed off to different team members at every phase. Two people interacted with me at different points.

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

A close friend of mine from business school runs a startup and used MotionCue a year ago for a video project. They were very happy with their work and recommended MotionCue to me, just like I’m now recommending MotionCue to others.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September until November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video is finished, and we’ve started using it in our demand generation process. I’ve shown it to my network and my team’s network, and we’ve received nothing but positive feedback. Viewers like the storyline—it hooks them right away. In fact, I’ve been told by sophisticated customers that it’s one of the better videos in our field, and people have asked us who product it.

We’re already looking into creating other design assets with MotionCue beyond video. We see them as more of a partner rather than a vendor

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a good relationship on both sides. We used Google Docs to give 6–7 rounds of detailed feedback frame by frame that MotionCue would execute. It took such a long time to finish this video because we obsessed over the timing, animation, word choices, and vocal inflections. MotionCue never flinched from our demands though—they were just as enthusiastic about doing a good job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MotionCue deeply cared about the outcome of the project—the video’s quality and impact for us as a client. They also were willing to give unlimited edits based on our feedback. We ended up with a two-minute-50-second video instead of a two-minute video. Not only did they not charge us more for the extra length, but they also offered a complimentary one-minute cut of the video for social media channels.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could have used a better collaboration tool to exchange feedback on each frame besides Google Docs, which got unwieldy. We adjusted to the style eventually, but it did leave me wondering if there’s an easier way to do this in the future.

Any advice for potential customers?

Engage with them with an open mind. I asked MotionCue for their input on my unconventional structure idea. They advised against it at first, but once I explained the reasons for it, they were all for it. It was helpful to leave my echo chamber and get advice from people in the business of storytelling.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an agricultural startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

We had just recently made it into the semifinals of an accelerator, so we hired MotionCue to produce an explainer video for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MotionCue created an animated explainer video that focused on the problem, solution, and value proposition for our company. They helped us with the script after we sent them our pitch deck. The video was about a minute and a half long. We had a tight deadline and needed the video turned around within a week. 

What is the team composition?

I only spoke with two people during the process, but I’m not sure how many others were working on the project. 

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

We looked online and read great reviews about MotionCue. Their prices were reasonable, especially because of the tight timeline we were working with, so that also contributed to our choice. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $4,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place in November 2019 and lasted one week. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, the video is getting amazing feedback. My co-founder loves the video so much that he is showing it to stakeholders and investors. The animation is of high quality and clearly displays our message. The video sells our idea in 90 seconds, displays the need, and conveys our solution.

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great at managing the project. Since it was a one-week project, it was stressful when they’d take a day to get back to me, but it was always with results. We had almost daily communication with them, so it was great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The animations were well done, simple, and to the point—everything was just how we wanted it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If we had more time, I would have done more back and forth on the video, but that was definitely not possible with our deadline. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide as much information at the beginning as possible. There always has to be a little back and forth so they can translate the idea in your head. If you can, give yourself a longer deadline than one week. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup media company. We have a new platform that connects all the stakeholders involved in the live concert and live event industry: the arena, the record companies, the artist’s manager, the concert promoter, the agent, etc. It uses data to book tours and promote tours in individual markets.

I’m the founder of a startup media company. We have a new platform that connects all the stakeholders involved in the live concert and live event industry: the arena, the record companies, the artist’s manager, the concert promoter, the agent, etc. It uses data to book tours and promote tours in individual markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

We needed to put together a demo of concepts that were beyond our platform’s current functionality and motions and animations. Right now, the platform is 80% built, but we’re adding additional things and needed animation around it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MotionCue delivered a segmented explainer video of what the platform is and what it does around AI. We provided the background information and they put it together and polished it up. They built it in a certain fashion so we could take the pieces and redo it and upgrade it easily to show additional features. They also included InVision screencaps.

What is the team composition?

I only dealt with Osama (Founder, MotionCue).  

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

I worked with Osama on a prior project several years back. I kept in contact with him on LinkedIn and reached out to him when I wanted to do this video.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent in the low five figures on the video.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August until October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve shared the video internally and we’re all excited about it. It’s clean, slick, and straightforward. Eventually, it’ll be shown to outside investors to describe our vision.

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic in that department. We communicated through messenger on LinkedIn, and their response time is within 24 hours at least, and that’s because of time zones. Their turnaround was incredible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I knew I could trust Osama and that the quality of the work would be there. I didn’t have to solicit from anyone else. I knew what I would get. We’re completely satisfied with what we received.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I couldn’t tell anyone how to get more out of their work with them than we did.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an office and label company and logistics service provider. I am the coordinator for sustainability awareness within our approximately 2000 employee organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

We wanted to make a fun, animated video to spread internally to help our employees be inspired to want to incorporate some principles of sustainability into their everyday lifestyle.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them a brief of the entire organization and shared everything they needed to know about the work we’ve done. Once they sent us the first draft of the script, we had some back and forth and then they got started on the animation. We had the same feedback process there, and we’re now getting ready to launch the video.

What is the team composition?

Their founder was the first liaison with me, and then he involved one other person from his company, and those two are the ones I have worked with over the course of the project.

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

I found them on Fiver originally and liked their portfolio and the quality of some of their previous work. We decided that it would be best to work outside of their platform, so we took things private from there.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we paid about $1,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are going to be sharing the video in two days, so we haven’t gotten any direct feedback on the video, but it has been improved by a pretty large internal team. Everyone who has seen the video so far is very impressed with the video and likes the way it has turned out.

One of the best things about the process was how easy they made the editing process. They really nailed the script in particular right from the beginning. They were very easy to work with throughout the project, the end result was exactly what we had wanted.

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

There was a little bit of delay on our side, but everything they did was spot on from the beginning. We exchanged emails every day to bounce ideas and feedback back and forth, but we only communicated over the phone once. They delivered exactly what we needed within the timeline that they had estimated at the beginning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was just extremely easy to work with them; it was even better than I was expecting, to be honest. They understood what we wanted, and they didn’t have an issue with accepting changes from us. We had an agreement, but if I just wanted a couple of small things done, they were good about fixing that without charging us more or anything like that, which we really appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure I can think of anything they could have done better off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just know what you want before you go in. I had a little trouble on my side because I was unsure of how to get things off the ground, and they were very patient with that, but it helps to have everything laid out before you start.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator at Racami, an IT services, software, and staffing company located in Atlanta, GA. I'm in charge of all the marketing activities and trade show logistics in the company. With the supervision of the EVP of Sales and Marketing, I plan out and execute marketing tactics to improve our website traffic, content across social media platforms, email marketing, trade show activities, and PR efforts. The main goal in my position is to find and test new creative ways to increase brand awareness, reach our target audience with helpful and educational content, and support the sales team during the selling process to help achieve the deal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MotionCue?

We operate in the print and mail industry. It is a close-knit industry, in which software sales can take between 6 months up to a year. On top of that, our company offers a wide range of professional services and staffing to support customers with anything that they need, whether it's related to our software product or not. And, since it's a small industry and we have a very unique and complete product, and a variety of services, it's sometimes hard to communicate that message properly to attract new prospects. That has been one of my biggest challenges since I started working at Racami this year and it is the reason why we decided to hire Motioncue to help us convey that message in a one minute and twenty-second Racami overview video.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal of this video was to generate brand awareness. We planned to use it on our home page to increase website traffic and to upload it to our Youtube channel and social media platforms to educate our audience about what we do. We want people to watch the video and get a better understanding of Racami as a company and Alchem-e as a software product, along with a better concept of all the features and capabilities Alchem-e provides.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After meeting with my team and evaluating all the feasible video possibilities, we decided that a 2D animated video was our best choice. Therefore, I researched on Google and I found four possible candidates for this project. Motioncue was by far the best video production company, in terms of cost, quality, portfolio and communication of its services. After our first meeting with Caroline and Osama, I knew this was the perfect company to produce our video.

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

In the first meeting, Caroline and Osama from Motioncue solved all of our doubts about the project and also asked us questions about what we had in mind with the video and our goals with it. Right after our meeting, we felt confident in our 2D animated video choice and we signed the contract with Motioncue. The video was amazing. It was made in different steps: script, character type, voice-over and finally animation.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

It was really good. I have to admit that we were kind of slow on our side. We are a small company so we couldn't meet sometimes with Motioncue, which delayed the process a lot but they were extremely patient with everything and they kept us up to date with every single detail regarding the video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received the video ten days ago and since then it has captured a lot of views on our Youtube channel and hundreds of impressions on social media. We are still in the process of changing our home page to accommodate the video as best as we can. We have received amazing feedback about it from our clients and partners.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was a very seamless process, everything is explained in the guideline they provided after our first discussion.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved how transparent they were during the whole video production process. I always knew that this video was going to be a success. They listened to all of our feedback but also provided their guidance to maximize every detail of the video.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It did take longer than expected to finish it, but it was mainly our fault. Every single meeting that we had, was extremely productive and I believe Caroline did an amazing job coordinating the whole project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Manager at Johnson and Johnson, where I work in Global Strategic Marketing, Medical Devices. Johnson and Johnson is a world leading medical device, pharmaceutical and consumer company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MotionCue?

Making short storytelling videos about the innovation projects that were completed in 2018. The project included 3 awards submission - with voice over artists, storyboards, script writing, video editing, animations, etc.

What were your goals for this project?

To meet the requirements for the video for the award submission - and then to win if possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on a recommendation from a colleague.

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

It was a iterative process of writing script and creating a story board - Motioncue's experience and knowledge was critical in shaping this part. After we were happy with the script, the team moved fast to create a story board - this process was very iterative and Motioncue's partnership was very valuable. Then we worked with Motioncue to finalise the voiceover stairs and the videos and animations. Right till the submission deadline Motioncue was supportive and responsive.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Great. They have us clear timelines and delivered on time. They managed our expectations and were very responsive and available when we needed their support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Out of the three submissions: our team were finalists in the North America region - this was a first for our team. More than that, we won the global award in the second category. As your can imagine we were very pleased with the work and the outcome.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. As described in earlier questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were punctual, accountable, hard-working and delivered award-winning results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I could have been a better client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former e-commerce director of Pacific Asia at Abbott, a company that sells baby milk formula.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MotionCue?

We needed help to develop a video. I was hoping they could do a fast job for us because the video was a last-minute idea meant to enhance the presentation at our annual meeting.

One of the things I was doing was deciding the strategy of who we were going to target, align, and how we were going to convert them to purchase. We had created some personas. For example, we went through the lives of a working mom in the Philippines. She wakes up in the morning, checks her phone, goes to work, checks Facebook, has some lunch, and checks her mobile. There were 30 pages of research, but then we wanted to narrow it down to a couple of slides and say working moms in the Philippines use these devices, this often, and why they use them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They sent me a simple brief or asked me a few questions over email about what I had in mind, what I could provide, and if I wanted voiceover or whatnot. We shared the event, logo, our PowerPoint to develop a basic look and feel, as well as our research, and asked them to come back to us with how they could do it. We didn’t have time to follow a proper agency briefing approach. After a few quick emails, they took it from there.

The video ended up being all animated, and 1 ½ minutes long. They made the colors, look, and feel so they weren’t a major distraction from the rest of the presentation. They opened the video on a version of our old first slide—the main logo, a globe. They took that and played with it and went to the Philippines since it was about the Philippines. Then they started the video. That was a nice touch.

Someone had to do the voiceover, so we had to decide the exact copy of that. He put that together. We corrected a few things. He made the decision himself as to what kind of voice for the voiceover and it was spot-on. He understood the concept and purpose of the video. He gave me two voices to choose from.

What is the team composition?

Osama (Founder, MotionCue) was my only point of contact.

How did you come to work with MotionCue?

I knew the company already and that they could do a good job. I found them on Freelancer, originally.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for 1–2 weeks starting in January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They worked very fast, and it was a painless process. We’ve reused it quite a bit since it was a nice video explaining the persona we were targeting. It was perfect for what we needed. It was professional enough for people to be happy to share it across the organization.

How did MotionCue perform from a project management standpoint?

I liked working with Osama. He’s one of those guys that I don’t have to spend too much time explaining things to or deciding what the end output is. He takes it on himself. We mostly communicated over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

He was very flexible with the co-payment part. I’m in a large organization, and I had his name for one week. It probably takes four weeks just to set someone up our procurement system. He got paid quite late, after a few weeks of delivery. Part of it was because we had some history and he knew me from a previous job. He put trust in that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We were able to trust him. He’s an agency quality guy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Commercial Director for ramarketing, a life sciences communications business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to produce a video that demonstrated how our year had been, how the business had performed and what clients could be excited about in the future.

SOLUTION

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

Approach, cost and speed

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

Discovery meeting, approach, refinement and we then began. We went through scripts / storyboard / music selection / draft 1 / refinement and finalisation.

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

Timely, professional

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had really good feedback about the video and we were really proud of it.

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

Very communicate, professional and friendly.

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

Their speed and efficiency were amazing!

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

N/A