Route Eleven

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of communications at GMSH, a healthcare organization. We’re a nonprofit organization focused on the sexual health needs of queer and trans people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Route Eleven?

We were putting together a campaign focused on sexualized drug use, which aimed to produce resources for frontline service providers to better understand the realities and challenges for men in the community. For this campaign, we wanted to make video materials that could serve as training pieces that we could also share within the community, so we needed to find a production company that could treat this project with dignity, respect, and nuance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Route Eleven does video production for us, including all the logistics, like studio rental, lighting, set design, engineering, crew management, and COVID-19 testing for all the people involved in the production. In addition, they’ve found the perfect director for the project, who had one-on-one interview sessions with every team member to ensure they could cover their roles properly.

Regarding deliverables, Route Eleven’s team has produced 32 separate interview videos and two supercut videos that we use for promotional campaigns. In addition, they take care of laying out the soundtrack for every video, which is made from musical stems we got from local artists.

Currently, they’re editing all the material they’ve produced.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Sam (Partner) and Peter (Producer), who delegate to the rest of their team.

How did you come to work with Route Eleven?

They were referred to us by a professional suggestion

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent over $100,000 CAD (approximately $73,800 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We couldn’t have ended up with a better partner. We publish the material online on a website, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and we’ve received great feedback from viewers.

Overall, working with them is exceptional because they understand our main vision and purpose. In addition, they’ve brought sensitivity and professionalism to the project.

How did Route Eleven perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been amazing in terms of communication, delivering work on time, and staying within budget. In terms of tools, we use email, text messages, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I appreciate the most is their ability to understand how we work because it enables them to step up where we need to in order to help us reach our goals. Moreover, their connection to the community and approach to the subject matter is one of their strengths because we haven’t had the need to spend much time explaining the project to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — it’s been a smooth process for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront with your requirements and be able to articulate your uncertainties so they can identify proper solutions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was as an Art Director at a PR and advertising agency specialising in digital.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For Canadian Club Whisky, we had to create a series of videos to showcase how the brand's upper skews elevate at-home cocktail making.

SOLUTION

How did you select Route Eleven and what were the deciding factors?

Route 11 approached my agency and we were impressed with their portfolio.

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

I created the concept and storyboards. Route 11 took what I created and pieced a plan together. This plan included doing the hiring for the production team, organising the props and shot list, ordering food for the team, time management, and post production editing .

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

We worked with Sam and Peter. During the shoot, I was able to give feedback directly to the team as we went. For post production, Peter sent through edits based on my storyboards. I gave feedback to them over email and he was very accommodating. I also appreciated Peter and Sam's ideas for making the videos better with their creative ideas, especially in the editing process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients were thrilled. They had very little feedback and felt that we hit the ball out of the park. The videos also performed well on social.

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

I provided a work back schedule which Route 11 stuck to. They also were good at giving me clear deadlines when they required my feedback to make sure we kept on schedule. We communicated over email and by phone. Sam and Peter always replied very quickly.

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

The team seemed very passionate about the project and really wanted to see it be as successful as possible. There was such great efficiency while still crafting high quality work.

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

No feedback at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director for the top electronic music label in the US. I handle all of the visual and content production needs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Route Eleven?

Route Eleven is one of the companies we work with regularly to create music videos for our YouTube channel and affiliate content that comes from it. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They support the entire production of our music videos. They direct and execute them, handling all of the logistics, and serving as a one-stop-shop. This includes shooting, editing, and delivering the requested files. They help discuss the creative or work off of the proposal from the artist. 

What is the team composition?

Throughout the years, I’ve worked with a number of people. My point people are Sam (Producer) and Peter (Producer). 

How did you come to work with Route Eleven?

I believe I came across Mac (Director & Writer) and I really loved his work. We teamed up for a few projects and then I continued using the team on a number of videos since then.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’d give them a 10/10. They are by far one of the best companies we work with and I love working with them. They are a crucial part of building the brand of the artists we work with and our music label as a whole. Every video we’ve done with them has been pretty much a home run. 

How did Route Eleven perform from a project management standpoint?

I like one-to-one communication. They send us emails every now and then, giving us updates on what they’re doing. When I reach out to them I have a pretty clear idea of what I want and know that they’re a great fit, so the project management is flawless. They offer a very low-surprise rate, which is somewhat unusual for music videos. They’re very on point. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re genuinely caring and attentive to the quality. I have great personal relationships with all of them. They are dedicated to problem-solving before a problem even happens. They’re very proactive instead of reactive, which is very important in production work. They think ahead about everything. 

They work really hard and it shows. Their pricing and the way they budget the money is very fair. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Being honest, I can’t think of any pointers for them specifically. They should keep doing everything the way they’re doing it and they’ll keep growing. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Generally speaking, make sure they’re who you’re looking for. Part of our success is that they are the right fit and have a clear direction of intent. Know what you want and they’ll help you get it. Hire them for what they can deliver. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a producer and project manager at a PR communication company based in the Australian Office

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We worked with Route Eleven to produce a series of tutorial style influencer videos for our client. The influencer was based in Canada which made it imperative to have a Canadian based production company on the ground to produce and edit the videos due to quick turn around.

SOLUTION

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

We looked at many production companies in the area and met with a few. Route Eleven's work aligned with the look and feel we were looking for and, on meeting, they completely understood the brief and approach we needed to get the project off the ground.

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

We started with an initial briefing call to discuss the project timings, budgets and deliverables. From there Route Eleven put together a deck filled with approach, storyboards and visual mood boards which we presented to client. The client loved it and we locked in the shoot, which happened over night (Australia time). Route Eleven kept us in the loop throughout the whole process making it seamless.

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

We worked with the producers and kept in contact everyday until the day of delivery despite time differences. The feedback processes was seamless as they really understood what we were looking for and what the client expected in the deliverables.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client loved the videos and they are now live on YouTube and part of the Adobe Photoshop Campaign

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

The producers were super easy to work with! They were communicative and on time with their production schedule. I found them friendly, professional and understanding and flexible with the time differences. We had a problem with the influencer catching COVID which required us rescheduling the shoot and they took this handled it with grace and professionalism.

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

They really did their research on the client (Adobe), the video style we were looking to create and made a very concentrated effort to ensure their approach aligned with expectations from both our Agency and the client. They were very flexible and easy to work with despite the time differences.

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

I really really wish I could have met them in person and been there on the shoot as their enthusiasm and energy was what made this project seamless from start to finish

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an in-house producer at an advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Route Eleven?

We hired Route 11 to handle production for an interview-style video shoot. This shoot was inclusive of set design, video and sound capture.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were communicative and resourceful which ultimately won us over. They provided great production solutions and proved to be an amazing partner.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They handled backdrop set design, light, sound and video capture for an interview-style shoot in an office setting.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Peter and Sam, who handled communication with their director Ievy and the whole production team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a huge success! The footage was clean and client was very happy with the end result.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Easy and effective!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their adaptability and resourcefulness were impressive.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Nothing immediate! Excited to work with them on larger projects.