Skalawag Productions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of menu and marketing of a food and beverage company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We needed photograph and video production for our food products. Our goal was to support new asset development for our new menu items. We launch new menu items every year, and we wanted a flexible and convenient partner that could help make our food look delicious and bring our new items to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a strategy session, during which Skalawag Productions reviewed our goals and the different options we had for this project. We also reviewed our menu's items and categories and what we would need for the photo and video production to support the team. Skalawag Productions came back with a couple of options, including a combination of photos and video materials. The team aligned an ongoing plan that worked for us and supported what we needed for the shoot. 

We shot the materials in Skalawag Productions' studio. The team provided their equipment, and we provided the ingredients and food. Skalawag Productions handled the food styling and direction on set. After the shooting, Skalawag Productions delivered the raw footage and assets, and we selected the ones we wanted to edit. Skalawag Productions delivered the final assets and was responsible for visual editing. The team delivered small video snippets, and we added our final copywriting edits.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around four teammates during the photo shoot and six teammates during the video production, including Mark (Founder & Creative Director), Huge (Photo Partner), an account manager, and a food stylist. 

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

Skalawag Productions was highly recommended to us, and their office was next door to ours, which was very convenient for us.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged Skalawag Productions between February–June 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Skalawag Productions delivered high-quality material that we use for all our marketing assets. 

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Skalawag Productions was excellent in terms of communication and delivered work within our timeline and budget. Even more than that, one of the things that was great about working with the team was their flexibility. When our priorities changed, Skalawag Productions moved the dates to accommodate us and repurpose our budget according to our needs.

The team was willing to partner and work with us on that. We mostly communicated through email and Slack. We also had in-person and Zoom meetings.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Mark was great at bringing creative ideas to life. He came back with different ideas for the videos and was a great communicator and partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions was scrappy and able to act and solve problems quickly. The team's flexibility was the thing that I found most helpful. The quality of the raw assets was great, too. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for the team to improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest providing a creative director from your team. Our team was small, and the creative direction needed to be tight. Skalawag Productions can execute well and is an excellent creative partner, but we missed someone on our side to be that creative director and support the team. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of neighborhood strategy at Choose Chicago, our city's destination marketing organization. As an organization, we promote the city to book conventions at McCormick Place. On my side of things, I interact with neighborhood groups and ensure that they're part of our marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

As part of our marketing efforts, we do a lot of video production with a focus on the neighborhoods. We have a federal grant, which includes a budget to make video content. Thus, we've brought on Skalawag Productions to help us create five short documentaries.

Our goal was to move away from the traditional tourism marketing pitch of cool things to eat and fun things to do and try to tell more complicated stories. We wanted to give a platform for neighborhood stakeholders to shine, tell their stories, and talk about their communities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skalawag Productions has run the video production work and helped us create five short documentaries. After they were selected, we sat down with them and talked about the project. Hence, the initial part of the project was focused on the planning process. This process included discussions about the video format, the type of content to be included, the different perspectives, and the overarching themes, all of which were important to achieve our goals.

Once we planned the project, we began with the preproduction work, which included a lot of community engagement. We reached out to the partners we had as a tourism bureau across the city and got them to be included so that we could set up the needed interviews.

Skalawag Productions was helpful in organizing and taking care of all the interviews we did across the communities we wanted to feature on the videos. These communities were five neighborhoods, each with two restaurants and two cultural highlights. We also had a lot of discussions about the narrative of each neighborhood.

As we were interviewing these people, we got a lot of information from them about their communities, so we had to keep coming back to talk about the overarching narrative and see how all the information and stakeholders could be included.

After that, we began with the production work, which included shooting the footage. Skalawag Productions also organized and professionally managed the production process, which included managing the location and arranging the crew and the things they needed from start to finish. For postproduction, we had multiple rounds of edits, so I was able to provide feedback and loop in other stakeholders to provide feedback as well at the right times.

Now, the delivery process has been the final part of the project. Delivering these short documentaries has required creating videos in a lot of different formats with different frame rates and sound mixes, depending on where we want the videos to be projected. Still, Skalawag Productions has been very helpful and organized in delivering all those assets.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about 45 people across the project, which includes Skalawag Productions' team and a lot of contract workers. From the Skalawag Productions team specifically, we've worked with Mark (Founder & Creative Director), Monica (Creative Producer & Director), and LaRose (Associate Producer & Project Manager). We've also worked with Jacob (Director of Photography & Editor), Ryan (Motion Designer & Editor), and Sydney (Motion Designer & Editor).

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

Two of my friends, one of whom is a board member of our organization, recommended them. Thus, we included them in an RFP process, in which we had about 25 applicants. Still, Skalawag Productions scored the highest and proved to be a great partner.

How much have you invested with them?

 We spent around $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2023, and we’re still working with them. Although there's no actual production work going on, we're going to Mexico in a couple of weeks to do a screening.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Skalawag Productions has created five beautiful episodes for us. Currently, we're running ad campaigns to promote the videos, and the content has been very positively received. I haven't gotten a negative piece of feedback about the quality of Skalawag Productions' work. Everyone says it's beautiful and has encouraged us to apply for awards.

In terms of metrics, we're aiming to achieve 100,000 views. We're currently at 20,000, but a lot of those views have to do with the ad spend. In about eight months, there will be regional Emmy Awards, so we might also win a couple of those.

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

The process has been very collaborative, so I've felt very much a part of it. Skalawag Productions came to the table ready to go, but they knew exactly how to include me so that I was an integral part of our discussions. The team was a great partner in leading and taking the reins of the entire process.

As a federally funded project in collaboration with the city of Chicago, we had a lot of goals and requirements about minority spending. Thus, Skalawag Productions was very helpful in prioritizing those goals in their contractor hiring process. The team was able to hit our target by contracting sole proprietors for the project.

Skalawag Productions also made sure that all of the local partners and neighborhood stakeholders were happy with the process and the result. There's always the fastest way to get things done and the right way to get things done. Skalawag Productions was very understanding of that and willing to alter their timelines and work late. Overall, they were great on the production side.

The team also included me in the production process, so it was wonderful to feel like I was part of the process and ensure that the product was being made as we wanted. On the postproduction side, Skalawag Productions was also very professional and easy to work with.

Currently, we're in the delivery part of the project. The team has put together a spreadsheet for me so that I can sell all the links and download all the different files. Everything has been very coordinated, and the outputs are all in one place.
The spreadsheet has been very helpful because we've been able to share the videos with our ad agency to run all the promotional campaigns.

Overall, Skalawag Productions has been very organized and helpful from top to bottom, and they've done a great job. The team has been very good, helpful, creative, and innovative. They've also stayed on time and gotten me to stay on time as well.

Involving me as a client in the process means that I'm also responsible for keeping the project on time. Still, Skalawag Productions has been very thoughtful about that and figured out how to engage me in the right way. As mentioned, budget-wise, they've been very thoughtful and creative about working with minority- and women-owned businesses.

We communicate a lot with Skalawag Productions via Zoom calls, especially because we've visited a lot of Chicago neighborhoods that are very far apart. We've also communicated via email, text messages, and Slack.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Mark has been a great and wonderful creative partner. He has led the team and been very easy to work with, as he understands what we're doing even better than I do. As a client, I've come to the table with my idea, but Mark and his team make videos for a living, so they understand what is valuable, what isn't, and how to tell a story.

Mark has truly co-piloted the project and shared his vision. He has also been able to execute the project with the support of a fabulous team.

Monica has also been an amazing partner. She's very professional, fun, and a great person overall. Moreover, Jacob took beautiful shots, allowing us to get an amazing, beautiful, and even cinematic product; he did a great job.

Ryan has also done an amazing job. He understood the narrative and how the community voices worked to make magic happen. I had never been part of a production project like this before, so seeing Ryan manage the different moving parts to create something great has been something special.

Sydney, who has worked on the postproduction side, has created fabulous animations, transitions, and beautiful graphic work to create a shiny product. Overall, Skalawag Productions has been an amazing and fabulous team. They're very nice, friendly, respectful, patient, and easy to get along with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions' food videography work sets them apart. In the beginning, before I even knew anything about them or their competitors, I noticed that Skalawag Productions' food videography work was beautiful — they do that very well. I don't think another company could have gotten a result like this, so that's an outstanding skill.

In addition to that, Skalawag Productions' understanding of our vision has been impressive. They've truly connected with us and been a partner. Many other agencies simply execute the contract and check off the list every week to get the project done. However, Mark and his team care about what the client wants to achieve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing Skalawag Productions could improve on.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Skalawag Productions is capable of integrating with clients in a way that gets them great outcomes. Therefore, work with them as part of your team and treat them as a co-collaborator.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of content and creative at a food brand for toddlers and babies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We needed to produce a video for our new product launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did an overview of our new product line with Skalawag Productions and shared basic information about our product. The team came back with creative ideas on how to execute a video commercial that was 32 seconds long. We consolidated ideas and narrowed the script. We worked with Skalawag Productions on the video's preproduction, including props, casting, and location. 

We were present on-site for the shooting day in Chicago, and Skalawag Productions was responsible for postproduction and editing. The team provided the necessary film equipment. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 8–10 teammates from Skalawag Productions, including a director, a producer, a creative lead, and production assistants. 

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

I had previously worked with Skalawag Productions at a different company. Initially, they reached out to our company through cold outreach and pitched a project for us.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from October 2023–January 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The campaign is still running, so I don't have any final results to share at the moment. However, Skalawag Productions delivered a high-quality video and was able to do a big production, which was important since we're a small startup. I was satisfied with our overall engagement. 

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Skalawag Productions was extremely organized and efficient. The team did a great job at keeping us on track and within timelines so we could meet the deadlines we set for the project. Skalawag Productions stayed within budget and communicated via video calls and Slack.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight Mark (Founder & Creative Director), Monica (Creative Producer & Director), LaRose (Associate Producer & Project Manager), and Huge (Photo Partner). They were the four teammates that stood out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions' biggest strengths were efficiency and organization. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Skalawag Productions could improve. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest oversharing with Skalawag Productions because they work best when they have as much information about the project upfront as possible. The team is good at laying out different options and budgets that might fit your project. Be open and honest about your budget and share as much as you can about the project's expectations upfront — this will save you time in the long run.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on May 12, 2023.

Kasey Moss
Director of Content & Creative, Serenity Kids
Consumer Products
Austin, Texas

11-50 Employees

Nov 2022 - Feb 2023

$50,000 to $199,999

Verified

Project summary
Skalawag Productions produced a video campaign for a baby formula company. The video was used to promote the company's new product launch.

Feedback summary
Skalawag Productions has gone beyond what was expected by the client. They have been exceptional in their communication and responsiveness during the project. Additionally, their superior creative work has been likened to an extension of the client's own team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Content & Creative of Serenity Kids

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturer of baby + toddler formula, pouches and puffs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Skalawag Productions to accomplish?

• Execute video campaign for a new product launch

SOLUTION

How did you find Skalawag Productions?

Repeat Client

Why did you select Skalawag Productions over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Skalawag Productions were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Video campaign to support the launch of our new product, Dairy-Free Smoothies + Protein. 

Deliverables: 

• (2) 15 SEC Awareness (Youtube, Meta - 16:9) 
• (1) 6 SEC Awareness (Youtube - 16:9) 
• (6) Xtra Format - Awareness (1:1, 9:16, 4:5) 
• (8) Xtra CTA - Consideration (16:9, 1:1, 9:16, 4:5) 
• (8) Xtra CTA - Conversion (16:9, 1:1, 9:16, 4:5)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Scripting Casting Location Scouting Voiceovers Pre/Post Production Editing

What was your primary form of communication with Skalawag Productions?

Virtual Meeting

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We came to them with an extremely tight timeline, for a large scale project with a lot of moving parts. They not only hit timelines, but the creative exceeded our expectations. They are very communicative and don't sugar coat. If we ever ran into snags during pre-production, they came to us with the problem AND a solution.

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

They truly act as an extension of our team. They not only focus on delivering high quality creative, but they want whats best for our brand and our goals.

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

None!

STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of the Foundation for Culinary Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We work with high school students from disinvested communities to give them culinary education and career opportunities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We did a massive rebranding. We had a completely different name, and though our mission was similar, it was different enough that we needed to create new digital assets. Given that, we hired Skalawag Productions to solve the multipronged issues we wanted to address. Apart from having a new name and digital assets, we wanted to create things that truly showcased our work and brought our mission to life. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had a strategy call with the Skalawag Productions team. They learned about us, what exactly we were trying to achieve, and what issues they needed to solve. From there, they created a presentation and did a pitch for the options we could move forward with — we chose their top option. 

At the end of the discovery phase, Skalawag Productions agreed to create six digital assets for us. They produced four short-form videos we could use on our website and social media channels. Then, they produced a long-form video we could use for our grant applications, fundraising efforts, and marketing purposes. 

During the preproduction, they created scripts and did interviews. They shot and filmed at the camps and education sessions we ran during the production phase. They put everything together from there. Everything was in video format, but the team did create some graphics. 

What is the team composition?

The team composition changed depending on the stage of the project. The owner of their company oversaw everything, but he wasn’t always on-site. Around 2–3 teammates worked on scripting and preproduction. Meanwhile, the production and shooting days were filled with everyone from cameramen to production assistants and Monica (Creative Producer & Director). 

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

I found Skalawag Productions through a photographer that I used for events. I asked that person for a team that could handle production with a good artistic sense. The team was recommended to me from there. We started our talks, but the COVID-19 pandemic happened. When the world seemed to be opening up again, we restarted our discussions. Even though the lead-up to the engagement was long, they remained cool and professional, so we felt important to them. As a result, we decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $25,000–$30,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from January 2023–August 2023. It was a long process, but that was necessary because Skalawag Productions needed to shoot at different events we held. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We sent out the video presentation to our board, and when it stopped playing, everybody started clapping. They liked the video. We then sent it to our donors and received a ton of great feedback. We also received donations, and more people were interested in partnering with us. That was because our brand became clearer, and the video was beautiful to watch. It had an impactful story, which truly helped our engagement with donors, partners, and the public. 

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

The Skalawag Productions team was amazing. I recommended them to many people, and everyone gave me good feedback about them. They were so good that I once joked that even if I wanted to drop the ball, they wouldn’t let me. The project was seamless from start to finish; the team laid out exactly what we should expect, and they delivered. 

They were always on time and kept us moving forward, which was nice. As a nonprofit, we had to do a lot because we didn’t have a bloated workforce. Everybody wore many hats, and things could fall through the cracks. Luckily, Skalawag Productions ensured that we were hitting our deadlines. They sent us reminders so that tasks were always in front of our heads. The only time we deviated from the schedule was when they delivered things faster than expected. 

For specific teammates, Monica was great. She did all the preproduction interviews and was on-site during all the shoots. She was truly communicative with us, responding to our questions. It was nice to know that she was there to give answers right away. Apart from her, everybody was nice. Shooting could be stressful, but everybody on their team had a great attitude. They always came in happy, professional, and ready to work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions came in with a lot of ideas. They always listened to my requests and were creative and thoughtful throughout the process. It never felt like they were simply checking things off their to-do list — tasks had to be done properly before they could be checked off. Moreover, one of their resources ended up moving out of town, but the changeover was seamless. 

Apart from delivering a high-quality product, they also made our lives easier. Once we signed them on, I never had to worry about the project. I never had to chase them. If something was unclear to me, I got answers immediately. They were an absolute delight to work with — they were a dream team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re not sure about what you want, Skalawag Productions will help you flesh things out. However, if you can flesh things out yourself before working with the team, you’ll have an amazing product. You take this task off their plate, and they’ll have more time to spend on being creative. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the community nutrition and health program manager at Greater Chicago Food Depository, a food bank that serves Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We run a program for food pantries in our network that helps improve the visibility of the nutrition of the foods they distribute, called SWAP. The program is complex to train teammates on, and pantries constantly have new volunteers supporting the program. Thus, pantries requested on-demand training resources to make it easier to train volunteers on SWAP and give them a quick summary of the program and how to execute it. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skalawag Productions provided us with video production services. They’ve produced animated videos to address program training. Initially, we had a strategy session to align on the project's scope, expectations, and what success would look like. We shared our existing training resources with the team during this session. From there, Skalawag Productions created animated videos. 

What is the team composition?

Our primary contact was a project manager. Additionally, we worked with five Skalawag Productions team members responsible for different areas of the project, including Ryan (Motion Designer & Editor). 

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

I found them online and reviewed their previous work. Then, I met with Skalawag Productions and other service providers. What made Skalawag Productions stand out was the ease of our business relationship, which was fluid from the get-go. Moreover, they had previous experience producing educational videos, which was a big asset to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–September 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Skalawag Productions delivered fantastic work and exceeded our expectations. We recently shared the videos with our network and incorporated them into our training, and we’ve already seen a positive, measurable effect regarding reinforcing the training concepts. The end users have expressed the videos are helpful. 

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered everything on time and within the budget. Moreover, the team made the pace of deliverables very clear and held up their end every step of the way. Skalawag Productions was also good about communicating while they delivered individual components to ensure we were on the same page regarding the timeline. 

Additionally, the team was very flexible when I had to make changes due to my schedule. Skalawag Productions worked around those changes very well. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Ryan did a fantastic job and produced wonderful results. Additionally, the whole Skalawag Productions team was great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with other production companies and faced communication and troubleshooting challenges, and Skalawag Productions was fantastic in those aspects. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no notes for their improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Based on my experience working with other production companies, I advise you to ensure expectations are clear from early on. The more clearly you set expectations about the finished deliverables and budget, the better. I also recommend discussing how scope increases would affect the project in terms of timeline and additional costs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing communications at Northwestern University. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We needed Skalawag Productions to provide video production services.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skalawag Productions created two videos for us. The first video is a farewell video for our Dean’s sendoff event. They also made a brand video to market and advertise how the engineering school helps develop whole-brain engineers. They started with a discovery process where they asked us several questions and helped us create a creative brief for each video. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with 3-4 people. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Aaron (Director of Photography) did a really great job with the videography. He captured a lot of really great shots. Monica (Creative Producer/Director) helped direct a lot of shots and did a great job doing the interviewing for the video. We received compliments on her interview skills. She was our primary point of contact during the editing process and was very responsive to our feedback and was easy to get a hold of. 

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

Someone else at the university had used Skalawag Productions on a prior project. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between January–June 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very pleased with the videos that Skalawag Productions created for us. We’ve heard a lot of great feedback about the farewell video and we’re in the process of rolling out the second video. Both videos are published on YouTube and on our website. 

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Skalawag Productions delivered on time and on budget. The team is very responsive. We communicated over phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions’ videography skills are impressive. The video shots they captured are wonderful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a great experience. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Providing them with assets that you have that can add a little more color to the video is helpful. We provided them with some research graphics that we had filmed in labs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager, Development of (a/an) Non-profit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our mission is to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. Until this goal is achieved, we are committed to advancing improved care of patients with PF and providing unequaled support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family members, and health care providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Skalawag Productions to accomplish?

• Video on the impact of the Foundation and its programs

SOLUTION

How did you find Skalawag Productions?

Referral, Other

Why did you select Skalawag Productions over others?

Referred to me

What was the size of Skalawag Productions’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Videos: Impact - Broadway Belts Fundraising Video (2 MIN Core Video + Bookended Speaker additions) Using previously captured footage, simple motion graphics, and music, we will weave a personal, emotionally driven narrative of how the foundation impacts the daily lives of patients, all while moving the needle on awareness, research, and advocacy to help improve the lives of everyone in the foundation community now and in the future.

This story will be driven by the people who we have interviewed over the years. We want this piece to drive home the micro and macro impact that the foundation has. Going a little deeper on the macro impact (moving the needle) and showcasing how the foundation has a comprehensive and strategic approach when it comes to fighting this disease on all fronts. We will also incorporate a pre-recorded interview/speech as bookends if it is provided to include in the program by the client.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• We wanted to use this video to raise money during our live auction at our gala. The video educated attendees of the foundation offerings and gave us the opportunity to raise a large amount of money.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team kept us on track with deliverables and quickly responded to any questions. They were able to meet on our schedules and keep the project moving.

What was your primary form of communication with Skalawag Productions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team produced high quality work. Along with this they were great partners who helped guide us to make great decisions for the brand and project. They are creative thinkers and made a great product for us with a great value.

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

They were great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the coordinating editor for the Journal of Investigative Dermatology’s Methods and Techniques for Skin Research Series. We’re a journal that publishes in the field of dermatology, and the section I coordinate focuses on educational efforts to teach dermatologists about techniques used in the skin research field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Skalawag Productions?

We had a grant proposal funded that would allow us to make videos for three different articles that had been previously published. Therefore, we hired Skalawag Productions to help us understand how to make a video and turn really complex information into an easily understandable five-minute video segment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skalawag Productions has helped us produce the videos we needed. Thus far, we’ve worked on three videos — they’re currently finishing the third one — and we’ve kept each video between 5–6 minutes long. All videos have been animated.

Skalawag Productions has been involved in every step of the way to produce these videos. For each one, we first provide them with the article that needs to be made into a video and introduce them to the main author of that article. From there, they write a draft of the script and provide us with a slideshow presentation showing their concepts for us to provide feedback.

As part of this process, we’re in charge of editing the script to ensure it’s right because it contains complex scientific material. Additionally, Skalawag Productions provides us with suggestions for the voiceover actors and the music, and they’re in charge of video editing and audio mixing. Throughout the production process, they work with us iteratively to keep improving the video until we’re satisfied with the finished product.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with four teammates from Skalawag Productions, including Mark (Creative Director & Founder), Monica (Creative Producer & Director), Bailey (Associate Producer & Project Manager), and Ryan (Motion Designer & Editor). Monica helps us write the scripts and does research, and Ryan helps us with the illustrations and comes to the table with a lot of knowledge.

How did you come to work with Skalawag Productions?

We were seeking highly experienced video producers to teach us and work alongside us and to develop educational videos simplifying complex material...We also met with another company. Still, we also met with another company before deciding on a partner for this project.

Initially, Skalawag Productions held a meeting with us to understand more about our brand, our expectations, and what we wanted to get out of the collaboration. Then, they put together a proposal, which helped us get the grant to fund the project.

After that, Skalawag Productions conducted a workshop where we went through some of the things we would be able to choose from. During this workshop, we got a better understanding of how they would incorporate music, voice, and artwork into the video in order to bring its complex information to life.

We also got to know each other better, which helped us realize that what Skalawag Productions could do really matched what we were looking for. We were really impressed with that workshop, so we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

This project has cost around $50,000 in total, including my time, some administrative time, and Skalawag Productions' fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around October 2021 on the proposal to apply for the grant, and we started working on the videos around January 2022. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve put these videos on the articles themselves and on social media, including YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Our second video was the most viewer-friendly, receiving tons of views and granting Skalawag Productions an award in their field. That video has been the most successful one in increasing traffic to our brand and being well-received by the public.

The other two videos are more directed to our scientific audience. Although the third video is yet to be released, the first one did have an impact on increasing the traffic to the article on our website and creating excitement on social media.

How did Skalawag Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Skalawag Productions’ project management is fantastic — I have nothing but good things to say about that part of the process. They’ve been great at working with us around our schedules and timelines. 

Additionally, Skalawag Productions has worked with our team and a few more people than they would usually need to in order to produce amazing videos for us. Our editors, authors, and other staff members of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology regularly work with them to guide the process, but Skalawag Productions has truly helped us manage that process.

Skalawag Productions has taken 2–3 months to produce each video, and for every video, they’ve given us really clear schedules and communication. Their team constantly sends us reminders and follows up with us. Moreover, they’ve been very flexible whenever we’ve had to go off schedule.

Throughout our engagement, Skalawag Productions has provided us with Zoom links for our meetings, calendar information, and other tools for us to provide feedback every step of the way. They’ve kept everything organized so that we can go through the project smoothly. We use Wipster to provide feedback on the videos and use email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skalawag Productions has done a lot of research to learn about our objectives and produce excellent videos, which is impressive. Additionally, during the vetting process, their workshop was outstanding. They focused on getting to know us and providing guidance, which was very different from what the other company we interviewed did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Skalawag Productions could improve on. Whenever we’ve found things that aren’t working, they’ve been very open to making adjustments to correct them as we go along.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to be taken through a very well-developed process. Skalawag Productions is very good at what they do, so they’ll help you grow and stretch your idea. Additionally, keep the communication open and honest because they’re great at working iteratively, so there will be a lot of communication throughout the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing director for an identity management software company. We created a new IDM software product that helps organizations manage the user lifecycle of user accounts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We contracted with Skalawag to design and produce a 2-minute overview video of our new IDM software product. This video would contain a live actor and animation in the background. The goal was to have a professional sales video that outlined the strength of our product.

SOLUTION

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

A marketing firm we work with out of CO highly recommended Skalawag. To be specific, they highly recommended Mark. Mark's knowledge of his industry and easy nature to work with was the deciding factor in moving forward.

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

After our initial kickoff discovery meeting, both teams worked on creating and finalizing the script. Simultaneously, Skalawag created a casting call that provided a rich set of prospects for us to choose from.

The next step was filming. Skalawag's team set up a professional environment for the filming and provided us with remote access to monitor and provide feedback. After filming, Skalawag worked on post-production animation. After the first cut, both teams worked together to make adjustments.

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

Mark and Bailey were the two main points of contact for this project. They kept us informed and on schedule during the entire process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was presented to our international offices and had very positive feedback. Currently, the video is on our website and used in other types of marketing.

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

The project management style was very professional and structured. This gave us ample time to provide input and feedback at every step of the project. While still keeping the project on schedule to meet our deadline.

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

We were very impressed with their knowledge of the video industry and time management. Each project phase had milestones we could easily meet and not feel overwhelmed.

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

More video examples of our industry and possible animations would have helped us decide what we wanted. Overall they did a great job explaining the animation, but more examples would have been helpful.