Slow Clap Productions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development at Enterprise Community Partners, specifically the Northern California team. Our mission is to create affordable housing that is safe, healthy, and stable for low-income people.

We use this as our foundation for addressing equity and access to opportunities for folks who are often excluded from that.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We wanted to do a video that could highlight some of our key programs. We wanted to do it in lieu of our annual fundraising event and to showcase our work in a new light. We had limited experience internally, and we also had limited bandwidth to actually manage this new project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We put together an outline of what we wanted to see, and the people that we wanted to be featured. We told them which programs we want to be featured and gave them an idea of why the programs were important to the community.  

We gave them a really clear frame of how we wanted to highlight our work, which was that we wanted to partner with our staff, and engaged them in a dialogue that would show the importance of our work from their perspective.

Slow Clap Productions already had a good base knowledge of many of the organizations that were working with us. They came back with a little bit more of a formatted work plan that fit into the work that they did. They took our ideas and brought them to fruition. All the video shoots were on-site and interview style. 

Dan (CEO & Creative Director) put together questions or prompts that we edited and modified. We sent the questions to the interviewees in advance, and he then did the interviews. We did three locations in one day and two on the second day. It was one video that was six minutes long, and we have rough cuts of all of the interviews.

What is the team composition?

Dan was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

We selected Slow Clap Productions after interviewing about 5–6 production companies to do this video. We selected them because they had key experience and really were going to go about the project in a way that that was going to be manageable for us. 

They also had really good reviews from our colleagues who had used them. So we had a phone interview that resulted in them sending us the scope of what they could do for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $11,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They really made the interviewees comfortable. They were patient and efficient in setting up. Slow Clap Productions provided a lot of good guidance and made suggestions. I leaned on their expertise because they took things into consideration, which was helpful. 

They were open to our ideas but pushed back on things they knew would be costly or wouldn’t work. They were really good leaders. We got tons of really great feedback on the video. People said it was a great way to show our programs.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a great timeline. We worked together to make sure that they had all of the information clearly written down. We communicated through Zoom and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Slow Clap Productions was able to do everything we needed. We really wanted to hire a company that was led by a person of color or had a diverse staff. While Slow Clap Productions didn’t meet that, they were diverse in other ways.

They value people of different skill levels and bring them into the field. We also loved that they had experience working with nonprofits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. They did everything I expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Reach out to them, and talk to them about what you want in your project. Slow Clap Productions’ skill was that they really listened to what we wanted and made that a reality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior brand strategist for Blue Shield of California, a large healthcare corporation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

Slow Clap productions produced a series of videos and animated graphics for an enterprise-wide corporate initiative. For our second project, they did an employee testimonial video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start, we came to them with just an idea, and Daniel (CEO & Creative Director) was able to translate our vision into very tactical deliverables. He handled everything from drafting the main components of the brief and scoping out the project to preproduction and postproduction.

The first project was a five-part series of animated videos that communicates what we’re doing to transform the healthcare industry. The second was a two-minute video featuring an employee speaking about her experience. For this part of the project, they shot live-action on location.

What is the team composition?

Daniel was our single point of contact, but he had a team supporting him.

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

They’re a well-established vendor and they’re on our preferred vendor list. Other people on my team have worked with them in the past and it was clear that they were a strong and capable team.

How much have you invested with them?

The employee testimonial cost $30,000 and the other project cost between $70,000­–$100,000 (approximately $100,000–$130,000 in total).

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project began in February 2020 and we’ve continued to work with Slow Clap Productions since then on several projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Externally, the employee videos are now up on YouTube and they’re performing well, but they’ve also generated a lot of excitement internally.

Internal engagement has gone through the roof. I’ve received a ton of complimentary emails and instant messages. We also posted it on an internal employee blog, and it earned a ton of reviews and likes.

I’ve worked with a lot of other production companies in the past, and Slow Clap Productions outperformed all of them. I can’t recommend them highly enough. They’re superb.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They made the entire process easy for us. It was seamless. Once we agreed on the estimate, they handled the rest. Instead of using a project management tool, we just used email. Development milestones were clearly communicated and they did a great job giving us the information we needed to make decisions.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a really strong partner, so it’s hard to pick just one. Their creativity was exceptional. Daniel has an unparalleled amount of experience and he is able to take a very simple idea and develop a truly great and creative product.  

They were also very collaborative. We came to them with a pretty simple outline of what we wanted but they were able to translate that quickly into a storyboard. Then they finessed the copy and other details as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any areas of improvement for them. They’re very good at what they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to consolidate your own team’s feedback so it’s easy to understand. Contradictory feedback can slow them down, so it’s better if your entire team is on the same page. Even if you don’t think you have the entire idea fleshed out, Slow Clap Productions can help. If you go to them earlier rather than later, they can help you think it out and propose things you haven’t considered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager for an events production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We worked with them to help create content for an annual user conference.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with them on multiple projects. They create short-form videos to illustrate the benefits of using our clients’ products. We provide them with a brief, and they take it from there. They communicate with us and our clients directly. They take care of everything from scriptwriting to editing the footage. They also source talent for the videos. 

What is the team composition? 

Our primary point of contact is Dan (Creative Director), but he has a team of editors behind him. 

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

We’d worked with Dan at his old company, and when he left to start his own company, we wanted to continue to support him. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started working together around 2013, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

If our clients are happy, then we’re happy. We get good feedback on Slow Clap Productions’ work. Anecdotally, our clients have mentioned Slow Clap Productions’ strong editing and storytelling skills. 

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

I think they use AirTable as well as the Google Suite of products. We also communicated via Slack. It worked out really well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a can-do attitude and possess the ability to take on complex projects and tackle problems. They’re responsive to changes in scope and take feedback in stride. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There could be an opportunity to bring more editors in to interface directly with our clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They’re a great company to work with, especially if you need help refining your story.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications director for a government agency responsible for the management of the bayside waterfront in San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We need video production services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slow Clap Productions has done a handful of videos for us; they manage everything from preparing the interview scripts to shooting and editing. 

They mainly work on a range of videos, such as a video documenting our agency’s response to COVID-19, introducing a new park to the area, or explainer videos about complicated projects that we have going on. 

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

I’ve only been at the agency for just under two years, and I’m not sure if we’ve been working with them before that. 

How much have you invested with them?

It’s part of a larger contract, so it would be hard to tease out their specific rates. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They wrapped a couple of videos for us in September 2020, but we’re working with them on another project right now. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The anecdotal feedback has been very positive for each of the videos that they’ve produced. It’s hard to attribute numbers and views to their work because that also implicates the video's marketing and promotion. 

That said, both of the videos they did about what we’ve done around COVID-19 and the introduction of the new park have garnered thousands of views each, which for us is a huge success. However, that’s a combination of both the product and the promotions behind each of those videos. We’ve been happy with their work. 

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very collaborative and responsive, which is always helpful. They take directions very well. When we’re thinking through stuff, they’re also great thought partners. They’ve been really good partners from beginning to end. 

The team is very transparent and forward-thinking. They’ll be able to come through with your vision to execute it. If not, they’ll be able to talk it through and figure it out because they really are great workers. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing has been their flexibility and willingness to meet all of our crazy demands, reshoots, and things like that. Sometimes that impacts the budget, but they’ve always been willing to work with us to get to a place that we all felt good about, with the video at the end of it. I’ve always really appreciated that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

None. It’s been really great working with them. If anything, because of the changes we’ve asked for, we’ve occasionally had budget runs, but that’s something that we all should have been clearer about. In the end, the product is always great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say hire Slow Clap Productions quickly. They get busy. They’re a small team, but they’re also a great team that puts out projects into the world that are exactly what you want. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Trademark Event Productions. We’ve held events in different capacities, ranging from big tech conferences to charity galas and holiday parties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We’ve partnered with Slow Clap Productions on several video projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My experience with Slow Clap Productions has involved two projects over the past year. For one of the projects, their team came on site with us. The first was in Montreal, where they interviewed several attendees for a conference we were holding. The most recent was more on the creative side; it was a kickoff video for a global sales meeting.

The main deliverable for each project was the video. For one, it was for a client that was used to being very hands-on, so that video required several rounds of revisions.

What is the team composition?

Dan (Founder & Creative Director, Slow Clap Productions) and Jake (Assistant Editor & Camera Operator, Slow Clap Productions) were directly involved.

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

Their team has completed various video projects for our company. Before I got in touch with them, I heard from members of my team that they’re professional and easy to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we’ve invested around $300,000–$350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with their team in August 2019. I worked with them heavily between September 2019–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at Slow Clap Productions is exceptional, and I enjoyed working with their creative team. Dan is based locally, and he attended our holiday party. He’s friendly and easygoing.

One client wanted to give us a lot of creative freedom but still wanted to be involved. It seemed that their passion project was video editing, which is great.

Dan and the team at Slow Clap Productions were wonderful in that regard. They were in the middle of communicating between the groups regarding feedback. Dan was clear about his professional experience and recommendations.

They translated it as the client wanted, while still providing recommendations when they felt their requests weren’t the best choice.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were easy to get ahold of, quick to jump on calls when our client was nervous.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall work is excellent. It’s evident in their deliverables that they perform a high-quality job. The team at Slow Clap Productions clearly takes in a lot of feedback and instruction, but create and produce something entirely on their own. They’ll include our requests, but there is a bit of surprise and delight when we see their final products.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I learned that open communication channels could be helpful. They’re client-friendly and collaborative. The team at Slow Clap Productions is easy to work with. I’d give positive reviews to anyone who wants to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Pact is a non-profit serving adopted children of color and their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Slow Clap Productions?

Slow Clap created a video for us with staff and clients discussing the ethical adoption approach Pact takes in the services we provide.

What were your goals for this project?

We hope for a 2-5 minute video to use for our Fall Fundraising Gala and later to use online.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This vendor provides services to one of our constituents and upon hearing of our work offered us services far beyond our normal non-profit budget because of their alignment with our mission.

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

The provided us with both b-roll and 10 individual interviews of adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents and other consituents as well as 2 different b-roll events.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had approximately 10 management meetings as the process unfolded, Slow Clap was responsive and open to our feedback and provided us with a beautiful product that far exceeded our expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are thrilled with the product, for our initial showing at our fundraising gala, we make almost $30K income using the video, which people loved. Since then we have used it as part of our year end fundraising campaign, where we exceeded our individual donation budget goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were great and came to meetings prepared and open to feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The video quality far exceeded our hoped-for goals. Thanks, Slow Clap team!

Are there any areas for improvement?

none

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an employer brand manager at Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit health insurer. I market Blue Shield of California as a place to work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

The company has been headquartered in San Francisco, California since its founding but was moving to a new building in Oakland, California. In anticipation of that, we wanted to highlight the ergonomic and sustainable features of the building.

We had two main reasons for this. One was to let the Oakland community know that we’d be located in their city. And the second was to reinforce to our employees that the new building was built with them in mind. Anytime you undergo a big change in an organization, you run the risk of people leaving. We hired Slow Clap Productions to create a video that would meet both goals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team created a three-minute video about our new headquarters in Oakland. It highlighted the building and featured three employee testimonials. We’re posting the video on YouTube this week.

More specifically, they handled preproduction plans, set up production, developed the schedule, hired the crew, and presented the final edited video.

Inevitably, we ran into some minor glitches—we didn't have access to a certain area and sometimes the weather didn’t cooperate. What really impressed me about Slow Clap Productions was their ability to improvise on the fly. The video producers have to make changes when they're necessary, and their crew was super at that.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Dan (Director, Slow Clap Productions), Nicole (Producer, Slow Clap Productions), and their production crew.

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

My boss, the creative director, had worked with them in the past. Basically, he told me I was going to work with Slow Clap Productions. One thing I’ve learned over the years is when your boss tells you to do something, you get on it. But I have to say, I have no reservations or regrets about the choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $31,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Preproduction began in September 2019, and we wrapped up postproduction in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we just posted the video, it’s a little too early to tell. As for anecdotal feedback, the executives, CEO, and CHRO thought it was brilliant. Everyone we’ve shown it to internally has praised its quality. I anticipate the video will be received well by the viewing public.

I appreciated that they were unobtrusive. We were filming in an office environment and naturally, something like this can be disruptive. They were respectful of people’s space and were very quiet, well as quiet as you can be.

Their team had a really good feel for the style of the executives. By this I mean, we had them interviewing our CEO and CHRO. They immediately put both of them at ease and got really good interviews.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Slow Clap Productions was absolutely fabulous. They were able to change on the fly and keep to a very tight schedule. There were a couple of delays, but those were mostly our fault. They worked very quickly and efficiently. Nicole provided constant email updates and kept everyone informed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Dan has a very artistic eye—I mean that in the most complimentary way. Sometimes, people can get caught up in technique. However, Dan is able to render a scene very beautifully and still communicate what we’re trying to say.

Slow Clap Productions is a creative organization, but they also know they’re a business. Their team is cognizant of achieving a purpose, working closely with us to guarantee results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, I was very pleased with the results. As an artistic critique, they tended to do a lot of extreme close-ups. I had to tell them to pull back a little because part of the building’s allure is the office landscape and the full scope of the view from the windows. It’s a minor stylistic thing, but those are the kinds of discussions you need to have on a project like this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior project manager at a full-service public relations, communications, and marketing firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We partnered with Slow Clap Productions in order to meet the needs of a client. The client needed a short, three-minute video that highlighted their services and would suitable for small business outreach.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slow Clap Production was involved in the entire creative process. They assisted with brainstorming and storyboarding in the ideation phase, as well as identifying and contacting the personalities we wanted to be featured in the film. 

The video was shot over a period of two days, and then edited together before being presented to our client.

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

Our firm has worked with Slow Clap Productions several times in the past and has had successful results.

How much have you invested with them?

The video cost about $22,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from August-October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, the video hasn’t been rolled out yet so I can’t provide any quantitative metrics. However, the client was very pleased with the final product.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

As a project manager myself during this particular engagement, I can say Slow Clap Productions made my job very easy. The team met every deadline and were proactive communicators, reaching out to different partners involved in the work to make sure everyone was coordinated and on schedule.

Throughout the duration of the project, Slow Clap Productions worked to ensure their team was clear on the messaging and tone our client was trying to convey. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their administrative and organizational skills differentiate them from other production companies, as does their level of professionalism. Not only do they create great content, but they go the extra mile to make sure the process of doing so goes smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to work with Slow Clap Productions. They’re great partners.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communication manager for San Francisco Health Services, a part of the city and county of San Francisco. Our agency administers health benefits to over 115,000 employees, retirees, and their dependents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slow Clap Productions?

We faced the challenge of communicating our health benefits information to a very diverse population of people. We’d just introduced online enrollment, which takes place during October.  We needed to convey new information about our health plans in an informative but entertaining way, so we were looking for a production partner to create explainer videos for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Slow Clap with all the technical information they needed. They delivered the script, created the animations, did the voiceovers, then edited the videos. After that, they launched into the post-production phase. They collaborated closely with us throughout the engagement.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a team of three. My main point of contact was Nicole (Associate Producer, Slow Clap Productions). I also engaged with Daniel (Creative Director, Slow Clap Productions) and Jake (Assistant Editor & Camera, Slow Clap Productions).

How did you come to work with Slow Clap Productions?

The city of San Francisco requires that we undergo an RFP process for any project over $10,000, so we underwent a vetting process. They came out on top.

How much have you invested with them?

The project came in at around $28,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They began in August of 2019, and the project lasted until the end of September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My stakeholders—the COO and manager of data analytics, for example—were very pleased with the videos. Despite the complicated nature of the information, the videos are engaging and really fun to watch. They’ve definitely helped the success of our benefits roll-out; among our videos, the benefits explainer video enjoyed the most traffic by far.

How did Slow Clap Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were just terrific: always available, flexible, and proactive. They always met our deadlines despite our compressed time schedule. Due to the structure of our organization, we were often delayed in providing them the required screenshots, but even then, they rose to the occasion.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great listeners, but they also had their own excellent ideas. They showcased autonomy when we needed them to, but if we wanted something specific, they made sure to execute it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. They were so agreeable and helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them early to involve them in whatever creative endeavor you have on your hands. Daniel is very astute; he understands marketing well and will implement ideas that’ll make the deliverable more effective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a mid-sized wine company. I am the associate brand manager (marketing function) for the brand that the video was created for.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Slow Clap Productions?

A 3-minute documentary style short video that detailed the history of the 40 year old winery

What were your goals for this project?

This was trade focused - it was a device to help tell the story of the winery. We wanted the have one consistent message for our marketing and sales teams to tell. We also wanted to use portions of the video for social channels.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We built a brief and contacted vendors that were suggested by our internal video department. We asked for proposals on each vendors process, vision, capabilities, and pricing. SlowClap put in the extra effort to build a professional pitch. Their information was not canned and referenced back to the creative brief we used for the RFP.

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

Once we selected SlowClap, they took us through their process. We shared with them our expectations, walked through the brief in more detail, and explained the logistics (timeline) which was tight. Once we were on the same page, SlowClap put together an execution plan. SlowClap utilized internal and external research to decide on questions for each interviewee - they then performed a pre-interview to get initial plot points for the video. From there, SlowClap developed a creative brief (acts of the video, questions, shot list, etc) for our review. We worked hand in hand with Slowclap to get the logistics right. They performed the interviews, determined the best shots, and shot the video. Once they had all the footage, they edited together a first draft. We worked with them to get to a final video that everyone was happy with.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

SlowClap managed much of the schedule/project other than getting interviewees locked in for the shoots - we handled that because of internal politics. The PM, Nicole, was very detail-oriented and communicative. Can't say enough positive things about her organizational skills. We had a few rounds of feedback (and some that necessitated VERY quick timelines). Dan and his team handled these extremely well and kept the quality at a high level.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was not a metric based project; however, the feedback from the organization was very positive. Sales has been able to use this in the marketplace, we are promoting it on social channels, and it has given us a north star on the story for the brand. It will be difficult to tie the video to sales, but its a great internal tool.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good. Dan and Nicole were prompt and communicative.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their overall professionalism and desire to get the best outcome possible for their clients. Dan took tough feedback really well and did everything in his power to see that we were happy with the final video. Flexibility was necessary for this project and I think it is a differentiator for SlowClap.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We only had one hiccup with the script of the first draft. If I was able to review the script as it was shaping up we may have avoided a bigger overhaul of from draft 1 to draft 2. So I would suggest they co-create their projects and stay close with their clients on creative direction. That being said, this project was executed at a furious pace so we all were as nimble as possible.