Sparkhouse

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Thompson Tee. We invented an undershirt that blocks sweat.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We were looking to develop some creative video content to deliver on multiple marketing strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created several live-action videos with Sparkhouse. One introduced us and explained our product in a casual manner, and one is a more entertaining video that describes various scenarios and reveals our technology. It was a collective effort on the creative aspects, but they ultimately scripted the videos and brought a team together to execute on our ideas.

What is the team composition?

They’re a relatively small operation, but we worked with six or seven of the fifteen or so on staff.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

We found them through a group called Human Marketing, who was helping us vet the companies we were interviewing. They worked with Sparkhouse in the past and recommended them very highly. We had several marketing groups proposing ideas in the beginning, and Sparkhouse came up with what we considered to be the most in line with our desired message. They seemed to listen to us, whereas some other companies seemed to be forcing their own strategies without considering our brand.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from December 2017 through January of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have three videos with them, two of which have already been published. Our introductory “explainer” video is at 150,000 views, and that’s after less than two months. From both the creative side and the production side, Sparkhouse is a great bang for your buck. Video and audio have been very high quality, and we’re continuing to work with them because we’ve been so impressed.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicated very well, and always asked us great questions to make sure the videos were as effective as possible. Some vendors are hesitant to involve the client and work independently, often leading to gaps between the idea and the end product. Sparkhouse was completely engaged, and we were very happy with the results. They felt like an internal department, rather than just a vendor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative is very unique, and they always thought outside of the box. They were great listeners and always took extensive notes on our goals, which made them stand out from other creative groups.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were completely satisfied with all three projects and are currently considering another three in moving forward.

Advice for potential customers?

Explain your objectives clearly and confirm that they understand what you’re looking to achieve. Sparkhouse does a great job with listening, so give them substantive feedback and make sure everyone stays on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing manager at Nekter Juice Bar, a chain with about 100 locations nationwide. We serve freshly made juices, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and Açaí bowls.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We wanted to create a few updated videos to play on a loop in our stores while customers waited that showcased the fresh ingredients that go into our menu. In the past, we've had videos that weren't as engaging or upbeat as we would've liked.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkhouse's team created three videos on a loop, collaborating with our team on the script and storyboards for each. The videos showcased our fresh ingredients, using slow motion shots of produce and some text animation.

They also redid our franchise marketing video, updating it with new content and a voiceover.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with four people, as well as a handful of others on the day of the shoot.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

Steve Schulze (President and CEO, Nekter Juice Bar) knew Torrey Tayenaka (CEO and Founder, Sparkhouse) from past experience. When we needed to update our videos, Steve reached out to Torrey and we went from there.

Someone I knew within the advertising agency community in Orange County also had glowing reviews for them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000-$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September or October 2017 and just finalized the project [in February 2018].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, feedback has been great from both staff and customers in stores. The videos are upbeat and communicate exactly what we wanted our customers to see.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great, especially compared to our experience with a previous vendor. Their solutions-oriented team went above and beyond in terms of planning and production. Anytime we had feedback, they'd hop on a call right away and come up with a plan to make adjustments as needed. The whole process was seamless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From their creative abilities to their approach in communicating with our team, working with Sparkhouse has been great. Their professionalism sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a clear vision going into the planning process. Sparkhouse provided us with a few ideas for video concepts, which helped us choose a direction that was best for our brand. That pre-production work is critical to getting the best end product for your business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Business Development Manager at Goldencomm, an e-commerce website development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

Originally, I wanted to create a viral video on a limited marketing budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkhouse produced five or six different live-action product videos projects, including the viral video, for our website. For a gourmet drink mix, they hired real actors and filmed in a kitchen environment. In each case, our goal was to show how easy the products are to use. They also do storyboarding and scripting in addition to production.

They helped a mutual client with photography and product videos, but I recommended their branding support services as well. To refresh corporate identities, they do branding updates and mood boards.

What is the team composition?

I work with one or two people at a time, the founder and/or a producer.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I found them. They understood all aspects of digital marketing, not just the visualizations. The team was a fun group of confident people.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in 2013 and the latest project wrapped in January 2018. They just completed a photography shoot and are now moving into media production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work was outstanding, professional and exceptionally creative. The founder exceled at storyboarding; I think he was born to do it. We noticed improved traffic and video views on one project, but don’t have analytics for anything done before that.

The whole team also proved their strategic branding and marketing skills. Most employees are film school graduates, but are more strategic than other industry professionals. They make insightful recommendations and have a good grasp on industry best practices. I keep recommending them for their overall talent.

Sparkhouse made it easy for us, as a startup, to work with a limited budget. They’re creative about getting resources, such as free actors from Los Angeles, at a cost-effective price.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s great that I work with only one or two people. The producer or founder marshals all the resources: actors, scripts, location shoots, etc. They take care of everything.

The founder especially is not shy to bug me until he gets what he wants. They’re great project managers, getting tasks completed on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The combination of digital marketing prowess and video production competency stands out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could take me to lunch more often, but I have no serious critiques.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a realistic budget in mind because most video production companies engage under a certain amount. However, Sparkhouse can adapt to meet clients’ financial needs. When I started as a startup, I was impressed with how they were able to get resources without breaking the bank. The more direction the client provides, the better they can execute.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We help tech product companies build brands that help sales growth. We specialize in the consumer electronics industry, with expertise in retail activations and digital marketing. I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We were looking for a video production house with the creativity and talent to execute on our creative briefs and as a long-term partner to work with our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've worked with us on 12 campaigns. They've made high-concept brand films that have involved everything from surfing at the beach, to having a family taking flight at the airport, to having helicopters and military vehicles descend upon our client's warehouse. The requests have ranged from doing 3D digital development to CG animations.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I met one of the partners at a local networking event. We chose to work with them because of their creative hunger and ambition to push the envelope.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around half of one million dollars with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since 2011. We have small projects with them currently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're a full-service video production company that has successfully delivered upon our creative briefs. We have millions of views through the virality of the content. People like how they keep their finger on the pulse of emerging trends.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They're always on time and budget. They're very collaborative; they're like an extension of our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand how to build a brand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the field sales director at Taylor-Dunn, a manufacturing company of electric vehicles for industrial and commercial use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We wanted to produce three-minute videos of our products, so our customers can learn about their features and benefits.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkhouse has produced 27 videos for us. The videos are about three minutes long and include animations, dialogue, and product demonstrations. They wrote the scripts and used in-house actors to portray the selling features of our vehicles. Sparkhouse took standstill, moving, and aerial shots of our products in action. The videos were posted on our website and on YouTube.

The videos are meant to support our sales efforts. We attach the videos to emails sent to customers, so they can get an understanding of our products. New sales representatives learn from the videos to understand the products' features. Whenever we come out with a new product, it is expected to have a video put together for our employees’ tool kit.

What is the team dynamic?

Torrey [Tayenaka, CEO/Founder, Sparkhouse] and his team went to Taylor-Dunn to film and produce the videos. They wrote and revised scripts to correctly show what we were selling.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I believe they were called Orange County Media when they first emailed me. I interviewed different audio/video production companies and they seemed like an aggressive young company that understood the message we wanted to portray.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested under $50,000 with Sparkhouse.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them since 2011, and did two or three videos in 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

These videos have been phenomenal because they became training tools for our employees and gave the customers the opportunity to see our products without having a live demo done on site. Most of our competition does not have product videos and this project has progressed us far above them.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

We never had an issue if we wanted to change the script. We would go back at least three or four times with film edits if there was something that didn’t match or like.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are nice people to deal with, they are on time, and they understood what we wanted. The completion of videos was quick, and they exceeded my expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of creative development for a business magazine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

At the time, our organization had no dedicated video department internally, so we needed help with both production and editing. They became our main source for producing video content to use on our main website, social media accounts, and various marketing and advertising efforts. As a publisher, we had a lot of content, and Sparkhouse had great ideas about how to utilize it in videos. The overarching goal was to gain additional advertising clients through our digital initiatives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since the beginning of our partnership, they have worked on probably hundreds of videos with our editorial and marketing departments. I often worked directly with Torrey Tayenaka [CEO and founder, Sparkhouse] to brainstorm ideas, gather necessary files, and begin individual projects. The rest of the time, Sparkhouse worked directly with our staff to produce video content based on the individual department’s needs.

Most of the content involved interviewing entrepreneurs, individually and as a group, and filming both keynote speakers and breakout sessions at our events. At certain events, they also assisted our digital team with live streaming. Our team was given a lot of leeway to request content, such as “how to” videos, among other topics.

A few times, Torrey assisted in the production of video pitches to advertisers. Although most of the content came from our side, he occasionally provided creative suggestions, including sharing pre-roll or a quick-cut clip of something that he thought would sell our brand effectively to advertisers. Sparkhouse’s involvement was a little bit of everything.

What is the team dynamic?

Our other staff worked with some of his partners, but I worked exclusively with Torrey.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

Sparkhouse has been a vital partner in our business for 6 years, ever since our then-COO set up an introduction. After that initial meeting, we did a couple of test shoots, and the work we received was of such a high quality that we decided to engage them on a more regular basis.

How much have you invested with them?

Anywhere between $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It began in 2011 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although I do not have any specific metrics or statistics on the matter, there is a noticeable difference in quality to the video content we produced before and after we engaged Sparkhouse. From a design perspective, Torrey helped to establish a style and identity for our magazine’s video content.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

Torrey was the principal for our organization, and although he worked with a team, I do not know the specific numbers for each individual project. Their work with the marketing and editorial departments was always reliable and well organized, with Sparkhouse being heavily involved at every stage of the process. Any issues that came up were the kind that one would expect to happen at any ordinary video shoot. In terms of communication, Torrey was responsive and timely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sparkhouse is open to constructive criticism and is not afraid to voice their opinions. Torrey is an extremely flexible production partner, in that he allowed us to provide as much direction as we saw fit, but he was also able to take the reins when he was more engaged in a particular creative idea. His development of our video content’s style was essential to getting our digital presence to where it is today. During the editing process, very few revisions needed to occur, which was an important timesaving factor for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior graphic designer for JWC Environmental. A global company in the wastewater and industrial wastewater industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

Our video library consisted of content from the 1970s. We were looking to our update our videos in order to accurately showcase our products and better serve our customers. Primarily, we needed an updated maintenance video for one of our product lines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They assisted with the production of a maintenance video, and are producing a product introduction video in its entirety. The maintenance video is used by our European clients. It provides the information on how to disassemble and reassemble our products in order to improve their functionality. That project was a collaborative effort as we filmed it in-house and gave them the raw footage. We then worked closely with Sparkhouse from the storyboarding stage to completion of the video. The second video, which is still being produced, introduces a new product to the industry and illustrates how it works. This will feature a mixture of both video footage and animation.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

Sparkhouse was originally in our office building. I spoke to them, and a business relationship was formed. When starting the video production project, we first considered other companies. However, they weren’t creative or flexible enough to meet our needs in a way that Sparkhouse could.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The maintenance video is only applicable to a niche group of customers. The product introduction video will be distributed to the appropriate social media channels but is not complete. As a result, I don’t have access to certain metrics at this time. However, I can say their work was excellent and they’re some of the best people I’ve worked with in my 30 years of industry experience.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

Their expertise in storyboarding, communicating, and collaborating made the product better than expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care about their client, and their knowledge of the video process makes the storyboard come to life.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly no, I can’t think of anything they need to do better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of an inbound marketing agency in Southern California. We started this company two years ago and we're primarily focused on a couple of verticals: B2B IT and e-commerce. We're basically an outsourced market agency for the customers we work with.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We had five major goals for the year, and one was to add video marketing to our menu of client services. We considered developing that competency in-house, but we found it easier to partner with Sparkhouse.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project they helped us with is what we term for our clients as a "Facebook video." It's essentially an attention-grabber to make you pause when you're scrolling through your feed, so it has to quickly and creatively describe the product to get the viewer interested. It's a revenue-generating ad to sell e-commerce products.

After that first client's video was successful, we used Sparkhouse with another client who was launching a new service app. The owner wanted an animated video to describe how their app works, what it sells, and why it's meaningful. They'd been working directly with another video agency at that time, but they weren't happy with the partnership. They came to us for a referral since we were already working with them on the marketing, and we outsourced their project to Sparkhouse.

We don't really advertise ourselves as a creative agency, even though we have to be in our marketing campaigns, so we work in tandem with Sparkhouse. We give them bullet points or things that we can/can't say in an ad, and they help us flesh out ideas, scripts, and storyboards in addition to producing video and animation.

What is the team dynamic?

On the earliest projects we worked directly with Torrey [Tayenaka, CEO/Founder, Sparkhouse], but on these newer ones we have a project manager and a creative director. We trust them so much that we also let them interface directly with our clients.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I believe we started out looking for companies online, but I'm not sure. Our marketing director brought Sparkhouse in while we were evaluating new partners because our clients weren't happy with the pricing offered by our previous video agency. Torrey came into our office to discuss their process. We felt like it was a good culture and personality match, and their prices were in line with what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $50,000, which includes 11 in-progress projects as well as completed ones.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them for a little over a year, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We track our video engagements, revenue, and click-through rates from the first Facebook video ad they created. We've had a super-strong ROI on that.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

Every once in a while I'll have to check in like you do with any vendor, but 95% of the time they're great at communicating promptly and holding to their deadlines. They usually reach out to us and our clients first to update us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like their style and work ethic. One pleasant surprise has been their ability to come up with creative ideas during the storyboard or scripting process. I assumed we'd have to handle that, but they came in with solid ideas and pitches that won our client over. It's great that they can conceptually develop and oversee a whole project.

They also balance well between value and high quality. They use good equipment, they shoot the content in the right resolutions for the platforms we need, and the prices aren't outrageous.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company provides financial services for vehicles. I’m on the marketing team; I work on financing and leasing campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We always like to support different military organizations. We have certain special programs for the military, and we offer special financing specifically for members of the military.

We wanted to promote the partnership that we have with the military organization—to capture what we do to support them, like volunteering and donating. We needed Sparkhouse to film video testimonials that capture that relationship.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apart from the interviewing, filming, and editing that they led for us, they also provided creative direction. Our partners provide school supplies for children of military families in need, and we wanted to document it.

It was a challenge because of the various locations where the partnership takes place. At our offices, we pick a day to get all the back-to-school supplies and pack all the backpacks, and they’re taken on base to the kids. This is where it got tricky, because we’re not allowed to film on the base. Luckily, Sparkhouse was very flexible and we were able to change the plan mid-project. We went to our partners' offices, which is not on base, and filmed some of the participating families there.

Rather than filming the live event, we had more of an interview style. Sparkhouse was very creative in making a really nice video that told the whole story, even with the filming constraints that we had.

Another project was basically editing. We wanted a sizzle reel. It was the end of our year and we had a bunch of different videos that had already been produced. We had a big company meeting coming up where we wanted to give a little taste of what we’d been working on all year as a team. In a very short time, Sparkhouse edited all the different videos together for our sizzle reel.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

Our manager was referred to Sparkhouse by one of her connections. We usually work with creative agencies that use larger production companies, but because Sparkhouse is a little bit smaller, they were able to be pretty flexible with timing and budget on the different projects that had come up.

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000-$50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2016 until March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video promoting our sponsorship of the non-profit organization garnered the highest view rate on our Facebook page that year. People really like getting to see the different videos compiled together on the sizzle reel. Everyone thought it was really well done.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really easy to work with. They’re always checking in. They’re very flexible and accommodating with any changes that come up. They’re also very responsive. They’re really great to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible. With us, you never know when changes will come in or when we’ll need to add more to a video or take something out and re-edit it. That happens a lot here. They’re always very willing to change things around at the last minute.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential clients of Sparkhouse?

It always helps them if you have a specific idea of what you want. They definitely respond well when you communicate what you’re looking for and what you’re expecting.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a principal and co-owner of Orange Label, a response marketing firm founded in 1972.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We help clients with their brand and messaging, but don’t do extensive video work. We have some capability for it, but wanted a production house that could work with us to meet our clients’ business objectives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We spearheaded storyboarding, then they created 30-second television commercials and two-minute “about us” videos for two clients. Sparkhouse acted as production and film crew, and as editors for each video.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

A member of our business development team met Torrey [CEO/Founder, Sparkhouse] at a networking event. We had interviewed several other companies, but Sparkhouse was local and we developed a good rapport. We liked their samples—and their price was right—so we decided to use them.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we’ve spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the first project with them in the summer of 2016, and the second finished in June 2017. We’re beginning another project with them now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] for the success of the videos. In terms of quality, Sparkhouse met the directive. These were not big-budget productions for high-end brands, but the work they produced fulfills its purpose.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well. We communicated frequently to discuss changes, both during the filming and in post-production. Spencer [Account Manager, Sparkhouse] kept the project on track and was very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their accessibility, communication, and willingness to meet in person to collaborate impressed us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do more to understand our clients’ project aims—the big picture.