Storyfarm

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Social Media Manager, Corporate Communications, of a publishing company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have a broad range of products and services: live and on-demand events, specialist media and content, expert and academic research, accredited training, digital demand generation services, audience development services, buyer intent platforms, and more. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Storyfarm to accomplish?

• Update our Corporate YouTube Presence
• Tell our Corporate Stories
• Work seamlessly for a global team during Covid

SOLUTION

How did you find Storyfarm?

Referral

Why did you select Storyfarm over others?

their leaders had worked in Journalism

How many teammates from Storyfarm were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Storyfarm seamlessly created a series of interview videos of several colleagues in their own homes, during Covid, when people could not be in an office, and made them look and sound professional. They were expert at scripting, so key points were made, while at the same time the individuals were able to just "be themselves" something that is not easy to do!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to create 6 excellent videos for our YouTube channel. Individuals in our organization were made comfortable enough to tell their own personal stories. To this day I head good feedback on the experience from colleagues who were filmed.

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

They were always prompt in responding to my emails, I never had any issues.

What was your primary form of communication with Storyfarm?

Email or Messaging App

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

They are experts in conveying stories.

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

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Senior Director at a  non-profit company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an association that supports Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists in all service settings schools, health care and private practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Storyfarm to accomplish?

• To create video content that communicates inter-professional within teams of doctors, patients and interdisciplinary staff
• To tell the story of how patient care is better when health care teams work together, especially how including Speech Language Pathology and Audiology into those practices improves patient outcome.
• To use the best possible, highest quality video techniques to bring the stories to life.

SOLUTION

How did you find Storyfarm?

Referral

Why did you select Storyfarm over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Storyfarm were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Conduct onsite video at designated hospital locations with patients who have received care for head and neck cancer, and cochlear implant surgery. Project consisted of two days of shooting at the medical facilities, conducting interviews with full team individually, as a team, and with the patient. Followed by a day of shooting at patient residences to capture the patient side of the services they received. 

Conducted interviews with patients and family along with capturing them doing what they love. Provided post production services including captioning and transcription services. Final deliverables included two videos both about 4 minutes each.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our videos have just launched but our measure of success will be quantity of views and length of views. So far, the videos have been out for less than a month and are receiving full watch rankings, more than any other video we have produced in the last year. 

Generally our watch time is 2 minutes at the very most. With these videos clocking it at 4 minutes we are pleased with the time watched so far and anticipate the longevity of these videos to garner a high view rating and length of minutes viewed.

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

We have been very happy with the project management support we have received. Communication is always prompt, informative and our expectations are clearly met and considered. The full Storyfarm team is delightful and fun to work with. However, Tia in particular is amazing, she deserves a raise! She was prompt, concise, and always willing to take on the change requests we offered.

What was your primary form of communication with Storyfarm?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I have used Storyfarm over the years for various projects and I keep coming back because they are easy to work with, and their eye for detail and storytelling is impressive. I'm confident when I hire Storyfarm that my project will adhere to the highest production quality and standards and they will make me and my team look good.

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

Nope, keep doing what you do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital and social at Old World Industries, LLC, the corporate entity that owns PEAK antifreeze and coolant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Storyfarm?

We were attempting to improve our overall content development. Our goal was to provide our consumers with a different experience with our bottles on product detail pages and within digital experiences. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Storyfarm has created 3D graphics of our bottles, which come in different colors and shapes for our various products, such as antifreeze and brake fluid. They’ve also animated the pours that go along with the bottles in 3D, which show the liquid flowing out of the bottle realistically. The video places the products in real-life settings, such as a garage or over a car hood. 

The team also ensured that we could change the label on the 3D bottle models to update our creative assets without having to film the bottles again. Currently, Storyfarm is working on new projects for our wiper blades and headlamps. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–4 teammates from Storyfarm. Our interactions are with people from the sales and accounts and design teams, and someone on the production team has also been involved. 

How did you come to work with Storyfarm?

We were looking for a 3D design and creative agency, and Storyfarm came to the table. After doing an RFP and looking at 2–3 other companies, we decided that Storyfarm was the right fit for us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around December 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've posted the video on YouTube, the product detail pages on our site, and e-commerce platforms like AutoZone and Amazon. The video has exceeded our and our customers' expectations. Initially, people didn't believe it was a 3D graphic and not live action video. This outcome is good for us going forward because it removes the idea that technology can't be realistic. We're excited to work with Storyfarm to capture that again. 

Thanks to their work, we can update our creative assets without having to film out bottles again, which reduces costs and improves our time to market. Storyfarm has been able to deliver quickly, even with many people giving feedback. The team has taken the feedback, incorporated it into the correct changes, and delivered the video for us to get in front of the customers. 

Moreover, everyone on the Storyfarm team is very positive, open to feedback, and easy to work with. They're open to collaboration, which facilitates things for us since we need input from many people. The team is patient in working with us on what's achievable with our timeline and budget. 

How did Storyfarm perform from a project management standpoint?

They've put the project together very well from a time and cost perspective — we're right where we need to be. As for communication, we use phone calls, and the team has done a great job. If anything,  we could do a better job of getting our feedback to them in a more timely fashion. Overall, Storyfarm has done everything I could have expected from an agency of their size. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since the project involves creative work, we haven't provided Storyfarm with that much direction. Despite this, they've delivered a completed project that exceeds our expectations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they need to improve. If we need any changes, they're from us as a client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream Corporation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Storyfarm?

We transitioned to being a fully employee-owned company in 2020. There was a significant amount of legal work and energy that went into getting everyone ready for the transition. At the end of the day, one of the things we wanted to do over the winter was to market and promote the fact that we were now employee-owned. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I reached out to John and told him what we were trying to do. We had a couple of conversations, and we ended up engaging them to do a series of promotional videos. We helped them meet all the different people from our company and we gave them the chance to get to know them so that they could produce amazing content for us.

Some of them were 30-second to one-minute videos. One of the purposes was to use it on our transfer of ownership event. We did the transfer of ownership ceremony on December 15th and since it could be a very boring thing — essentially six guys sitting around signing documents — we wanted to put a little flair on it. Since in-person events were not allowed due to COVID-19, we wanted our virtual event to ensure that everyone knew about it. 

What is the team composition?

At least 5–6 people were involved in the project, but I’m not sure if they had more people working. 

How did you come to work with Storyfarm?

I was a CEO of a company 10 years ago and I didn’t realize we had collaborated with them already. Then, when I was trying to figure out what video company to use for our project, Storyfarm was one of the ones we just naturally researched to know what we can do.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from October–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our spending was a stretch for us since we are not a huge company, but we were happy we spent the money. Their outputs were really worth taking a look at. I think anybody would find them very compelling and certainly, our fans did.

They really listened to what we were trying to do and they executed a plan that really ended up having our employee-owners highlighted in a way that was not charitable, not condescending — but a real promotion of the different personalities and skills they were bringing to the company. 

How did Storyfarm perform from a project management standpoint?

I got the sense that they worked around the clock to make our deadline. We had a very tight deadline for this, and they were able to hit that deadline and create an output that was on point.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their listening skills to the overall direction of our project was phenomenal. Moreover, they took their time to know their subjects and they just did very well. The music, background, transition — there was never a person that watched our videos that didn’t say it was great. Ultimately, we really got what we paid for. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think they have any areas they could improve. I would be hard-pressed to say there was a hole in their service. They underpromised and over-delivered. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sit back and understand that they’re going to bring everything you need. You shouldn’t worry about it. 

There were a lot of things they brought to the table cost-wise. For instance, they brought backgrounds for a photoshoot, and at one point, they must have spent a couple of hundred bucks on hot pink background because they were doing some fun video shoots. The little things they did were really helpful and it was just interesting how much they put in the project without exactly billing those gestures. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Blue Star Families is a military-affiliated nonprofit. Our mission is to supporting military families to improving our military readiness. We do this by keeping a pulse on their concerns through our Survey and then using the data to find solutions to their challenges by fostering collaborations, informing legislative change, and creating free events, programs, and resources.

Why? Because our nation is strongest when our service members and their families are thriving. I'm the Senior Cause Marketing Manager for Blue Star Families.

I help build strong communities of support for military families by partnering with corporate supporters -- we call them Blue Star Neighbors -- to execute creative campaigns that bring awareness to and support for military life challenges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storyfarm?

We worked with Storyfarm on the Corporate Playbook. It was a video project designed to encourage businesses to support the people who keep America safe.

Our mission? To educate corporate supporters on the fact that military families live within every community in America and need corporate support to empower these families to thrive. Storyfarm helped us with scripts, interviews, and final creative. They did a phenomenal job pulling it together into a very professional product.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Explain why military families matter and the problem we're trying to solve.
2. Explain what would happen if military families don't get the support they need.
3. Explain why corporate partners are in a unique position to support.
4. Explain the different ways corporate partners can contribute and how.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storyfarm?

Their project portfolio is outstanding and they came highly recommended.

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

We started with prep-production and management where Storyfarm hosted several discovery calls to help shape the narrative. During this time, they helped us with scripts and asset collection.

Next we moved on tot he production phase where we went to several onsite locations to film the interviews. They provided high-quality equipment and creative direction. Lastly, we moved to post-production where they produced the first draft complete with footage, graphics, and music.

Together, went through two or three iterations before getting to the final product. It was a seamless process and they were 100 percent professional the entire time.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Storyfarm would provide us with a file to review and a timeline to provide feedback. In our contract we had a certain amount of revisions permitted which we were easily able to follow.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The corporate partner who sponsored the video was very pleased. Everyone involved was happy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Storyfarm kept the train moving and juggled all the moving pieces so that we had plenty of time to meet all deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Storyfarm is organized, creative, and professional. They are a joy to work with and bring amazing expertise to the table.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at Cookies United. We’re a large commercial bakery, and we have many branded and private label products that we make in New York. We have a brand called Cake Bites, and this is the brand we engaged Storyfarm with.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Storyfarm?

Cake Bites is a very branded product in the marketplace. We brought Storyfarm to produce commercials for television, social media, and YouTube.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For two consecutive years, they’ve produced three commercials for us. They come up with creative techniques for camera usage in the commercials.

What is the team composition?

I work with five or six people including Andrew (CCO, CD, & Director In-House) and Dan (Partner, Client Development).

How did you come to work with Storyfarm?

We started looking for agencies to produce our commercials through Google. We found Storyfarm’s website and thought it looked nice. We gave them a call and found that they were down-to-earth and relatable. We formed a relationship right away.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $100,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement was from September 2018–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had triple the amount of completion rate against our newest commercials we’ve done with Storyfarm as opposed to last year’s commercials. This an extremely impressive completion rate. Storyfarm is very easy and fun to work with. Their team members are a tight-knit group of people.

How did Storyfarm perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely good at moving very fast and diligently. Their team met all my deadlines. They’re very responsive, even in these COVID-19 times. Usually, I’d be on set during the filming of the commercials but we couldn’t because of COVID-19. Storyfarm allowed me to Zoom in through the lens of the camera and watch the entire production happen remotely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with their ability to get things done on a timely basis and within our outlined budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Enjoy the process. They’re very creative so anything you can think of, they can get it done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of account services for a full service digital agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storyfarm?

Video shoot and light editing (we've also used them for production, onsite shoots around the country, etc)

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a training video for an international medical device manufacturer. We needed beautiful and professional footage to implement into the final video.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storyfarm?

We've worked with Storyfarm for years, they have been our go-to video production agency. They are always professional and flexible to work with and fairly priced so it was a no brainer.

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

We set up a sales call to describe the project and obtained a quote within days. We agreed to move forward and set up a kickoff call at Storyfarm's office, where we met with the project manager, creative director and several crew members. Storyfarm then set up a scouting visit to the client site (which involved a lot of logistics with NDA's and paperwork).

They then wrote up shoot notes (and saved me a ton of time, even researched the products to create a really organized process). The shoot was two long days and the entire crew was incredibly patient and detail oriented, ensuring theh highest quality for every shot.

Finally they did some light post-production work and hand delivered the files for our team.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

See above - they were incredibly detail oriented, made the entire process a complete pleasure

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The footage from our shoot has been incorporated into dozens of follow up projects. the client still refers to it as the most beautiful footage the exists within the entire organization. We could not be happier

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was fabulous during the entire process. they understood roles and responsibilities of both our video team and theirs and fit into our workflow exactly where we needed them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything. We have worked on multiple projects with them, and that is for a reason. they're incredibly flexible, the price is fair, they are extremely professional and perfectionists, and it shows in the final product. They have a very friendly and easy going voice and culture and I think that is driven from the top down. I would highly recommend this agency to anyone.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Wish we could work together more often.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an account manager and specialize on our firms video production work, among many other things. We are a social marketing firm that focuses on supporting non-profits, associations and government agencies. Topic areas for our work include health, mental health, environmental issues, voting rights, legal justice and substance use prevention.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storyfarm?

We needed a production company that had the capacity to do animation work. Our firm can do a lot of video production work in-house, which meant we needed a production company that was flexible enough to "plug-in" to the work we were already doing. Storyfarm proved to be exactly who we were looking for.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to create two videos that promoted a voter registration website. One video needed to be in English and one video needed to be in Spanish. A key aspect of this promotion was to show the viewer the actual functionality of the website, which meant we needed to create an animation that demonstrated how a user could use this resource.

SOLUTION

How did you select Storyfarm?

We discussed the project with Storyfarm, who demonstrated with previous work that they knew what we needed and how we needed it to look. We also liked their collaborative approach to the work, which was critical given the work we were already doing on these videos.

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

Once Storyfarm was on board, we shared with them the creative brief for the promotion videos, scripts in English and Spanish, branding guide, media elements and graphic elements.

Their team reviewed everything and provided us with a production timeline that aligned with the promotion timeline we had developed for the videos. Storyfarm then rendered a short animation of the website, which we used to get client approval before moving forward with production.

Storyfarm also helped select voiceover talent in English and Spanish for the videos, which was important in setting the tone for the videos. Storyfarm remained in constant contact throughout the process, including emails and conference calls to review our feedback, client feedback and make adjustments to the videos as needed.

Once completed, Storyfarm retained the project files used to develop the videos. This turned out to be key, as we returned to Storyfarm to make updates specific to the Spanish version of the promotion video several months later.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Storyfarm is very organized. For the project they provided us with a producer and an animator. The producer was responsive, communicative and diligent in ensuring production stayed on schedule. The animator was responsive, collaborative and flexible in making changes based on our feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos paired with the promotion plan developed by our firm performed very well. Evaluation for the video is currently still underway, but preliminary results from social media have revealed the following:

• 81K views and 6.2K engagements on Facebook
• 17K impressions, 111K views and 2.7K engagements on Twitter, including retweets by notable political influencers.
• 4K impression and 2.3K views on YouTube -4.5K impressions
• and 100+ engagements on Instagram

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Both our teams worked very well. Storyfarm ensured their production plan aligned with our promotion plan. In fact, many times they delivered on key milestones ahead of deadline (such as animation drafts, voiceover talent acquisition and video drafts).

Because of their collaborative approach to the work, Storyfarm's team felt like an extension of our in-house team rather than an outside vendor.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were organized, created high-quality work quickly, and are proactive in learning about the project they have. Once we brought them on for this project, they understood what we needed right away and were able to deliver what we needed almost immediately.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Executive Producer for 186 Advertising Ltd., a full service advertising agency representing the Central Atlantic Toyota Dealers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storyfarm?

In the creation of monthly creative campaigns, the goal was to use drone footage to show off the features of Toyota vehicles. 186 hired StoryFarm due to the quality of footage they could provide, combined with the ability to capture the unique selling features of each vehicle, all at an achievable budget, which was constrained on the agency side due to other end of year priorities.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for this campaign, if selected for implementation, was to shoot 5 vehicle specific :30 sec spots, based on the proto type spot used for the selection process, for a total of 6 spots ready for final finishing and broadcast in less than 9 working weeks, in winter.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

StoryFarm was a vendor that 186 already had a good working relationship with. After describing the scope of the project, and getting an approved budget, StoryFarm went right to work on settling the logistics of the shoot required for the campaign.

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

The biggest technical challenge for each shoot was to seam the drone footage with the interiors of the vehicles. The most expensive option would have been to use a jib or crane, in order to get the budget to work StoryFarm had a steadycam operator work the transition for each vehicle. I was able to direct the shoot so the cuts were not noticeable, and it looked to the audience like the "drone" had entered each vehicle.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

StoryFarm provided all the shooting crew, and managed all the footage into cuts for broadcast. Even when several rough cuts were rejected by the client, StoryFarm added addl. personnel to the project for a tight three day edit turnaround for revisions to the rough cuts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The campaign was immediately successful, and was extended for an addl. four weeks than originally scheduled. Additionally, the footage was recut into many addl. campaigns for as long as the footage was current.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

StoryFarm has a very adaptive workflow, and was able to roll with all the punches given them. All the basic project management necessities are done with a goal of getting you what you need - communication, scheduling, data/footage management - if you have a need they figure out a way to fill it.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing about StoryFarm was their willingness to solve the problems as they came down the pike. Instead of showing frustration about all the really challenging parameters and shifting goal posts, they just figured out a way to deliver.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was a memorable crew lunch moment, but they've already replaced the person responsible for that! They are quick to address issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Marketing at a credit union in Baltimore, MD.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Storyfarm?

We wanted to hire a company that could express our brand with compelling video. Storyfarm was hired for their creative and production expertise.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our brand awareness and connect to the communities we serve by differentiating our company from others that offer similar products in the area.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We saw some of the other work they were doing in the area, and after a few discussions, they provided a estimate that was within our budgeted range.

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

After a few conversations on our vision for the video, the team at Storyfarm shared their creative ideas and went to work. They handled everything from production to hiring the right actors and finding the right locations. They allowed us to be as involved or un-involved as we liked.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The team we worked directly with included 2 or 3 people at most to get our ideas into production. I'm sure there were a lot more people working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We loved the final products from the overall project. They really helped us achieve our vision and tell our story. We've received nothing but positive feedback on the videos. Everyone that sees them notices them and recognizes who we are.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow between our team and theirs was extremely effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their talent to take our ideas and bring them to life. They were easy to work with!

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very satisfied with their work!