336 Productions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the brand content manager for Ace Exhibits. We sell trade show and retail displays, such as backdrops and banners.

What challenge were you trying to address with 336 Productions?

A lot of our clients don’t understand our products. We were trying to create instructional videos that would visually show our clients how to put our products together. We also wanted to use them as a sales tool so the client feels confident going into a purchase.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created about 90 product videos for us. We gave them a list of products and the steps for putting each item together. Then they wrote the script. Once we approved that, they created the shot list. They set up production and we had many long days of shooting.

Then they would edit the videos together and send over the files for us to look through. Depending on if there were changes, they would put some final touches on them.

They screened voice actors, and then we selected who we wanted. Then they recorded and added the voice over to the file. Then our team reviewed the final product.

What is the team composition?

For preproduction and postproduction, we worked with Josh and Marlo. Then for shooting, there was the DP and three other people assisting.

How did you come to work with 336 Productions?

They focus on product videos for companies and it was helpful that they were local to us. It was a fairly easy decision. There weren’t a lot of companies that were local and focused on what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a few hundred thousand dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2013 and we made all of these videos over several years. Although we haven’t worked on any videos recently, we will probably work with them again.

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

We’re happy with what they produced and the process was easy and professional. They definitely help the customer clarify what the product is and how it’s assembled before and after purchasing.

How did 336 Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

In 2013, we didn’t have Asana or Slack, so we used spreadsheets and email for most of our communication. We also used Google Docs and stuff like that. They did respond quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a lot of knowledge and experience in this type of video production. The flow of communication was easy and natural. Sometimes working with vendors can be a struggle, but working with 336 Productions felt like a smooth process. There are a lot of things that don’t even need to be discussed because they just handle it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. We’ve been happy with their work, which is why we’ve invested so much money and time working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their job, and don’t try to overstep. They’re experts in video production and I trust them to handle what they need to do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time I worked with 336 Productions, I was the marketing manager for Ayres Hotels, a family-owned and operated collection of hotels located in Southern California. 

What challenge were you trying to address with 336 Productions?

We needed to translate the vision and culture of the company to our new hires. We also needed a short marketing video on hand that highlighted the guest stay experience at our hotels. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

336 Productions produced two videos for us. The first was an orientation video for new team members, and the second was a one-minute marketing video for the company to use for various purposes. 336 Productions handled everything from ideation through production. The team was there with us every step of the way, walking us through the process. 

What is the team composition?

I mostly interacted with Josh and Marlowe (Co-Founders, 336 Productions). Once the production crew got involved, we worked with approximately 7–10 people.

How did you come to work with 336 Productions?

We wanted to hire a local company because this was important to the owners of Ayres Hotels. We were impressed by the work samples that 336 Productions showed us, and their pricing was good as well. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The production of the two videos lasted from October 2014–February 2015.

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

For the orientation video, the end goal was an increase in service scores across the portfolio. As the video was so well done, we ended up broadcasting it to current team members as well. The video, coupled with our revamped training program, helped us raise our scores significantly. The KPI for the marketing video was user views, which stand at 17K on YouTube, while the video has also been broadcast on a number of different channels.

How did 336 Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was fantastic. It was a hands-off experience for us, as the process was very well managed on their end. My team provided our vision and additional support while 336 Productions took that vision and translated it to video. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of service that they provide to the client sets them apart. Josh and Marlowe are incredibly invested in all of their projects, and I can’t speak highly enough about them. They allayed any fears we may have had and walked us through the process from the very beginning so that we knew exactly what to expect. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. It was a wonderful experience. We hope to eventually use their services at my current company as well.

Any advice for potential customers?

Don’t miss the opportunity to work with a seasoned, informed, creative, and talented team at 336 Productions.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and web manager at Brenner-Fielder. We’re in automation pneumatics and specialize in assisting companies with final products for factories, like vision, robotics, and gantry systems.

What challenge were you trying to address with 336 Productions?

Our business model was evolving so we wanted to create a video that would reflect the changes we were making.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve never made a company video before, so we needed a partner that would walk us through the process from ideation to preproduction, shooting, and postproduction. I gave them a few sentences about what we wanted, and 336 Productions came back to us with a comprehensive proposal that satisfied our project requirements. They even created the script and questionnaire.

What is the team composition?

 I had a primary contact who answered every one of my calls. They had a team working on my project, though I don’t know how many people were on it.

How did you come to work with 336 Productions?

At first, I only looked at local companies, but couldn’t find an agency that resonated with our goals. I expanded my search and found 336 Productions, so I submitted a contact form through their website, and they responded very quickly. They developed a better proposal than any other agency I contacted.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March–May 2019.

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

Based on the feedback I’ve received from customers, everyone has been impressed by the video.  It’s an incredibly high-quality product and their deliverables exceeded my expectations. Now that we have a larger budget, I’d love for them to do a few more videos for us.

How did 336 Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were amazing and extremely professional. Always prompt, they responded quickly to any questions that I had. We also had a very strict timeline, but they delivered everything on time or sooner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization and professionalism were impressive. The project could have an extremely stressful experience because it was such a large-scale video, but they made it easy and fun.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be communicative upfront. Let them know how much effort you want to be able to put into it and how much effort you'd like them to take over because they’re flexible. Whatever your needs are—whether you want to be more hands-on or hands-off, they’re willing to work with you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an event rental company in Southern California, carrying an inventory of chairs, tables, linen, china, flatware, dance floors, tents, and anything needed for special events. Our company handles a lot of weddings and backyard events. My official title is inventory manager, but I’m also involved in our marketing efforts.

What challenge were you trying to address with 336 Productions?

We hired them to develop a two-minute video primarily for the homepage of our new website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were two components for this project. The larger portion was the production and editing of a two-minute video that told the story of what customers experience when they rent from us. It took viewers through our showroom and signup process, guiding people through the process from start to finish. This included discovery, order placement, and delivery. Importantly, it communicates how we take a lot of the heavy lifting of the customer’s shoulders, so they can enjoy their event.

The second part of the project involved selecting a 10–15-second clip from the video and looping it constantly on the homepage of our site. With that, there’s a button prompting users to click for the full video.

How did you come to work with 336 Productions?

I did a Google search for video production companies, finding five to consider further. After doing phone calls with three of the five, 336 Productions stood out and felt like a good fit. It was also a bonus that we’re located in the same city.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May–August 2017.

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

Our internal team was very happy with how the video turned out. It's very high quality. They met all our expectations and stayed on budget. 

How did 336 Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

I was really impressed with how they managed the project. They kept us on the ball, pushing the project forward. I was never left wondering where we stood with anything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management and professionalism were particularly impressive. They were great about setting due dates and planning next steps.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I truly can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In early meetings, have your vision for the video fully fleshed out. We were able to do that, and because of our great conversations in the beginning, we received a product that matched the story we wanted to tell.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hydraflow designs and manufactures low-pressure fluid transfer components for commercial and defense aviation. I’m a part-owner as well as director of sales & marketing.

For what projects/services did your company hire 336 Productions?

Hydraflow celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011 and so we hired 336 Productions to write, produce, and film a corporate video celebrating the company and its history. We didn’t have any marketing employees, so they had to perform all of the background work, including drafting the script and identifying key players and points for the video to highlight.

What were your goals for this project?

To celebrate our milestone anniversary, but also to document the company's history. We wanted to express and illustrate our company culture in the video as well.

Initially, we wanted to show the video to our employees, vendors, customers, and other key stakeholders at our anniversary celebration. As we made progress, we realized that we could make slight modifications to the video and create multiple versions. They used the same footage to make three different versions of the video: full length one, a shorter version for our website, and a clipped/non-audio version for display at trade shows.

How did you select this vendor?

We did a Google search for local corporate video companies and selected 336 Productions based on their price and overall production value.

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

They wrote the script, storyboard, conducted pre-filming interviews with employees, and then filmed and produced the video. They also designed the animation featured in the final product. We met several times prior to filming, including once on-site visit and collaborated on edits to the script online up to the final shoot. It took two days of filming— there is a mix of action shots of the building and employees, as well as interviews with key personnel in various locations throughout our facility.

They were extremely creative, flexible, and passionate about our video. We didn’t originally plan on including a time-lapse of our manufacturing facility, but we came up with the idea on the first day of the shoot. They built this into the schedule and it’s one of my favorite shots. We’re not used to being on camera, but they made everyone feel at ease. They’re very easy to work with and everyone feel at ease on camera. I really appreciated their attention and support, as well as their ability to scout so many locations within our facility for the interviews. It truly showcases our whole facility and company.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Both Marlowe (Co-founder, 336 Productions) and Josh (Co-founder, 336 Productions) responded to any emails or calls in a timely fashion. Post-filming, they provided several animations to select from and incorporated our edits in a timely manner. The idea to create a trade show video came way later, and they had no problems accessing and finding the footage and creating it for us.

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

The feedback we received from employees and customers is tremendous. The video truly captures the spirit of our business, and we’ve incorporated the full-length version into our new employee onboarding. Even though it’s almost 10 years old, the story holds strong and it seems fresh each time we watch it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was excellent. They were extremely organized, providing timelines and checklists so that we knew what to expect and how to prepare. They’re very thorough, professional, and passionate about each project they take on. They were easily accessible and made the overall process stress-free.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Marlowe and Josh each bring unique talents to their company. They work well together and enjoy their business in a way that’s contagious. They’re calm and creative which helps foster a successful collaboration.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, no. They’re so easy to work with and the quality of the final product went way beyond our vision. The value for the cost was also incredible.