ALCHEMYcreative

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive producer at Adobe. We create software for creatives, artists, and marketers.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

ALCHEMYcreative is one of our regular vendor partners to produce multiple types of video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCHEMYcreative has worked on a variety of video projects with us, such as screen capture animation, how-to guides, customer profiles, short documentaries, and product videos.

In each collaboration, a group of stakeholders comes to us with a problem and a budget. We then figure out internally what type of video would tell this story best. After that, we’ll talk to Trevor (CEO / Creative Director, ALCHEMYcreative) to bring one of ALCHEMYcreative’s producers onboard, like Laura (Executive Producer, ALCHEMYcreative) or Will (Director of Photography, ALCHEMYcreative). 

We tend to do the concept and script writing in-house. However, ALCHEMYcreative has such a wonderful vision and style that we’re always happy to collaborate with them and hear their thoughts. They can put together cell frames or determine the look and feel of the video, depending on our scope and needs. They also help lead shoots and bring a high level of knowledge about every product and how they work. Because we’ve been working with Trevor and his team for so long, they know our brand and aesthetic intimately and work well with us.

What is the team composition?

Trevor is always our first point of contact. Laura tends to join our conversations on scheduling, budgets, estimates, location releases, model releases, and the overall statement of work. We bring in Will for our creative needs.

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

I’m not sure how long ALCHEMYcreative and Adobe have been working together. They were already a partner vendor when I started working here as a producer.

Whenever I needed to do a project, I would go to my boss who would then show me reels and websites from different vendors. I really liked ALCHEMYcreative’s style, and my boss agreed that they would be a good fit for this first project. Since then, they’ve been one of my favorite vendors to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

For my projects, we’ve spent at least $500,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with ALCHEMYcreative in early 2014, and the partnership is ongoing.  

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

ALCHEMYcreative consistently delivers beautiful videos. They have a really high production value and a beautiful, cinematic aesthetic. They can elevate corporate video to a whole new level. The team also regularly tests new gear and wants to talk about different looks or more creative methods. Their willingness to innovate makes for a great collaboration.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

My side serves as the project management liaison between the stakeholder and the vendor. We protect our vendors from our stakeholders by delivering any feedback or directions in a clear, concise manner. The hope is to make ALCHEMYcreative’s job easier. 

However, ALCHEMYcreative does a great job at project management from my point of view. Since they’re a small company, we have a lot of personal conversations and have everyone pitching in to help each other. When we’re on location and ALCHEMYcreative doesn’t have a producer on-site, I step in. I always feel like I’m in good hands with them.

We communicate via email, texts, and phone calls. Trevor and I talk on the phone a lot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Trevor is fantastic. He’s a kind, highly creative, and technically proficient person and a pleasure to work with. He works incredibly hard, understands our products, comes up with great ideas, and always wants to push boundaries. He’s just a wonderful filmmaker.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whenever Trevor isn’t available and we have to use another director, the project tends to fall apart. We don’t get as much of a high touch with people other than Trevor. ALCHEMYcreative really needs four Trevors, or to hire directors that can do work to the same quality as Trevor. That’s not realistic all the time, but that’s just my constructive feedback.

I’d also add that ALCHEMYcreative tends to have a high bid, higher than what we’re used to or what we can typically afford. I’m happy to negotiate from there because I believe they’re worth every penny, but I think other people don’t want to have those conversations. Their initial prices might cause some people to walk away.

Any advice for potential customers?

Talk to Trevor — you’ll be in good hands with him.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a data storage company. We provide software and hardware data storage products to large enterprises.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

We wanted to tell compelling video stories about our customers and their success with overcoming their challenges by using our products. I was looking for a fresh, inspiring way that put the customer first and differed from the usual approach to customer storytelling. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCHEMYcreative is our support partner for creating customer testimonial videos. Their team has a professional approach that lets our customers feel like an extension of our team and produces a beautiful, sophisticated video that checks all our boxes.

We needed a partner that can jump in quickly, take directions, and execute each task without a lot of handholding. ALCHEMYcreative is highly organized and has strong preproduction and postproduction processes. They anticipate our needs and can reach out to different people in my company if they need answers that I can’t provide. I appreciate ALCHEMYcreative’s independence and willingness to be flexible.

For location shoots, ALCHEMYcreative consistently provides a full production crew, whether they fly in talent or work with crews in the area. That way, we can always ensure that our client’s story is going to turn out beautifully. ALCHEMYcreative is also fantastic at connecting with our clients. In one case, a client told us throughout the preproduction process that we wouldn’t be able to access specific areas for the shoot. On the day of the shoot, however, ALCHEMYcreative negotiated with the client and won access to areas we didn’t know we could ask for. As a result, we could tell a much richer and deeper story.

What is the team composition?

Whenever ALCHEMYcreative provides us with a large group of people, they also give us a central point of contact. Generally, we always with Laura (Executive Producer, ALCHEMYcreative), Bryce (Director, ALCHEMYcreative), and Cliff (Creative Partnerships, ALCHEMYcreative), who manages our account. Cliff always keeps in touch and asks if we need help with any tasks. It’s helpful for us to have a consistent base of people that I can rely on.

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

I was looking for production companies in the Bay Area—specifically for companies that were considered the latest and greatest. I came across ALCHEMYcreative and found that their portfolio resonated with me and with our brand. Their work was also incredibly consistent, which I admired. When I reached out to them to talk, it was a great fit as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership started in January 2018 and is ongoing.

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

Our clients are blown away with ALCHEMYcreative’s work. Whenever we get feedback, we’ve only had to make minor changes that we didn’t anticipate—it never has anything to do with the storytelling or quality. That alone is a testament to ALCHEMYcreative’s intuition and ability to take direction from our clients.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

ALCHEMYcreative is on top of everything. Even when my end is out of control and I can only give their team 30 days notice on a project, I know that their plan is going to be secure and watertight. We communicate mostly over the phone and email. We have meetings on an as-needed basis. When deadlines get closer, we perform weekly syncs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ALCHEMYcreative doesn’t have an ego. They’re more interested in doing what’s right for us and the client. Their positive attitude makes their team a pleasure to work with. I also appreciate that ALCHEMYcreative defends its boundaries whenever we or try to push them. They’re very clear and upfront about their time and budget constraints, and it makes for a more transparent and beneficial relationship for all parties involved.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. The only time we don’t use their team for projects is when the project has budget constraints.

Any advice for potential customers?

When working with any company like ALCHEMYcreative, you need to set your goals and flesh out your plan. Understand the story and its purpose so that their team can tap into that in their work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of professional and product marketing with Advance Auto Parts, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. We have various banners like Carquest Auto Parts, Autopart International and WORLDPAC.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

Using digital technology to provide a seamless engagement with our customers, the B2B side of our company was developing very quickly. We wanted to show how these changes make it easier for our customers to do business with us and how this was enabled through the expertise and value propositions from our varying banners.

Still, we needed to present a united message and strategy over all of our platforms.  It was important to us that the video resonated with internal people, but also could be used to reach out to strategic customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCHEMYcreative developed a short video.  They also did some still photography to capture the essence of our professional customers and articulate key parts of our transformation.

Before beginning the work, they asked smart questions and came back to us with relevant ideas. They visited several of our customers and stores in an unobtrusive way to create strategies for the video. They incorporated our feedback and went through rounds of proofing to add our insight. From there, they shot all the footage for us and put together the final video.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of four people, including the director and the producer.

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

We saw another video that they had worked on, and it was professional and inspiring. We tried something similar with our in-house team, but that project stalled. We reached out to ALCHEMYcreative because we really wanted the same emotional impact that was in the video they made for another company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $400,000—$500,000 with them. We did go over our budget, but it was because of the changes that we needed to make. In comparison, a previous partner was more expensive and wasn’t able to deliver the same value that we received from ALCHEMYcreative.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2018—January 2019.

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

We showed the video at a company-wide meeting, and it created a tremendous amount of excitement within our organization and with the board of directors. The video clearly showcases the breadth of the work we’ve done and how it will impact the future of our business. Despite the fact that the video was about an auto parts company, it was emotional and people were clearly moved.

We also used the video to leverage customers, who have all been amazed by the film. Now they see us as a company that is modern, technologically-based and is reflective of the vehicles that are on the road today. The video demonstrates the level of expertise that we have and the technology that we have available, indicating that we are ready for the future.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were some of the best project managers that I’ve worked with. We primarily spoke through phone, email, and texts. They outlined realistic timelines, and never missed a deadline. Even when we presented them with a last-minute request from our EVP, they shot additional footage. Additionally, they showed initiative throughout the project.

Their team was very engaged with us, and they asked a lot of questions during their process. It was clear that they absorbed a lot of what we said and understood our business and customers. While they focused on the specific things that we asked for, they brought their own ideas to the table, and kept in mind how something would impact the mission of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated that they were down to earth despite their creative talent. Although they listened to our input, they were innovative and were able to create a fantastic product.  We were lucky to connect with them. They’re really good at what they do and obviously are very passionate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I do not think I can come up with anything for them to improve on. ]I speak not just for myself, but for the whole team when I say that we were really happy to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and listen to their perspective. They can take the vision you have and expand it with their ideas.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a digital workflows cloud provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

We needed to up-level our customer testimonial videos, which have traditionally been talking-head footage. Another challenge is that we needed to condense our testimonials, tell a great story, and convey the business outcome that our customers achieved in just ninety seconds. My company wanted to hire a creative agency that had expertise in high-quality storytelling.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCEHMYcreative is our vendor of choice for producing customer story videos, and they’ve delivered several videos. When we begin a new video project, my team provides ALCHEMYcreative with customer background information, i.e. what their problem or challenge was, how they solved that problem, and what business outcome they achieved. We either deliver that information in a 2–3-page written story on the customer, or ALCHEMYcreative joins us on customer phone calls.

When it’s time to film the video, ALCHEMYcreative’s team travels with ours to the filming location. We’ve shot videos all over the world, including England, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland. They help us scout the filming site, interview customers, and shoot B-roll footage. They oversee filming and casting, post-production, and delivery.

What is the team composition?

We always work with the same producer, director, and director of photography. At each shoot, ALCHEMYcreative organizes a local crew of 10–12 people.

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

We went through an RFP process and invited 8–10 agencies to our office to pitch. ALCHEMYcreative was within our top three choices and, after looking at the videos they’d produced, we knew they were the company that could help us take our videos to the next level.   

How much have you invested with them?

My company’s spending is in the $1 million range.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in July 2018, and it’s ongoing.

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

Our customers—large enterprise, often Fortune 100 companies—have been tremendously happy with the outcome of the videos. Our internal executive staff is also very pleased with the videos, which have garnered many views. The videos have been extremely helpful to our sales organization, since they’re essentially a sales enablement tool.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

When we ask customers to participate in these videos, we’re essentially asking them to do us a favor, and ALCHEMYcreative always makes sure the process is well-planned so that it’s as easy as possible for our customers. ALCHEMYcreative is adaptive and agile. The team has the ability to strategize in a very short amount of time and execute at an exceptional level.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Nothing seems to be a challenge for ALCHEMYcreative; they always find a solution to any obstacle that comes our way. They’re willing to travel all over the world and even do multiple video shoots back-to-back.

ALCHEMYcreative is also great at reading customers and understanding how much information they’re willing, or not willing, to share. They make customers feel comfortable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything for them to improve upon at this point.

Any advice for potential customers?

You should be as collaborative as possible. Provide them with information and set your expectations; the more information they have, the better outcome you’ll receive.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a video producer of an enterprise IT company at the time.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

We reached out to ALCHEMYcreative to help us produce a couple of videos that showcased some of our client stories. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCHEMYcreative created a couple of documentary-style videos that included interviews with some of our clients. Their team collaborated with us on the creative vision, including scripts, scheduling, brainstorming, and coming up with ways to onboard clients. They then traveled to client locations, captured footage, and provided editing services. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with 5–8 people on each project, including producers, editors, directors, and videographers. I also had a couple of main points of contact throughout the engagement. 

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

The creative director of our company was familiar with ALCHEMYcreative through a network of other video agencies she was apart of. As soon as I met with their team, I was convinced they'd be a good partner. 

How much have you invested with them?

The company invested between $100,000–$200,000 for both video projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated on the two video projects from May–November 2018.

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

The videos ALCHEMYcreative produced gave our internal teams a sense of pride and professionalism. They were able to capture sensitive client stories in videos that effectively resonated with both external and internal audiences. The videos also became an excellent tool for our sales and marketing teams. 

We were very impressed with the production value of the videos they produced overall, as well as the way they conducted themselves around our clients during shoots. 

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent–highly proactive and communicative throughout the process. We mostly spoke through phone and email and shared documents through Google Docs. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative vision and ability to make a corporate video feel cinematic sets them apart. The videos accomplished the human narrative we were trying to portray very well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I'd just love to see them market themselves better to more organizations that could benefit from their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be communicative, collaborative, and open to their ideas because they have the expertise and creative talent to deliver polished end products. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing officer at Parsons Corporation. We’re a top line revenue, defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure technology firm. 

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

Since we were taking our company public, we needed to convey a suite of software technologies that are foundational to our value proposition in a compelling way. We wanted to generate enthusiasm about the technology functions, and we wanted to be able to explain the solutions in a roadshow PowerPoint presentation. Ideally, there would be a dynamic user experience where people could get a good feel for what our technology does. 

During Analyst Day, (a day where we confidentially briefed the analysts on our proposition), we had live demonstrations of our technology with our technologists in the room. That was very effective, so we decided we needed to do a video for the roadshow. We had a tight deadline and needed to create a video in under four weeks.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since we didn’t have time to create a storyboard or a script, we had a guidance document and a creative brief. We communicated what we wanted to convey, and the ALCHEMYcreative team helped decide what the creative brief would look like. Rather than asking interviewees to read a script, they were provided with questions. ALCHEMYcreative and my team developed those questions together, it was an all hands on deck approach.

The resulting video was mostly live with a little animation. It was a combination of our senior leadership talking and our technologists explaining our technologies.

What is the team composition?

They had 9–10 people the day we filmed. My main point of contact was Cliff (Director of Business Development & Creative Partnerships, ALCHEMYcreative). 

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

We interviewed a number of production companies, and the deciding factor was that they had experience working with tech firms in California, which was the vibe that I wanted. Also, when we spoke with them, I believed they were committed to meeting our deadline.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $100,000–$200,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019, and the engagement finished in April 2019.

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

The video was one of the highest viewed videos ever on NetRoadshow, a platform that’s used by the banking and analyst community for roadshows that support financial transactions. I was told it went viral. Not only was it shown in all of our analyst meetings, but it was also viewed independently by the analysts. 

We had an extremely successful Initial Public Offering: We initially priced our stock at $26, and our opening day price was pushing $32. In relation to that success, our banking advisors credit the video with being extremely helpful and compelling. 

I’ve been in the workforce for over 30 years, and I’ve never given a recommendation for any vendor—this is my first time. That’s how happy I am with this product.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a very good experience. They produced the video in less than four weeks, an extremely short time frame. One of my direct reports worked with the team, and I would participate in calls every 2–3 days. 

We didn’t have time to use a tool for scheduling, however, there was a schedule. ALCHEMYcreative did a good job of communicating the schedule with us and saying what they expected from us. Since it was an extremely tight agenda and a complex project, tempers got a little hot occasionally. 

The first draft of the video was wrong; it wasn’t the right orientation. In a more traditional process, there would have been a couple more iterations, but there was no time that. I was discouraged. However, after speaking with Cliff and his team, they turned around the orientation of the video in less than 24 hours. That was spectacular. 

I ended up with a spot-on video that gave the vibe that I wanted in the timeframe that I wanted. It is a spectacular product—I’m a fan of their work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came into it with their eyes wide open. We were honest about how there was zero flexibility and how tight the schedule was. So, everyone worked extra hours and put in extra effort to get it right. When things went wrong, they fixed the issues with a positive attitude. Also, they are great, creative professionals. The ideas they brought to the table were very, very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was such a nontraditional project that it’s hard to give feedback. I would have wanted a script and a storyboard, more engagement, and more iterations, but there wasn’t time for any of that. 

At the end of the day, it was a positive work experience where I got a superior product. I’m extraordinarily happy—the experience couldn’t have gone better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The ALCHEMYcreative team is very willing to communicate. So, future clients should speak up and have an engaged conversation. They should also let ALCHEMYcreative do what they do best, which is to function as a creative developer. There’s no need to micromanage them, let them be a partner, and allow them to bring their creative capabilities forward.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of lifecycle marketing for Ingineo LLC.

What challenge were you trying to address with ALCHEMYcreative?

We needed a creative partner that could capture our brand’s essence and voice, and then present it authentically via television advertising. Our team hired ALCHEMYcreative to produce national television commercials for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ALCHEMYcreative provided strategic guidance based on our established brand guidelines. The team vetted talent and offered expert advice while filming and editing video. Next, they delivered two commercials that are now running on cable networks. Although the main work is completed, we are still partnering with ALCHEMYcreative to vary the calls for action at the end of the videos.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people before the team scaled to 10–15 resources during filming. Cliff (Creative Partnerships, ALCHEMYcreative) was our primary point of contact and Trevor (CEO/Creative Director, ALCHEMYcreative) was our secondary point of contact.

How did you come to work with ALCHEMYcreative?

We searched for a local partner and vetted six agencies via a Google search before selecting ALCHEMYcreative. I had researched them to judge their passion and quality of work. The team invited us into their office and we had a wonderful experience, generating ideas in that first meeting.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018 and the first commercials went live that September.

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

We’re hitting key metrics for cost per acquisitions (CPA) in an effective manner. Even though the project was unprecedently large for us, the videos received enthusiastic praise from our senior leadership.

How did ALCHEMYcreative perform from a project management standpoint?

ALCHEMYcreative led the creative process while adhering to the tight timeline. We emailed them every other day and held videos calls once a week. In addition to two office visits, we communicated with the team every day during the three-day production stage.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They captured the human essence and emotion in our brand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the project was highly successful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should not be overly prescriptive. ALCHEMYcreative is a team of artists with business acumen that knows how to achieve clients’ goals.