Angry Whale Media

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an electronic music Producer / DJ / Vocalist from Toronto. I run two music labels and a media company.

For what projects/services did your company hire A.W. Media?

Most recently, I hired A. W. Media to help me shoot a video for the 2020 Burning Man virtual show that was held the beginning of September. We created the concept together and from working with them before, we knew they were the perfect choice since creatively, we communicate well and our visions align.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to go above and beyond the traditional DJ live stream set up that became so dated within a few months after lockdown this year. Rather than simply have me pushing buttons in an empty room, we worked for something entertaining and exciting. Unexpected.

How did you select A.W. Media?

I've been working with A.W. Media for about four years now and will continue to do so. I trust that the camera angles will be perfect, the footage is bright, colourful, balanced, and easy to use. And communication - A.W. Media listens to me and I listen to them and the result is always a fantastic collaboration.

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

We set up in a back yard setting, A.W. Media handled all things video while I managed set design and afterwards, did the editing. For this project, I wanted to be sure I edited simply to be sure all the effects lined up for the audio vs the video and my actions.

A.W. Media had a three camera set up. A Go-Pro, a tracked camera and a hand-held. We had "characters" come and dance around the back yard while I played and we captured the energy of those few hours in a fun and entertaining way but also with fantastic quality.

The shots varied and got more energetic as the set went on and the story virtually told itself. For music, especially if people are at home watching, everything needs to flow and look natural, even if there are technical difficulties (which I had as the DJ) and the final result has to be seamless. For this project, it came together just like that.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Celtic Chaos and my booking agency, Origin Presents, were both very thrilled with the final product. So much so that it was replayed again this past weekend for another Burning Man "Sparkleverse" VR event online. On my Facebook page, the video is almost at 4.5K views and I only posted it Sept 30.

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

Through this, I was offered another video gig for New Years with an even bigger budget so A.W. Media and I have already have this one sorted for Round 2. And if the world regains a state of normalcy, even a bit, I was invited to play at the camp next year for the real Burning Man.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. They are so accommodating and easy to work with. Creative too, Joel has some great ideas.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

A.W. Media says yes to projects that excite them or speak to them. They can do anything, yes, and I think their complete investment in the projects they do is not only based out of loving the art of media creation but also really believing in whoever or whatever they are working with.

We have done a corporate commercial together, a 10-part documentary series for smoking cessation, we have worked on music licensing and creation, sound design and now these new music video productions (each 90 -120 mins).

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have not had any negative moments working with this company and all requests were followed through, promptly and without any issue.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a non-profit group that focuses on people who are looking for work. We also focus on the actual jobs, in terms of helping people learn about potential careers and find additional training. I managed the trades team

What challenge were you trying to address with A. W. Media?

We do trade training groups, and there was one trade we were starting to stumble on. We were trying to limit the amount of time a teacher/technician needs to work with small groups because of pandemic concerns, and the tree-care work course we were running was proving difficult. One of the skills people need to learn in this trade is how to tie knots, and that requires a lot of closeness between teacher and worker. We recognized it wasn’t possible to maintain six feet of distance while doing this so we began to think outside the box. Someone suggested we film a sort of video and provide it to the course members. People need to learn 15 knots in the first five days of the course. It’s an intense timeline.

We figured out you needed multiple shots and angles, as it’s hard to learn how to tie a knot from just one angle. Someone suggested hiring a fancy film crew, and, in the nonprofit world, you don’t always have the funds for that, but we knew how important it was for the students and staff to feel safe. We also loved the idea of having a product at the end that anyone in the tree-care field could learn from. From there, we looked into potential vendors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Because we’re funded by the province, there’s an oversight group/board that has to be on the same page about everything. By the time we reached the point of agreeing on the film and hiring A. W. Media, it was the end of the summer, and the films had to be done by November 1st.

First, we asked for a test shoot by October 1st so we could learn about what they were going to do and whether it would jive with our expectations. We were floored by their work. It was way over and beyond what we thought we could afford, but they stuck to our budget. Because we knew we needed someone very experienced to tie knots, we helped them find the talent. That’s all we helped with, though. They did everything else.

There’s always time between them giving us something and us getting the board to look at it and agree to move forward with them. In the end, A. W. Media created 15 3-4-minute long clips of the talent tying different knots.

We didn’t give them a script or anything, but we told them that the correct talent would know how to teach knot-tying. We trusted the talent and provided A. W. Media with a list of knot-tying experts who had lots of teaching experience. I’m not exactly sure what their process with the talent was like, in terms of scripting.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Joel (Director/Producer). He was clear and on top of us, which was quite nice. We were juggling many things and could run late but he helped keep us on time in the sweetest way. He was never pushy and had great tact. I’m not sure how many other people they had on the crew operating cameras and booms and such.

How did you come to work with A. W. Media?

Because we receive province funds, we’re required to get at least three quotes. We wanted to ensure we were getting a good price, as well as a partner that had good-quality examples of their work. The quality of all the work A. W. Media had done before was better than that of the other three options (we ended up getting four quotes) and they also had the best prices. We weren’t forced to go with the cheapest price and not-as-great quality, as is sometimes the case with province funds.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $3,830, including tax.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August until October 2020.

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

The students aren’t receiving the links for the videos until next week. However, I can say that our board — who are all experienced people within this field — was floored. They were super impressed in terms of how far beyond anything we’ve shot before these instructional videos are. We’re sharing them with everybody.

How did A. W. Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Honestly, they’ve been one of the easiest third-party groups we’ve worked with. We work with a lot of them, as a nonprofit, and it’s not always easy for these groups to work with our board and jump through our specific hoops. Joel was simple to work with and kept me on the mark, adhering to timelines as best as he could. They managed some timelines I didn’t actually think were doable, even.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The talent we used was a full-time traveling teacher, so I imagine it was a challenge for A. W. Media to find days that worked for everyone to do the shoots.

His management of the whole project stood out to me as well. He constantly provided updates before I could even go after him to find out. It’s not always like that with our third-party groups, for sure.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to see anything from the outside of their field. And their price was so much better than the other quotes. We’re thoroughly, thoroughly, impressed. I wouldn’t change anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Absolutely hire them. It was such a pleasure. It was wonderful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time of hiring A.W. Media, I was the director of marketing and customer service for Running Room Canada. We’re a specialty retail store focusing on running and walking products, while also offering accessories clinics and events.

What challenge were you trying to address with A.W. Media?

The goal was to produce a video of a specific event, called Break Free 5K. It’s a celebration run for participants who’ve gone through a 10-week training program. After two years, the scope expanded to include a larger, short documentary film.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve produced four videos for us in total. Initially, we wanted a video of people celebrating at the end of the training program during the Break Free 5K events. For two years, we did this with Joel (Creative Director and Owner, A.W. Media) in the Toronto area and in Ottawa.

After two years, we decided to also document people’s journeys as they went through the program. We expanded A.W.’s role to include following participants at a particular store. We’d capture their journeys and reactions each week, and produced a short documentary film in both English and French, as well as the celebration video.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Joel.

How did you come to work with A.W. Media?

We hired a Toronto-based marketing agency to put on the events, and they had done some work with A.W. Media in the past. That made them the only choice for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve worked on various things, with the documentary video being the most expensive, due to the 10-week filming period. All in all, the three events and the documentary film cost just over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2016–fall 2017.

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

We’ve used not only the full-length documentary, but also smaller clips from it, to market our program in 2018. Our numbers are absolutely fantastic in terms of signups and we’ve put close to 1,000 people through the program over the last two years. We attribute some of that success to their videos.

We had the company actually participate in the events, so they could use the participants to tell the story and to help film. They used a GoPro on one of the participants running the course, and edited that film. I appreciated how they got out on the course and gave us unbelievable footage of people experiencing the event.

How did A.W. Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all our deadlines. They took hours and hours of documentary film and our company, along with our partner at the Canadian Cancer Society, made demands of them. This was over and above what was contracted originally, but they were quite accommodating.

There was certainly a distance (we’re in western Canada, while they’re in the east), and these events took place early in the morning, with multiple locations. However, they were flexible with their time, and always ready to go. They accommodated our schedule and were flexible with communication, considering the time difference between us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was a special project with a targeted audience that we needed to reach. The thing that helped us, and gave us the confidence that we’d hired the right people, was that they were passionate about capturing the journeys of the participants. We have some unbelievable moments, which they captured, and we now use for marketing purposes.

Their passion for the project gave us the quality of work we needed to use on the marketing side. The films are something we’ll continue to use for the duration of the program.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing we could’ve done better. We wanted to strike a balance in style, and not come across as over-produced in order to maintain grassroots appeal. It was a challenging project, given the audience and the emotions of the participants on their cessation journey. We didn’t know how it would end up looking on film and we were quite surprised at the outcome itself. I believe we exceeded everything we wanted to do with this particular project. Everything we got was new, raw, and usable.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Someone looking to work with them should be passionate about the project at hand, and tell them why they’re being hired. A project may not necessarily be money-driven; it can be emotion-driven, and they get that.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-owner of The STEAM Project, an organization offering hands-on experiences to kids and teens in the areas of science, technology and design.

For what projects/services did your company hire A.W. Media?

We hired A.W. Media to assist with Website development, Content Creation and Marketing

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to increase awareness of our organization and the number attendees in our programs.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected the vendor based on experience working with them as colleagues.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

A.W. Media has worked with us from nearly the start of our business helping us develop our brand and awareness of our organization in the community. This included developing the feel of our content, redesign of our website, promotional materials and planning and execution of events to promote our summer programs.

What was the team composition?

We've worked closely with Joel Perrella exclusively.

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

Our client list has grown substantially year over year and we attribute this to the marketing we have done with the assistance of A.W. Media.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

A.W. Media regularly maintained contact with us throughout the contract dates and kept us organized in planning our marketing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They went above and beyond in crisis times when content was needed in a hurry or when assistance was needed on major events.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very satisfied with all aspects of their work.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Designer & Creative Lead

For what projects/services did your company hire A.W. Media?

We needed a demo video outlining our product capability

What were your goals for this project?

Do highlight the products key kpi's

How did you select A.W. Media?

They did a great job highlighting the product in its native environment using a combination of tracking and CG

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

We spoke on the phone did a quick breakdown of what was expected from there we went into project specifics and details then finally into execution.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Good they kept constant communication.

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

We got a more sales and clients as a result of the video

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very easy to manage and simple

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to work on tight deadlines and execute based on speedy turn around times

Are there any areas for improvement?

The video was great but it could have been slightly better all in all though it was a real success