Belysa

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Skillshare is an online learning community where our customers can learn anything creative such as photography, graphic design, and music. How that goes about is anyone can create a class on something that they feel they’re good at, and the topic can last for 15 minutes to two hours.

The other side of that is Skillshare Original, which is our team going out and sourcing the best of the best in regards to graphic designers, filmmakers, or anybody in that realm. We help them build their curriculum and record it. After that, we’ll do all the editing and marketing, and it’ll go up on our website for our students to watch. I’m the film production lead here, so I oversee our production side from beginning to end.

What challenge were you trying to address with Belysa?

We needed someone to provide us with overseas film production.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Besides providing us with their film production services, the biggest task they’re doing for us right now is location scouting. It’s huge for us to not have to go out or search online to look for places that may or may not work for our shoots. Belysa has been sourcing locations for us, getting good prices, and being able to build out any contracts that might be needed.

On top of the production, they also do crew building, which involves sourcing directors of photography, videographers, gaffers, and audio technicians. In addition, they also provide us with a little bit of media management, which has a digital image technician making sure that the media is organized and delivered to the editor on time.

We also provide them with documentation of how we film our classes normally. That includes the types of cameras we use, sample works, style, lighting, and framing. We still have calls with producers to make sure that Belysa understands the vibe and the look we’re trying to create.

What is the team composition?

Right now we’re just working with Ben (Director), who’s been our producer on the ground. He’s the person we have constant communication with during shoots, and he’s helping us connect with editors as we’re starting to branch out.

How did you come to work with Belysa?

Before we started working with Belysa, most of our shoots were done domestically. We work in the US so we were flying all of our teachers to New York to film their classes, and if we had international teachers, we flew them out to New York to film as well. Before the pandemic started, we got to the point where we decided to do a class in the UK, because we felt that it would be better to film in their space and world.

So instead of flying a crew out there, which would’ve been expensive, we wanted to find a partner in the UK that we could work alongside with and be a representative for us. That’s when we started sourcing talents and came across Belysa.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $22,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in May 2020, and it’s still ongoing.

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

Belysa’s breadth of work is really wide which is really hard to find in a contractor or partner. At the end of the day, they’re doing what we ask them to do, which is something that looks and feels like what our in-house team does. However, if you look at the last six projects they did for us, each one has a different feeling to it — so they’re not just doing cookie-cutter projects that has their signature on them. They understand what we need and level it out beyond our needs.

In our first shoot, we sent them over a deck of what we needed, and they went above and beyond with the proposals they sent — that was something that wasn’t asked for, but it was very much appreciated. Belysa took it upon themselves to provide additional ideas rather than just checking off the box that we sent them.

How did Belysa perform from a project management standpoint?

Belysa is very good from a project management standpoint. There have been a couple of times when we needed something done urgently, and they’ve been very flexible with us. They know when things need to be sped up or slowed down, they’re very communicative, and they’ve never come close to missing a deadline. Additionally, they’re also good about asking for feedback and implementing them. We’ve never really had any issues with their work so overall, they’ve definitely been a gem in regards to project management.

I would say that 95% of our communication happens over email, but because of the time difference, we sometimes jump on Zoom calls.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of anything because they’re on top of everything. Their prices are fair, and their communication and work are great. I can’t say this enough, but it’s strange to find a freelancer or agency that feels like they care about the project as much as the owner does.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say to open the door for collaboration rather than a task-based partnership. The Belysa team is very creative — they’re able to provide ideas if you open the door, but at the same time, they’re very professional in respecting the client-partnership relationship. You’ll feel a sense of ownership over the project that is unlike any other partner you might have worked with in the past.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Shape History is a social impact comms agency that works with exclusively good causes. I'm a lead producer and oversee creative/logistics for our film content.

For what projects/services did your company hire Belysa, and what were your goals?

We needed a videographer and sound recordist to shoot a film for a youth music charity. We wanted footage that looks professional, fresh and lively.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We found them through a recommendation from a friend. They had a great showreel and website and they came recommended.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

The shoot comprised of talking head interviews at an arts centre, and then more interviews at a youth centre, plus filming a music session. Ben and Sultan from Belsya set up kit, filmed and recorded audio professionally, and made the talent feel comfortable.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

Ben and Sultan. They were great to work with and professional. I didn't need to stress about what they were doing or how it was going.

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

The client was happy with the footage. We got everything we needed!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project management was smooth and agile. Ben sent through invoices promptly and was great on comms.

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

They had the ability to fit into our process quickly and seamlessly. Their professionalism on set. The fact that I could just get on with my job and trust that they'd get on with theirs.

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

Nope.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing professional at a quickly growing startup.

For what projects/services did your company hire Belysa, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a video that would provide a great introduction to our company's upcoming launches and our overall vision.

How did you select Belysa and what were the deciding factors?

We were looking for a skillful video production team who would be able to quickly understand our company's technical offerings, our vision, and the needs for this particular project. We also needed a partner with great project management skills who could take on the challenge of a deadline-driven project within a relatively short time frame.

The Belysa team was very responsive in our discussions about the project brief and offered great enthusiasm and detailed suggestions right from the start.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We provided a detailed project brief and an outline of our vision for the video in our initial conversations and in addition to their production skills, the Belysa team provided excellent project management, creativity, and helpful ideas every step of the way, including providing us with several great suggestions for voiceover artists.

They worked hard to keep the production on a strict schedule and were able to meet deadlines.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked directly with Ben, who was very friendly, positive, and responsive throughout the entire project.

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

We were pleased with the video production process and the resulting video and have used it both in presentations and online.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They were very easy to communicate with, responsive to questions and revisions, clear in their progress updates, and confident in their project management.

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

They were enthusiastic, engaged, and made the process streamlined and pleasant, even with a challenging schedule.

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

We had a great experience with Belysa and they were impressive in their ability to manage the project smoothly, respond quickly, and deliver each step of the project in a timely manner. They have launched this new company fairly recently and I’m excited to see the projects they work on next.

While they are already very hard-working and talented with regard to technical skills, creativity, and project management, I imagine they will need to expand the team in the near future as they grow!