Big River Film Co.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO, Owner, and Creative Director of Pulp Hummock Press

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We create old-school adventures for Dungeons & Dragons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Big River Film Co. to accomplish?

• Create a promo video for my second crowdfunding campaign.

SOLUTION

How did you find Big River Film Co.?

Online Search

Why did you select Big River Film Co. over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location

How many teammates from Big River Film Co. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They created a 1:39 promotional video for my Kickstarter landing page, taking it from start to finish. It was dope.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Had a very high rate of viewership on the videos. Backer comments were consistently in the following vein in regards to the video: "Roleplaying game products shouldn't have promo videos this cool. Amazing."

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

Yes, they were FAST and professional. Always communicating their timelines with me. I was very impressed and will use them again for my next project.

What was your primary form of communication with Big River Film Co.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Just two good guys who are passionate and knowledgeable about video production. It was a pleasure to work with them. They communicated so clearly and worked so quickly on meeting all deadlines. Big River Film Co.'s finished product was truly impressive, from a layman's perspective.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Big River Film Co. could have done differently?

Nope.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Quality Officer of Upstate Caring Partners

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Upstate Caring Partners provides innovative programs and services that support and create opportunities for people of all abilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Big River Film Co. to accomplish?

• Produce a clinical documentary detailing our innovative IDD program model

SOLUTION

How did you find Big River Film Co.?

Referral

Why did you select Big River Film Co. over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Big River Film Co. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Video production of clinical documentary detailing our innovative IDD program model which has proven to be successful for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities experiencing challenging behaviors. The Big River team worked with clinicians, parents, employers and the individuals we support to prepare them for each video shoot, assist with scripting as needed and accomplished post-production editing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

High quality video production

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

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Nathan and Brian from Big River. They have delivered within the agreed upon time frame and did an outstanding job communicating our story. They were highly responsive to our needs throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Big River Film Co.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The ability of individuals from outside of our business line to immerse themselves in the clinical model and successfully communicate our story.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Big River Film Co. could have done differently?

This is my second project working with the Big River team, and we are embarking on a third. Would not recommend any changes - keep up the excellent work!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Secondary Director of Instruction for Capital School District. Capital School District provides student services for approximately 6,500 students in Central Delaware.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big River Film Co., and what were your goals?

Our project was based on a need to update students and their families about our career and technical programs that we provide at Dover High School to engage them in awareness, as well as selection of Career and Technical Pathways that would support their goals around college, career, and community next steps.

SOLUTION

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

We had reviewed other vendors across the state and based on initial introductions and a review of our project Big River Film Co representatives were very willing to support our work and timeline.

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

We started out with an initial meeting and set-up goals around the project with timelines and feedback cycles. Project progression was established through the very collaborative process and leadership of Big River Film Co. project leadership. Production quality, sound, and scripts were well structured based on the feedback and direction of the collaboration.

Big River Film Co. also helped support the videotaping, interviewing of students, and structures needed to help this project be very successful and professionally done. The storyboarding, scriptwriting, and filming were all completed based on an agreed upon schedule with the highest professional feedback from Big River Film Co.

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

The project manager met with us to follow our timeline and project goals. The feedback was in person and scheduled through the timeline. Google docs were used to share schedules, scripts, and feedback was on-going. This was an exceptional collaborative process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to showcase our video projects to the students and their families for transition nights, share with project work with the Delaware Department of Education, as well as on our district webpage. This helped us with an improved communication plan and showcased our offerings that received accolades from our Superintendent on the overall project.

We initially surveyed our students and found about 65-75% of the students had limited exposure or knowledge of the CTE programs. We are at about 20% of our students/families with limited exposure or understanding of our programming after the implementation and use of our video project.

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

The project manager was very easy to work with, collaborative, and treated us professionally at all times. Our communication was often in person and scheduled, but we were able to meet on Zoom or other platforms, in addition through emails or phone calls as needed. The products needed to be shared in formats that would allow us to view and upload in accordance with state guidelines. The project leadership were able to share the products in a platform that was easy to use.

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

They took the time and had wonderful ideas that supplemented our needs to help us with an exceptional product. I am so impressed and excited to work with this company in future projects, based on the quality and timeliness of their work. They are highly professional and ask excellent questions.

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

I think their team did an excellent job in working with us and their flexibility was helpful when we needed to adjust meeting dates or times. I think they are exceptional team of professional people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director at Delaware Wild Lands, a land conservation nonprofit operating in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. We aim to strategically protect the lands and waters that are important for human and wildlife populations since they provide habitat, freshwater, clean air, and healthy communities.

We purchase land from willing sellers and protect them from commercial, residential, and industrial development. Instead, we restore the land for wildlife habitat — we reforest the property and restore wetlands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big River Film Co.?

Delaware Wild Lands is vast in terms of acreage, but it is staffed by a very small team. We own and manage more than 21,800 acres of land throughout Delaware and Maryland, but we only have eight staff members. This is because all financial and staff investments are directed to advancing our mission. 

We don't have a lot of extra resources in terms of staff or money to conduct outreach about the work that we are doing. That said, we actually rely on the financial generosity of individuals to support our efforts. We thus need to do outreach to let people know about the excellent work that we are doing and the results that we're achieving. However, we don’t have the staff to craft and distribute that message.

2021 is our 60th anniversary, and we wanted to start communicating some of the accomplishments of our organization over the past six decades. We’re doing this to inspire the next generation that is coming up to support our work and hopefully to gain more financial support and donors to the organization. 

We needed someone to bridge the disconnect that we have. We worked across two different states so that our target geographic area was larger. We needed something relatively inexpensive and can fit a nonprofit’s budget but still cover the whole of our territory. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big River Film produced a three-minute video for us. They handled everything from conceptualizing the video to post-production. Their team helped us figure out how to communicate and fit 60 years of history and an inspirational message in just three minutes. They were great at bringing out the most important messages and aspects of our work and distilling those into a script that we then worked on collaboratively. 

What is the team composition?

I had direct interaction with two people, but it's possible that they had other people working with them behind the scenes. Nathan (Director) was my primary contact.

How did you come to work with Big River Film Co.?

We had a staff member who saw a piece that Big River Film had done for another organization, and we invited them to learn about our organization. That developed into a relationship where they came out and did some volunteer tree planting work with us in their capacity as individuals in the community. We started forging a relationship that way. 

When we had met both professionally and personally, I knew that they were committed to our cause, which was important to me. Additionally, when I saw samples of the work they had done, it was pretty clear that we would be a good match since our values were aligned. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted throughout the summer of 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved our goal of honoring Delaware Wild Lands’ history and inspiring people to support it. Generally, the feedback about Big River Film’s work was very positive. People were consumed by the video — they were very attentive, and they responded well to the video and its message.

Big River Film did a phenomenal job in all aspects of production. The video they delivered was exceptionally professional, and the images they took complemented some of our historic photos. In addition, the voiceover that we ended up selecting with them was exactly what we wanted. We received an incredibly impactful and inspirational video content. 

How did Big River Film Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

Big River Film was great at staying on schedule, which rarely happens in these types of projects. Their organizational skills matched the level of creativity and artistry they brought to the project. We usually communicated via email. 

Big River Film did a great job of having meetings and being great communicators without allowing those interactions to stray beyond 1–3 hours. They made themselves available when we were available, sometimes even in the evenings. They followed up with changes on the script, notes, or candidates for voiceovers. They didn’t exceed our budget, which was also impressive — they never had to renegotiate their fee.

In addition, Nathan was delightful to work with. He had a great understanding of our organization and our passion for land and water conservation. He was also quite adventurous. For example, he brought some very sophisticated equipment in a canoe to get some interesting shots. He helped us think of how to communicate both the august history of our organization and what potential we hold in the future. He was bold and creative in his thinking, which translated to the imagery included in the video. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Big River Film can provide an exceptional product that stays on budget and schedule. As I said, it’s often difficult to find all of that in a company. Usually, either they excel at organizational and budgetary management, or they excel in the creative process. However, Big River Film actually does a great job on both sides of production — that's something that sets them apart from other vendors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask for Big River Film’s input — they have interesting ideas and creative ways of displaying information in a visual format that is impactful and interesting. Even when you think you know exactly what you want, still ask for Big River’s artistic guidance. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and producer of Artaban Productions, and we basically make documentaries, videos, and scripted content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big River Film Co.?

We needed to shoot a remote interview with a client on the east coast of the States and since we were based on the east coast of Canada, we needed a local crew on the ground.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The pre-production process was smooth, and they were really great at connecting with the clients, as well as myself — that was very handy. On the day of the shoot, they were great at doing the setup and patching me in with high-quality capture cards so that I could see the frames. When they were actually conducting the interview, they were also good at lighting, setting it up, and making the people feel comfortable. 

When they were done, they shipped off the hard drive with all the footage on it right away — they were super professional and friendly, and it’s been a great experience with them.

What is the team composition?

I worked initially with Nathan (Director), and then Brian (Producer & Director of Photography) on the day of.

How did you come to work with Big River Film Co.?

I probably found them through a google search. We contacted them and a bunch of other companies, but they were the best option and they got back to me in a timely manner. In pre-production, I asked about their services and what they could do, and they gave good answers. They were pretty clear on the costs and what they needed from me as far as information goes.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $3,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them in June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do a ton of video productions with local crews, and you can really tell the difference between people who know their stuff, and people who are just trying to make it work — Big River Film Co. really understood their stuff. We had to shoot the video in a conference room, and there wasn’t a lot to work with and I think a lesser crew would not have gotten the frame they got.

They really thought it through and worked with me. I was remotely working with them, so it was hard for me to really direct from a setting up the frame standpoint. However, they were really great at solving creative problems, and capturing the best frame possible in a pretty tight location. They were really positive and up for trying new things, and creatively hatching it out with me — I felt that was really good.

Technically, the capture cards were really sorted, and they had the frames up when we asked for them. My other producer, who was remote, ran the interview and they had set him up properly with the right computers, right location, and eyelines; there were all these small things, and they really did it well. Even from a technical standpoint of lighting and sound, they just nailed them — it was a breath of fresh air. 

Some of the ones we have done recently have been more challenging because everyone says they can do live remote interviewing and not everyone can, but Big River totally could. They exceeded my expectations.

How did Big River Film Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through emails and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say it’s the quality of what comes up in the frame. The lighting was great, the frame was great, and they had the ability to work in tight spaces — the image itself looked beautiful in the end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great. They nailed everything we asked them to do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you want and they will make it happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

M. Davis & Sons is a 150 years old industrial construction, fabrication, and maintenance company. We’re a fifth-generation family-owned company based in Wilmington, Delaware, and I’m the VP of strategy development. I oversee the sales and marketing team and look into new markets and avenues for us to grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big River Film Co.?

We hired Big River Film Co. to expand our video library for marketing purposes to concisely communicate what we do. We offer a lot of different services, and communicating them can be difficult sometimes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we engaged with Big River Film Co. for a specific project — we wanted to promote our modular construction capability. They presented a storyboard to us that went through the whole process. It included customer and leadership interviews about our capabilities in that market.

This project allowed us to get a video out in front of potential customers that didn’t know we had the modular construction capability. It was a relatively new service that, even though we’d been offering it for over 20 years, was unknown — we only had a reputation for regular construction services. It was like our hidden gem, and Big River Film Co. helped us tell that story.

Now, they help us with the production of other videos to keep communicating our services. All of the videos they’ve produced have been released either on our social media pages, Youtube channel, or website, and they’re currently working on a new video.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from Big River Film Co.: Nathan (Director & Editor) and Brian (Producer & Photography Director).

How did you come to work with Big River Film Co.?

We interviewed 3–4 companies for this project, and Nathan came to the table with great and modern ideas that were different from the other companies. We really liked their approach to telling the story. When we reached out to them, they’d only been around for about a year. However, even though they didn’t have the same resume as the other companies, their ideas really spoke to us — that’s why we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $80,000 in the last four years. We’ve been working with them on a retainer contract for two years now.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around January 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos produced by Big River Film Co. have given us a fresher approach to our marketing materials and brought us into the modern way of marketing with content management. We were traditionally marketing with brochures, but now we’re increasing our social media and digital marketing presence. It has allowed us to have some dynamic content that tells our story.

Overall, we’ve definitely gotten more attention. We’ve played the videos at trade shows, and people, including other video production companies, stop to watch because they’re really impressed with them.

How did Big River Film Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

Big River Film Co. is extremely easy to work with. They communicate well and are very flexible. We’re in an industry that changes pretty rapidly, and sometimes we have to change our production schedules. They come up with creative ideas on how to handle those challenges without adding on fees — they really work with us.

They use Vimeo for editing purposes, where we get to look at all of our drafts and comment on them. They also use Google Docs to help our communication. As we’re on a retainer agreement, they communicate the hours we have left for the month and the status of different projects through shared documents.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Big River Film Co. took the time to get to know our industry. It’s not always a glamorous industry, but they’ve made our projects look beautiful even to people that aren’t involved in the construction sector. I know that they work for a lot of different industries, but they took the time to get to know what was important for us and focus on our particular customer base — it has been amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive feedback to give Big River Film Co. We’ve really enjoyed working with them in the past few years — that’s why I keep bringing them back year after year to help us with our projects.

As they grow, they get busier. My only hope is that they’re able to handle that growth and don’t get too busy that they're no longer able to help us out.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be open to new ideas and don’t be afraid to bounce ideas off of them. Big River Film Co. is great with taking the vision that you have, applying their experience, and making out of that vision something that really speaks to the viewer.