Casual Films

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the employee experience manager for EMEAR at Cisco Meraki a cloud managed IT company products include wireless, switching, security, enterprise mobility management and security cameras, all centrally managed from the web.

For what projects/services did your company hire Casual Films?

I wanted to do a global office tour with a twist, so make it fun with performances and entertainment whilst new starters can see the offices and we can introduce our new office in Chicago.

How did you select this vendor?

My husband has worked with Olly and Casual Films previously and spoke very highly of them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We wanted a fun twist on a boring office tour. We would normally do a big summer party and because of COVID we we're allowed to, which is why we got some amazing acts globally to perform in our offices in between the tour. Small details like artistic shots, amazing camera work and ensuring we have the coolest looking video to show globally.

What was the team composition?

I trusted the creative minds at casual films. We did work closely together on the day and I was allowed my input on what worked best. I knew how I wanted the flow to go, but thought we worked well as a team and that everyone was very respectful of our ideas and input.

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

We got such amazing feedback from our leadership team, we've been able to use parts of it for promo videos, talent hire and to show our new hires.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great, we had regular meetings to discuss details and any changes. I was kept in the loop on everything and if I was unsure of things was reassured immediately. The whole team was so great, had amazing energy, and was super helpful and accommodating.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their portfolio is amazing, and then meeting the team they were so eager to help and make my idea a reality. I felt they cared just as much as I did about making this a huge success. The team were all so creative and fun, and it was just a really positive, inspiring experience.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I felt like that the day of filming went on too long. There was a lot of lighting issues which took hours to set up, when I felt it wasn't really needed. We had a whole day the day before our filming to set up the lighting but it seemed like on the day we spent a lot of time getting that right. I understand they wanted it to be perfect and that me as the client needed to be happy with the end result, but I did find it quite exhausting.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I head up the marketing team at BLANCO UK, a leading manufacturer of premium sinks, taps and kitchen products.

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

Silgranit, our market leading Granite composite sinks have many features and benefits that appeal to kitchen designers, installers and consumers alike. We wanted to create a video for our global business partners and UK customers that showcased the material and provided some 'real-world' sales techniques.

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

I have been in discussion with Casual Films for some time on a variety of projects that were postponed during COVID-19. When this opportunity arose, Casual films were invited to pitch alongside two other agencies, their portfolio of work along with their speed of response and cost effectiveness put them firmly in first place.

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

This was a complex brief because the language and tone needed to remain UK-oriented, so as to let the natural pattern of the sales process and conversation flow. It also had to work for a global audience and adhere to a number of legal and product specific parameters. So after initial discussions, we drafted a 'script' and story-boarded the video with the team at Casual. They then developed the script into something more usable and everything fell nicely into place.

The two presenters are salespeople and not too comfortable in front of the camera, the whole Casual Films team helped to make them feel at ease and brought out the best of them, making sure we had all the shots and angles we needed. Post-production was smooth and streamlined and in no time we had a video that everyone was happy with.

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

We worked with a project manager who arranged everything for the shoot, a producer, director, camera operators and assistants on the day, and the producer and post-production team afterward. Feedback through Vimeo was simple and easy. Everyone we dealt with at Casual Films was a pleasure to deal with and extremely helpful with a total focus on achieving a high-quality end result.

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

We have showed the video to internal stakeholders and it was so well received that it has been scheduled to be aired at the Global Sales and Marketing meeting before release to customers.

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

We had a very tight time-scale for this project, so from concept to completion I asked for the agency to run the agenda to ensure we got a quality result in a few short weeks. They did this without being pushy and were very flexible in achieving the deadlines, navigating our collective diaries and various Coronavirus restrictions.

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

The team simply understood what we were trying to achieve, understood the global parameters we had to work within. We really felt that they wanted the resulting video to be as good as it could possibly be.

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

I can't think of any particular point where improvements could have been made.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product and content executive for a bicycle company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Casual Films?

We recently rebranded and wanted to effectively communicate our new look and feel to our audience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

During a series of video meetings with Casual Films, we discussed the brand direction and provided our guidelines. Casual Films have since produced two, 60-second videos, including a series of edits for social media. One of the videos is a brand video while the other is a campaign video.

What is the team composition? 

There were five people or more people assigned per project.

How did you come to work with Casual Films?

Oliver (Managing Director) reached out to us via email while we were looking for a video production firm. I had video calls with several agencies, but Casual Films’ portfolio, friendliness, and eagerness to produce quality content won us over. We were extremely impressed by what they put forward.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Casual Films in September 2020. We have two other video projects in the pipeline with them and will continue the work for the foreseeable future.

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

Casual Films created engaging content that spoke to our audience. They understood the new brand direction and how it translated into the colour scheme and imagery. They completely understood all of the key branding elements.

We've seen a noticeable increase in video views on our social media channels as a result of their engaging edits.

How did Casual Films perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate over email, and they send us video work through Vimeo. We can comment on different areas of the videos or through feedback forms for our desired amendments. They make sure everything stays up to date and is communicated effectively.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very friendly, professional, and easy to work with. When we receive an edit back, we typically have very few amendments. 

We’re very impressed with the quality of work produced by Casual Films.  They always completely understand the style of video we’re looking to produce.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We’re thrilled with what they’ve produced so far and how they work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should be completely open and honest about what they’re looking for. I have full confidence that Casual Films will come back with a brief and deliver exactly what the client is after.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing program manager at GoDaddy.

What challenge were you trying to address with Casual Films?

Given that I run a storytelling division at GoDaddy, it's essential that we have digital storytelling, which includes video pieces and different things that require production.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Casual Films has given us a lot of production assistance. They focus on creating 3–5 minute entrepreneurial films for us. 

The team does planning and on-set production, and they also provide the additional deliverables and cut downs for each film. They’ve given us a great network of producing partners and have been able to assign their team to run multiple pieces at once.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with many people on their team including Lydia (Managing Director), Sanica (Producer), Efa (Producer), Brandon (Production Coordinator), Katie (Senior Editor), and Darren (Video Editor).

How did you come to work with Casual Films?

Casual Films approached one of our advertising creative directors at a film festival who sent their information to me. After looking at their website and some of their portfolio films, I felt that they really understood the difference between commercial and storytelling content.

I reached out to them and did a test project with them. I was so impressed that I signed them on for retainers. When it comes to storytelling, you’re dealing with real people, not actors. Casual Films understood the value of our customers' and entrepreneurs' time.

They understood that we're coming into a lot of these people's businesses and we are an inconvenience, so the more we can support them and make their lives as easy as possible, the more success we will have. They understood how to get the best output in the most scrappy, everyday manner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since the end of 2018. We continuously strive to film about 100 films in the year with them.

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

We can measure success in terms of the deliverables and assets produced. We leveled up our customer storytelling from being able to tell and deliver around 15 stories in a year to about 80 stories in a year that all have about 4–6 different deliverables alongside that, which is about a 500% increase in output. 

The quality also hasn’t decreased and will not decrease. We're still delivering films that have a really strong engagement rate. We’ve seen a significant increase in our impressions. our engagement, and our brand health by working with them.

We're getting a 34% engagement rate on these videos and a lot of positive chatter, and we're really pushing the needle when it comes to inspiring content around entrepreneurs. 

How did Casual Films perform from a project management standpoint?

Casual Films is incredibly prompt. Because this campaign is evergreen, the team is great at pushing to make sure that we’re not only meeting our deadlines but also getting our work done sooner so that we can move onto other projects and have a good buffer of deliverables to be rolled out on our channel.

They’re really good at being clear and concise about what they need to succeed and move forward, and all of the communication that I’ve had with everyone on their team has been nothing but professional and proactive.

The team understands our needs before we even tell them, and they’re also great at last-minute asks. Sometimes we come to them with last-minute tasks, and they’re always clear about what is and isn’t possible, and we’ve been able to meet all of our goals.

My communication with Casual Films has been the highest standard of what communication should be like when you’re working with a vendor or a partner. All of the people on their team are top-notch, and I couldn’t do any of my work if it wasn’t for them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most valuable thing about Casual Films is that all of the individuals on their team are creators who are free of ego. A lot of times when you're creating campaigns or working in the creative space, people's egos can get in the way of what's best for business and what's best for the project. 

This team is extremely professional and humble, and they're able to really push the bounds of what great creative is without having any sort of ego at the door. They treat all of our customers and entrepreneurs with the utmost respect.

The amount of accolades that we get from our customers and entrepreneurs about Casual Films and their team is the most powerful thing about them. They're really here to be invested in our project from end-to-end, and they're not there just to get a paycheck. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of at the moment. Any feedback I’ve had, I’ve addressed it with Lydia and it’s been taken care of, so there are no looming areas of improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really clear on what you're asking. Bring Casual Films into the strategy and the motivation behind the project, because they really do commit wholeheartedly to a project.

The more emotional investment that they have in the project, the better results we've seen. If they really understand the motivation and the brief, that's always where we get the best output from them. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

An early stage investment firm, and I am a Principal in the investment team.

For what projects/services did your company hire Casual Films?

Every year, our firm has an annual meeting with fund investors. This year's event had to be virtual so we had an opportunity to produce video content that was to be premiered during the meeting.

What were your goals for this project?

To produce engaging video content that captures investment strategy of the firm and the story behind founders and companies the firm has partnered with.

How did you select Casual Films?

We looked at 5-6 different firms. We found Casual Films online. Given Casual's previous experience working with other VC firms, and the level of engagement/professionalism the team showed during initial calls, we were convinced that working with Casual would be the best choice for us.

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

Casual was responsible for remote filming, interviewing, and producing video content.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

One key person from Casual was running our engagement and had other team members working on production side. Casual team was on top of managing this workstream, with great communication, timely delivery, and really helping us elevate the quality of the overall videos.

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

While we don't have metrics to track, videos produce by Casual received very positive reviews both internally from my team as well as externally from our investors. Casual really exceeded our expectations of what could be accomplished in an all-remote setting.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Great communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Incredible professionalism across the board. I could rely on Casual to really understand our needs and reflect that into the end product. Felt like a true partnership.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a freelance contractor. I often get brought onto projects to manage them from conception to delivery. I’m like the middleman. I have an organization that comes to me and tells me what they need produced and I find the company to do the work. I write the scripts and I liaise with both sides to make sure the job is done well.

What challenge were you trying to address with Casual Films?

The brief was to produce five films ranging from 2-5 minutes about five women who had been nominated and won a big refugee award. Normally every year, the films are made by very senior directors and they go and make beautiful profile films of the people who win this award. This year, due to the pandemic, we were unable to travel to meet all the women. We had to rely on local camera people to record what we could and we had decided to find the animation company who could animate the part of the story that we couldn’t access or film.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the animation part of the work and edited some of the live-action video that we managed to capture. They put together the five films.

Casual Films came up with some brilliant ideas about how they could do the animations. The whole process is very limited by the scripts. We decided to do long interviews with the five winners and then we would use what they said as the basis for what the animation would be.

Even though we were limited, they came up with really brilliant ways of dealing with it. It was a very difficult task. They had to tread a very fine line and can’t be seen as taking sides. It had to remain completely neutral. It was really important that the videos weren’t overtly political. Casual Films took that feedback on very quickly.

What is the team composition?

I only dealt with Emily (Executive Producer). She took a holiday towards the end of the project and I was then dealing with Jo (Producer).

How did you come to work with Casual Films?

We put a tender out to three companies, including Casual Films. We chose them based on their proposal. Their big document was beautifully presented with some really nice ideas. I looked into the company a bit, and they had good previous work. I’d heard about them before through my partner. From the get-go, they were the front runners. We chose them to do the animation part of the work.

When we were looking for companies to do this work, we knew it would be an incredibly tight turnaround. A lot of animation firms we spoke to said it would be 4–5 months. Casual Films had the capacity to bring on extra staff and get it done by the deadline.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together from July–September 2020.

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

We ended up with five really compelling, emotional films. The actual work they produced was of a high standard. Despite having lots of feedback, changes toward the end, and a short deadline, they dealt with everything brilliantly. Normally when we work with creative firms, they get really frustrated toward the end when we want to make changes. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for Casual Films.

How did Casual Films perform from a project management standpoint?

We did most of the initial consultations by Zoom. I organized some Zoom calls between the client and them. It was between myself and the client to decide what we were going to do.

There’s always endless feedback. Lots of people have to sign off on the film. It’d be myself, my immediate contact with my client, all the country directors, and the five women who were in the films themselves. Every time they reviewed it, one of them wanted to make a change, but Casual Films was accomodating. 

I appreciated that we had a single point of contact. I could dump hundreds of emails on her a day and she’d always collect them all. She was very organized. They responded really quickly to any queries or problems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did everything perfectly. It was a very easy, smooth process. Because of the nature of the work, I wasn’t expecting it to be so easy. I can’t sing their high praises highly enough.

Right at the end of the project, we had to completely change the language of one of the films. We’d filmed the interview in Russian but because of the sensitive nature of the film, it had to be redone in Ukrainian. They were able to do that and turn it around really quickly.

They were very good at cost managing the costas well. They stuck to budget very well and never tried to charge extra. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Spending a few more days on the project may have helped them. We were so up against it timewise, they submitted them probably a couple of days too early. They could have told us they needed a day or two extra on that particular piece of work. Sometimes they did some stuff and we told them to go do a bit more on it before I could share it with the teams in all the different countries. That was minor.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much information as possible upfront. You can be really direct with them. They’re very understanding. For example, one of their initial drafts didn’t work very well. We told them we didn’t like it and they came back with better ideas the second time around. They were very good at dealing with vague feedback. They were very happy to redo it.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Brand & Digital Global Communications Manager at a Fortune 500 CPG Company. I am responsible for the development and distribution of digital and social communications to an audience of global stakeholders, including partners, investors, colleagues, etc.

For what projects/services did your company hire Casual Films?

We had a challenge brought to us to try and broaden a niche group of stakeholders talking about something within our industry tied to health and wellness to a more consumer-friendly level. We knew we wanted to use video to communicate our message and distribute digitally, but did not have an in-house production team to turn to.

Additionally, because we were broadening our key audience, that meant that viewers could potentially have a variety of levels of familiarity with the subject matter and a typical video may not be compelling enough to all.

Through another partner, we were introduced to the concept of interactive video, and Casual Films was brought on as a partner to produce the video content we would ultimately use to tell our story through interactive storytelling - allowing our users to 'choose their own adventure' in how they would experience the subject matter being presented.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to see an increase in time spent watching (and interacting with) the video, and an overall bump on engagement for this type of subject matter, usually presented to a much more niche group of stakeholders.

How did you select this vendor?

Casual Films came recommended to us through another partner who we had engaged with to develop the interactive technology behind the piece we were creating. We were pleased with the introduction, and the team was brought on early to help creatively problem solve how we would bring some of the main points of the project to life.

We were pleased to see that Casual Films was budget conscious and presented a number of solutions at a variety of price points as we moved forward in development, empowering our team as decision makers.

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

The team storyboarded the full piece for us, sourced the set pieces and location, and handled all other production aspects of the video aside from casting, which we handled internally. The video was extremely stylized - shot in a blackbox style controlled by lighting and very few, but specific set pieces.

The Casual Films team was able to bring this concept to life clearly from inception to execution - not an easy feat. They also handled the edits of the video for us. Because there were so many internal stakeholders, there was quite a bit of feedback in edit rounds, but the team remained patient and committed to keeping all parties happy with the final cuts.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We worked together with the production team from start to finish. Casual Films brought in the editor and we provided feedback directly throughout the edit process as well. The Causal Films team was extremely responsive on email, even throughout the holidays, and kept strict (but effective) timelines to ensure delivery to our interactive partners and for our final deadlines.

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

We haven't yet launched wide so are awaiting result metrics.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow between teams was fantastic. We were on a timeline crunch with shooting and editing and had so many variables in the air with interview availability, approvals, etc. Yet, I was so impressed with how professional the team was in having a positive attitude and how committed they were to finishing the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Most impressive was the team's adaptability to any challenge thrown their way. From locations changing last minute, to the entire scope of the project shifting midway through - the flexibility was unparalleled.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive creative director for FORTUNE Brand Studio, which is a part of Fortune. We’re a 90-year-old global media organization with a magazine, websites, and conferences as well as the iconic Fortune 500, the Most Powerful Women, 100 Best Companies to Work For, and other major lists and rankings. We help our influential global audience understand what’s happening in business, why it’s happening, and light the path forward. We’re now an independent company and our leadership is laser-focused on how Fortune can play its part in making business better. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Casual Films?

Our sales team was talking to the insurance company clients about the capability of the recently launched FORTUNE Brand studio. They were looking to create a TV commercial that they could run during a PGA tournament they sponsor. We pitched them and won the business, which soon expanded into a branded content campaign as well and so we partnered with Casual Films to help produce the commercial and campaign videos.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We produced one TV commercial and three videos on-location, with three leading PGA golfers. We just don’t have the internal capabilities to take on multiple shoots and run them alongside our other client projects and so Casual worked with us from pre-production and shoot, all the way through the edits to final delivery of each video asset.

What was supposed to be a few days of shooting the golfers in Florida ended up becoming four shoots in the Bahamas, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Casual helped us pivot with tight timelines to meet the schedules we had available.

How did you come to work with Casual Films? 

I’ve known and worked with Casual Films for 14 years, when I previously ran the branded content studios at the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, but this was the first time working with them at Fortune. Our working relationship has developed over time, and there is a real understanding and trust. They’re a hungry company that really understands the value of long-term partnerships. I think they really value their key employees and enable them to grow, so you have that muscle memory of knowing who you are working with and how to get the best job done.

Over the years, we’ve helped each other win when it comes to business. Clients understand immediately why we rate them so highly. They’re by your side through every situation, always presenting smart solutions, whatever the problem is you run into.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from January–April 2020. 

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

We launched the campaign in April 2020 and just won five Telly Awards— two silvers and one bronze for the TV commercial, which was directed by Nina Meredith as well as two silver awards for the branded campaign videos. It’s the first big multi-platform campaign from FORTUNE Brand Studio in 2020. It’s the type of work we want to produce and build on as a studio. We’re all excited by the awards, but the main thing is that our campaign is out-performing our benchmarks, and that’s the most important thing for us.  

How did Casual Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re the best in the business; they just deliver energy and enthusiasm from the first day to the last. That’s what happens when you have long-term employees who are good at what they do and obviously love their job. Their producers really do partner with you. They’re constantly available, and they always find the most successful outcome. The crew they assembled for the shoots and the editors they have in house all work with each other a lot, they’re all mates, so there’s that sense of family and an extra level of care and attention that you just don’t get elsewhere.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Casual are the best people I’ve worked with in the industry. They are super dedicated to helping you get the most value out of every dollar you spend with them. I know that I can trust them. They’ve done thousands of projects, big and small, all around the world, and they’re very diligent at helping you achieve what it is you want to get out of your shoots within your production budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Better self-promotion is probably the only thing they can improve on. They do great work for their clients. I love working with them. They’re boss.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CMO at the leading executive search and talent consulting firm operating at the heart of the converging entertainment landscape.

For what projects/services did your company hire Casual Films?

We wanted to create a video to communicate a new leadership trends - ceos switching sectors - in a distinctive and compelling way.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to drive awareness increase website and social traffic and create an asset that generated a strong response from sharing directly

How did you select this vendor?

Two pitched. was the more compelling

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

We collaborated on the brief. Very flexible and creative and Casual Films then set out a tight and effective process

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Efficient

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

highly successful

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Strong communication. They were flexible and had a strong understanding of our brief.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As above

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/a

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of hiber, a UK B2B technology platform for tradespeople in the home improvement space

For what projects/services did your company hire Casual Films?

We hired Casual Films to put together a short 3 / 4 min film to help us explain what we do to new tradespeople who we would like to onboard on to the platform, and also to explain to investors, and other interested stakeholders

What were your goals for this project?

To make it easier for us to explain what we do as a business

How did you select this vendor?

We looked at a number of different providers before selecting Casual

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

Casual worked with us to prepare the ideas for the film, the key messages we wanted to get across, and helped prepare the questions for the engineers. The film involved on site interviews with 3 of the tradespeople whom we work with (at their business addresses), and an interview with me at our office in London. Filming was done over the course of 2 days.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Casual frequently sought feedback from us in order to understand how we were going

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

Casual were excellent from start to finish. Smart, professional, hard working and kept excellently to our deadline. The whole team were a joy to work with from start to finish. We would highly recommend them. The video has been highly well received by all of the stakeholders that we wanted to impress - new tradespeople, investors and other stakeholders

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They worked very well with our team, sharing ideas and improving their ideas based on our feedback and objectives.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed from start to finish. We received some comments mid way through the project from one of their senior team. It was really helpful to get a fresh pair of eyes on the project which led to some new direction for where we took the final film, and made the messaging and story much sharper.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.