Cloud in the Sky Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Global Centre for Pluralism is a research and education organization that promotes respect for diversity around the world. I am a program manager for the Global Pluralism Award, which aims to recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations that promote respect and diversity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud in the Sky Studios?

The Global Pluralism Award recognizes three candidates every year. We wanted a visual and engaging way to tell their stories at the events. Cloud in the Sky was contracted to come up with a storytelling project about these extraordinary individuals. We wanted distinct presentations for each of them, maintaining a consistent look-and-feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cloud in the Sky managed our project from the onset. They provided suggestions on the storyboard based on the profiles of the individuals who would be interviewed. They traveled to the three locations of the award winners—Kenya, Colombia, and Australia—along with a member of our team who introduced their team to the interviewees.

They helped us craft questions that made sense in terms of storytelling. The questions would deepen the audience’s understanding of the real issue, and how those individuals tackled it.

Cloud in the Sky also worked with us recently on another project—a promotional video for our next awards cycle. The video mainly looked at the support and value that past recipients saw in the Global Pluralism Award. They filmed interviews with the 10 recipients in November 2017. They also filmed B-roll from the awards ceremony and used that material to tell our story. They invited people to apply and to nominate others for our next cycle.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with two of their members, but there were other individuals from the support team involved later in the process.

How did you come to work with Cloud in the Sky Studios?

We researched online and inquired with partners from other organizations working in our space. We came up with a shortlist of three candidates and conducted an intensive review of their previous projects. We contacted references and had final interviews. Cloud in the Sky’s proposal offered the best value for our money.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services across both projects was $50,000 CAD ($40,000 USD). Travel was a big part of the cost for the first project. We had three people traveling to multiple locations.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cloud in the Sky in May 2017. Our second project ended in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was surprising for a small organization like ours to get the number of online views that our videos had. We had more than 170,000 views combined for the first three videos. We’ve received a lot of praise from dignitaries, government members, and corporate people who attended the award ceremony. Our stakeholders were satisfied with the product, and we appreciate the visibility their work has brought us.

How did Cloud in the Sky Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a great, personable team. They understand our ethos and the culture of our institution. They asked many questions and never assumed things. They always came with new ideas we hadn’t thought about. The project management flow was very good.

They go beyond expectations and make sure that the final product is to the satisfaction of the client. We are a perfectionist organization, and they were willing to make all the changes and adjustments we required, making sure that the product would be to our satisfaction. They’re very accommodating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a perfect combination of creativity and execution. They are professional in the way they present stories, in their use of color and images, and in terms of music selection. The way they guided us and the interviewees through the process confirmed that Cloud in the Sky was not just repeating a script. They did their research for each of the projects, tailored the questions to each one, and extracted all the human elements of each story, all thanks to their insightful creativity.

Cloud in the Sky was instrumental in helping the story flow from a human perspective. They have good insights for looking into the personal side of a story, the motivations of the individuals starting a journey, and of their inclusion into society. I would highlight their storytelling ability.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our experience with them has been excellent. One thing that could be improved is the handover process, particularly when there are multiple formats required. This became a bit complicated in our case.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing communications manager for a software company. I’m responsible for content creation including collateral, infographics, and video.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud in the Sky Studios?

We wanted to create a new video for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is our premier event of the year. The idea was to create a video that could run in the booth on the CES floor as well as online. It should establish our overall vision statement for our technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cloud in the Sky assisted with the storyboard process and the creative direction for the CES project and then led video production and filming. They also provided guidance on scripting in terms of overall length. They created two automotive-themed videos for CES—a longer piece and a shorter standalone piece—that are a mix of live action and animation. We used the videos at the trade show and they now live on our YouTube channel as well as on our corporate website and our social media channels.

In terms of the live action, they used a variety of different techniques such as footage from a variety of different angles and perspectives. The animation was used as a digital explainer to show what was happening with the technology. The CES videos were our fourth project with Cloud in the Sky. Previous projects include a documentary-style event video, a promotional video, and a product video.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with two team members and I believe a third helped on the projects.

How did you come to work with Cloud in the Sky Studios?

We were working with another agency and needed a local vendor to do some filming for us outside the country. They suggested Cloud in the Sky and we’ve used them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000 CAD ($77,502 USD) for all four projects combined.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 and this project finished in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The internal comments I’ve heard anecdotally are that we've never had better videos and each video they produce is better than the last. Our product and sales managers say that the product videos have contributed greatly to helping sell products.

How did Cloud in the Sky Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We have challenging deadlines and a rigorous approval process. Cloud in the Sky has been very flexible and adaptive to our process and timeline. I'll let them know when I need something for review and approval, and they’re always able to work within those confines. The level of communication is excellent and they’re very open. They constantly kept me in the loop on the progress or if there were any delays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only was Cloud in the Sky a sounding board throughout the process, but if I gave them a rough storyboard they were able to make it infinitely better. I’ve worked with a lot of design agencies and what makes them unique is their ability to work with minimal direction. I didn't have to do a lot of hand-holding. If I told them I think there needs to be a transition slide, they know what that means and would make it happen. I was also really impressed with their versatility in being able to work with both live action and animation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For the CES project, there was an additional cost for stock video footage that wasn't accounted for in the original estimate.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’ve switched roles, but when I was working with Cloud In The Sky, I was a communications specialist. We are the air navigations service provider for our country, so we handle all the air traffic control throughout the country and in other air spaces as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud In The Sky Studios?

We had to create a series of videos showcasing employees and basically telling their stories. These were high-performing employees who were being given awards. We reached out to Cloud In The Sky to create those vignettes, videos that were used as bios for an awards ceremony.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on a few projects with them, but the employee videos project was the biggest one. There were 17 videos, with footage shot all across the country that we had to piece together. We’ve done that three years in a row. From the initial kickoff meeting, they would present us with ideas and the look and feel. We would then get approvals from our internal clients and then go to a more formal storyboarding phase. In this case, we worked videographers from across the country, and it was up to Cloud In The Sky to take that footage and combine it to form the final pieces.

So, once they actually got the final footage, there was the creative, back and forth process and feedback, whether it was in-person meetings or via email and telephone. We would just discuss the vignettes as they were shaping up, and they were able to provide their professional insight. If the internal clients made suggestions, they would provide their professional insight as to why or why not those edits should happen. They have a really keen eye for storytelling. In a lot of the cases, we just handed over the footage, and they put it together for us.

The videos were for internal use at the awards ceremony. The award winners knew they were being filmed, but they didn’t see any of their vignettes prior to the ceremony, so it was kind of a surprise for them to be seen on the big screen, so to speak. They were given those videos as part of their awards package. After that, we made the videos available on our employee intranet, and we’ve used them to promote various programs and even the awards themselves. I know some managers and departments are using them in their onboarding process, but there’s no formal plans in place for that.

Cloud In The Sky has also worked with us to create videos featuring our CEO, updating employees on things that are going on in the company and strategic direction kind of scripts. In those cases, the scripts were developed internally, and they were able to work with the CEO to film using a teleprompter. They really worked with the on-screen talent to get used to the teleprompter and make sure we get the best final product. People who aren’t used to using teleprompters might come across a bit clunky, but they were good at working with our CEO to make him feel at ease and get the best product. We’ve done that a few times.

The interview type videos are the biggest thing for us, whether they’re scripted or not. We just cut out the questions and use the responses. We’ve also had a couple instances where we’ve had live stream of something that’s two hours long, but we want a recap video to make available to employees. We’ve given Cloud In The Sky the footage and a quick turnaround time. They were able to pick out best bits and give us an overview montage that’s two minutes instead of two hours. In those instances, with very little prompting, they’re really able to find the best moments, quotes, and sections of the footage, and really create the best possible final recap.

How did you come to work with Cloud In The Sky Studios?

The relationship was already in place before I was in that position, so I can’t speak to that. I think some of the deciding factors were their technical expertise from a filming perspective, their personalities, and their ability to put people at ease, make them feel comfortable, and pull the best emotion and the best footage out of people. They’re able to get the footage they need by making people who are not used to being filmed feel comfortable.

How much have you invested with Cloud In The Sky Studios?

We’ve invested roughly $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with them around June of 2014, and the most recent project was completed in March of 2017. That was a one-off request where we had footage we needed them to put together. I believe they’re already working on the awards vignettes for next year, but I’m not in that position anymore.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It’s tricky because the main goal was for use at the awards ceremony. From people’s reactions, we have a sense that the videos are well-loved, but we don’t have analytics for the number of views or anything like that. We’ve had lots of people come forward and ask who we worked with to do those videos, as they want to work with them on a project. Everyone is just very pleased with how professional the videos are. Cloud In The Sky is very good at storytelling in a way that’s not fluffy and froufrou, yet can take something very technical and tell the story in a more palatable way.

How did Cloud In The Sky Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Turnaround time is always ahead of schedule from what I know. If it’s not going to be, they’re very clear about when things can be expected. Communication is great. For those videos, there was usually a lot of emails, but if anything was unclear, they would reach out to me right away to clarify. They’re really good at simple communications, not cluttering things up, but just making sure they understand so they can produce the best product.

What did you find most impressive about Cloud In The Sky Studios?

I think it’s their ability to not need much project management. They’re really able to take an idea and run with it, creating something unique and telling great stories with very little direction. That’s one of the reasons we keep using them.

Are there any areas Cloud In The Sky Studios could improve?

Not from my standpoint.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CIRA is the .CA domain registry. I work there as a content marketer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud in the Sky Studios?

I hired Cloud in the Sky Studios to create two videos that explained our product and its benefits.

What were your goals for this project?

Create short, animated videos intended for sharing on social media to help educate our target audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This studio has done good work with other departments at our company in the past.

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

We sent scripts and brief description of the vision, and the agency was able to provide an updated script for approval. Then they sent over a first draft of the video for review, and finally one more round of final edits.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We communicated through email and were able to view the videos online.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have added the videos to our website, shared on social media, and have had one channel partner feature the video in a blog.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective, they were able to hit all deadlines and go above and beyond in providing suggested solutions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Cloud in The Sky Studios not only delivered projects on time but the team was able to come up with creative suggestions to help us communicate our message in the video.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, everything was great!