Covalent

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing for Westmoreland Cultural Trust/The Palace Theatre. Westmoreland Cultural Trust is an arts and cultural organization that owns The Palace Theatre, a concert venue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

We needed to create a new TV commercial for The Palace Theatre.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent helped us produce a TV commercial for The Palace Theatre. Since we’re a concert venue, we got permission from one of the bands that always performs at our venue to let Covalent film them for the commercial. We also got permission from an orchestra that also plays at our venue to film their performances.

It took Covalent around three months to create the TV commercial, as the project included filming, editing, voiceover acting, adding texts, and everything else needed for the commercial to come together. Ultimately, they delivered multiple versions of the commercial, including a 30-second spot and a 15-second spot.

The 30-second spot allowed us to add messaging for upcoming concerts for The Palace Theatre. Covalent also provided us with the B-roll footage for us to use on social media and other channels.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 teammates from Covalent's leadership team on the project planning side, including the owner, the video producer, and the project manager. The project manager pulled together all the details, organized the schedule, and coordinated all the camera people. The producer ensured that the project stuck to the timeline and budget. Moreover, the owner was very talented in video production, so he understood the visuals needed and ensured that the video told the right story.

When Covalent came to film the venue, they brought a crew of 8–10 people. They had 3–4 different cameras running all over the venue, including backstage and seats.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

I started looking for top video production companies in Pittsburgh that could do a good job for us, so I was also looking at their reviews and past work. This was a pretty exhaustive Google search to narrow the options down.

During this process, I shortlisted about four top-of-the-line companies, and Covalent was one of them. The team sent me examples of their past work and told me about their philosophy, their processes, and how they would address this video for us. Based on their vision and their past work, I felt that Covalent was the best choice for us, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

The project was around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I hired them in January 2024. From start to finish, it was a 90-day project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The commercial video has been played on TV stations and cable stations, and we've received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from customers and fellow businesses in the area. We also posted the video on social media, and the post blew up — all of our followers loved the commercial.

The quality of Covalent's work was very high-end and very polished. From editing to voiceover acting and audio mixing, the result was very professional. Moreover, they used very innovative technology, including drones, to capture a really cool video of the audience during the show, which was awesome.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

Covalent delivered on budget and was very organized, and their communication was excellent. Throughout the project, we communicated in numerous different ways, including email and text messages. They also sent us project planners so that we could always be aware of what they needed.

Before any filming took place, we also held meetings to ensure everyone was on the same page and outline how things would work. We defined what Covalent would be allowed and not allowed to do. Moreover, the team communicated with the band and the orchestra directly, which was remarkable. Covalent wanted to ensure that they didn't do anything that disrupted their performance while they were being filmed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What impressed me the most was that Covalent was able to give me what I wanted and had envisioned. Originally, I had a vision in my head for how this video should look and feel from the storytelling, messaging, and visual standpoints, and Covalent delivered exactly what I wanted. Still, they imprinted their own creativity and style on top of it. The team brought something fresh, unique, and creative to the table, so the result exceeded my expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Covalent could have improved on.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Ensure that you clearly articulate your expectations, covering the timing, visual, and storytelling requirements. Covalent is very good with communication, so as long as you are proactive in telling them what you're looking for, the project will be a success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the administrator and marketing coordinator of Union Bridge Capital, a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Covalent?

We wanted to rebrand our company by creating several media content to put our name out there in the industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent did full video production for us, including a live-action brand video, animated explainer footage, and an animation for a trademarked concept. In addition, they got involved with photography efforts and headshots while filming the material. Moreover, they hired a third-party person for voiceover tasks.

Regarding the content, the duration of the different versions of the videos ranged from 50 seconds to around three minutes. Covalent’s team also provided their own equipment and studio and performed audio mixing and video editing.

What was the team composition? 

We worked mainly with Jeff and Alex (Co-Founders), but they had a crew of around 20 people working behind the scenes, including a makeup artist and a photographer.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

Our website design provider referred Covalent to us, and we decided to go with them because we clicked since we reached out to them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $58,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People that have seen Covalent’s work have given great feedback on it. Overall, they delivered top-quality, amazing content.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great with project management in terms of meeting deadlines, staying within budget, and communicating. Covalent’s team always tried to keep things rolling with a streamlined, efficient, and patient approach. Overall, they were very collaborative and easy to work with. Regarding tools, we used Vimeo and Google Docs to share cuts and content for the videos. Also, we had Zoom calls and in-person meetings to communicate with each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were knowledgeable and experienced in their work, which made them a professional, quality, and efficient team. Moreover, we liked their creativity and how they guided us in a collaborative and open-minded way, resulting in us receiving the best end product customized to our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep open communication with them; they thrive on constructive feedback to help their clients reach their goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a creative director and senior producer at Rosetta Stone, in charge of branded content strategy and production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

They acted as our production company for a 12-video shoot that spanned three days.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I brought them in for pre-production — just after concept approval to help flesh out the details.

I’d identified a celebrity to give us a local tour of the French-language culture in Louisiana, and I was relying on that celebrity to tell us the points of interest and individuals we needed to speak with. Covalent helped me coordinate those locations and prepare the shoots with storyboards and equipment lists and estimated costs.

At the outset, we worked to identify one key video and three vignettes, and we ended up shooting 12 videos. We shot the main video like a documentary; it was three-minutes long. We also shot three 60-second social media vignettes. While we were there, we kept picking up new stories, so Covalent was a true creative partner in the process of finding the story documentary style.

After filming, we worked our way through the editing process — cutting through the footage and revising it — to create a strong story.

What is the team composition?

Jeff (Partner & Executive Producer) was the producer and Alex (Director) was the co-director with me.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

I worked with them as a freelance cinematographer before I moved over to Rosetta Stone. I really liked their team: three active principle founders and a strong network of highly creative, reliable Pittsburgh talent in the film and art worlds. I was able to hand select the director of photography and worked together with them as the producer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our documentary style main video became the second-most viewed video on our YouTube channel, with 11,000 views. It was also the most-engaged-with video on the channel. The video was captioned in English and French, which was an especially difficult challenge.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t have any problems working together at all. They adapted their style to my process, working with me through Google Slides and Sheets. We were able to send PDFs back and forth to one another; it was really convenient.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Covalent was able to take my concept and run with it while also staying true to my creative vision. They explored it and expanded upon it. We were scoped to do three videos and ended up with 12 because they kept getting great content.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. It was a very short pre-production process because we needed to arrive on location quickly, and they put multiple editors on the project after filming to hit our deadlines. They were already releasing content on social media while we still on location.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

9Rooftops (previously MARC USA) is a full service advertising agency and I am a Creative Director who has been with the company for over 23 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Covalent to produce online video content for the Pennsylvania Turnpike. And our goal was for travelers to understand why choosing E-ZPass was the easiest and most cost effective way to travel the turnpike.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a partner who had a strong visual sensibility and conceptual way of thinking. We wanted to work with a team who could not only shoot and direct talent at an extremely high level and produce polished visual graphics, but one who could also see the bigger picture, collaborate with our team and ultimately help us bring our vision to life in a much more robust way than we had initially imagined.

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

Together we created a series of online videos that outlined the ways to pay when driving the PA Turnpike. From the beginning we conceptually knew we wanted a combination of live action and animation which is why we decided to work with Covalent in the first place. They had all the pieces and parts to help us bring the idea life from conception to finish—producer, director, animator, editor, colorist, sound design... They are truly a one stop, and very talented, shop.

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

From the onset of the project collaboration was our entire teams' theme. We hired an illustrator to do the drawings that Covalent's amazing CGI artist Nate, then built renderings against.

We entrusted Covalent's director Nick, and his overall vision for the flow of the spot as well as his experience and patience to get some amazingly authentic performances from the talent. And we watched as Covalent's editor Alex, brought the entire story to life in beautiful and easy to follow increments of 15-40 seconds. And throughout the process, Covalent's producer Jeff, was the linchpin holding it all together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both 9Rooftops and the Turnpike client were wowed with the results. Although our expectations were high, the final product far exceeded those expectations by leaps and bounds. And the process of how we worked together was so fluid and transparent. We would definitely not hesitate for a minute to work with Covalent again, recommend them to other creatives within our agency or recommend them to creatives at another agency altogether.

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

Covalent's project management style is thorough, collaborative, flexible and prepared. The lines of communication via email and phone calls were always open. I never once felt like I wondered what was going on—I always already knew. And as an agency creative representative managing your client's needs, you never want to be surprised or unaware. Working with Covalent gives you complete confidence.

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

Covalent's team is all very in sync with each other. You can tell that collaboration, communication and respect run deep within the company culture. Throughout the process you would talk to different people and never were any of them unaware of what someone else was doing or when they were doing it in regards to the project.

That comes from project status meeting where people listen and care. And that's what you get when you work with Covalent—a team you feel really cares about you, their relationship with you and your company and cares about the product they are delivering.

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

There is nothing I would recommend they do differently based on our work together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of 9Rooftops, an advertisement agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

We needed help with video production. As years go by, our budget has gotten smaller, so we were looking for opportunities to shrink our video production budget a little bit while maintaining our quality level.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent helps us with our video production needs.

What is the team composition?

We work with the three main principals from Covalent: Jeff (Partner & Executive Producer), Nick (Partner & Creative Director), and Alex (Partner & Director). In total, their team consists of 5–6 people, including a director of photography and some other people they bring for each project.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

We met Covalent through many mutual connections. One day, they came to our agency to do a capabilities presentation. We found them to be a small and nimble company with high-quality work, so we brought them to the table.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially met with Covalent in 2019, and we first worked with them on a major project during the second quarter of 2020. We’re still working together, and we plan to continue working with them in the near future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Covalent’s work, we’ve definitely got increased awareness on social and digital platforms, and our engagements have been much higher than before. The work they deliver is just as good as if we had a huge budget. Quality never suffers regarding budget with them; they always find unique solutions and ways to produce the best quality content.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

Covalent’s project management is top-notch; they’re one of the best production companies I’ve worked with regarding project management. Before the shots, they make sure everything is ready, and during the shots, they always work on schedule and ensure that we don’t have any overages. Sometimes, we’ve even finished early, which has helped us get additional footage that we weren’t sure we would get.

We communicate via email, text messages, and phone calls. Our communication is one of the best things about working with Covalent. We’ve never had an issue, and they’re willing to jump on a call whenever necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Covalent’s ability to adjust on the fly is impressive. On these kinds of projects, the client sometimes gets quoted initially, and they have to change the project based on the previous quarter's financial results, for example. As Covalent is a smaller company, they’re able to adjust almost flawlessly whenever we need to make changes to the project for financial reasons, and 99.9% of the time, they figure out a way to get the job done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. Any time we ask Covalent to do something different, they accommodate our needs very well. So far, they’ve been the perfect partners for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to what Covalent has to say. Their ideas are always an added value to any partnership. Take full advantage of the partnership, and don’t treat them as vendors but as creative partners because they’ll help make your product better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a marketing director at web technology company. I'm primarily responsible for content, including blog posts and YouTube videos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I work for a sub-brand for web developers and designers. My team needed to produce educational and entertaining videos for a new YouTube channel my team was launching. I hired Covalent to produce a series of infographic-style videos that explained technical web design topics in as few minutes as possible.

SOLUTION

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

Covalent was recommended by another agency we were using for SEO and creative services. We also vetted two other companies. We liked the examples and felt that Jeff and Nick understood our vision.

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

My team wrote the initial scripts and Covalent would edit and suggest changes along with storyboard suggestions. Once approved, the storyboards would be created and sent to our legal & brand teams for review. The same would happen with the video before we'd receive the final files. Often we only needed one round of revision. After a few months, due to the lack of necessity, we no longer required brand review on the storyboard nor videos.

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

My team adds comments in a Google Doc for the script, via email for the storyboards, and on Frame.io for the videos. Covalent was always humble and willing to work with us for change requests. Their patience during the brand learning curve was much appreciated. They never let a critique stop their creativity and have been incredibly professional and fun to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first time the series was actively promoted, we saw a 400% increase in subscribers and engagement on YouTube. We also ran a creative breakthrough study with the brand team that indicated a substantial increase in affinity. The videos were also very well received internally.

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

They are very responsive and organized. Covalent was very patient with us and able to adapt quickly.

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

We've been working together for over a year, and they continue to find new ways to appeal to our audience and offer moments of delight. They have always been thoughtful and they feel like an extension of my team.

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

I wish our team could have met in person. Hoping we will get the chance some day!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m senior VP of creative services within a financial services company. I started in an embedded team within the company. We had writers and designers, and we handled a lot of print collateral. We then grew into corporate videos. Now, we’ve become official employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

It kind of started at the beginning of the pandemic. Nobody was working on site, so banks and branches weren’t open. There was a huge need for corporate videos so the sales force could show people how to open accounts and so on.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Covalent came in and asked us to put together a template approach, starting with the easiest kind of videos, where we have a person recording themselves on their phone, then animations to help explain something, and then full-blown produced videos. They worked with us to give us that template-sized approach from a cost and timing perspective. It helps us determine if we’re using illustrations, stock video, and so on.

Usually, we first meet with internal clients and find out what they want. Our writer and creative director works on the script and storyboard. Once we get to that point, we go to Covalent and ask them what would be the cost and how we can make it more interesting. They give us multiple talent and options, and we make decisions with the client’s approval. We work pretty closely with Covalent all along the process, and we’re always working with them on a video or multiple videos.

Since COVID-19, we haven’t been able to produce anything in person, so they’ve sent equipment out to people and virtually walked them through the set up. We use a lot of stock in our video and animations, and we work with an illustrator to help us with what we’re trying to convey.

What is the team composition?

We work mostly with Jeff (Co-Founder & Executive Producer), but we also talk with their animators or editors. We work basically with the entire group.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

Our writer came from an agency background, and he knew about them. They were this new, young, and hungry team, and they were very open. From a price perspective, it was a good thing.

They started with a video for our group, and then we kind of worked together to put that template approach. We’ve been working with them pretty solidly ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

Right now, we’re doing smaller corporate videos that range anywhere from $5,000–$25,000, but we’ve spent at least $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first did one video in 2018. Then, we put together the template approach in 2019, and it started building up in 2020 because of COVID-19. We’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, we don’t have any specific quantitative analysis of the videos. However, we’ve gotten great feedback all the way up to the CEO because they do such a good job at making professional and creative, interesting videos.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an accounts team that deals directly with them and works with their team to keep them on schedule. We have our own internal project management tools, but there’s nothing we can specifically use with them.

On the other hand, they’ve always been able to keep within costs and work in a timely manner. They’re just always here for us. Even when we were contractors, we had corporate computers, so there was a challenge with getting things back and forth between us. Nonetheless, they’ve always been very understanding, and we’ve tried many workarounds.

Overall, I feel that they’re part of my team. Before this job, I was a global creative director, and I worked with agencies in London, Paris, and India, and they were all great, but I hadn’t found the level of cost and hard work that Covalent has. They just jump on the work and turn it around so quickly. I don’t even know how they do it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I guess it’s their passion and willingness to do what it takes. They ask a lot of questions, and they’re just really smart and creative. Their team is a great group of people, and they’ll stand on their heads for you.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing that really jumps out. I can’t think of anything that feels worth mentioning.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the opportunity to share their creative ideas. Have a brainstorming session with them and get suggestions. The art director may have something specific in their mind, but they have a great way to spin it or make it better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for PNC Financial Services, a financial institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

My department is the acting in-house design group. We wanted to offer our partners the opportunity to create videos with the help of an external partner agency. This way, we could offer cost-friendly solutions for short videos.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our internal team works on the design and the creative part of the videos, and Covalent takes the storyboards that we create, run with them, and execute them. They help us with our production and animation needs, and they bring to life all the creative work that we do.

If there is any voiceover needed for the videos, Covalent coordinates all of the talents and works on the recordings as well. The videos that they help us create are used as marketing collateral.

We’ve been working together for over two years now, and we’ve executed more than 20 videos. They all range in a variety of needs, but their process and execution are very similar.

Covalent also provides us with creative solutions and animation suggestions when needed. We go to them for their expertise, and we collaborate together to make any additional changes before approving the final cut and getting it out the door.

They’re always willing to help us with requests that fall outside of their standard service offerings. For example, one time, we need to create an editable video. The sales team wanted to be able to edit some information in the video based on who they were presenting the video. Covalent came up with a solution for it.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with Jeffrey (Partner & Executive Producer), who is our main point of contact. Additionally, 2–3 people from their team work on the animation, and we go back and forth with them during the execution phase — everyone is really easy to work with.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

We didn’t have the capability to execute the videos in-house because we didn’t have teammates able to animate and record the voiceover, so we wanted to outsource those services.

As we were looking for groups to work with, Covalent was recommended to us by one of our writers within our group who had done some freelance work with them. Once we started talking to them, we engaged on a trial basis.

We tried them on some projects here and there to see how they worked, and we were really happy with the results.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve done a variety of projects with Covalent. For some projects, they charge us around $2,000, and for others, they charge us around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around February 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback that we receive on the videos from internal partners is always extremely positive. We’re constantly getting references back to their other pieces of work, something that really talks about their quality. In other words, we get a lot of repeat requests because other people see the videos that we’ve created and want something like that for them as well.

I really like how collaborative they are. They're always willing to collaborate and see what we can do to help our partners outside the traditional video production scope. Their quality is always top tier. We're always extremely happy with the quality of the pieces that we get, and we're really proud to share those pieces along.

Another really great aspect about them is that they can handle the smaller projects when they arise, and they're able to execute on a larger scale, too.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

Working with Covalent’s team has always been really, really easy. They’re really in tune with our creative efforts — that's really important for us as well. We don't have to sit there and break it down for them step by step. They’re able to jump right in and execute their work based on the words that we give them — it's a really seamless transition from our team to their team.

Covalent does a really great job providing comprehensive estimates at the top of the projects, and they always remain in scope. If something does change, they’re always very open about it. We communicate via email and phone calls.

Everyone from Covalent is very nice and always available, which is also helpful. It’s usual that our partners want everything done quickly. Covalent is really understanding about timelines, and they’re great at keeping within them. They’ve even exceeded our expectations about the timelines that we provide.

Covalent is always willing to accommodate rushed projects. We’re really happy about their turnaround times. Additionally, their pricing is extremely fair; they’re always willing to work with us on budget.

We keep a large schedule document that we share back and forth to make sure everybody's on the same page with timelines and updates on projects. If they ever have a question about it, they give us a call, and we have a meeting about it to execute it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Both their quality and creative solutions are the top reasons why we continue our relationship with them. We're looking forward to keeping working together on future projects.

I can’t praise enough the quality of work that they put together. They’re able to take our ideas and flow everything together to make it look like a super high-quality production piece.

We’ve worked with other production partners in the past, and we’ve sent the pieces that these other people created to Covalent to help us fix them because they don’t meet the quality standards that they accustomed us to.

There have been times where the creative asset that we want to use is a still image. We give them a call asking if they can animate it, and they usually do it within budget, but they also suggest to us what does and doesn’t work. I really like their creative troubleshooting and their collaboration to help us create something really great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on. We’ve set up such a set of events with them, that we’ve fine-tuned our relationship. I have the confidence that, if we have any issues, I can call one of the co-owners, and they would address it immediately.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rely on their expertise for putting together the creative part of making videos. When I’m working with my team, I assign them different tasks on the creative side. Whenever I don’t know how to get from point A to point B, I can reach out to Covalent to help me troubleshoot and brainstorm on how we can accomplish that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CMO of Second Ave Thrift Superstores, which is a thrift store chain with 11 locations. Green Drop LLC is our sister company that seeks out donations for clothing and household items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

We wanted to diversity our website’s assets with videos that highlighted the benefits of our business model, both for the environment and the great finds that people could get by thrifting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Covalent produced marketing videos for our website. They first talked to me about our business model and which parts that we wanted to highlight. Then, we got into the production logistics. They helped plan which stores we’d film in, which staff would appear on screen, and what types of shots we wanted in the videos. We also discussed the general storyline.

On the appointed day, we met them at the stores, and they did all of the filming. They created a pair of two-minute videos: one was about the environmental benefits of Second Avenue, and the other showcased the great finds people could get such as outfits and home décor. We reviewed the first drafts and made a series of edits until we got to the final products.

What is the team composition? 

There were four people: a general manager, a production lead who organized the shoots, and two camera and lighting people.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

A friend of mine referred me to Covalent. The sample of work that they sent really matched what we wanted to accomplish for ourselves, and the prices were competitive, too. Those were the two most important factors.

How much have you invested with them?

It was under $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between October–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was really the quality of the product. The videos were very well-done, from the soundbites and music to the storyline and footage. We ended up showing them to a lot of people we worked with, including other centers, and the general comments we got back were great. People were impressed with everything about them.

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was very communicative, emailing us once a week on average, though we did have a few phone calls, too. During the shoots, we’d talk to them about our goals and expectations. They delivered on all of our deadlines, and the cost estimates were accurate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Covalent was easy to work with. They were very flexible around our timing and made any changes that we’d wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was very pleased with what they completed for us. The price could always be better, but their billing was very reasonable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what your expectations are and what you think the video storyline should be. The more that you can provide to them, the better a job they’ll do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and communications for Literacy Pittsburgh. Our organization provides classes to prepare adults for the workforce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Covalent?

Our services are broad, and include more than just reading. We prepare folks for GED and US citizenship exams, among other things. Our challenge was to boil down all of our services into one video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Covalent to produce three different videos. One was a three-minute overarching video about the organization, which was designed for donors. We wanted something that really grasped the emotion and the impact of what we do. 

We also wanted a 60- to 90-second video that we could use on social media and our website, which would serve as a more superficial overview of who we are. We still wanted it to capture that emotion and get people interested in what we do and want to learn more

The third piece is a 30-second commercial. The videos featured all of our own students and tutors. The Covalent team interviewed folks, heard their stories, and decided who would be a good fit for the video. 

After shooting the videos, the team provided all the editing services.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Jeff (Co-Founder & Executive Producer) and Nick (Partner & Creative Director), as producer and director, respectively. I also interacted with their videographer and editor to some degree.

How did you come to work with Covalent?

This was the first video we’d produced for our organization in about 10 years. We talked with a few different firms, and saw Covalent had done a video for another organization that captured the spirit we were hoping for. We ended up choosing them primarily for the creative direction we felt they would provide.

How much have you invested with them?

The project was $13,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just received the deliverables in December, and we’re still figuring out how we’re going to roll it out. We did share some drafts with our board and our staff. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the projects; they felt it really captured who we were. We saw a range of emotions from the viewers; happiness, tears, everything we wanted to capture. 

How did Covalent perform from a project management standpoint?

We signed the agreement right before the state shut down due to COVID, so things were pretty dicey for awhile, and the project took much longer than we anticipated. However, Covalent used the time wisely, and they figured out ways to shoot creatively and safely. They ended up producing a beautiful project. I could not have been happier to have chosen Covalent to work with, especially under these circumstances.

In terms of the actual project management, they did a great job of keeping me apprised of what was going on over email and some phone calls. Despite the fact that the project dragged out for a long period of time, we were still in touch every couple of weeks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re really impressed with Covalent’s creativity and professionalism.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything. Our engagement was as seamless as it could be. We would love to work with Covalent again.