Creative Frontiers LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at Apollo Messaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creative Frontiers LLC?

We needed an animated video for a political ad.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creative Frontier produced a 30-second animated video for a political ad. We had an initial meeting with their team to walk us through the process. Then, we gave them the materials they needed, and they went into production. After that, they gave us a draft of the video, and we requested edits, which they implemented until the video was finished.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 teammates from Creative Frontiers LLC, but our main point of contact was Hoora.

How did you come to work with Creative Frontiers LLC?

Mustafa cold-called me. After talking with him, we felt confident Creative Frontiers LLC would give us a great product.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in October 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were thrilled with the video. It was fantastic and met our expectations.

How did Creative Frontiers LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Creative Frontier delivered ahead of time and on budget. We mostly communicated via email.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Hoora was great. Everything was smooth, and she was responsive and helpful. She was fantastic to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Creative Frontiers was responsive and helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them because they’ll do a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President of Communications of Anera

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Anera delivers humanitarian relief and development programs in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creative Frontiers LLC to accomplish?

• Create an animated film

SOLUTION

How did you find Creative Frontiers LLC?

Referral

Why did you select Creative Frontiers LLC over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Creative Frontiers LLC were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Creative Frontiers created a 1-minute animated film honoring Anera's staff and emergency donors who came out in support of Gaza since the war began in October 2023. We provided flow ideas, the voiceover narration and some ideas for graphics, based on the marketing materials for the Annual Dinner, during which the film was to be shown.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Creative presented us with a beautifully made 1:04-minute animated film that followed our specs perfectly. 

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

They were very organized and on top of timing/deadlines. Sometimes we had to be nudged, and they did it kindly and patiently, despite time running out. They were also very responsive to our requests.

What was your primary form of communication with Creative Frontiers LLC?

Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to stay on track and on time. And the people were lovely to work with. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Creative Frontiers LLC could have done differently?

No, I don't think so.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Brand Safety Institute

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Brand Safety Institute's mission is to continuously drive a healthy and sustainable digital advertising ecosystem by raising awareness of brand and people safe practices through thought leadership, community, education, and certification.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Creative Frontiers LLC to accomplish?

• Create a virtual education module on a key industry topic

SOLUTION

How did you find Creative Frontiers LLC?

They cold called me

Why did you select Creative Frontiers LLC over others?

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

How many teammates from Creative Frontiers LLC were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design and build a virtual educational module focused on industry best practices for Keyword Block Lists (in digital advertising). The project started with a PDF outlining the best practices and visual branding guidelines from the two organizations co-producing the module. Interim deliverables included:

• a mood board
• storyboard
• an animated introductory video. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

draft deliverables

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

Items were delivered on time and questions/edits were acknowledged and either incorporated quickly into the work or responded to with suggested potential solutions/recommendations.

What was your primary form of communication with Creative Frontiers LLC?

Virtual Meeting

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

Creative Frontiers has been fantastic to work with. The team is talented and desires to create exceptional outcomes for us as their clients.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Creative Frontiers LLC could have done differently?

This project went off without a hitch so no suggestions for things they could have done differently/better.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 3/16/2023
Co-Founder, Brand Safety InstituteEducation

Ashburn, Virginia

1-10 Employees

Jan 2022 - Ongoing

$50,000 to $199,999

Verified

Project summary
Frontiers Animation has produced an educational video series for a professional education firm. The videos focus on the reduction of hate speech in SMBs. Around 18 videos are in English, and 18 are in Spanish. 

Feedback summary
Thanks to Frontiers Animation, the stakeholders are happy with the video series. The team has delivered the videos on time and within budget. They've managed the project well, and their members are flexible regarding timeline changes. Their understanding of the client's desired tone is also spot on. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Brand Safety Institute

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Professional education, certification, and peer-to-peer community for brand safety professionals in the digital advertising supply chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Frontiers Animation to accomplish?

• Educate consumers about online hate speech and what they can do to help combat it

SOLUTION

How did you find Frontiers Animation?

Other

Why did you select Frontiers Animation over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

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

Development of an educational video series covering a variety of topics related to online hate speech and ways consumers and small/medium-sized businesses can help reduce it. The initial set of deliverables included 18 videos in English, 18 videos in Spanish. Services also included translating an existing brands to videos, translating scripts and on-screen words, and sourcing/management/production of voice talent.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The stakeholders who will be showcasing the videos are extremely happy with them
• Work was done on time and for the promised cost

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

Project management was strong. Target project schedules were developed and reviewed periodically. The team regularly delivered within promised deadlines. In the event of changes in scope/requirements, they pivoted quickly and indicated any changes to timeline and/or cost those changes might cause before starting the adjusted workstream.

What was your primary form of communication with Frontiers Animation?

Virtual Meeting

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

They quickly understood the tone we were trying to strike with the videos we were developing and delivered consistently on that tone

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

No, I have been extremely happy with their service and we are in the process of working with them on a next significant project.
STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5
Quality: 5
Cost: 5
Schedule: 5
Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for the Rights and Resources Initiative as a Communications Associate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Frontiers Animation?

We hired Frontiers to create a short, effective animated video about a somewhat complicated topic. They were mazing to work with - responsive, communicative, and understanding.

SOLUTION

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

We had a great initial meeting and they were able to do what we needed done. We also liked that their team members were based around the world. As a global nonprofit, we appreciate geographic diversity.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We started with a script which we sent over to them to copyedit and ensure the flow was good for video. They created a moodboard, then storyboard, then gave us options for the VoiceOver, then animated the video and put everything together. At each stage, they were patient and responsive to our feedback.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with mainly an account manager, Arifa, who streamlined the Frontiers work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our 100+ person team was thrilled with the video. It has not launched yet but it effectively communicates what we are trying to say and is the perfect tool for launching our Community-Supported Monitoring system.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely.

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

Their timeliness and responsiveness, they always "got" what we were trying to portray, and their diversity.

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

Honestly no, and I know that's not helpful but it's true!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the communications director for a civil rights organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to create easy to understand explainer videos to introduce our audience to the civil rights concerns that stem from government algorithms as we start doing more work in this area.

SOLUTION

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

We looked for production companies that shared our values, in addition to having a great client list and sample work.

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

We made 8 videos total - 4 in English and 4 in Spanish - about 4 separate issue areas within government algorithms. We had a series of meetings, including collaborative script writing, story board revisions, and VO selection.

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

We worked with our project manager and the CEO on all aspects of our project. Feedback was always well received and implemented quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This series has generated considerable media attention and is the first project of its kind that we've done at the organization -- we are getting interest across the organization in doing more video like this, and are already starting to work on our next project!

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

Everyone was very responsive to email, and project timelines were easy to understand and adjust. Frame.io was an excellent platform for providing video feedback on.

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

They were kind, enthusiastic, receptive to feedback, and very professional throughout.

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

I only wish that we could do more with them!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the designated community lead for the Hispanic Latinx community at the North Carolina Community Engagement Alliance (NC CEAL), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. I co-lead a team that has engaged the Latino community on COVID-19 issues and the importance of vaccination.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Frontiers Animation?

When the project started, COVID-19 rates for Latinos in North Carolina were 10 times those of the general population. This community had been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccines were just becoming available at the time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our own state Department of Health and Human Services had both been providing quality information, but it was too academic and complicated in its presentation. We were looking to create simple, straightforward, and culturally appropriate materials that communicated the same information to us as Latinos in North Carolina and honored our culture.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the engagement with Frontiers Animation by creating concepts, topics, and content for five animated videos. We used animated characters that Frontiers Animation had previously created for our partners in Arizona and California. Frontiers Animation wrote dialogue for those characters.

We gave Frontiers Animation data, and they created graphics with simple percentages. They communicated what the CDC and state authorities were saying, but presented it in a way that really resonated with our community.  

Frontiers Animation facilitated our English discussions, translated everything, and delivered work in Spanish. They then created draft videos. We gave feedback and made additions regarding the script, characters, voices, and the look of the drafts. 

Frontiers Animation helped us hone in on the wording, and we helped them account for the connotations of certain words in different Latino cultures. We wanted a couple of the new characters in some of our videos to have more melanin to represent the full Latino spectrum. Overall, our changes throughout the process were small.

After receiving their initial batch of finished videos, we found it in our budget to animate two additional videos. One was about the vaccination of children aged 5–11, and the other was about the importance of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. For no additional charge, Mustafa (Managing Director) also gave us audio files that we could broadcast via radio and comics that we could print.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Mustafa and one project manager. They coordinated with their team behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Frontiers Animation?

Our partners in Arizona and California had already created a few animated videos with them, and we loved the animated characters in those videos, so we reached out to Frontiers Animation.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $6,000 per animation.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Frontiers Animation from April 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m excited to say that we were amazed by their quality of work. The videos were crisp, with no technical issues. The mileage that we’ve gotten out of our investment in this project is extensive. 

We created a Facebook page and posted everything that Frontiers Animation created for us: The animations, PDFs, and all of the comics. In a few months, our Facebook page jumped from a few hundred people to well over a thousand. We’re really pleased with that metric. Each of those people might have also shared our materials with others.

The print comics that Frontiers Animation provided us for free were fabulous because not everyone we’re trying to reach has internet access, and they’re not necessarily active on social media. We were able to print photo novella comic strips to give them when they came in for services related to COVID-19.

The materials were so well received that a local Spanish newspaper with a circulation of 15,000 printed a full page of our comics for free every week in November 2021, part of December 2021, and in January 2022. This newspaper was offered for free in bodegas, helping us reach our full community.

The full impact of these messages is immeasurable — we’ve touched many people through these animations and messages. These materials are reaching the people that we wanted to reach in our community.

At least three colleagues have since reached out to Frontiers Animation with messages that they want to communicate to our Latino community. They saw how professionally produced our animated videos were, and how clearly Frontiers Animation communicated important information.

The content and cultural appropriateness of their videos were amazing. Each of us could identify with at least one character in each of their videos. Frontiers Animation was amazing at helping us hone in on the wording. Their team knew how to speak to our community, and that ability went a long way. They also formatted data in intuitive graphics with pretty colors, simple percentages, and wording that hit home with our community. 

How did Frontiers Animation perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager that I worked with was excellent. We were amazed by Frontiers Animation’s timeliness. They delivered quickly, within 3–4 weeks, which was important because these messages were urgent. We did tweak one deadline a little because not all of our team members were available during the holidays.

Their team is located all over the world, but they always met with me at times that were convenient for me. We communicated via email and weekly Zoom meetings during production.

Frontiers Animation was very responsive and receptive to our feedback at every step. They quickly made every modification that we asked for. They were a very collaborative team, and whoever worked behind the scenes really listened to our feedback. Overall, we had such a pleasant experience working with their team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found their quality, professionalism, timeliness, and benefit-cost ratio impressive.

The quality of their animation was impeccable — they’re superb in their field, especially considering the price. They showed great commitment to ensuring that the product was what we wanted. The team we worked with at Frontiers Animation was wonderful — I’d work with them again anytime.

Mustafa was generous in giving us more than was included in their original quote. For example, we only paid for animations but he also gave us audio files from the animations to share with radio stations. One of our animations was originally supposed to be one minute long but ran to two minutes. Mustafa stepped in to deliver the full two minutes without cutting any information, as all of our messaging was important.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only time we really nitpicked was when we edited a lot of Spanish-specific punctuation errors in their translated material, specifically exclamation points and question marks. Everything else was fine.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep that communication flowing — stay connected, give them feedback, and be flexible. You’re going to get what you ask for and probably a little bit more. Make sure to ask for exactly what you want and share your thoughts, though, because they can’t read your mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of digital marketing and communication at UnidosUS, the largest civil rights and advocacy organization representing the US Hispanic community. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Frontiers Animation?

We hired Frontiers Animation to create animated videos for our call to action and advocacy campaigns. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For this project, Frontiers Animation developed an animated video to augment our campaign to pressure the US Congress to extend the Child Tax Credit. We met with their team at the beginning of the project to outline our needs. From there, they proposed several video options, collaborated with us to develop and edit the script, and hired voice actors. Once all of that was finalized, they produced and edited the video using their tools; Frontiers Animation's team also did audio mixing. 

After the animated video was completed, they made several minor messaging edits we requested. They actually ended up absorbing the cost of those changes. Once we signed off on the animated video, we uploaded it to social media, our website, and YouTube and shared it with internal stakeholders. 

What is the team composition?

I'm not sure how many teammates from Frontiers Animation worked on the project, but we mainly communicated with their CEO and a producer. 

How did you come to work with Frontiers Animation?

Frontiers Animation sent us a cold email that sparked our attention. In the end, one of the main reasons we hired them is because they're a full-service animation studio. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $5,000 with Frontiers Animation. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with Frontiers Animation was from December 2021–January 2022. However, we intend to continue the partnership for future projects in the near future. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's difficult to measure the success of this project because Congress did end up changing their vote on the Child Tax Credits. However, I'd say that project accomplished the objectives we set for it. 

How did Frontiers Animation perform from a project management standpoint?

Frontiers Animation had excellent project management — they stuck to schedules and budget. Typically, we communicated via emails and Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're really happy with our partnership with Frontiers Animation. They've had excellent customer service and invested personal attention into our project. Additionally, the cost of their work has been very reasonable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have anything for Frontiers Animation to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Frontiers Animation will help clients with less expertise in the video production industry with the creative process, and I'd advise customers to take advantage of those services. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Managing Director and founding partner of a media production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had previously worked with Frontiers in the development of animated public health explainers. We brought them on to create a very specific style of animation based on one of our founders artwork/style for a public health campaign for the State of California.

SOLUTION

How did you select Frontiers Animation and what were the deciding factors?

We enjoy working with them - they are engaging, professional and deliver on a timely basis.

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

Our team developed the script and the characters and then Zoomed with the Frontiers Team. They were quickly able to take our scripts, storyboard and transform them into full color drawings and through the animation process in a very quick time period. This was an extremely aggressive timeline with rigorous editing.

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

Mustafa was the lead on the project and was excellent in terms of keeping the team on track and communicating with our team. Yahya led the animation team and was equally incredible and creative. Alex handled our Spanish language needs and coordinated the musical selections which was critical.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was of such a high quality that the State of California Department of Public Health was able to use as PSAs on network TV and in use for paid advertising. They also used it through their social media channels.

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

Incredible. They adjusted their work schedules to meet us even we were in Los Angeles, and they were spread all over the world. Various apps and zoom were critical tools and we really enjoyed the seamless nature of our communication. Frontiers met our aggressive deadlines.

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

Their ability to take a very challenging task - adapt to an established and award winning artist's style - and quickly flip that around in a workable animation that will meet the rigorous standards of the artist, professional media agencies and the State of California Public Health Department.

These guys are legitimate and we have incorporated them into our team for multiple future projects.

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

Not really. Each new project becomes more seamless than the one before. Looking forward to next project with this team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of impact communications at Save the Children, an international nonprofit organization. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Frontiers Animation?

We needed help producing an animated video that talked about our climate work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they made a script narrating our work through a child’s eyes. They then developed an animated video, and they handled all aspects of production. Our target audience for the video was high-value donors like foundations, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a producer and an assistant producer.

How did you come to work with Frontiers Animation?

They reached out to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video Frontiers Animation produced was widely shared with our offices across the globe and on different platforms and conferences. They’re good at executing. 

How did Frontiers Animation perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great at project management. We communicated through email and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Frontiers Animation’s team was very responsive and accommodating. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with enough materials and a clear vision.