Definition

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Content Manager at Goflbidder who are Europe's biggest buyer and seller of used golf clubs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TopLine Film?

Due to various aspects of the business changing over time our previous version of our service videos were no longer valid. TopLine was hired to re-produce these from start to finish.

What were your goals for this project?

• Increase brand awareness as new golfers are entering the market all the time.
• Reduce call volume by addressing FAQs
• Demonstrate how selling process work in a simple manner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Invited TopLine and two other agencies to come in and pitch to us. They were the standout candidate.

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

TopLine managed the process form start (outline and scripting) to the conclusion (voice overs and delivery). One branding and awareness video in 9 languages and one selling process video in 8 lanugages.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Full feedback and review after each stage of the project to check we were entirely happy before moving on. Single point of contact made this very easy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Strong initial engagement on all videos in particular the european selling one which were the main focus of our measurment.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was regular and timely which made the process very easy. Clearly, they're a professional operation.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

TopLine Film is the definition of 'doing one thing well'. From start to finish I knew is was in the hands of the best and my project was going to be as important to them as the next, even if the budget wasn't.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot find fault and hope to work with TopLine again soon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Funding Options is the free marketplace for business finance, helping businesses find the right funding for their situation across the whole spectrum of business finance from 70+ lenders. I'm a marketing manager with a background in TV production, so ended up being the point of contact working with TopLine on a few video projects in 2017 and 2018.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TopLine Film?

We had entered Nesta's "Open Up Challenge", a competition created to encourage innovation in financial services. With big-name competition in the running and six-figure prizes up for grabs, it was a big opportunity for us to cement our status as a leading fintech in the business finance space. A key part of the application process was a five-minute video which we hired TopLine to produce for us.

What were your goals for this project?

The key goal was to win one of the prizes, which amounted to grant funding worth £200,000. For the film specifically we had lots of dense material to get across, because the application to the prize focused on a user journey on our website. This meant lots of scrolling screens and moving cursors for TopLine to animate, and it was also really important to capture engaging narration from the bid team. In a nutshell, we hired TopLine to make a boring niche subject exciting and relevant to the judges!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We've worked with a handful of video production companies before and TopLine were the clear standout, so we decided to work with them again.

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

Before filming day we shared some rough scripts and static images of the mocked up webpages that would need animating, and discussed potential narrative structures as well as the rough running order on the day. On the filming day the TopLine team arrived four-strong with lights and cameras to set up in one of our meeting rooms. We used a teleprompter for down-the-lens narration which doubled as voiceover for the animated screens. The first edit we received was almost spot on, and after some basic tweaks to the webpage animation sections we were done!

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Our producer/director Sian has a knack for understanding the most important 2 or 3 points and weaving them into a coherent film — even if it's pretty dry material with lots of jargon — so we had a lot of help from her here to get things together. Down-the-lens narration isn't an easy thing to do if you haven't had practice, but the TopLine crew do a great job of coaching you through the initial awkwardness to get the takes they need for a good edit. Three of the four narrators had no experience of being on camera, but watching the final film you'd never know it! Overall a very easy and straightforward process with minimal feedback rounds needed to get the result.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We won the prize worth £200,000, and were one of only three companies to win both phases of the Open Up Challenge. TopLine produced the films for both of these winning entries and I believe the films played a large part in making our quite dense concepts easy to understand and appreciate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I have always found TopLine to be very responsive and eager to help, and in the editing phase they get things right first-time. This not only makes it easier to stick to the deadline, it also means less back-and-forth. Other companies I've worked with have needed 4 or 5 edits to get it right — TopLine normally only need one round of feedback and you've got a final cut.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is reliable, always on schedule, fairly priced and most importantly always delivering to the brief. I also think they do an amazing job of figuring out what you want — even if you're struggling to vocalise it or not sure what route is best. In the real world there often isn't time for detailed scripts or clear briefs, and TopLine have helped me figure it out three or four times now. Even when I feel like I don't know what's going on, we somehow end up with a film that makes perfect sense for the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I'm nitpicking here because I genuinely think TopLine get all the important things spot-on. The only downside has been availability — I suppose they're in demand!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marcom Manager of Teledyne e2v Semiconductors

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer high-performance, high-reliability semiconductor solutions, which help solve the most demanding problems of the complete signal chain. With a range of electronics and packaging solutions, we cater to applications in the space, military, civil avionics, industrial, medical and scientific markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Definition to accomplish?

• Promote a new product

SOLUTION

How did you find Definition?

Partner for several years

Why did you select Definition over others?

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

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

Definition created for us an animated video about our brand new product. Based on one hour discussion and first elements of script, Sian's team created the perfect video for us. They delivered the script, the styleframes for us to chose, the storyboard, and the animated video. They even provided social media images from the video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's soon to have measurable metrics but our team is very happy with the video. We're sure it will be a great success!

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

Sian's team and herself are very organized. At the fist project call she described perfectly the following steps of the projects and everything went smoothly, as usual when working with Definition!

What was your primary form of communication with Definition?

Email or Messaging App

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

Their creativity and the fact that they're able to create an appealing video based on very technical details we provided stood out. We're always impressed by how Sian understands quickly our needs, even when the products we're working on is very technical.

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

I don't see any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Environmental Specialist of a Railway Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We run a railway service in London and the SouthEast

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Definition to accomplish?

• Create a video to concisely communicate our sustainability goals

SOLUTION

How did you find Definition?

Online Search

Why did you select Definition over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Definition were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We wanted to create a short and captivating video which showcases our sustainability goals and gives and overview of what we are doing in this space.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quick turn around and good response from key stakeholders

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

Delivered everything on time and even before the delivery date in some cases. Every request was seen to and our video producer (Grace D.) was amazing at getting our requests brought to life. Grace was really helpful and always available to talk through any queries we had.

What was your primary form of communication with Definition?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The helpfulness and creativity of the employees

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

No! The whole process was really smooth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sharegain is a well-established Fintech company with unique technology. We are quickly democratizing the $2.5 trillion-a-day Securities Lending market and enabling all beneficial owners to lend their stocks, bonds, and ETFs (just like the global giants have been doing for 60 years). My role is Marketing Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TopLine Film?

Video production.

What were your goals for this project?

Increase brand awareness and present a complicated concept in a digestible format.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Ask for various quotes and proposals. TopLine Firm gave the best proposal. 

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

They reviewed the script and decided on storyboards, the video style, and voiceovers for the video. 

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They were very receptive to feedback and quick to implement. The reviewal stages provided the opportunity for feedback at every stage.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received good feedback on the video and it quickly gained the most engagements we ever had on a post. Our company page grew significantly following the video.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with TopLine Firm was very productive, as they were very easy to work with and very punctual. The quality of the work speaks for itself.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their listening abilities. They were extremely good at taking onboard and implementing feedback.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. We couldn't be happier with the process or the end product.