Double Entendre Pictures

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is called The Brand is Everything. I founded it shortly after I retired from my 14-year tenure at Outdoor Living Brands, where I served as creative director and director of marketing. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Double Entendre Pictures?

I received an opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to craft an informational campaign on how to avoid contact with the COVID-19 virus. I had to reach certain segments of the marketplace, and I felt that those segments would be best reached using a music video. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After explaining my vision to Michael (Writer, Director & Producer), we jammed on various approaches. My granddaughter loves the rap song “Chicken Noodle Soup,” and she either plays it, sings it, or dances to it. I thought that a music video with a similar beat and cadence to that song would work well for the project. I shared that with Michael, and we came up with a melody after a couple of weeks. Then, we went ahead and produced the videos. 

I managed the project, provided all necessary research and information, and determined all the keywords in the song — I basically came up with the meat of the video. Then, I turned it over to Michael, who wrote the lyrics to the song. We went back and forth for weeks until we finally got to a point where the song worked well. 

After that, I turned over the entire production to Michael. He led and assembled the team for the shoot, which was tough since it was right in the heart of COVID-19. We had to follow many production guidelines, such as wearing masks and social distancing. In the end, Double Entendre created one main music video and around 13 smaller videos that expanded on the information in the primary video. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 20 people from Michael’s team, including craftspeople, grips, and others. There were also a lot of support people. Michael hired all of them for the shoot, and they were a part of a big production family here in Charlotte. 

How did you come to work with Double Entendre Pictures?

I was at another company at the beginning of our relationship. I was in Richmond for two years, but I moved back to Charlotte and worked remotely to be with my family. As a result, it made sense for me to find a production studio facility in Charlotte. 

I then reached out to a graphic designer that I worked with before, and he told me to call Michael. He described him as incredibly down-to-earth, collaborative, and a good man, and he said his services were fairly priced. The designer also said I’d enjoy working with Michael.

Based on that recommendation, I hired Michael for a shoot. Since then, we've done about 40 productions together over the last 10 years. When this opportunity with the CDC came up, I immediately called him. I knew that he would be perfect for the assignment. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from March–December 2020. Technically, though, we only recently wrapped up, since CDC kept coming back to me with certain requests, such as doing the video in Spanish. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The CDC and other people were all over the moon upon receiving the videos. As many as 30 people were involved in interviews, conversations, and approval processes for the videos — including all subsets of special interest groups — but there was never any hesitation about our approach to the project. 

I initially thought it would be rejected. I explained the rationale behind the music video idea, and it turned out that they were so forward-thinking that an explanation wasn’t even necessary. It was an incredible experience, and there wasn’t any negative moment during the project.

How did Double Entendre Pictures perform from a project management standpoint?

We did dozens of conference calls and Zoom meetings as the project unfolded, and everybody was aware of where the production stood at any point in time. Michael and I constantly texted each other during the project, sending scripts, ideas, thoughts, and concerns for the actual shoot. 

The process was digitally based, and then we’d follow up via telephone or FaceTime. When I had ideas, I’d ask him if he had a minute, and he’d know that was my code for saying, “Can we FaceTime?” This worked really well for us because we could see our faces and expressions. 

Overall, this project for the CDC was enormous, and I could have gone to a higher-priced production facility. However, that would be totally unnecessary because I had Michael.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Double Entendre excelled at providing value in connection with the totality of their service, which was priced incredibly well for what Michael did — it was truly a total package. I didn’t hesitate to ask Michael to do something within the parameters of the project. He’d do anything from set design to craft service. I’d go to him with a request, and he’d either do it or find a resource to do it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. He never let me down or disappointed me in any capacity over our 10 years of partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Buy him steak dinner every day. I'm not kidding. He likes meat, and he enjoys a good steak.