Early Light Media

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a program manager for a county health department. I also serve as an accountant for CARES Act funding.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We worked together on a documentary.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They produced a 20-minute COVID-related documentary. After meeting with us to discuss ideas for the project, Darren (Director & Co-Founder) and his staff came back with a general outline. He provided us with a list of people he thought would be good to interview for the project and we helped set up these interviews. They also filmed footage of our events. They edited everything together, gave us an opportunity to review their work, and produced a final product.

What is the team composition?

I worked with about 50 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

They’re Emmy Award winners, so it was easy to find their previous work and get a feel for how good they are at what they do.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2020–January 2021. I’m hoping to work with them again in the future.

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

Since the video is focused on the pandemic, gauging feedback about the project is difficult. However, the people we’ve spoken to have praised the professionalism showcased in the final product. Their team brought a lot of experience to the table.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t know a lot about video production, so they were great in providing leadership for the project. Once we gave them the relevant information for the project, they took it over. They did exactly what they said they would in a short amount of time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re personable, down-to-earth, and 100% professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have communicated their ideas more clearly to us prior to filming. I was ready to trust them going into the engagement, but had I not been I probably would have been more uncomfortable early on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of their normal weekly meetings. We didn’t have those due to the short timeframe of the project, but I think it would have been beneficial to everyone involved.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product marketing at a company that has a connected reporting platform for accounting and finance teams as well as other departments across enterprises.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

After COVID-19 hit, we were scrambling to put together our user conference, Amplify, and we had to do it online. We were looking for assistance with putting together the opening 2-hour keynote experience, which involved conversations from our product leaders and other thought leaders.

We also wanted to highlight a number of our customer stories about their use of our platform. We needed a production studio that could put those stories together in a cohesive package and represent who we were. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media put together remote kits for all of the customers that we recorded. They trained the customers on how to use the set-up. For internal folks, everyone took precautions and was wearing masks, and the team got some really high production quality shots of our office and other locations across the country. 

What is the team composition?

We had five contacts, but we primarily worked with Dave (Creative Director & Co-Owner) and Jody (Co-Owner & Director of Post Production). 

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

We found them through a web search. The main reason we decided to go to them was their amazing storytelling ability. Additionally, of all the agencies we talked to, they had the most cohesive plan of how to deal with distancing and how to make the different customers and staff feel comfortable getting recorded.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent close to $125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July–Sept. 2020.

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

What made it so successful was that it felt like they were part of our team. It didn’t feel like we were contracting with somebody. Early Light Media understood our goal immediately, which was huge for us.

It was the largest event we had in our company’s history, and people were impressed with the quality of the content the team helped us produce when it came to the thought leadership section of the keynote. 

We intend to work with them again because they did good work and we’d love to bring that storytelling ability back into some of the work we do.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

When we were over our heads with trying to get work done, Early Light Media kept us as calm as possible and on track. We completed the work on the day we had planned to finish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They brought our production quality up to the standard that is expected from large companies across the world now. There’s now a new standard for online keynotes, and they were able to get us up to that standard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. Any time there was a concern that the direction of the work wasn’t what we wanted, Early Light Media adapted to the direction we wanted. It felt almost frictionless working with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Livingston Productions, a boutique video production company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

I predominantly do healthcare, higher education, and philanthropy development videos. After many years of working with a different production company, our client really wanted to update their visual look to something more cinematic, so we hired Early Light Media. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media provides all the preproduction creative services, helping us put together ideas of how best to tell the story. The team also provides the equipment on filming days and provides editing services. They’re a full partner in these projects.

What is the team composition?

The number of people we work with varies. On the smaller projects, we’ll work with one or two people directly, but we’ve also worked with up to 10 people. 

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

We both have our backgrounds in news, which is how we met. We’ve known each other for a long time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1,000,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2016.

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

The quality of Early Light Media’s services is extraordinary. The team is always available, they’re flexible, and they’re super creative. They have a team of amazingly talented individuals, and we always get rave reviews on our final product.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate in several different ways, including phone calls, texts, and emails. I’m a stickler for deadlines, and they’ve never missed one.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Working with Early Light Media is like working with a partner. We’re not just clients and they’re not vendors. They’re great to work with, all the way from pre- to post-production. I never worry with them. They’ve made me a better producer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are certain projects when I’ve worked with other production companies, because they might be outside of Early Light Media’s level of expertise, and they don’t compromise. If I have a smaller budget, I typically won’t go with them, but that’s not really a criticism. They know who they are and the type of work they do. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just trust them. Listen to all their great ideas and ask for what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the development director at the CollegeBound Foundation, a nonprofit located in Baltimore City. We assist Baltimore City public students to and through college.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We’re worked with Early Light Media for 2–3 years. They’ve supported us in creating a year-end compilation video of the programming that we do throughout the year.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Throughout the year, they have attended program events that we put together. They videotape parts of the programs, take interviews from staff members, and then compile that into a year-end video.

They have also taken commercials we’ve done — in which we highlight scholars we’ve served — and created a compilation video.

What is the team composition?

Niki (Account Manager) is our primary contact. We work with about four people total, including Rebecca (Editor), Dave (Creative Director & Co-Owner), who has done filming for us, and another videographer who has come out and recorded some of the events.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

We had an in-house communications director, and I believe he might’ve connected us with Early Light to take over the work he was doing when he left the organization.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been about $14,000 for the annual contract in the past.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work began in January 2018, and it’s ongoing.

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

Their services are very high-quality. Early Light Media was gracious enough to not only do our year-end video but also help us host a virtual scholar’s luncheon this past July. We had remaining hours on our contract because everything had turned to a virtual setting, and we didn’t have any programs to be videotaped. They compiled the ‘scholars of the week,’ recorded our speakers, and created a pre-recorded luncheon program that was incredible and just very well received. We’ve since recommended them to other nonprofits who reached out to ask who we'd worked with.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Niki was the facilitator of the project and our main point of contact when we had questions. I thought the process was really smooth; we’d have a call and then set deadlines. They used software to send us drafts of the video that made it very easy to insert comments directly into specific sections of the content. That made the review process much more straightforward than having to go back-and-forth over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work always comes together, and the end product is so good and very well-received. From the standpoint of a nonprofit, it’s critical that we’re able to put out a very professional, high-quality piece of work that we can then use at multiple events throughout the year and share with potential donors and the community.

Beyond that, we’ve worked with them for multiple years now, so the relationship is there, and we know the work that they do. We both know what to expect from each other.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. There are people within our organization — myself included — who have a critical eye and go through multiple revisions. One plus side of having an established relationship with Early Light Media is that they know to expect that. There’s never any pushback, and they definitely take all of our edits and comments so that we can move through the process pretty swiftly.

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s by no means a small investment. As a nonprofit, you want to make sure your dollars are being well-spent and that you’re working with the right group. What I will say is that when we work with Early Light, we’re confident that we’re going to get an end-product that we’re beyond pleased with. Every dollar has been really well spent. From our perspective, their product is always very consistent in quality. It’s never a concern that it’s not going to turn out well.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of the Washington Episcopal School. We’re a nursery through grade eight independent school. We focus on a hands-on experiential and joyful learning environment.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We hired them to help us make a video to promote our distance learning program when schools went remote.

What was the scope of their involvement?

During the preproduction process, I selected and screened families to ensure we captured all the information necessary to tell a cohesive story. I created a list of questions that Early Light Media edited and then set dates and times for interviews.

After I gave them an overview of the story, their team wrote the first draft of the script. After reviewing transcripts of the interviews, I tweaked the scripts to highlight certain points. Early Light then edited the content, added audio and graphics, and produced the final version.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager who kept the engagement rolling.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

While I was at another school, Darren (Director & Founder) and David (Director & Founder) produced a documentary about one of our alumni. To support the film, we hosted a premiere at the school. I marketed the event and became close to them. When we decided to pursue the distance learning video, I received a few proposals. However, I chose Early Light because I was such a fan of their work.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $6,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began this project in May 2020 and finished in July.

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

Their work was excellent, especially their cinematography. They’re strong visual thinkers, which I appreciate.

I liked that they had a safety protocol because the project occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was able to not only tell families about our precautions but also send them Early Media’s pre-written safety protocol. I was able to let everyone know that the project would be done at the highest level.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?We had a video call when we talked about the project. After that, we communicated by phone and email. I could always get a hold of someone.

Their team worked quickly. We had a hold up on our end, so the project could’ve finished sooner. They were always timely in their communications. As soon as I gave them feedback, their team moved forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re excellent storytellers with a great eye for cinematography. They’re also decent human beings. If you have to spend 8–10 hours together shooting a video, it’s great to enjoy the company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the entire experience was incredibly positive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to move fast. If you’re on a deadline, be ready to go. Early Light will give you a great product.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Manager at Comhar Partners. Comhar Partners is a recognized national leader in retained executive search, professional recruiting, and talent advisory services. Comhar Partners is headquartered in Chicago with 6 offices across the U.S. As the Marketing Manager, I am responsible for managing our social media channels and website, content creation in support of brand awareness, and implementing strategic marketing plans in alignment with firm goals.

For what projects/services did your company hire Early Light Media?

Our company really wanted to produce a top-notch, professional "About Us" video explaining our firm's mission and comprehensive service offerings. We are a boutique firm that wants to focus on growing our brand and marketing to our preferred industries.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to see an increase in traffic to our website and an increase in sales. We have used the video to help promote our brand and services on our website as well as our social media channels.

How did you select this vendor?

I did a lot of research on various video production companies prior to selecting Early Light Media. We were looking for a great company that provided reasonably priced services. After calling Early Light Media for an initial quote, they were willing to readjust their cost proposal to fit our budget. Their professional portfolio of work was also very impressive.

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

Once we selected Early Light Media, they began working with us to understand our firm and business in great detail. Our two teams were in frequent communication via Zoom calls, phone calls, and ongoing email chains to discuss ideas and process. We described what we were looking for, and then I provided some content (i.e., our logo, brand colors, themes, scripting, etc.)

They provided their ideas and feedback, and we went back and forth perfecting and fine tuning the storyboard and script. We decided to add Voice Over to our video, and ELM held auditions for a voice actor. We then chose our voice actor and they had him record what was needed. The animators were also great. We were able to provide a lot of feedback on the video before it was finalized. The whole process took about a month.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Great project management and feedback process. Constant contact via phone and email. We were able to provide feedback on the video on Frame.io.

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

We are very happy with the video, and have posted it on our website and social media platforms. We have received a lot of positive feedback so far.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great workflow between our two teams. It truly was a collaborative process. They were always very quick to respond, and were very patient with us and our many changes throughout the whole process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very creative and were great advisors to us. They kept us in the loop every step of the way. They were also very accommodating whenever we had new ideas or changes, and were always quick to respond.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything was great. The only thing I would say is there were occasional grammatical issues with the scripting, but all were fixed before the final version of the video came out. I would definitely work with them again.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director and co-founder of Believe Big. We help patients face, fight, and overcome cancer. We help to bridge the gap between conventional medicine and complementary medicine for fighting cancer.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

We usually have two patients who share their testimonials at an in-person event, which corresponded with the heightened restrictions due to COVID-19. We wanted to protect our patients and decided to hire Early Light Media to videotape their testimonials to play at our event. Unfortunately, the event didn’t occur due to the gathering restrictions to under ten people. We moved the event to a live stream event and needed to coordinate video recordings.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Early Light Media recorded a patient testimonial in their studio. They then coordinated all of the video recordings from different individuals. We had a patient thank you video. We had my video that included my husband, which their team contracted out to a vendor here in Denver. That actually had to be canceled due to a stay at home order.

Then, we submitted the videos that we made using our equipment to Early Light Media. They made all of the videos into a seamless product that we can show at a live-streamed fundraising event. Their team added subtitles to the content. They also created a video that showed someone typing our numbers and our text to donate keyword. As well, their team helped us research platforms to upload and set up all of the backend pieces to make our video capable of live streaming.

What is the team composition?

We worked with probably 3–4 people including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

I went online and googled the best production crew in Baltimore. Their name was at the top of the list and that drew me to their website where I saw samples of their work. I connected with them. We had worked with one of their videographers in the past, so it was nice to know that we were in good hands.

How much have you invested with them?

We ended up spending about $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020 and the video went live in April.  

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

People said that the video was incredibly produced. Our supporters and people who watched the video were impressed with Early Light Media’s work.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Early Light Media was excellent as far as organizing and communicating. Their team overcommunicated to make sure that everything was in place despite all of the changes that happened around us.

They worked around the clock to make the video happen so that we would have the video tested and on hand before the event. Their team was responsive. Any text or email, we got a response back. Even the owner spent a Sunday evening helping me to make sure that the platforms worked properly. Their team went above and beyond to help.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The final product speaks volumes. What stood out to me was that their hearts were behind their efforts. Their team really cared about the project and that spoke volumes to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Share your vision for what you want to accomplish. Their team can help to coordinate the pieces and make sure that the finished product is what you hoped for.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications Manager at Health Care for the Homeless, a federally qualified health center in Baltimore that delivers medical, behavioral health, dental and supportive housing care to people experiencing homelessness. We have three clinic locations in downtown, West Baltimore and Baltimore County and a staff of around 230 people.

For what projects/services did your company hire Early Light Media?

We hired Early Light Media to produce a video for our largest fundraising event of the year - the Chocolate Affair. This video is a crucial element of the evening's program, helping to give a window into the work of Health Care for the Homeless through the story of one of our clients. With 800 attendees and a Fund-a-Need Auction that follows the video, there is a lot of pressure to create an emotionally compelling experience.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to show our supporters the impact that care with dignity can have on one person's life - walking the audience through the emotional and internal journey from isolation and homelessness to health, family and the safety of home. Our goal was to share this story in a way that put the client at the forefront of change and highlighted the trusting relationships he had with nurse practitioners, therapists and case managers. After watching the video, guests were prompted to support the work of Health Care for the Homeless - with a goal of raising $200,000.

How did you select this vendor?

For the last number of years, we had worked with a freelance videographer and wanted to build out other options for video work. I reached out to colleagues at foundations and non-profits to see who they recommended and got glowing reviews for Early Light Media. I followed up by reading online reviews (all positive) and reached out to ELM to get a better picture of their process and an estimate for the project. After an in-person meeting with one of their Directors, we were impressed with the approach to the work, their experience and focus on telling human stories and felt like he understood our goals and style of storytelling. They were willing to meet our budget, and we felt good about giving this new company a try.

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

Once we selected ELM, my team identified clients and providers willing to participate and their contact information. The Director followed up with pre-interview calls to build rapport and start to get a sense of story. From there, I worked to schedule our first filming day, which included one-on-one interviews with providers, client-provider interactions, b-roll around the facility and then a one-on-one interview in the client's home.

They provided day-of shoot schedules and drafted interview questions for my review in advance. Once filming was complete (including additional shoots with a third provider as well as the client's family members which they arranged), they provided transcripts of the interviews and an initial script for our review. From there, they moved into the first cut of the video and subsequent versions based on my team's edits. We finalized ahead of the event with a 6 1/2 minute professional video to show at our gala.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They provided a 2-person filming crew and one primary editor for the post-production work. They had a project manager who facilitated communication between groups throughout. We worked closely together for the planning stages of the video – as a health care center, our providers’ availability for filming was limited and they were flexible when we needed to reschedule even while encouraging us to plan as efficiently as possible. Throughout the process, they were always open to feedback and ideas for scenes to shoot or characters to include and at the same time were able to operate independently to get additional footage when my team wasn’t available. They treated our clients with respect and had a very comfortable interview style. After filming, we received multiple round of rough drafts which we were able to offer feedback on. In other experiences, I’ve had to reiterate the same edits over multiple rounds. With ELM, they immediately incorporated edits or explained why it wouldn’t work.

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

After showing the video at the Chocolate Affair, the client featured in the film got a standing ovation from the 800 people in the room. Over the next 20 minutes, we raised over $200,000 dollars - meeting our fundraising goal. Since then, our Director of Development has used the video to reach out to supporters who were not able to attend and has gotten very positive feedback across the board. We look forward to using this video in our New Hire Orientation to give new staff members a window in the work they will be part of as well as to show future supporters the impact of life-saving care.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The ELM crew was a joy to work with. They were extremely responsive and communicative from start to finish. They were professional, personable and reliable - and they helped to keep me on track with deadlines and scheduling as well. During the post-production process, they used Frame.io, which allows you to insert comments directly into the video at the proper timestamp. This saved me so much time in providing feedback and made the entire editing process extremely efficient and straightforward.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Only ever having worked with freelance videographers, I was extremely impressed with the process, the thoughtfulness and the flexibility that ELM brought to our project. I was nervous initially about the idea of only two days to shoot, but we were able to get our filming days scheduled in a smart, efficient way that set the rest of the project up for success. The quality of the footage was leagues above what we've gotten in the past - resulting in a truly beautiful film.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While it's always difficult to gauge how long a round of edits will take, it would have been helpful to get a sense of the turnaround time after each round was submitted. I often needed to block time on about three teammates' calendars for reviewing later versions of the video, and wasn't always sure whether we would get an updated version in time.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: I’m the production and creative manager of a healthcare marketing communications firm.

Respondent 2: I’m a creative director at the firm

Respondent 3: I’m an art director at the firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

R2: We wanted to create awareness for one of our client’s and their program.

R3: We came up with a concept to film a couple of patients in the Maryland area. We hired Early Light Media to help us shoot and edit those videos.

R1: We needed help telling these stories as proof of the care that these patients receive is better than the perceived notion of a hospital.  We wanted to tell these stories in a big and creative way.

R2: We also wanted to be real and honest. We wanted someone to bring these stories to life and make them genuine but also looking beautiful and heartfelt to resonate with consumers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

R3: We shared the storyboard, minimal keyframes, and a script. Early Light Media not only saw our vision immediately but also expanded on it. Their team added their thoughts and suggestions that we hadn’t even considered to areas of that project.

R2: From our storyboards, they created shooting boards and mapped each shot for the videos. Their team determined the final product’s look so that there were no surprises during the shoot.

R1: Their team scouted and found a location for us in advance.

R2: Our client was sensitive about the location because it’s a secure place, but Early Light Media worked with them on their terms.

R1: We worked with two patients. For each, their team created a long-form video, a 30-second version, and two different 15-second versions.

What is the team composition?

R1: We worked with Dave (Director and Founder, Early Light Media) on the shoot directly. I also worked with Nikki (Account Manager, Early Light Media) in terms of the production’s details.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

R1: I searched for production companies in our client’s area. We liked their portfolio as it aligned with our creative needs.

R3: They produced the documentary-style videos that we wanted.

R1: When I reached out to them for a proposal, they understood our idea right away. Their team also had a location in mind.

R2: The decision also came down to the budget, which their team accommodated.

What is the status of this engagement?

R2: We signed the initial agreement in October 2019 and the project finished in February 2019.

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

R3: We’re all proud of the final product.

R2: We get great feedback. We put this shoot— from mapping the shots to scouting locations—in their hands, which wasn’t easy. Early Light Media managed the art of interviewing and relating to people. The first cuts of the videos were amazing. I was blown away by their team’s colorist and music creation. Working with them was a fantastic experience. I would work with them again.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

R1: We communicated by email but also had a few initial calls. Once we awarded the project to Early Light Media, we had a couple of calls with them to talk about our ideas and goals.

R2: During editing, we communicated by email mostly. We also worked with them for postproduction. It’s not easy to edit offline but our back and forth went smoothly. We got on the phone to them to make our ideas clear. We never felt like we needed to talk to them more or less.

R1: Whenever we wanted to get on the phone with them, they were available for that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R2: They’re nice people. Most importantly, we were able to work with them and have a relationship with them. Even if they handled production well but had attitudes, the process would’ve been terrible. Their team was welcoming from the minute when we touched down to the moment when we finished.

R3: It felt like a partnership.

R2: Their team was the whole package. The directing, camera work, and drone shots were beautiful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R2: No, I don’t have anything to add.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

R2: If you want a vendor to collaborate and add to the project, you’ll get that with Early Light Media. It’s a collaborative process—a partnership. Their team works with you to bring your ideas to life. Go into the project with an open mind.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for meetings and conventions at Visit Baltimore, a non-governmental tourism marketing agency for Baltimore City and the greater region. I support and market conventions and meetings, bringing business to the convention center and area hotels.

What challenge were you trying to address with Early Light Media?

I’ve worked with Early Light for several years, and they’ve helped me address quite a few challenges. When I first started working with them, we had no video content programs. They help me set up a series that told the story of being in Baltimore from the point of view of a meeting attendee or a meeting planner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Every project starts with a detailed conversation where they ask us about our needs and then follow up with an estimate. We’ve done all different types of videos; it depends on whatever we need at the time.

What is the team composition?

I usually work with 2–3 people, sometimes four.

How did you come to work with Early Light Media?

Early Light approached Visit Baltimore about a partnership. They came in and did a presentation—a capabilities pitch—to our marketing team. I liked their reel and what they had to say.

When a big project came up—it was a year-long project, a series of 4–5 videos—I included them on the RFP. We awarded them the job, and I’ve been working with them ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $800,000–$100,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them at least five years ago. Now, anytime I have a video project come my way, I always go to Early Light. I’m planning to kick off another project with them in the next month or so.

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

We’ve gotten only positive feedback about our videos; that’s why I continue to work with them. Not only am I happy with the videos, but my CEO and leadership team also think very highly of them. Our sales team loved the first series that we did. Anytime I have someone reach out for a video production company in Baltimore; I send them to Early Light.

How did Early Light Media perform from a project management standpoint?

For some projects, I will act as a producer, but other projects are more turnkey in the sense that Early Light handles everything. It depends on the budget and time constraints, as well as the specific requirements of the video. I’ve called on them before to come in during an emergency, and they’ve always made it work for me. Other times, I’ve had to jump in and help.

They’re great, and they keep me on task. We’re a small nonprofit, so I wear a lot of hats and tend to fall behind on email sometimes. They always follow up to make sure that we stay on schedule. 

If it’s a big project, we’ll kick it off over the phone, but the majority of our communication happens over email. They’re open to phone calls, though. Every now and again, I’ll call them, like if we’re getting close to a shoot day and something urgent comes up, and they are easy to reach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve always been able to complete our projects on time and within the estimate. They ask a ton of questions at the beginning so that we don’t have to implement multiple rounds of edits midway through the project. They’re also collaborative—they offer excellent ideas while taking our feedback and edits and leaving their personal touch on the product.

The quality of their work also sets them apart. The final deliverable is always exceptionally high, no matter the scope of the project. I pitch them all types of videos, and even the little ones that aren’t as glamorous get the same attention to detail. You don’t find that at every boutique agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything that I see as a point of improvement at this time. They’re doing a great job. Communication is excellent, and the quality of work is high. I’ve been working with them for five years at this point, and I’m very happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an open conversation. They’re full of great ideas, and they have tons of experience, so they make for great collaborators. Most people tend to do everything over email, but sometimes, having a conversation to toss ideas back and forth can make a huge difference. That’s the way to get to know new creatives that you haven’t yet worked with.

I love hearing their ideas, even if we can’t use them. Just hearing about the potential is helpful. They’ll look at your challenges with a fresh perspective.