Episode 11 Productions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of the company and I'm a professional speaker. I speak all over the country and in international countries too. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Episode 11 Productions?

Since COVID-19 happened, I needed more exposure because nobody’s booking speakers or doing conventions. I needed some videos for marketing and advertising purposes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I wanted to pursue a marketing campaign and make some content for Youtube, so I told them what I was trying to do. They recommended that we could spend a day working with me on how to present the ideas I have. They also advised me on what to wear. The team set up the green screen so we could customize it into whatever we wanted it to be. The end product was a dozen clips that we did that will be put on online once a week for the next three months. 

At first, when we had two videos, I told them that we should try launching one. Currently, both are out now. Soon, we’ll get another video for the third week. Once I receive that, I’ll discuss what I like or don’t like. After that, they will make adjustments and respond with a final product. Then, they will also give it in a form that I can give to my SEO person. We do it on a weekly basis and it’s an ongoing process. I also assigned them recently for another project.

What is the team composition?

I work with two people from Episode 11 Productions, with Randy (Co-Owner & Director) and Beth (Co-Owner & Editor). 

How did you come to work with Episode 11 Productions?

I have done work with them over the years and they have done in-person live shoots for me. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During the shoot, they were incredibly easy to work with. It was a lot of fun. My marketing and writing staff have been impressed with their product, along with anybody’s that involved in the process that I’ve sent them to. I’ve also had a few people say they love what I did, but our videos have only been up since two days ago, so I don’t have any kind of metrics yet.

How did Episode 11 Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they are excellent. We have an iterative process. They told me what they need and how it's going to be used. They've made the whole process logical for me. Above all, their project management skills have a nice balance of being able to have a good time while delivering the right results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As I was explaining the project, the thing that I liked about them was the way they made a real effort to understand what I'm trying to do, and its end result. They have been more than willing to offer usable ideas whenever I have plans. Moreover, I didn't really know what I wanted until they told me what I needed.

Above all, they have a genuine interest in my success. I’ve worked with bigger firms from time to time and in many cases, they just want to get the product out. However, I don’t feel that way with Episode 11 Productions. Instead, I feel that they are really concerned about giving me exactly what I need. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy with everything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to share everything and anything you want, because they listen critically to make nothing is missed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing administrator for the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA), which is the tech association for companies that service restaurant equipment. We provide training and certification for technicians and many other benefits for businesses in this sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Episode 11 Productions?

We needed to create a short 2–3-minute video to use as a recruitment tool for introducing potential technologies to the industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them online and had a brief phone conversation followed by a meeting at our office. After the meeting, we knew they were the right company.

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

We didn't really know what we wanted, just the message we wanted to get across. Episode 11 Productions presented a couple of ideas and we chose the one we liked the most. They pretty much handled everything from there on. We’ve since hired them to travel with us to our annual conferences in Texas and California to shoot videos and still images.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We’ve had straightforward, one-on-one conversations. There are no confusing emails or relayed messages between us, which has been particularly helpful during the final editing stages. They would send over the latest version of the video, and if I had a question or concern, I was never hesitant to pick up the phone and call them. I knew I would get a friendly attitude and a clear answer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video received an overwhelmingly positive response when presented at our conference to a room of around 300 attendees.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They’ve worked well with our team since day one. Now, when we work together on projects such as our annual conference, it's like they are part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their talent and the final products they deliver are outstanding, followed closely by their attitude toward the projects. They love what they do and it shows in their work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I'm sure there are since no one is perfect, but I honestly can’t think of a single thing I would have asked them to do differently. There was never a time where I felt like they weren't meeting or exceeding the expectations we had. That's rare to find these days.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of human resources of a food distribution company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Episode 11 Production?

The first time we worked with them, we were facing a challenge in our recruiting efforts. We needed help putting together a video that would attract the right candidates for the positions we have.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a very rough draft of a script and Episode 11 helped us get it completed. For this project, some of our subject matter experts partnered with Beth from Episode 11. She helped us get the script finalized. Then they came out to one of our work locations and shot a lot of video footage of our employees. They worked really well at the work site with our management folks. Episode 11 did all of the editing for the final product, a 6-minute video that we’re using for recruiting. They learned a lot about our company. In fact, they had so much great footage that Beth called us and said we could create a second video. We had some editing time left, so she created a second video for us based on what she learned about the company. We’re also using that second video for our internal recruiting. We have worked with them twice at other locations as well.

How did you come to work with Episode 11 Production?

We had not ever done this before and had no idea what we were doing. A couple of us reached out to contacts that we have in our professional networks. We actually got a referral from a company in another industry completely. We came up with 3 or 4 different names and we reached out to all of them. Episode 11 was in a good location for us. Based on their work samples, it looked like they would be a good fit for us.

How much have you invested with Episode 11 Production?

All 3 projects were under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The projects have been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The feedback from our human resources folks has been very positive; the video has been a great tool for them. They were using the video to get a better match while recruiting. It helped us better explain to candidates what they could expect in a particular job—for example, as a delivery driver for our company.

We have been able to reduce the turnover rate in the first 6 months. Fewer new hires come in and say that the job is not for them and not what they expected. We’ve tried to explain the job to them before, but seeing it in action is a lot different from hearing someone’s words. Our retention rate has improved thanks to the videos. While we’ve had other efforts previously, they definitely feel that the video has made a difference in helping a new employee know what to expect.

How did Episode 11 Production perform from a project management standpoint?

Episode 11 will keep you on time, so I’d have to give them 10 out of 10 for project management. They’re great to work with. Beth is the person that we deal with and she gives great advice. Her expertise was really helpful, particularly in the scriptwriting process.

What did you find most impressive about Episode 11 Production?

Episode 11 was very adaptable, given that the 3 projects that they handled had different purposes. It was really easy for them to get the information and understand what we were trying to accomplish. They adapted well to very different scenarios. Since they’re working with a lot of companies, they have to be able to do that. They were on all 3 projects right away.

Are there any areas Episode 11 Production could improve?

I don’t have a lot to compare it to because I haven’t typically had to do projects like this in the past. I don’t really have any suggestions for them. It’s been a very positive experience for us.