Flywheel Film

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Partner of DG Development Partners

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develop real estate in the NYC area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Flywheel Film to accomplish?

• Educate City officials and the general public on the history of the Fort Apache Youth Center.
• Generate interest in the proposed new Youth Center and 87 units of affordable housing.
• Honor those who gave so much to the community.

SOLUTION

How did you find Flywheel Film?

• Online Search

Why did you select Flywheel Film over others?

• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Flywheel Film were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Flywheel captured the origin, history, fall and reprise of the Fort ApacheYouth Center in two documentaries. Deliverables include

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Flywheel captured the spirit of the Fort Apache Youth Center to focus our mission of rebuilding affordable housing and community center in the 21st century.

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

Jason and Phil were proactive, insightful, and creative in threading storylines told from different perspectives. Their deliverables were crisp and went beyond our original expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Flywheel Film?

• Virtual Meeting

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

They operate with a sincerity that is disarming. They were open to the story and the story unfolded, at times breezily, at times with edges.

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

I am confident they will maintain the high level of service and production as the complexity of their projects and client base grows.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Center for an Urban Future (CUF) is a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies that reduce inequality, increase economic mobility, and grow the economy in New York City. I am a researcher and multimedia specialist. As part of my role, I produce digital content to promote our research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Flywheel Film, and what were your goals?

CUF hired Flywheel to film and edit a video for our new report called Opportunity Costs: Affording the True Costs of College in NYC. We wanted them to film and edit a video 60-90 seconds long with narration, graphics, and interviews from both students quoted in the report and our editorial director.

Our goal was to produce a short, high-quality video that would succinctly explain our research in an engaging way. Our hope was the video would spark more interest in the report, and have more people engage with our work and click onto our website. We also wanted to stay within our budget.

SOLUTION

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

This was our first time working with a video production company. We conducted research on companies that worked with nonprofits and developed our short list. Ultimately, after having brief consultation calls with a few companies, we chose Flywheel because they could accommodate our timeline turnaround and because of the quote they offered us that was within our budget. We also found the work they already showcased on their website to be high quality.

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

We set up a film date with Jason and Philip in Manhattan. Before the day of the shoot, we secured the space and the interviewees. We wrote the script and interview questions, created the graphics, and sent everything to Flywheel. On the day of the shoot, Jason and Philip arrived on time. Because of a mishap, we had to change the location of the shoot. Once Jason and Philip entered the space, they were speedy and professional in setting up their equipment. All of our filming ran smoothly.

After the shoot, Flywheel sent us selects, and through a planning document they sent us, we selected which shots we wanted and in what order we wanted them in. We went back and forth on a few versions, and we used the planning document to update them on our choices. Ultimately, we had to cut down the script to keep the video to the length we wanted. I had a call with Philip and Jason for the last big round of edits.

After that, they came back with a version that was very close, and we just asked for a few final tweaks. They also produced captions for us because we wanted to make the video as accessible as we could. Once we had a video we were happy with, Jason had a call with me leading me through all the steps of the uploading process to Youtube and Twitter. We brainstormed accessibility on Twitter, and also the best way to share with audiences.

At the end of the process, there was just one small change we wanted to make to one of the graphics, and Flywheel easily accommodated us and changed the slide the same day we asked for it. We worked with them from the end of May through June, and we got our video with plenty of time before our release date.

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

We worked with Jason and Philip, the founders of Flywheel. The feedback process was mostly done through email and Google Docs, although we had one phone call for feedback as well. After the shoot, they sent us a Vimeo video of the best selects from the shoot and a planning document where we should list the timestamps of the shots we wanted in order, the graphics or images we wanted to use, and any notes.

Once we filled it out, they sent us a rough version. We completed a second version of the planning doc and got a new rough cut. After giving some notes, we got another rough cut. We sent more notes, got an updated cut, and then we had a call together. Once we went over feedback on both sides on that call, they did one more big edit that was very close to what we wanted. Finally, we gave some notes to make small changes from there to get it to the finish line.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we posted the video on Twitter, we got over 2k views within the first day.

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

We were impressed with Flywheel’s management style and timeliness. During filming, they stayed on task and on schedule. Their planning document they gave us was very professional and organized. They replied to our emails quickly as well. Their timeliness was impeccable. They always turned over another draft within a few days of our last feedback, and the next version was always much stronger. Also, they were helpful in figuring out an artistic direction for the video. We had our initial idea, but they emphasized the storytelling aspect.

Ultimately, they had our goals in mind and also how we could create the most engaging video possible for social media. At one point, they gave us an edit that was shot-for-shot what we asked for, but then made suggestions based on their own experiences producing on how we could strengthen the video. We're glad that they brought their own creativity to the table to produce a compelling end-product.

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

Flywheel had fast turnaround times. After giving them feedback, they would turn the next draft of the video around within a day or two, which was impressive! During our filming day,they also took charge of interviewing our subjects as well. They took our questions and asked them multiple times in multiple ways to our interviewees to get the best takes possible. We appreciated their skill in this and also their perseverance to get the best content. Also, they took a lot of interest in asking us what our project was about, and more about our organization. Ultimately, I believe having more of that context made the video better when they edited it.

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

After we filled out the planning document the first time, they did come back to us with an edit that was very different from what we asked for in the document. That was okay, because ultimately we liked some of the creative choices they made, which informed our future feedback, but we wish they would have told us they were going to do that. Also when we had to schedule a few meetings, it was touch-and-go. They usually asked to schedule a meeting on the same day, but we usually had to push it because it’s hard for our team to be able to make room in our schedule if we have other meetings.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of Ashville Creative Arts a nonprofit theatre company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For the production of new work, ACA wanted to create a video of the development of our newest production including rehearsals, interviews with the cast, and other behind-the-scenes content.

What were your goals for this project?

We used this video to create awareness of our brand and generate funding from private and government sources.

SOLUTION

How did you select Flywheel Film?

Flywheel Film came highly recommended by another non-profit organization ACA had worked with in the past.

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

During an initial consultation by phone, Flywheel asked meaningful questions to help us define our needs for the project, our target audience, and our budget. In additional meetings, we planned shooting schedules and set benchmarks for deliverables (which were always met), and finally, Flywheel worked with us to refine a finished product that we used on the web and social media, and for grant proposal requirements.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Flywheel used collaborative documents that helped keep everyone on the same page; once shooting was complete they created an editing schedule with a clear process for submitting feedback and making revisions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ACA was awarded funding and we believe the video product to be a significant part of helping us to illustrate our artistic merit - major criteria for the application- Flywheel helped us to reach our funding goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our contacts at Flywheel were good communicators, they defined a standard process at the beginning which was adhered to and helped avoid miscommunication. They were responsive and thorough.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understood our needs and executed them by clearly conveying the message we needed; They help us understand the more technical aspects of the process so that we were effective collaborators.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, it was a pleasure to work with them!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of a school called Pathways to Graduation in Queens.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flywheel Film?

We wanted to create a video to address student recruitment issues by helping us to recruit students in the community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flywheel Film helped us with the creative process. We collaborated to come up with questions for interviews.  While the school wasn’t conducive to filming, their team worked for hours to set up the perfect environment. Then, their team executed and filmed interviews with staff and students. They managed to turn the interviews into a narrative of how the school helps people. Their team decided after two, ten-hour days, how to cut that footage into a 4-minute video. They were incredible, working with me to pick the sound bites that told the narrative.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two guys. One of their team members had a background in education, so he was well-versed in the video's message and the questions we could ask in interviews.

How did you come to work with Flywheel Film?

A colleague sent me a video that Flywheel Film created. I was impressed with the content and they had good prices, so I went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in December 2018 and ended around May of that same year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten a tremendous amount of positive feedback on the video. The visual quality's excellent, incorporating a diversity of shots. It’s been great to have go-to content when we’re presenting to prospective students. People are impressed with the video. In fact, other people in the district are interested in creating their own videos with Flywheel Film.

How did Flywheel Film perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated via e-mail. They also had a Google sheet where we collaborated on questions and provided feedback. Their team was accessible and open to new ideas. They were definitely doing everything they could to turn it into a high-quality product. The project was done professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were always open to feedback and willing to make modifications no matter how late in the game it was. Their team was flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you know exactly where you’re going with the project before you start filming so you don’t waste any time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Associate Professor of CUNY

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Higher Education

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Flywheel Film to accomplish?

Convey a quantitative concept

SOLUTION

How did you find Flywheel Film?

Referral

Why did you select Flywheel Film over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Flywheel Film were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Create a video using hypothetical examples and data what it means to "control for a variable"

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Student mastery of skill as demonstrated on exams

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

Project management was perfect.

What was your primary form of communication with Flywheel Film?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Flywheel Film's individualized attention, creative suggestions, and timely execution stood out.

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

None