Fog Coast Productions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Koodini Design is a blooming design team that invents retail products. My position involves marketing and communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fog Coast Productions?

Fog Coast Productions shot part of a video series for our upcoming crowdfunding campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

The video is our campaign's main marketing piece. We needed to shoot portions of a story that illustrated the use and benefits of our new product. The goal is to create collateral that will be used to attract backers on social media and on the crowdfunding page. We wanted to tell the story through video so that we can ultimately raise enough money to take the product to market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was part of the team who chose them. We had used another video production team months before with unsatisfying results.

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

The video series portrays several people meeting because of the necessity of our product. The script had already been written, but it was constantly changing to make the product storyline more believable. We made some decisions on the fly as small challenges arose.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Fog Coast Productions was thorough and communicative before, during, and after the shoots.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not launched our crowdfunding campaign yet, so we don't have any results. Their first video included a variety of shots and angles to tell the story well. It had great lighting and composition. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was effective, and communication was easy and accessible. They explained beforehand what we should bring to the shoot for easy and efficient transfer of the footage upon completion. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very personable. They not only knew how to perform the technical work, but were also easy to hang out with. That was invaluable in a low-budget startup scenario. They clearly worked well together, had a smooth workflow, and understood each other's roles and strengths. This gave me confidence in their overall process.

Challenges inevitably came up during the video shoot, especially because we were working with dogs and windy weather. They were flexible, making suggestions to improve the process (through location, lighting, and timing) and developing creative solutions when we needed another perspective on the storyline. It was all hands on deck, which our small team greatly appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Anthony Palavi and I’m a co-founder of GrowthPlug Inc. We provide marketing services for doctors and dentists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fog Coast Productions?

One of our newest clients asked us to create a video for them to leverage on social media platforms and YouTube. We don't have the capability to do that in house, so we needed to hire a video production firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To begin, they helped me map out the general idea for the video. They created an actual storyline instead of just talking head interviews with the doctors. They broke the video down in to different scenes, and then created scripts for the doctors. Each doctor had 1-2 sentences of information about their speciality and why viewers should come to the practice. All of that was about a two week process.

Filming took place over one day. They directed the shoot, helping the doctors get comfortable talking to the camera. They did a lot of editing, adding cutaways and different angles.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact is the executive producer, and there were three people working on the video.

How did you come to work with Fog Coast Productions?

Vetting different potential vendors was a huge process. We narrowed it down from about 15 vendors to five, and then I had a phone call with Fog Coast. My first impression was very positive, as they were really interested in drilling down to the essence of the video.

I liked that Fog Coast offered many different options, such as using a drone to take aerial footage or doing animation. Their range of capabilities made them stand out from other firms. A lot of the other videos that I saw were flat — no storyline, no build in the music — but I liked the vibe of Fog Coast’s videos.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $6000-$6500.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement took place in October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video hasn't been live for that long, but we’re very pleased with the quality. I really like the different angles in the video. There’s multiple shots for each interview, and they cut away every 15-20 seconds to make it more interesting. The doctors loved it; they’re happy with the creative aspects and how good it looks.

How did Fog Coast Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very proactive about getting any input from our end. They came to the doctor’s office prepared with an overview of all the shots they wanted, and they took the wheel in leading the production.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really love their wide variety of capabilities, which not every company can offer. The team was fantastic; they know what they're talking about, they know their industry well, and they know what they're looking for on a shoot.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't really think of any time where I wasn't satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand completely what your customer wants, and then articulate that vision to Fog Coast. Then just trust them and their process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital engagement at Konversai. I work in marketing, social media, and event planning. We’re a conversation platform for sharing knowledge via live video.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fog Coast Productions?

The biggest challenge we face is communicating to users that they should share the full breadth of their experiences and not just specialties. To accomplish this, we wanted to create several impactful videos of users detailing their backgrounds. We wanted the interviews to function as content on our platform and advertisements on our social media channels. Communicating who users can connect with on the platform was the goal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fog Coast produced over 50 videos for us including the filming of a company event. We provided the majority of interviewees from our user base but Fog Coast brought in a few people as well. They conducted interviews, performed the editing and production, and provided all necessary equipment. I sat in on the interviews initially to ensure they were getting the material we needed. It quickly became clear they were going in the right direction so we gave them the space to deliver.

What is the team composition?

3 different crew members helped us over the course of the engagement. They’d usually work in teams of 2.

How did you come to work with Fog Coast Productions?

We used another vendor previously, but their quality of work wasn’t up to the level we needed. Fog Coast was referred to our CEO by a business consultant. Once we met with them, there wasn’t a need to consider anyone else.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together January 2017–August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work’s had a huge impact on how we’re able to interact with our followers on social media. The videos exemplify the user’s ability to share any life experience or teach any topic using our platform. Fog Coast provided a great product that functions as our best resource when advertising the company’s capabilities.

How did Fog Coast Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re flexible with deadlines and turnover rates and Fog Coast never took advantage of that. They got videos back to us within a week. Fog Coast was organized, always available on call, and reliably accommodated our changing needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to get people to open up during interviews was spectacular. An issue with our platform is that it makes people feel vulnerable. Fog Coast was friendly, helpful, and made people feel comfortable. This allowed them to ask interesting questions without being intrusive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t suggest any improvements from our point of view. We had a great experience and would recommend them to anyone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their job. They know what they're doing and if you give them the objective, they will perform.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a women’s fashion platform where users can mix and match outfits and share with their friends.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fog Coast Productions?

We needed help producing marketing videos to explain who we are and what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve created about 10–15 videos, one of which was animated. We hired them primarily to produce these videos, but they also came in and helped us build storyboards and shot schedules.

What is the team composition?

We work with one or two of their people for our projects.

How did you come to work with Fog Coast Productions?

I’ve known their founder for a while, and he’s always been great with videos, so working with them was an easy decision. They have a good sense of humor and know how to make things funny and engaging, which was important for what we were trying to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000­–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in either September or October 2013, and we finished our most recent video in March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the marketing videos we did for another client has over 20,000 views. As a client, I’m happy with the work they’ve done.

How did Fog Coast Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very flexible and well-organized, and willing to make changes or reshoot scenes. We like to do things on the fly, but they’re always prepared for whatever we throw at them. Even when we make things difficult or follow a whim, they adjust.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re creative and funny. They know how to make people laugh and what will engage our audience. Today’s market is full of diluted content, so those skills are really important.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m satisfied with their work. They may have things they want to improve for themselves, but they’ve been great and delivered everything I asked for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Use them during our planning process. Utilize their creativity and humor, and let them put their spin on your ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a content marketing coordinator at Glassdoor. We’re an online job board that provides information on companies and their culture in the form employee reviews. I create B2B content that persuades employers to purchase job postings and profiles that they can use to better recruit candidates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fog Coast Productions?

We wanted to create several videos to promote on social media, email campaigns, and alongside other pieces of content to help our buyers further understand the value Glassdoor can provide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For each video, we’d brainstorm the general concept and Fog Coast would help us refine those ideas into something feasible. Then, they’d guide us through pre-production and shoot the videos in a studio they set up in-house. They handled the post-production as well. They’ve created 6 videos for us and most incorporate some form of animation. This includes brand-aligned title cards and green screen animation of our product on laptops. Additionally, they were capable of traveling to shoot on-location and scouted out supplementary crew-members when necessary.

How did you come to work with Fog Coast Productions?

Their founder is a personal friend of mine and I knew from his professional experience that he was capable of beautiful video work. After vetting several vendors, Fog Coast was within our budget and was clearly the superior choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We currently measure video success by views. The first project’s goal was 20,000 views on Facebook and it reached 65,000 within a week. We’re in the process of promoting the other videos we produced with them, and those are pacing to goal.

How did Fog Coast Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed exceptionally. We have a rigorous approval process and they've been able to accommodate multiple revisions, different perspectives, and opposing viewpoints to deliver the product. They implement difficult edits and provide justification when a change is made.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I feel comfortable putting them in front of important clients and people within our organization. They’ve interviewed our CEO and other employee’s children and done so in a professional manner. Also, they’re easy to work with and I genuinely enjoy speaking with them. I can't say that about all the vendors I work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't suggest any improvements as they've really proven themselves. Everyone loves working with them and I'm not the only one who has requested their services. Other teams have tasked them with video projects as well. Considering their work ethic and style, I’d recommend them to anyone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In my experience, it’s significantly easier to have one person shoot and edit the project because they know what they're looking for and can produce good work more efficiently. I recommend using Fog Coast for every stage and not breaking up the project with multiple vendors.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Legends Baseball is a 501 c 3 non profit which provides holistic development opportunities for youth of all socioeconomic backgrounds and experience levels. I am the Executive Director & Experience Designer who runs the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fog Coast Productions?

We hired Fog Coast to showcase our camp programs and how we have evolved to operate in the new coronavirus environment

What were your goals for this project?

To demonstrate the safety measures we were taking and our respec for the virus. Our end goal was to drive more camper registrations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did extensive web searches and had a number of phone calls with Fog Coast team members before deciding they were the best for us.

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

Andrew was available when I needed him and patient during the strategizing sessions. We scheduled some calls at a convenient time. Was never rushed. Everything was very organized and communication was clear.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Communication was clear and edits were on time. He was open for feedback and edits. Revisions were made promptly and accurately, however not much was needed as they nailed the first video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We filled out camps so this helped achieve our goal.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. Easy to workwith.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of work. Ease of communication. Ability to synthesize our vision and put it into action.

Are there any areas for improvement?

not that i saw

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a product manager at a San Francisco research company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fog Coast Productions?

I hired them to produce a video.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them on Google, and they looked like a good fit.

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

They helped me produce a satirical show about the Middle East.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We communicated both in person and via email.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Fog Coast Productions was extremely quick. It only took them two days to deliver a 12-minute video with motion graphics, approximately 30 external clip inserts, and more! They were also very professional and well-prepared for the shooting, providing multiple lenses, mics, a background set, and lighting—all with great attention to detail.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was great!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What’s most noteworthy is their speed and willingness to make additional cuts to the video even after I gave it a green light. This was above and beyond what we agreed upon initially.