Gardner Productions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Content Officer of Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are the in charge of marketing the destination and tourism products of the Cayman Islands to our global audience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gardner Productions to accomplish?

• Editing videos using our previously capture b-roll to produce a suite of video shorts to be shared across our digital channels.

SOLUTION

How did you find Gardner Productions?

• Referral
• Clutch Site
• PR Manager mentioned them to us.

Why did you select Gardner Productions over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Gardner Productions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Video Production Project for the solicitation of a professional video production company to produce a series of high-quality pilot videos that showcase and promote the Cayman Islands brand, increase customer engagement, and improve the destination's online presence. These videos will predominately be used on our social media channels and should provide an experiential effect. Key deliverables are 5 reels with 3 rounds of edits each.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Gardner Productions' turnaround time was impressive, especially considering there was a delay in providing materials on our end. The videos produced were in the correct aspect ratio and desired video quality.

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

Gardner Productions delivered final assets on time in an easily accessible delivery method. They were highly responsive and would normally respond in a few hours, if not, less than an hour. They were also always open to hop on a virtual meeting to go over any pressing details.

What was your primary form of communication with Gardner Productions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their customer service and understanding our messaging. It was very easy to communicate with them and for them to understand what the desired outcome of this project was for us. The assets produced met our expectations.

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

Honestly, no. They were great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Wendolyn Reputation Management

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Corporate communications and reputation management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gardner Productions to accomplish?

• To show our client as a thought leader and important partner
• To generate pride in our client's work
• To create professional assets to use in marketing and fundraising

SOLUTION

How did you find Gardner Productions?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Gardner Productions over others?

• Referred to me

How many teammates from Gardner Productions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Created two videos:

• Video 1 - Used interviews with immigrants and refugees who have recently come to Canada to showcase the client's experience and understanding of the issues facing newcomers.
• Video 2 -Testimonial video with Airbnb.org showing why the client is a partner of choice

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two fabulous videos and a very happy client. These videos will be used to fundraise in different capacities, and I expect these videos will pay for themselves!

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

They were on time, responsive to feedback, creative and a joy to work with.

What was your primary form of communication with Gardner Productions?

• Email or Messaging App

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

1. Their ability to shoot almost anywhere!
2. Their warmth toward the people being interviewed and how they made each person feel relaxed and valued for their contribution.
3. Their ability to partner with me as a consultant and support my requirements for meeting my client's goals.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President & CEO of LifeBridge Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Integrated Healthcare Delivery System

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gardner Productions to accomplish?

• Video production to launch a new $200 Mil fundraising campaign.

SOLUTION

How did you find Gardner Productions?

Referral

Why did you select Gardner Productions over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Gardner Productions’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Gardner team assisted in the creation of the script, storyline, multiple interviews across a wide variety of team members, filming, editing and music overlay to produce a stunning piece of work that can be used as-is in whole, or in parts, to both tell a story and engage team members, community members and donors alike in our vision for the future of our health system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completed video for use at our annual meeting.

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

They're on time, on budget, and always available to speak regardless of the time of day or day of the week.

What was your primary form of communication with Gardner Productions?

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

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

The owner of the company was personally involved in our project from start to finish and was probably more critical than us in terms of assuring the final product was something about which we could both be proud.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager, Events of the Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Part of our nonprofit raises funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, Toronto Rehab and The Michener Institute of Education at our institute.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gardner Productions to accomplish?

• Create a video to assist with recruiting corporate sponsors for our largest signature fundraising event, the Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival

SOLUTION

How did you find Gardner Productions?

Other

Why did you select Gardner Productions over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

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

Gardner Productions was asked to create a video of the Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival that captured the essence of the event and summarized the three-day experience in a short reel that could be used to sell corporate sponsorship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Create a video that captured the spirit of the event
• Work within a limited budget to get a high-quality production

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

Stephen and his team were very responsive and met all of our deliverables on time. They managed the project well from start to finish and left us with a final product that we were very happy with.

What was your primary form of communication with Gardner Productions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Stephen and his team were open to feedback and made all changes requested with a positive attitude . They took on our project with short notice and a limited budget and still managed to fit us into their busy schedule and create a great final video.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a VP for an early-stage life science firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gardner Productions?

We wanted to create a video package for our annual meeting to showcase our laboratory facilities and differentiate ourselves from other firms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gardner Productions has produced several videos for us, but the most recent deliverable has been a 5–7 minute video for our annual meeting. First, they collaborated with us on the creative process; we discussed the overall framework and the team turned it into a reality. Then, they visited our laboratories in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and shot footage in the labs and around the city. They also interviewed some of our researchers, scientists, and academics, who talked about their experiences working with our company.

They brought all their equipment and handled the video editing and audio mixing process.

What is the team composition?

We work with Stephen (President & Executive Producer) and another team member at Gardner Productions. 

How did you come to work with Gardner Productions?

Gardner Productions came highly recommended to us through our network. I’d worked with Stephen and the team in the past, so I reached out to them when this project came up. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Gardner Productions in June 2020, and they’ve delivered the final product, but we plan to engage them for future videos as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done a great job telling complicated stories to audiences who aren’t well-versed in life science. Their videos have been well-received, and we’ve enjoyed working with them. 

How did Gardner Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great from a project management perspective; I’d give them an A+. Stephen is super responsive, available, and generous with his time; he’s also a kind human being. 

They’ve typically delivered projects on time and within budget. We communicate via phone, email, and Zoom meetings. The team is flexible and punctual; they’ve checked all the boxes that make for a good working relationship. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are clear communicators who deliver polished products that set them apart from the competition. We’ve worked with other video partners that we needed to follow up with several times for work to get done; that’s never the case with Gardner Productions. I can just tell them what I need the video to look like, and boom, they deliver something even better. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Gardner Productions could improve on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise clearly outlining what you’d like the video to look like and what you’re trying to accomplish. With that framework, Stephen and the Gardner Productions team will make your vision a reality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of a full-service advertising agency that specializes in the entertainment industry. We serve companies across North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gardner Productions?

We had a client that needed television commercials with a limited budget and timeline.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gardner Productions produced three commercials for our client. They handled everything from the shoot to the editing.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Stephen (President & Executive Producer). We also worked with a production team that had 8–9 teammates. Meanwhile, the post-production and editing team was comprised of 2–3 people. 

How did you come to work with Gardner Productions?

Somebody introduced us to Garder Productions. We approached three other companies, but we liked Steve the best, so we discussed our issues with him. 

He gave us a quote, which we initially didn’t like. We then renegotiated and ended up with a project scope that was within the client’s budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m not allowed to divulge the numbers, but the client was happy with their work. Overall, the project was successful.

How did Gardner Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed exceptionally well in terms of project management. They were always ready to go and finished quickly. We communicated via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re friendly and easy to work with, and the team accommodated all of our requests. Furthermore, Gardner Productions produced highly creative work at a cost-effective price. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s not much they could’ve improved — they made the process quick and easy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you get along with the Gardner Productions team. Additionally, let them suggest ideas because they might be better than yours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the executive VP of the Canadian Friends of The Hebrew University, a nonprofit organization that serves as the fundraising arm of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Canada. I’m still working with them but in a part-time capacity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gardner Productions?

Our relationship with Gardner Productions goes back many years. Originally, we were looking to create videos that highlighted our fundraising goals and needs. We also wanted to share with our potential supporters what they could give money to and what they were giving money to.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gardner Productions helped us with video production. I was never on site with Stephen (President & Executive Producer), but I know that he and his team helped us with a number of things in Toronto. They also filmed a very good video in Israel, and we used both materials for different things.

They were very good at cutting, pasting, and dividing the material to create different videos. We kept working together, and they created around 15–20 videos in total for us.

What is the team composition?

Stephen was our main point of contact. We worked with at least two other people in Toronto, but I don’t know if he brought a photographer to Israel or hired someone there.

How did you come to work with Gardner Productions?

For the first 10 years, around the late 1990s, we worked with a few different companies to help us with video production. Then, our communications director at the time found Stephen. I’m not sure who found whom or how they met, but we started working with Gardner Productions.

How much have you invested with them?

The preproduction cost varied from project to project. For example, the production in Israel was obviously more expensive than what we did in Toronto. However, the average project cost was between $10,000–$20,000, depending on how extensive the production was.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around 2005, and the last video we did together was in 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Gardner Productions always went above and beyond the call of duty. In the last production we did, the major donor and honoree was being difficult to work with, but Stephen was very patient. He smiled, persevered, and came through with flying colors. The videos they did for our fundraising dinners were always impressive, and the reactions were always very favorable.

How did Gardner Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Gardner Productions performed very well, and there was never an issue with our communication. Stephen was very hands-on. He was always a phone call away, and we sometimes met either in his office or ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having worked with larger companies, I loved Gardner Productions because they were a smaller one, so they offered a very hands-on approach. We didn’t have to wait a long time to get anything back from them.

I also always found Stephen to be very responsible, and he always knew their capabilities. If he said that something would be done in two weeks, it was. If he told us that they couldn’t do something within two weeks, we knew what to expect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive criticism to add. We went back to them time and time again; if we hadn’t been happy, we wouldn’t have done so. We would work with them again in a minute.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have honest communication, provide details about your goals and expectations, and be open to creating a positive, back and forth environment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As co-founder of a Toronto-based content marketing agency, we specialize in business-to-business brand development, marketing strategy, and content development such as video, podcasts, blogs, websites, white papers, and advertising campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gardner Productions, and what were your goals?

The project required volunteers from different areas around the world to test our client's new mobile app. We invited Gardner Productions to participate in the social media campaign by helping us create a video that generates awareness of the new mobile app and encourages trials of the mobile app in a short period of time.

SOLUTION

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

Having worked with Gardner Productions in the past twelve years on numerous projects, we have confidence in Stephen and his team to achieve the objectives of the project and develop a compelling video that excels at storytelling.

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

We provided Stephen's team with an outline and approved script for a 60 second animated video. Gardner Productions told ownership of the art direction and storyboard process, and delivered a storyboard for client review and approval.

They began the voice over talent search and provided us with a short list of recommendations. Once the client approved a v.o. artist, Gardner Productions quickly developed an animated sequence for client review and approval. Then, they produced the entire video animation on time and on budget.

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

We worked primarily with Stephen Gardner. The feedback process was structured as rounds of revisions as to consolidate inputs from various stakeholders in the project. It happened very smoothly as Stephen has the experience to communicate his ideas very effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The campaign containing the video surpassed expectations. A larger number of participants downloaded the new mobile app and provided the desired user data and engagement rate.

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

Gardner Productions provided us with a production schedule based on the launch date presented by the client. Email and telephone were the primary communication tools for this project. The timelines were tight and every team member delivered quick turnaround to meet the client deadline.

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

Working with Gardner Productions enabled all parties involved in this project to achieve success.

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

This project like many before with Gardner Productions went swimmingly, a great customer experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal of a consulting company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Strategic communications

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gardner Productions to accomplish?

• High-quality video
• Raise awareness and support

SOLUTION

How did you find Gardner Productions?

Referral

Why did you select Gardner Productions over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Gardner Productions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Series of videos to raise awareness and build support for the client's initiatives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Successful videos, appreciated by the clients and their stakeholders

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

Gardner Productions provided a clear production timeline, and updated it regularly as the project progressed. Everything was delivered on time and on budget, and we we always kept informed of the project status right through to completion.

What was your primary form of communication with Gardner Productions?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They showed commitment to understanding our strategic needs and creating videos that delivered the emotional impact so important to the client.

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

All good.