Hound Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a video production company which focuses mainly on animation video and motion graphics. We work for a diversity of clients on themes covering government issues, health care, commercial solutions and so on. Our company is called Fiks Film.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

We outsource many of our projects to Hound Studio. They are a really reliable and talented partner on our projects. Never to disappoint us or our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

To make a video with an awesome appearance combining 2D with 3D. But, in that quest for awesomeness, the most important issue was; Not loosing track of getting our message across to our audience. The two combined at the highest possible level is always the goal (of course always with taking budgets into account).

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

That I don't exactly remember. What I know is that a long long time ago we game across some of their projects. We did like what we see, but didn't feel the urge yet to set up a collaboration. Many months/A few years later, we made the decision (by seeing the way Hound Studio kept improving) to build a successful collaboration with Alex and his team.

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

After we wrote our script, made the sketches, set up a style direction and arranged the voice-actor, it was Hound Studio's turn to shine. - They delivered some very pretty style themes of which we (together with our client) choose one. - Then they made the sketches come alive into their illustrations. Those illustrations really gave the whole project the feeling we were looking for. - After some revisions and approval of the illustrations by our client, the animation process was leaded by Alex. He guided the project towards a very satisfying final result. Thanks again, Alex.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had one person we had contact with, which was Alex. The revisions we had in mind were agreed upon almost always and if not, Alex and his team came up with even better ideas. We had enough space to deliver input during the whole process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This is the link for the animation video: https://vimeo.com/344767130 The final animation did meet all our expectations and more. We were really happy we could work on this project with Alex and his talented team members. The feedback we received from the client was very complimenting.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Really effective. It was like we were collaborating with employees or partners being seated in our own office. Fast response times and a smooth process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their readiness to help and their feeling for design! They are always there if we need them. They're fast and innovative.

Are there any areas for improvement?

For now I couldn't think of any improvements whatsoever. Really happy with this collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of a real estate management company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

We were presenting at a global RE conference and wanted to give our presentation an innovative touch

What were your goals for this project?

Present our activities in a personal and innovative way

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I tested their work in a previous project and was happy with the quality, price and responsiveness.

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

We wrote a script of the text that would be used during the presentation and asked the provider to show us some options of animation style that we wanted to project behind the speaker to illustrate the story in a fun and creative way. We then selected the style and started the project of creation with a very well organized feedback process

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They use Krock to publish new versions of the work and exchange feedback and comments (including exchange of docs and pics via the platform). They were very responsive at each step of the process and really tried their best to accomodate what we wanted to implement, despite the very tight deadline

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to have a 8 min presentation done at the global conference with the animation running in the background during the whole presentation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very efficient, despite the timezone difference. They were working on our comments and we would receive the new version by the next morning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I particularly appreciated their responsiveness and flexibility. They were able to deliver a high quality animation within a very tight deadline.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If I had to mention one, it would be to be a bit more proactive in the final design proposal (meaning the last details of the design work). Part of the work could have been more polished before sending us the proposal, but to be fair I believe this was due to the tight deadline more than anything else.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director and COO for AirGateway. We provide software solutions for the airline industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

We engaged Hound Studio to produce an explanatory video.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a short and accessible video that explains our product to potential customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Hound Studio contacted us through LinkedIn. Their portfolio impressed us enough that we chose their team to complete this project.

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

We first explained our technology and products. Hound Studio then came up with mockups and suggested ways to describe our products. We gave feedback that their team then implemented.  

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Hound Studio laid out the project from the beginning with clear milestones and processes. However, they were flexible as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve launched the video and received positive feedback from clients who find it useful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project ran smoothly from start to finish. We appreciated their quick response times.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Hound Studio produced high-quality video content at competitive prices.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Producer of 2E Studios

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

2E Studios is an artistic production company based in New York City and Colorado.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Hound Studio to accomplish?

• Create an Animated Short Film
• Follow a specific Art Style goal
• Animate and embody mental health emotions

SOLUTION

How did you find Hound Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Hound Studio over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Hound Studio were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

"Bear" is an 8-minute hand-animated short film about mental health. It t tells the story of a young girl  and her struggle with depression, which is represented by a large, physical bear. The film aims to be a metaphorical representation of mental illness, specifically depression, and the silent struggle it can cause for a young person. I hired Hound Animation Studios to create a vision for this project, create characters, follow the initial story I brought in, storyboard, and color the animation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project was selected as Official Selection at the Breckenridge Film Festival in Colorado, USA. The project has also partnered with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. The project has received excitement and enthusiasm from all viewers and also received two artistic grants.

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

Hound Animation Studios was an incredible pleasure to work with. Their communication and speed throughout the project was great and the team had such enthusiasm since Day 1. The team was great to work with and they were very knowledgeable about the animation process, helping me along the way to create the best and most efficient video that fit within my budget.

What was your primary form of communication with Hound Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The art styles that Hound Studio creates are absolutely beautiful. Their work looks like paintings, rich in color, character style, and movement. I was also immensely impressed with their years-long dedication to the project. Even throughout struggles in the Ukraine with the war, the team prevailed and showed excitement, encouragement, and passion for the project.

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

I think more virtual meetings along the way to speak/meet face-to-face would have been great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at (a/an) property management company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Property management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Hound Studio to accomplish?

• Create a one-minute animated video for us to use an explainer/advertisement

SOLUTION

How did you find Hound Studio?

• Online Search

Why did you select Hound Studio over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Hound Studio’s team?

• Other

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

Delivered animated video with voiceover, music, and sound effects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Variety of stages

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

In general, they delivered on time, and mostly it was our tardiness in giving feedback that delayed things. They were always responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Hound Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

We were delighted with the animated result. Our video had a certain percent of frame-by-frame work, and that in particularly was true artistry! They had creative ideas and helped guide us in the video production process to get a result we love.

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

Not specifically :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of the heath tech company Powermind, an app for hypnotherapy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

We hired Hound Studio for an animated instructional video to show new users the purpose and basics of hypnosis.

What were your goals for this project?

We intend to show the video in our app for new users. The video will be released when the app is launched on the market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I got a recommendation from a former colleague who said Hound Studio was really good, and I totally agree.

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

Good process, and very nice results.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The management process was good, very quick responses and very friendly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Too early.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was good. Very quick and informative communication from Hound Studio.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have very friendly personnel and nice and professional end product. Very fast results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Growth Marketer at Norwegian Artificial Intelligence company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

Creat a new explainer video in 3d

What were your goals for this project?

Animation that we could use for our SM, website, communication

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We liked your quality/price ratio

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

Storyboard, 3d animation, production. We had very specific requirements, which were fulfilled.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Alexey collected all our feedback

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with the results!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Hound studio's internal tool Krock for workflows which was really handy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their patience is great!

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

QDooz is a self development learning tool which aims to unlock the value of human potential.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

Storyboarding, animation styling and production.

What were your goals for this project?

Deliver a narrative which simply and economically told the story of the challenges of employability in the changing landscape of work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Client recommendation

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Initial brief and skeleton script was submitted, from which Alex and the hound studio team then began visualisatoon sketches, with then feedback sessions, both on calls and email. The Krock project platform allows a cloud interaction between client and vendor.

What was the team composition?

Limited visibility beyond my contact

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Too early, but positive internal feedback.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Agreed from the sign off

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were professional, thorough, and responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Krock platform needs some getting used to, and doesn’t work on Firefox Mac, which caused us issues until identified.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing manager of a SaaS startup. We have 10 people in the team and 1800+ customers from more than 50 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

We wanted to bring awareness to our new feature and explain it in a very simple way.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase demo requests and sales with the video.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Someone advised us to use this company first and we've already done a few projects together. Price for services has been very important.

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

We have submitted a draft and the team started to work on it shortly. We have been in a hurry with strict deadlines and the team has managed to deliver.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We could give feedback on several occasions, during the script, storyboard, illustration and animation phases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not yet. We have just received the video.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was smooth and easy. We used krock for all comms.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have been executing REALLY fast and we got our video done very fast on a very good level.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would expect them to be more pro-active in referring to feedback. We don't have any video experience and a few times we mentioned "this is unclear", we had to come up with solutions ourselves, rather then wait for them to give possible ways to solve the problem.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an Staffing company based out of chicago. I am an managing directors

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hound Studio?

Branding video to showcase our services to prospects.

What were your goals for this project?

Content & design & flow of the video

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on the conversation we had with the vendor.

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

They are a very process-orientated company. They updated us every step of the way.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Excellent follow up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very creative video. Happy with the whole process and we are glad we chose the right company to do the job.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Process orientated and very creative team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No