Kartoffel Films

Introduce your business and what you do there.

we are a worldwide global education network and we are a nonprofit charity organization, active in 130 countries. We’ve been operation for 140 years, providing underprivileged young people with opportunities to succeed. We focus on STEM education.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We wanted to make a documentary film.

What was the scope of their involvement?

 We approached them and sent them a brief of what we were trying to achieve. We wanted portray our legacy and history while focusing on modern-day heroes and beneficiaries. They presented a pitch and created a nice story that showed us passing the baton through the ages.

We knew what we wanted and selected who was going to be in the video, but they did a whole script and storyboard. We gave them a lot of information, and then Kartoffel Films interviewed the people we selected to get the story. They went to a few locations to film, but because of COVID-19, there were a few places where it wasn’t safe to travel. In those instances, we had local people film Kartoffel Films provided support and guidance through that process.

They were great at bringing it all together in a professional manner and edited all of it. They had a good idea.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Danielle consistently, and there were 2–3 people who helped from time to time.

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

It was a Google search. Somebody I know who works for another charity also worked with them previously. They were cost-effective as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £50,000 (approximately $64,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2019–September 2020.

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

I got a lot of feedback that it was a beautiful film and the story was told really well. It was visually really engaging and powerful.

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

It was good. They were always responsive when I contacted them. We worked collaboratively over Google Docs. We communicated mainly via email. Our senior management team had some strong opinions, so that slowed down the process and extended our deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very friendly, flexible, and talented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a bit resistant to some of the things we suggested, but at the same time, they were looking at it from their professional opinion and they disagreed with what we thought. That was a bit of a challenge, but I appreciated where they were coming from.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To set yourself up for success, make sure you have all the information that they need and touch in with them on a regular basis.

Please describe your company and your position there.

AIA Worldwide is a creative agency, specialising within employer branding and internal communications. My position at the company was a Senior Project Manager, responsible for producing video content with 3P suppliers.

For what projects/services did your company hire Kartoffel Films?

We worked with Kartoffel on a selection of projects for some hi-end clients. Although we have video resource in-house, we tend to go out to suppliers when it's a much larger project. Kartoffel has provided us with video filming, animation and green screen work.

What were your goals for this project?

We always strive to make the best possible film, so that they can be engaging enough to help drive applications.

How did you select this vendor?

Kartoffel are a real bang-for-buck! They are a much cheaper production house than a lot in London, but you still get the same if not better value. As budgets aren't massive in recruitment marketing, cost was always high up on the list of supplier selection. They understood this challenge and always were transparent with costings and worked hard to make projects work.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We hired KF for a series of projects including a 2 week smash and grab job, where they were constantly interview filming hundreds of employees, whilst also getting cutaways and B-roll footage. Also hired for a series of interview led videos in different UK regions, as well as a green screen animation for a large corporation.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a lead Director and two camera operators for most of the times.

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

We've always been very selective with our suppliers, so the fact that we still work with KF today, demonstrates their success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely. It's often a difficult relationship with a creative agency/production house, because there are always too many chefs in the kitchen. However, they always understood that the client was our client, and were always trying to help us produce the best possible film. If things weren't logistically possible, they would always offer expertise advice.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their transparency makes them stand out from the competition. Always trying to help with cost savings and budget restrictions. Not here to make large profits. A production house that puts the creativity first.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Quality Control process isn't great. They are a small firm so often stretched when lots of projects come in. Small details slip through the cracks.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the marketing director of a boutique cyber secuirty services firm with a maturing marketing program.

For what projects/services did your company hire Kartoffel Films?

We offer a range of highly technical - and for many customers abstract - services around cyber security, both preemptive and post-breach. For one of those services we needed a series of short explainer videos to visually describe technical concepts. We hired Kartoffel Films to produce three animated videos, which included ideating a new brand look as we had never previously produced videos.

What were your goals for this project?

Production of three brand-aligned explainer videos.

How did you select this vendor?

I compared 3-4 vendors and chose Kartoffel Films based on:

• the straight-forward, non-fluffy proposal
• the responsiveness of its team
• the price.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Consultation on animation style, brand alignment, storyboarding, VO, editing.

What was the team composition?

I dealt with one person througout, who acted as a mediator between me and the animation team.

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

Everything went well

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was effective, communication was easy and immediate and all done via email. At times I would have preferred a quick call as we had some points that were lost in translation, but overall it was efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ease of communication and the flexibility with which some late changes were accepted.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only two I can think of: a more critical reading of the provided scripts, as I do find that often vendors (Kartoffel is not alone in this) will just take a script without scrutiny and then work in errors into the final product that could have been prevented if another pair of eyes had read through the script. Secondly, a greater willingness to jump on a call to clarify feedback in order to avoid misunderstanding. Again, not a huge issue though.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of private patients at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital Specialist Care. We’re a large specialist hospital that deals with heart and lung disease.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We wanted to create a branding video that we could use internationally when we were doing an intro to our services in both a business development context, as well as at conferences where we had a stand or booth.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Kartoffel Films with a brief and they came back to us with some ideas. We then went back and forth until we figured out a script that we were happy with and felt was achievable.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 people. 

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

I had worked with their founder in a previous role, and I knew that he and his team were very experienced. I liked their creative and collaborative mindset. 

We looked at multiple agencies before deciding to go with them, but I invited them to pitch because I knew they would be a good contender. They impressed me and the other people who were a part of the decision-making process. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £12,000 (approximately $15,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first contact with them was in July 2018, but the project started much later because we had some issues getting permission to fly a drone in our area. The final edits were done in January 2019.

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

We were really happy with the outcome and we were proud to show the video. We also showed the video to staff to increase morale and everyone was impressed.

In fact, the communications team on the public side of the hospital asked us who our video producers were because they wanted to start producing more videos. We recommended them to other internal players within the organization. 

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated primarily via email, and we also had a project meeting where we met with our producer in person. In addition, we had a few days of filming 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Kartoffel Films was very easy to work with and responsive to any of our requests. They also brought an artistic vision to the process, making suggestions and guiding us as much as we guided them. The team was also very laid back.

Working with creative agencies can be difficult sometimes because they refuse to see the business side of things and only want to do more creative work or vice versa. However, with Kartoffel Films, there was a great balance between listening to our needs and coming up with creative suggestions that we wouldn’t have come up with ourselves.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. I enjoyed working with them, and if we need to create another video, I would definitely hire them again. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Write a clear and concise brief that outlines the must-haves, and trust the agency and their vision so that you can get the most out of them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior global marketing manager for BGI Genomics. We’re a global genomics organization that provides a range of sequencing services and other solutions for researchers working in life science.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We hired them to produce two videos. We needed a video that introduced our company in a way that a wide audience could easily understand. There was a similar challenge with our second video. We wanted to produce a video about one of our products that was easy for customers to understand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kartoffel created an animated video that clearly introduced our company to a wide range of customers. For the second video, their team created a specific animation around one of our key products, which was a non-invasive prenatal test.

We gave their team guidance and closely worked together to map out the storyboards. They quickly understood the brief, so we gave minimum input. Their team outsourced the voiceover to an actor, managing the entire process.

Recently, they did voiceover work for another video. They edited the sound and recorded the voiceovers.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Danielle (Head of Production) who was our primary contact. A team supported her behind the scenes to produce the animations.

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

We reached out to a number of vendors and based our decision on their past experiences, cost competitiveness, and professionalism. Kartoffel ticked our boxes across all three categories.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent somewhere in the region of £8,000–£10,000 (approximately $10,000–$12,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership around 2016, and it’s ongoing. If we need a video that’s specific to the European market, they’re our go-to agency.

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

Several years after their launch, the videos remain live on YouTube and attract lots of views. Kartoffel professionally produced the animations, which were visually distinct and engaging. We’re happy with them.

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through e-mail or phone. They’re available through both channels. Their team works independently.

During the initial projects, we got to the final storyboard and animations quickly. It was also nice to have one point of contact as it made the process efficient from our side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their simple and friendly approach is the best part about working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This isn’t specific to their team: Have a clear brief beforehand as that speeds up the process. Kartoffel guided us in areas that we hadn’t carefully considered. If we produced another video with them from scratch, I would work with my team to more clearly define our brief to save time when mapping the storyboard.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a creative director at a university’s school of business. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We’ve used Kartoffel Films for several years because we have a limited staff of video and animation professionals. Our content also covers a variety of global audiences. They’ve been instrumental in coordinating and finalizing video productions that speak to our diverse audiences in a timely, efficient, and high-quality manner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

A large part of their work centers around our alumni, who have a large global footprint. We might be telling a story about alumni or showcasing them for winning an award through the school. Our organization gives out Distinguished Alumni Awards annually, and each winner gets to tell their story in video format. The videos are 3–5 minutes long, discussing how the school helped them as a professional. At this point, Kartoffel Films handles that project from soup to nuts. They work with alumni, schedule interviews, record the footage, and edit it according to our brand standards. Additionally, they handle animation work for our social channels.

Usually, we reach out to them when we need international captures because they have contacts all over the world. We’ve used them for footage in Hong Kong, London, and even South Africa. Their videographers are able to source and capture many different parts of the world. Oftentimes, we prefer when they do the capturing. It makes the process more streamlined. We work with them on a project-by-project basis.

What is the team composition?

Our teams operate remotely, in separate timezones. We typically have a project manager who serves as our point of contact. There’s a larger group working on the projects, though.  

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

They had an existing relationship with the organization when I joined almost five years ago. Their services were recommended to me by a peer, and we’ve continued using them.  

How much have you invested with them?

Their projects range from $2,000–$30,000 depending on the scale. We do about 8–12 projects with them each year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in 2012 and still work with them on a project-by-project basis.

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

Even within the last 2–3 years, we can really see a difference in the quality of our videos and animations. We’re internally aware that they’ve set that bar for us. Our team has noticed a huge quality difference on our social channels, which have grown substantially. We can’t attribute all of that to their work, but they’re definitely a part of the recipe that’s helping to grow our success. 

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s typically a seamless process. We have regular touchpoints that contact us through phone or email. I’ve only met them in-person twice because of our remote relationship. However, timezones never seem to make a difference. Of all the project managers, we typically work with a phenomenal, friendly, and reliable project manager. We keep things moving through her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offer consistent quality, dependability, and reliability. Their team understands our goals, which isn’t always easy in our field. They dove into the work, and we can rely on the consistent quality of their end products. We end up with solutions that we can be proud of. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. It would be nice if they had more video capture services located in the United States, so we could use them more regionally. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much information as you can upfront to makes sure they’re aware of your brand standards. The more detail you can provide, the better the project will be. 

We move so quickly that the first draft of the video can be very rough. Don’t be discouraged by this. The end product is always excellent because of the process they have in place. That’s why it’s important to have patience with the first draft. Things are moving more quickly in the background than you may realize.  

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and communications manager at Southbank International School.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We had expanded our school and wanted to create a promotional film in order to raise community awareness and attract new applicants.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, I sent them a video brief detailing some background information about our school, the motivation for our project, and our objectives. I also provided some direction on the format of the film—we wanted to do an interview-style video with talking heads. Throughout the process, I made additional suggestions in order to ensure that we covered all the important information we needed in the film.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with the creative director and the production manager.

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

I’d worked with them through a previous job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on this project from November 2017–August 2018.

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

It’s hard to attribute any success exclusively to the video, but it’s received tens of thousands of views. We promoted it on YouTube using a retargeting campaign that was very successful. Thanks to the marketing efforts, our student intake increased by more than ten percent last year.

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They were helpful and direct when we worked together. We frequently touched base via email and phone, but also met face-to-face for preproduction and when we shot the film.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really approachable, easy to work with, and focused on the job at hand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not for this project, but I’d appreciate it if they’d come back to us on future projects with suggestions on how to take new approaches with the content.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re great to work with and deliver satisfying results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at St. George’s University of London. We offer specialized courses related to science, medicine, and health.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

For our initial project, we wanted to create a video that would convey our university culture and foster excitement among incoming students.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started out by storyboarding a short film with a target audience of incoming undergraduates. Their team assembled a production timeline and then scouted the filming location. They also met with in-house staff and brainstormed additional places to film in the city that could showcase our students and campus environment, coming up with ideas for several creative sequences. On the day of filming, they provided a director, cameraman, producer, and runner for us, and they also supplied a drone for additional overhead filming. After the shoot was complete, they edited the footage with feedback from us and delivered the final product.

The experience was mostly a collaborative approach. We didn’t put limits on their creativity and, in return, they were keen to talk to us and understand the heart of the story we wanted to tell about our campus. Based on the success of that first experience, we’ve now completed four or five projects with them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their creative director and their production manager.

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

We approached several production agencies, and they came back with the best pitch and creative brief.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2017, and we’re still working together.

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

We’ve received positive feedback, and our viewership stats are great. Even internally, our colleagues speak highly of the film. The quality has also improved the reputation of my department.

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very diligent, issuing a production timeline, and then we go back and forth to iron out the deadlines for each phase of a project. Naturally, there are times when we have to change dates at the last minute, but they’re very flexible about that, which makes things easier for us. If we’re shooting something, they’ll issue call sheets the night before, and they have everything well-organized, including health and safety. They’re also very clear on when they’ll have edits ready for us, and they stick to deadlines well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For a relatively small agency with a relatively small budget, they’re able to produce very high-quality films. I’ve worked with a number of agencies and the team at Kartoffel Films stood out for their friendliness and creativity.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of you want to get out of the project. Being prepared with your objectives helps the creative agency be bolder in their work because they’ll know what they need to achieve. In one of our projects, we mentioned that we wanted to create a narrative video featuring a scholarship student and we didn’t have the budget to film on location in her home country. Kartoffel Films suggested making an animated video instead, and it’s one of the best videos we’ve put out as a university.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and communications for the SSAFA, an armed forces charity. We support veterans and their families in the UK and around the world. We help over 73,000 people a year and deliver a variety of services.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kartoffel Films?

We hired Kartoffel Films to create videos that celebrate people who fundraise for our organization. We also wanted videos that raise awareness about our services and inform the public about the issues we face in raising money.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kartoffel Films created several videos over the course of our engagement. For one video, they recorded interviews of people speaking directly to the camera about their different fundraising projects. We also wanted them to create short animated videos, so they handled the entire storyboarding and content writing process. We worked together to implement the right voice-overs, themes, and creative work into the various finished products.

What is the team composition?

I interact with Eoin (Founder & Creative Director, Kartoffel Films) and Danielle (Production Manager, Kartoffel Films), who manages our project.

How did you come to work with Kartoffel Films?

They approached one of my colleagues with their information, so I reviewed their portfolio. I was impressed with the interesting projects and variety of styles they were comfortable using. They were approachable and easy to communicate with about the work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £40,000–£50,000 (approximately $53,000–$66,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working on several video productions with Kartoffel Films since 2017 and the work is ongoing.

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

Because of Kartoffel Films’ support, we’re able to tell the stories that are most important to us. We’re able to raise awareness for our cause. For example, we’ve increased visibility for adoptions within military families. We can highlight these causes to our social media followers, key stakeholders, and investors using the videos they’ve created for us.

How did Kartoffel Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good at hitting deadlines and managing time. I can always contact their team if I have any issues or questions. They’re available and open to my recommendations, which is great. We primarily communicate through email, but we have in-person meetings to kickstart projects with follow-up phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to my needs and meet our expectations. Their team is passionate about the work they do and it shows. They also hit all of our deadlines, which I really appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since they’re a smaller team, timelines need to be clear to make sure they can juggle our requirements. However, I haven’t been displeased with how they’ve produced work, so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open about what you want and set clear deadlines. The project needs to be collaborative, so be prepared for them to listen to your feedback and work to meet your budget. They want to produce work that reflects what the customer needs.