Lane Avenue Studios

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of nursing for the Erie Homes for Children and Adults; we’re a residential facility for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

What challenge were you trying to address with Lane Avenue Studios? 

A global issue is that when individuals from group homes are put in the hospital, they’re quickly sent to hospice care because of a lack of understanding on how to take care of these individuals or communicate with them. We had two individuals hospitalized for treatable illnesses at around the same time who were left in hospice care. We thought this would make a compelling documentary to shine a light on the issue, so we hired Lane Avenue Studios to help us make that documentary.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us plan the video and came up with interview questions. Lane Avenue Studios came to Erie and spent several days filming in the group homes; they also went to several local hospitals and interviewed the physicians. They interviewed physicians at our facility to explain what had happened and took B-roll in the local Erie area. Lane Avenue Studios hired a person to handle the music for the film. 

They returned to film additional footage and interviews and re-edited some footage during the editing process because someone in our documentary left. Lane Avenue Studios provided all their own equipment and took care of the entirety of the editing process. We communicated during this process, and they showed us previews throughout so that we got an idea of the direction the film was going in. They also gave us a lot of suggestions about what would make the film more impactful. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a four-member crew; this included a director, producer, cameraman, and audio mixer. 

How did you come to work with Lane Avenue Studios?

Our agency worked with them a long time ago, and we liked their work, so we decided to use them again for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $35,000 with Lane Avenue Studios. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March 2021–March 2022. 

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

One of the hospitals we based some of the film on has improved their process and the way they handle these cases. We were also just accepted into a film festival in Ireland. Everyone who has seen the film has been very impressed and spoken highly about the quality. 

How did Lane Avenue Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They responded immediately to everything we needed and quickly set up meetings if needed. Everything was delivered on time. We planned everything out virtually, and then everything was recorded in person. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were helpful and sensitive to the topic, and they understood nonprofits. We also felt they were incredibly effective in interviews and delivered relevant answers. They were extremely respectful and kind to everyone. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t have any complaints. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just keep up the communication and let them know the message that you want to get across.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hi! My name is Jessica. I am the Clinic Administrator for Contemporary Family Dentistry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Lane Avenue Studios, and what were your goals?

We worked with Lane Avenue Studios to create a marketing video that tells the story of our company as it currently is. We have been through some changes and growth and wanted our patients to have an understanding that although we have grown, we are still the same company they know and love. Lane avenue also worked with some of our patients to capture patient testimonial videos to show to the public.

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

We selected Lane Avenue because they were a local company that immediately grasped the point we were trying to make with our project. They were able to keep our purpose for making the videos central to the decision making process.

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

We started with a meeting in which David and Zach asked us questions about the company, our mission, and what we wanted to accomplish with the project. After that, we set up schedule for filming. This consisted of time both during and outside of business hours in order to get interviews with the doctors and patients as well as B Roll footage.

The staff at Lane Avenue was able to put together a first draft of the project. There were a few shots we wanted to change and a small voice over edit was requested. Lane Avenue was happy to oblige to ensure the project met our expectations.

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

Throughout the process I worked with David, Zach, and Mike. All were extremely professional and listened well. They also had some wonderful, creative ideas of their own that added to the end product in a very positive way.

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

We are featuring one of the video cuts on our newly designed web page. We are also using the project as a commercial that airs on the streaming services of some local high school sporting events.

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

Lane Avenue Studios did a great job with communication throughout the project. They were not intrusive when filming during our work hours and made everyone feel very comfortable.

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

As previously stated, the fact that Lane Avenue was able to keep our purpose central to the theme of the project was paramount. They were able to work within our very busy dental practice with many moving parts with ease.

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

I think everything went wonderfully! We had a small hiccup with the sound in one video but they were happy to add another day of filming to correct the issue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing & Communications Director for a mental health services nonprofit, Center for Children and Families, Inc. We focus on trauma informed care through a variety of programs including counseling, parent education classes and afterschool services with Boys & Girls Club of Norman.

For what projects/services did your company hire Lane Avenue Studios, and what were your goals?

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to cancel our in-person fundraiser and move to a safer alternative. We thought a digital campaign featuring our different programs would be a great fit!

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

We looked at previous video teams, however Lane Avenue stood out to us because of their previous work with another local nonprofit. After speaking directly with their team, it was clear that the story telling ability far surpassed others and they were passionate about helping us meet our needs.

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

We began with multiple Zoom calls to get to know the team and our agency. The team came up with a wonderful plan of action and our team loved the concept. Before shooting, I gave a quick tour for the production crew so they could visually see the space. We then mapped out a timeline for shooting and quickly scheduled those interviews.

Before each client interview, we also had a Zoom call with the team to ensure the client was comfortable before their actual shoot. We had a pretty tight shooting/editing/proofing schedule but everything was on-time and delivered without fail. We had open communication throughout the process, which made the workflow a lot easier!

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

I worked with the entire team at Lane Avenue. Mike was wonderful at helping script the videos (when needed) and was very thoughtful when speaking with clients. Zach and David were also critical team members and helped deliver high quality products. Everyone was very respectful of our clients and staff in the building. As mentioned before, everything was delivered on time and communication was open and honest.

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

We gained new subscribers and hundreds more viewers on YouTube because of this new video library. We were able to better express our program's needs to our community and help give our Board members a deeper look into the agency. Our virtual campaign also went well!

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

The whole team was very responsive and understanding if shoots had to be moved, re-scheduled, etc. During the middle of the process, we even had to completely come back to the drawing board on one video and we all worked through that as a team to get the desired outcome. Phone call, texts, emails, Zoom calls, we did whatever was needed to communicate effectively.

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

The work we do at CCFI is tough. It's life altering. Our clients have been through a lot, and some of them are still kids. So we really were impressed with the way each of their stories were told. They were not "scripted" nor were they forced to answer any questions they were not comfortable with. Everything was done in a respectful, noble way that truly honored each person. That is truly hard to find!

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

I think our timeline was a bit ambitious, but we all made it work!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mary Abbott Children's House is a child advocacy center acting as a hub for investigation. When there’s a referral to us of suspected instances of abuse, clients call us to set up forensic interviews, forensic medical assessment, and other wraparound services for the child victims. That way, they only have to come to one place and tell their story once throughout the course of the investigation. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Lane Avenue Studios?

Lane Avenue helped us with our annual fundraiser, a luncheon event attended by about 500 people. We partnered with the University of Oklahoma men’s and women’s basketball coaches. Through this event, people could find out about the upcoming basketball season and about our organization. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Last year, 2020, was unique. While our event was typically done in person, we had to go 100% virtual. As a result, our group was lost and unsure of how to do it. Lane Avenue then sat down with us and talked through what we wanted to accomplish for the event. They took over the project and handled everything from scripting and filming to setting up an auction website. They then filmed testimonial videos from our clients and the key members of our staff. Their team also filmed several of our multidisciplinary partners, along with our 15 board members. 

We’ve also signed a contract with them for our 2021 event, where we hope to do a hybrid production; we’ll do a live, in-person event while also offering a virtual option for our audience.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with three people. Mike (Producer) is the leader, information gatherer, and storyteller. He’s the big-picture person that comes up with creative ideas on how we’ll tell our story. Then, Zach (Video Producer) films most of the footage and does the editing tasks. Meanwhile, David (Storyteller) helps us with setups. 

How did you come to work with Lane Avenue Studios?

I knew Mike from a mutual camp that we did together for foster children, meaning we shared the same missions and values within the same groups of clients. Mike, David, and Zach all went to that camp and volunteered a week of their lives as I did, so I knew they were passionate about their work. Meanwhile, I wanted to work with someone who felt that our work was important so that we’d be able to share our story in a meaningful way. As a result, we hired them for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our invoice for the virtual event was over $9,000. 

Meanwhile, we’re contracting them a bit differently this year so that they have some skin in the game. Specifically, we contracted them for $6,200, but if we reach our fundraising goal and exceed it, they’ll get a certain percentage for every $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in August 2020, and it’s technically ongoing, though our first virtual event took place in December 2020. Our next event will occur in December 2021. 

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

We felt that being able to produce an event and go virtual so quickly was already a success. In any case, we received a lot of great feedback for our first virtual event. The video production quality was great. Everyone in our area went to virtual events last year, and they could tell a huge difference between our event and other people’s events as far as video production quality was concerned.   

Other success metrics were monetary since we surpassed our monetary goals. We didn’t have many sponsors, but the event was still successful because Lane Avenue set up a website for us where people could bid. While we couldn’t do a live auction, their team helped us do a silent auction. Through it, we brought in around 60% of what we typically raised before; given our situation, we didn’t think that we could do it even in our wildest dreams — but we succeeded. 

Overall, we’ve had a great experience. The Lane Avenue team doesn’t just create videos; they truly want to understand our goals to engage people in a way that provokes emotions. That has helped us be more successful in our fundraising goals. 

How did Lane Avenue Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Lane Avenue stuck with their proposed deadlines and met every single one of them. When we weren’t happy with a piece of footage, they’d reshoot. For instance, I was bad on video — it’s tragic — but they were incredibly patient with me. They used a teleprompter, which helped me tremendously. Through it, they managed to coach me on being more natural on video. It felt like I was just having a conversation with Mike; I was relaxed and didn’t feel like I was performing.  That was truly helpful. Apart from that, they also had all the right equipment. 

The team did much of the work in person, and they made everyone comfortable. They followed COVID-19 pandemic protocols, getting tested negative before they came on site. Further, the university shut down at that time, but the team was able to communicate well with the university personnel. In the end, they were allowed to come on-site and shoot both the basketball coaches on the campus.

Meanwhile, the person who typically oversaw our events wasn’t leaving his home at that time, but the Lane Avenue team accommodated us and drove us to his house. They shot a video of him there. They didn’t use Zoom because we’d lose video quality. Throughout all of this, they set up safety measures. They always wore masks and were extremely respectful of everyone’s wishes and requests. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Lane Avenue team was highly professional in everything they did. Moreover, they were highly responsive, friendly, and compassionate. They went the extra mile because they wanted us to tell our story to our community in an impactful way. On top of that, they wanted us to raise funds because they were passionate about getting help for the children we serviced. Other companies would have done a good job, too, but I’m doubtful whether they’d also go the extra mile for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Once we established the plan for the project, Lane Avenue ran with it. Had we seen things more clearly early on, we could have collaborated more between project stages. That way, we could have told them more about what we were thinking or indicated if we liked something else. There was still a lot of collaboration and we loved the final product, but since it was our biggest event, we could have benefited from greater collaboration in the middle stages. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate and express what you want from them. Then, trust them to bring your project to life. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Operations Officer for a software development company. We provide create CRM/ERP software for small to medium size businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire Lane Avenue Studios?

We were looking for a specific marketing video that would portray a common frustration our clients experience before hiring us to help them.

How did you select this vendor?

Have worked with them in the past and they have always done an incredible job.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

It was a creative process where we wanted them to portray lots of cash sinking in quicksand. The idea was to show how companies often waste money on the wrong software or spend too much time doing things multiple ways.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with the entire team, from having creative meetings to make sure they understood exactly what we wanted in the video and how we wanted to tell our story. They put together a storyboard for us to review and stayed in contact with us through the filming and editing process.

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

We have been able to use the video as a cornerstone piece of our social media marketing and are actively working to utilize it in various other avenues of marketing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met weekly either in person or via video call. They explained the entire process and what everything would entail. Once he shoot was complete, they quickly moved through the editing phase and regularly reached out with updates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The commitment to wanting to share our story accurately and educating us on the best ways to do that was impressive. They staying in constant communication and were very easy to work with throughout the entire process. I love their background in film making. Definitely had a professional feel.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

None