Left Productions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director rep for Lark Creative. We’re a creative and music video director representation agency. Our main activity is visual related projects, specifically music videos. We also do branded content for artists and direct their shows for them. Any time someone in the music industry needs a creative solution, they come to us.

What challenge were you trying to address with Left Productions?

We needed someone to come up with the concept and film one of our artists for their show. We had been talking with Left Productions for a few months and thought that one of the directors would be great for the project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We mostly work on music video projects with Left Productions. They handle the entire process from pre-production to post-production. For that one particular project, they had about a week to write, film, and deliver a live performance for Christina Aguilera’s appearance on Good Morning America.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with Boris (Founder) and Nick (Creative Producer).

How did you come to work with Left Productions?

Boris contacted me after he’d just opened an office and was interested in chatting. It took a little bit of time because we had a lot of production companies that we worked with and we weren’t necessarily looking for new people. However, he was great and gave a good impression, so we went out for coffee and started talking. I found out that we had a lot of things in common creative and production-wise.

The relationship came about very naturally. We started sending briefs and developed the treatments they were writing. After which, we felt that they would be real assets for us and we just kept working together.

How much have you invested with them?

The client has spent around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership began in February 2020.

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

We mostly measure the success on the number of views per video and the creative impact of the product. They have a very fast and competent production service. Overall, they’re great collaborators with creative minds.

How did Left Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve worked on some really tight timelines with them that most production companies aren’t able to fit in. They’re great with deadlines and are capable of some very surprising timelines. They’re very flexible and accommodating. As for a management standpoint, every client that they’ve worked with has really loved them, and they’re super happy with the job that they do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s most impressive about them is they’re very resourceful and are able to do incredible things despite any challenging conditions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing that I can think of. Everything they’ve done with us so far has been really great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend getting on a call with the directors because they’re very interesting and collaborative. Getting on a call is a better experience as opposed to sending an email.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Creative Services for Warner Records. Warner is a historic record label based in Los Angeles, CA. On the Creative Services team we create music videos, lyric videos, cover art and many other creative marketing tools.

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

Left Productions created a lyric video for our artist Saweetie. The lyric video was key in continued promotion and marketing of the record. The animated character and world created by the Left Productions team and directed by Grant Spanier was a great tool for us. Fans really engaged with the video on YouTube and other platforms.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to create traffic on Saweetie's YouTube page and promote the song.

How did you select Left Productions?

I had been speaking with the Left team for various projects and the creative submitted by Grant Spanier created a strong visual.

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

Once we selected the creative I worked really closely with the Left team and the artists to bring the final project to life. They were really great with being transparent about the timing and process as well as the creative steps along the way.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

This was a very smooth process as the team at Left was very communicative and rarely missed deadlines. If something was slightly delayed they were sure to give me a heads up and keep me updated on what was going on.

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

No

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very smooth on this project as the producer and project manager kept a very open line of communication for creativity, timelines and budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really impressed with the speed and accuracy in executing the creative. Doing a fully animated video can be very timely and if rushed can compromise the creative. Left Productions was able to provide an amazing creative on a very realistic timeline and budget.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Regarding this project and some of the other factors involved I can't accurately assess room for improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CMO of PLANITY, the leading platform for online beauty reservations in France.

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

For the production of a TV commercial.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a first impactful TV spot, boost online appointment booking and establish our status as a leading platform in France.

How did you select Left Productions?

We selected LEFT thanks to their efficiency and speed in offering and producing this first advertising spot in record time.

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

The spot highlights the different services and businesses that can be booked on the Planity platform. The creative process was very fast, respecting the initial brief perfectly. The objective was twofold: to enhance the beauty professions and to make consumers want to use the Planity service.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The LEFT team managed the project perfectly from A to Z, in record time. The schedules were respected and the final production is on point.

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

Following the broadcast of the spot, we recorded a 25% increase in attendance on planity.com

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good understanding between advertiser and agency, the members of the team were readily available to answer our questions and accompany us in this production of spot, unprecedented for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team had the ability to come up with creative ideas in just a few days and then organize everything from thereon.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Support on the delivery of the final files, in particular the formats and constraints to be observed when delivering to TV channels, especially when it is a first experience for the advertiser.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mad Decent is an indie record label in Los Angeles with a globetrotting roster of artists. I'm the Director of Content & Partnerships, often producing, overseeing and commissioning productions (music videos, live, events, originals) and the brand or DSP partnerships that may be attached.

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

Aluna "Envious" Music Video. Production Services.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a spot-on, creative interpretation of the artist's vision as it was her first music video as a solo artist.

How did you select Left Productions?

They presented the best concept for our creative brief, and were easy to work with from the very beginnings of the project.

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

The video had an Alice In Wonderland meets Modern Rave theme, and the artist as a Black Alice so to speak, entering her "Wonderland" or rave. We flew in the director and worked closely with Left Productions on budget, concept and execution as well as building out a sustainable delivery timeline. Everything came out as promised and all creative challenges and solutions were faced with integrity.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Crystal clear communication throughout the pre, post and delivery process, especially with edits.

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

The music video was the first for the artist, so it was viewed widely, premiered on music publications and shot up streaming/download numbers for the song.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective and very friendly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their kindness and professionalism are impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of a full service advertising company named Do Not Disturb. Our goal is to create marketing content people actively seek out and engage with.

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

Yes we did.

What were your goals for this project?

Create two pieces of video assets meant for TV and online distribution. We wanted to raise awareness for a new offering.

How did you select Left Productions?

We felt that they had good taste, a nice understanding of aesthetics from an art direction, sound design and talent direction and that we would get great value for the budget we had. We also really liked their roster of Directors and DPs.

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

We had to shoot two 30 seconds spots in two locations in one day with actors in one and food shots in a restaurant in the other. Left took care of casting, location scouting and post-production. Due to the expediency of the project, Left took care of everything basically.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They run a tight ship. Overall we felt they would deliver even thought the timeline was super tight and the budget was frugal to say the least.

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

We were happy and would gladly work with them again. We highly recommend them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Pretty smooth. They understand how agencies and clients work so I have no issue on how thing went. The Founder/Producer is extremely agile and capable and knows the process inside out. the Director was also a pleasure to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The overall camaraderie and desire to solve problems was really refreshing. Also the quality of the team considering our limited resources.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only one thing. We had a great conversation with them about it nd they were very responsive. The editing, for various reasons, was done in Europe and, with the time difference, proved to be challenging at times. So if we had to work with them again, unless we had ample time, we would not recommend going with the editor in Europe. Other than that, it was a great experience and super nice to work with the team.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO at Wisepops, a SaaS for on-site marketing tools. We're a small remote team, our product is used by 1000+ online business worldwide (mostly US).

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

We needed a crisp presentation of our product and company:

1. to help visitors landing on our site getting a quick overview of our tool
2. to help us pitch Wisepops to new prospects.

We have been in touch with many agencies in the past but we never found a team we trusted enough to start this project.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a 1min video that sounds cool and not boring.

How did you select this vendor?

Left contacted us by email. I checked the video they had done for Front and I have been really impressed by the quality of their work.

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

We filled a document to explain our product/ needs / goals, and based on that they started working on a pitch. It was really good, so we have made a few changes and comments but overall we kept the structure and just improved it together. Then they worked on video prod.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We worked with Joe, our project manager, and he was managing a team at Left. Joe was super reactive, and very easy to work with. Whenever we had a feedback, he was super positive and he always get back to us with great suggestions. Thanks to that the process was very smooth.

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

1. We're super happy with the video and our whole team love it
2. The first clients who saw it shared great feedback
3. The project was managed in time and with zero bad surprise, which is quite amazing. It's 100% certain that we'll contact Left for all our future video prod needs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Perfect workflow, using Google Drive + a video platform to share comments.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of the work and creativity. They're friendly, positive, and professional at the same time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No comments here.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the brand and content marketing manager at a car subscription company. We allow people to reserve cars for short- or long-term periods.

What challenge were you trying to address with Left Productions?

Our company wanted to experiment with video on our paid performance channels. We engaged with Left Productions to produce videos that would feature our services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Unlike other video production companies that we considered, Left Productions was unique in that they didn’t have an in-house director. Their team presented us with director options during our selection process. After reviewing their portfolios, we selected a director and agreed to terms with Left Productions.

We relied on the director to serve as the creative backbone of the project. We provided a brief that highlighted our goals. We wanted a touch of humor, and we wanted a 1-minute video, a few 30-second videos, and a few videos closer to 15 seconds. The hope was to have the videos all be parts of the same story but cut and edited different ways depending on their length.

After the creative meeting, we left them to their own devices. Left Productions built a pool of actors, voiceover personnel, and video shoot crew members. Our team identified the actors we wanted for the video, and we selected a filming location that was within our budget and met our creative needs.

What is the team composition?

Other than the day of the shoot, I only interacted with the third-party director and Left Productions’ development manager.

How did you come to work with Left Productions?

Through an RFP process, we reviewed several other companies, but we felt the most comfortable with Left Productions. We had an aggressive goal of starting the video testing campaign by mid- or late September, and Left Productions guaranteed that they could meet that deadline. Their team also promised to be considerate of our budget. We initially did not set our 2018 budget to include a video project, but Left Productions was committed to remaining flexible and cost-effective.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget fell in the range of $36,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–September 2018.

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

Our company is only about a year and a half old, so the videos helped us grow our followers from almost zero to a couple hundred practically overnight. We saw the most significant effects on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The success of the videos was evident, and we are investing next year in continuing our video endeavor.

How did Left Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Before the shoot, we communicated through emails and phone calls. I didn’t meet anybody from their team until the shoot day, but that day was run incredibly well. There were no gaps or overlooked components that forced us to course correct. The Left Productions team was strict about sticking to a schedule. We all got home at a reasonable hour, which is rare. Their organization took a lot of responsibility off me during the shoot. They pulled together the right team for our project. While I think that the prop selection could have been better, the clothing and makeup were excellent. During editing, we collaborated through Frame.io.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their promises regarding speed and staying within our budget were met with little trouble. They were respectful and mindful of our requests. At no point did they say they needed more to fit our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For the creative kickoff meeting, we spent several hours on the phone together, but I wish we had met in person. That would have made it easier to communicate and cut down on what I thought was some unnecessary back-and-forth. Having more face time to be creative would have been beneficial for both parties.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In addition to pushing for a face-to-face meeting, I would suggest providing a clear set of expectations. Any ambiguity will set a partner up for failure. Left Productions performed very well with a defined set of requirements.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the FinTech lab part of the larger Octopus group. We build new FinTech products and then push them out to market. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Left Productions?

We were marketing financial services products that can be somewhat complicated to explain. We wanted an uncomplicated way to convey how these products work and what customers can get out of them. Using visuals and brief product descriptions seemed like the best approach. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came up with the scripting, storyboard, and some ideas around how we wanted the video to look. Left Productions ran with it from there. Since I took over on this project from someone else, I wasn't here for its inception, but I have seen it through to completion. 

Left Productions made an animated short video that's about two minutes long. They included all the right visuals and everything we wanted it to say as they put it all together. The team has worked on a couple of products for us. Since we liked their first video, we used them again for the second. 

What is the team composition? 

I've spoken to Augustine (Head of Development, Left Productions). He oversaw the project. 

How did you come to work with Left Productions?

I wasn't working here when they came on board, but I believe my company found Left Productions through online research.

How much have you invested in them?

The total cost for both videos came to about 6,000 pounds (approximately $4,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Left Productions this year. Our project lasted from May–November 2018. 

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

We haven't published the videos yet, so I don't have metrics to share. The website for one of the products is under development now, so we haven’t had a chance to put that video online yet. Concerning the other one, we're still considering the best way to use it. 

In terms of internal feedback, we've seen a great reaction from our employees about the quality of Left Production's work. It’s seemed to be quite effective and received a great response from everyone that’s seen it.  

Left Productions’ videos look professional and are well put together. Unlike many animated shorts, they don’t look remotely cheap. The voice recording and production quality are quite good based on feedback I've heard. 

How did Left Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Left Productions is typically quite quick to respond. Rather than weaving around, their simple, direct process demonstrated that they understood exactly what we wanted. In lieu of several iterations, we only needed a few tweaks before the final version was complete. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Left Productions found a simple way to explain our products for complex financial services. They chose striking visuals to make the videos refreshing and easy to watch. Most of our viewers grasp our highly technical concepts within the animated short’s two-minute length. 

Many people overcomplicate their attempts to tackle financial services marketing. Left Productions made everything quick, simple, and easy to understand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not particularly. I can't think of anything besides a couple of times when they were extremely busy and responded to us slightly slower. For the most part, everything has been fine. They usually turn work around quickly and get back to us within a day.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to know what you want first. Having a solid idea and plan will give Left Productions a firm base from which to work. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-CEO and CPO of Videdressing, a leading French marketplace that specializes in second-hand fashion and luxury. I oversee consumer experience and branding.

For what projects/services did your company hire Left Productions?

Like many startups, our company had never produced a TV spot before. We had historically dedicated most of our acquisition budget to online marketing. Given our growing brand awareness and the quality of our products, it seemed like the right time to launch more substantial advertising efforts offline.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to boost our web traffic and drive more users to our applications. In addition, we hoped to bolster our brand awareness.

How did you select this vendor?

My team heard about Left Productions via word of mouth. A few months ago, we saw one of their YouTube projects.  When we decided to start traditional advertising, we contacted them spontaneously.  We included their team in an RFP along with a few other agencies. Their proposal was by far the best quality and most creative.

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

Left Productions came prepared with a thoughtful and exhaustively detailed concept. They planned a detailed scenario for our production. The team was receptive to our feedback and proposal.  It was easy to align our views, and their input was always constructive. The end product was a 15-second video that was broadcasted on French TV.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The director of sales supervised the entire project and was our main point of contact. During production for the TV spot, we also worked closely with the team’s talented film director. The director of production cast the actors and handled costuming. Finally, the post-production team took care of the final arrangements under the director of sales’ supervision.

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

The TV spot Left Productions produced was a great success.  We not only recruited a massive volume of new customers but also reactivated old ones that had forgotten about us. Their feedback indicated that they loved our new brand identity. 

Our partnership positively impacted our brand awareness despite a limited media purchase budget.  We saw a significant increase in essential metrics. Our whole team was quite proud of the work we achieved together.  Our business partners and board members were also thrilled with the results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was smooth and comfortable with the whole team. Left Productions also collaborated seamlessly with our media purchase and PR agencies. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

On the day of shooting, my team and I were quite stressed. This project was incredibly important. Conversely, Left Productions’ team was relaxed and smiling while they perfectly mastered each step and detail.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The main improvement I’d suggest for would be to increase brand awareness. Left Productions is a passionate, professional, and friendly team. I found them very refreshing compared to other teams in this business area.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

HAMAC has developed an innovative cloth diaper for babies. It’s ecological, economical, and healthy. Our customers are young parents who want to protect the environment and their babies’ health.

What challenge were you trying to address with Left Productions?

We have an innovative product that is difficult to explain. It's challenging to clarify the difference between our diapers and the nappies their grandmothers bought. Ours are less complicated, don’t require hand-washing, and address serious problems.

We wanted make the content fun for customers while increasing our brand awareness. Our main problem was that parents had a negative image of cloth diapers. We realized that making a video would help. That’s when Left Productions contacted us with an idea for a funny promotional song and video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Left Productions created a live-action video in 2015, and two more in 2017. All three videos feature the same actress singing about our products. We gave them a set of important ideas to mention in the video. For instance, we wanted to talk about the environment and explain that our diapers contain no chemicals. They submitted a script based on our ideas.

They focused on making videos that went viral and created a buzz on social networks. Before production, Left Productions thought about making people click on and share our video.

We posted it on Facebook and YouTube, and we calculated a return on investment for the video in 2015, together with Left Productions. We wanted to see how many new customers were following the video on Facebook.

We worked with a marketing agency to put the video on Facebook and YouTube, so I can't say how good Left Productions is at that. They do offer this service now, since they know how to turn a video viral and calculate its impact and ROI.

What is the team composition?

We had three main contacts, and around 10 people worked on the video.

How did you come to work with Left Productions?

We were based in the same building. They knew we made diapers and found it funny. Left Productions approached us with a script and a song, which we loved.

How much have you invested with them?

They gave us a special price in 2015 because they were testing a new video style. For the rest, we paid $15,000 per video. We would have paid a bit more than $20,000 if we made two at the same time. The price depends on the number of actors used, and our videos are short.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Left Productions in 2015. We made two other videos in 2017, but couldn't launch them until March 2018. We’re still in contact with Left Productions about the results of those videos.

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

Their first video was viewed two million times. The second and third ones were launched a few months ago, and each have a million views. They contributed to our brand awareness on social networks, but it’s difficult to quantify their impact on sales.

We have multiple concurrent communication efforts, so it’s hard to say where sales originate. Many people know us through our videos, since they’re quite specific and hard to forget. The number of views can turn a little company like ours into a success.

How did Left Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They completed everything on time, the price remained the same, and we didn’t have any bad surprises. That's why we decided to work with Left Productions again. They’re organized and conscientious.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their creativity. They had strange and funny ideas, and they did things differently than other agencies.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Work with them if you want to make something that stands out from the competition. Left Productions is expensive for more conventional work, but their best quality is their creativity. If you want to communicate about a specific subject, and you think Left Productions can add value, then try them.