MADE Productions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and owner of a travel agency. I sold package tours to Italians and visitors from other countries travelling to Iceland.

What challenge were you trying to address with the vendor?

In order to better advertise the travel agency and my package tours, I agreed together with MADE Productions to produce some mini-documentaries which talked about Iceland, both in English and Italian. They can be viewed on YouTube.

The travel agency is in the process of being closed, but the YouTube channel is, at the same time, becoming an informative channel about Icelandic society. New videos will be released in the second half of 2021. Some of these videos will contain footage shot by MADE productions.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team made all the shootings and oversaw the whole post-production. I wrote the scripts, but they provided their advice on them; they co-directed the films and co-scouted the locations.

What is the team composition?

At the time of the shootings the team was composed of three fixed members.

How did you come to work with the vendor?

The vendor got in touch with me through my travel agency website.

How much have you invested with them?

All together less than 7,000 EUR.

What is the status of this engagement?

In the years which followed, the Icelandic TV has become interested in a project which features an opening theme with some spectacular waterfalls drone shots made by MADE Productions.

The series will be broadcasted in the Icelandic national TV in the first half of year 2021. Getting the national channel to acquire the rights of your product is one of the biggest achievements.

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

Some of the videos (for example one about nightlife, “VARDI VIAGGI – The Icelandic Dolce Vita”) has received many thousands views.

A few other travel agencies discovered me through my videos, got in touch with me and this became an opportunity to sell more all-inclusive packages through third parties. The videos certainly provided an image of reliability.

How did the vendor perform from a project management standpoint?

The vendor followed with high precision all my instructions and delivered a product which was 100% what I had wished for. It even exceeded my expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MADE Productions are very flexible and able to pick up many challenges. What made me most happy was their adaptability and capability to tune in with my taste (aesthetics, pace, musics and, most of all, final cuts).

The typical “young team”, but with taste and some maturity. Also, they are great advisors. They have worked a lot in Asia, with Nivea and other important brands and are therefore very experienced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any at the moment. They certainly need people who, like me, keep trusting them and provide them with new challenges, so that they can keep growing their expertise and fields of competence.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Clementoni SpA is an international company with Italian roots that deals with the production of educational toys.  The company's headquarters is based in Recanati.

Founded by Mario Clementoni in 1963, Clementoni is a company with more than fifty years of history. We are a brand that is synonymous with creativity, passion, and attention to quality. Clementoni is also one of the leaders in the world of educational games. I am the Key Account Manager in the Polish branch of the company.

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

Creation of 3 TV commercials for 3 European markets: Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are the deliverables of MADE Productions.

What were your goals for this project?

Their goal is to promote the range of educational products during the pre-Christmas period, using kids-oriented TV channels (such as Disney Channel) and also in-store displays in leading supermarket branches such as Tesco and Biedronka (Poland).

How did you select this vendor?

We worked with MADE Productions a year earlier, working on a TVC for the Polish market.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

MADE Productions was tasked with conducting the whole process of commercial creation: from the idea through production to the final product. Specifically they:

• Created the idea, script and storyboard of each of the commercials
• Organized the casting process
• Created scenography
• Shot and direct the commercials
• Delivered the commercials (edition, colour grading, 2D animations, music) complying with all the requirements of broadcasters in Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary

What was the team composition?

From the client relation perspective, we were dealing with an account executive assigned to lead us through the process. Major milestones were discussed with a wider team including General Director and Director assigned to the project. On film set, the director and DP were both MADE in-house crew.

We were also guided through post-production phase with MADE in-house editor, colourist, sound designer and animator taking care of the post-production (account executive was our contact person then as well).

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

The TV metrics were not taken. But an important part of the project for us was delivering the commercials of high quality that would be approved by our partners (Tesco, Biedronka) as the creation of these spots was one of the conditions of our dealings with them. That goal was achieved with very positive reactions from our partners in all the markets.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The whole process was smooth and very straightforward. They started with creating the timeline for each major step of the project with the deadline being the final step. That gave us a clear perspective of what can we expect. And then we were guided through the whole process from one milestone to another which made us feel “safe” and reassured us that the project will be completed on time and with our feedback always taken into consideration.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were really well organized. They were always on time and guiding us through the whole project which was important since it was only our second batch of TVCs produced and the first on international markets. Despite this, we always felt “in control” as everything was sent to us for approval and so the final result was exactly how we have imagined it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were fully satisfied and we achieved what we had wanted to achieve with this project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Hong Kong Ballet Group is a charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the ballet students and teachers of Hong Kong.

What challenge were you trying to address with MADE Productions?

We wanted to do some promotions for our group.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MADE did a lot to help before actually doing the video shooting. This was the first time we’d done a promotion video, so we didn’t know what to expect and prepare for.

They guided us through email conversations and they came up with a quotation and scope of work. We moved to more detailed discussions on how many days were needed for shooting, what they’d need to use, and other factors.

In the beginning, they guide us on what to expect. They gave us points to decide from, then came up with a script.

We held a ballet competition with students and international judges and MADE Productions did the shooting during the last three days. There were three shooting sessions during the competition and one more at a studio.

They left Hong Kong for the latter part of the job—adding sound, editing, etc. They gave us three versions of the video to choose from, with different music use, and we arrived at a final video to use for our marketing.

After the shooting, we spent a lot of time discussing what catchphrases to use, what the mood of the video should be, and what message we wanted to get across.

How did you come to work with MADE Productions?

Their CEO had built our website years ago. We came to find out that they specialized in marketing, and not building websites. We’d also seen a video they did for another company, and we wanted to have a similar one done for our group.

How much have you invested with them?

They charged us £4,500 ($5,677 USD), and we were responsible for the roundtrip plane tickets for two persons, as well as for their hotel stays for the two days they were in Hong Kong. The £4,500 fee included the preparation work, the actual shooting, and the editing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started discussions in May 2017, and they came to Hong Kong for the shooting in late August of that year. They showed us rough versions of the video in early 2018.

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

The completed commercial is a two-minute video. They did a wonderful job. We’re a charitable organization, so we don’t have sales figures to go by. The only guideline we have is the response from people who’ve seen the video. I first showed it to our board of directors, who liked it very much. We showed it to the auditorium at our next competition, a year later. It was well-received, and it conveyed the message we wanted to get across. It was a good beginning for our competition.

How did MADE Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re in different time zones, so we mostly communicated via email. We had a few phone calls after they arrived in Hong Kong. They were always responsive and replied to us quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They guided us through the script and the catchphrase we should use, and they selected a very good soundtrack for promotion purposes. They’d previously made our website, and they helped us incorporate the video into the website. Overall, it was a very good experience working with MADE.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a very good experience working with them. They’re very knowledgeable and were always patient with us.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Dansinn Group is a dance studio based franchise. We provide dance excellence, starting with our Flagship studio in HK, and branched out into China and Europe. I am the Managing Director of the Company.

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

MADE have been pioneering for our company. They assisted us across many levels. Website development, marketing strategies, video creation through rich content for promos and event coverage across the international stage.

What were your goals for this project?

These were perpetual projects. We have engaged MADE for several years. Goals; content content content. They worked so well as a part of our team, understanding the nature of our business and the needs of our audience.

How did you select this vendor?

We were introduced by one of our partners who had worked with them before. And never looked back!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We would discuss the relevant project and what we were looking for. From content (both video and image), marketing strategies, positioning in the market place, how to increase out numbers and followers, website design, programming assistance for our franchise platform. They are connected to so many parts of our operation, and would work with us each step of the way providing guidance and adapt to our needs.

What was the team composition?

I work closely with the main principle of the Company, and see the other team member 1 or 2 times a year on site.

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

Their content helped to change the landscape for Dansinn and how people viewed our brand, through innovative documented content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They always respond no later than 24 hours after contact. And normally literally right away. They are flexible to work in any environment, but they do not falter on quality and will always advise if they felt they could provide some advice on how better to approach a project. They have never been outsourced providers, but always from day one a part of the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're innovative. They're also approachable, hard-working, respectful, and proactive and ahead of the curve, indispensable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None whatsoever. The only comment I could make is, if I was able to release more budget, the sky would be the limit! I would recommend MADE to any company and would be happy to provide testimonies if needed.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an in-house video producer at online marketplace company.

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

We wanted to launch a digital ads campaign in one of our markets. Our goal was to produce localised high quality digital ads with local talents.

How did you select MADE Productions and what were the deciding factors?

After reviewing several proposals, we chose MADE because of a clear director's vision, communication style and price.

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

We kicked off with a brief meeting, later followed up with the director's treatment discussion. Locked the scripts, casting, locations, set design, etc. We trusted made completely and did not even participated in the shoots. We were just checking in via emails/whatsapp from time to time how the shoot is going. After the shoots followed editing and post-production.

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

We worked with the Managing Director. 1. We were constantly receiving updates 2. Providing our feedback 3. Getting back amended versions until we are fully happy with the result.

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

We just recently launched the campaign and do not have the data yet. For now I can just say that the whole team was amazed by the outcome!

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

The communication was very clear and friendly. We received frequent updates. We used emails, video chats, whatsapp. Production company strictly followed the agreed timeline.

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

I will list a few, no priority order: -The communication! -Great job with casting. -We were also impressed by the quality of production, the final outcome exceeded our expectations. They followed the agreed timeline, and met all the deadlines.

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

Not that I can think of at the moment.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO at Nikko Toys Ltd. We design, manufacture, sell and market toy vehicles.

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

MADE were awarded our 2019 digital asset creation project. The scope of this work included, photo and video planning and creation. They were also responsible for our website update.

What were your goals for this project?

To create exciting high quality photos and videos which aligned with the exciting DNA of our children's toy vehicle brands.

How did you select this vendor?

We submitted plans to MADE and a number of other vendors for the project. All vendors submitted their vision for the project along with their quotations. Our marketing department conducted two rounds of interviews, finally MADE were awarded the contract.

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

While I did not have a direct hands on role in the process, I am aware of the challenges that such projects such as this can provide. Our videos required MADE to select and work with actors below the age of eight. MADE did a fantastic job of capturing the excitement of the actors, they detailed the special features of our items perfectly.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

MADE provided us with two contacts who managed the project from start to finish. One was more creative and provided invaluable feedback on how to best execute the vision of our marketing team, while the second contact was more project management. Our marketing team was provided with initial story boards, and worked with MADE on a number of additional drafts. Our marketing department enjoyed the experience of working with the MADE team.

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

We do not have specific metrics to call upon when assessing a project such as this. However, the industry response to the items and digital assets has been terrific. The attention to detail in relation to the sets that were designed and created by MADE were second to none.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The projects were completed on time (with additional work provided that was not on the original scope). Our in-house team had no issues communicating with MADE. It is my understanding that MADE were available at our request throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

MADE were extremely realistic from the beginning regarding project delivery times. Their team seemed happy to adapt to our team's changing needs without complaint. MADE even completed some additional work not in the original scope without charge.

Are there any areas for improvement?

MADE should increase their in-house capabilities. It is my understanding that they used out sourced solutions for some of the post production and website work.