Max Curious Productions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Creative Director of Network Partnerships for E! Entertainment. We create custom advertising for brands that buy airtime on our network. I act as a writer, producer, and director, helping our creative vendors bring our projects to life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Max Curious Productions?

We needed help with video production for multiple projects. One was to create some branded content with an alcholic beverage company. They were launching a new vodka and wanted to film a series of videos with bartenders to introduce a whole bunch of new cocktails. One of the challenges was that our client wanted us to use 10 of their ambassadors and create 20 pieces of content in a very short window of time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Max Curious started by interviewing the 10 bartenders about their life outside the bar, and then wrote 20 different pieces. They proceeded to build four different bar stage sets, and we shot 20 pieces of content over two days. They brought in the director of photography, and made all of the technical decisions about cameras and lighting. When you’re doing food or drink styling, there’s a lot of detail around bar tools, glassware, and all of the food and beverage needed to create 20 different drinks. While the bartenders were telling these stories about life beyond the bar, they were also mixing a drink. Max Curious Productions had to work out how many different times we needed to shoot a drink being made, how many ingredients were needed to make all of those drinks, and because the drinks were designed by each bartender, they had to make sure they had everything according to each bartender’s specification.

That was our biggest project, but there’s been several other projects as well. They’re one of my vendors I go back to regularly. When I was at another company I’d hire them to both cover premiers of independent films in New York City, and also to shoot hosted raps for movies that premiered on On Demand. There were probably at least 20 of those projects.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their network of freelancers and creative partners, since they’re a smaller, boutique company.

How did you come to work with Max Curious Productions?

I was referred to them through a cinematographer that they often work with. She introduced me to one of their producers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000-$999,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2014 until January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our key metric is if the client came back and if we continued to work with Max Curious Productions on future projects. That’s always been the case. It was a huge creative and technical challenge, and they did a great job. The finished pieces are very high-end and bespoke, which aligns with our partner's brand. They reflect the different personalities of the bartenders, which was a key goal for us. They entertain the audience with interesting stories about life beyond the bar, but also show you how to make some beautiful cocktails.

How did Max Curious Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredibly communicative and proactive, as well as deadline and budget driven, which is great. They’re the kind of vendor that does what they need to do to make sure they deliver on time, working late nights or weekends if necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have great relationships with other creatives in the industry, so I feel like I’m getting good talent. They bring on the right people for a project and expand or contract as needed. I always prefer working with companies like that rather than going to a gigantic agency with facilities overhead that I know that I’m getting charged for, even when I don’t need them. Max Curious Productions is much nimbler and can handle everything from a small interview-style shoot to something large that’s multi-day or on-location that requires lots of logistics or sets. They’re also really funny. If you’re doing comedy work, they’re a great choice for that, and they’re very good with clients. They’re capable creatively, strategically, and technically.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. They’re really great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time that I worked with Max Curious, I was the special projects director at Afar Media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Max Curious Productions?

I needed a vendor that could provide video production support for a marketing promo campaign for one of our clients. I was looking for a vendor that understood how to effectively tell stories through short videos.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Max Curious collaborated with us on the production of five short videos for one of our clients, the Ritz Carlton, featuring profiles of artisans. They provided production, editing, direction, and site checks. I sat down them with them as they edited the final videos to provide feedback, and the videos were ultimately posted on InVideo and other digital platforms.

What is the team composition?

Between the on-site production crew and editing staff, I probably worked with about seven people.

How did you come to work with Max Curious Productions?

I asked my colleagues for recommendations and reached out to Max Curious based off their feedback. After meeting with their team, I felt they seemed like they would be very involved in the work and a valuable partner. I didn't get that sense from the other vendor I was considering.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $47,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated together from March to October 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to exceed expectations with the quality of work Max Curious helped us produce. The client provided a lot of praise and was very excited about each video.

How did Max Curious Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were phenomenal and took on a lot of responsibilities, including logistics and administrative tasks. I was expecting to have to do a lot more of the project management than I had to. They're a very collaborative group and were open to allowing me to be very involved in their process. They understood the type of content we needed to create—that they weren't creative films, but rather branded media pieces for a business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very collaborative and produced great work. They were open to new ideas and were incredibly inviting, allowing us to participate in the process from start to finish.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. For the one project we worked on together, everything worked out very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask a lot of questions and get involved in the process. Although Max Curious can do an exceptional job on their own, I think the work will always be better if the client participates. Don't be afraid to sit in the editing room with them to request changes be made as you go.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of The Chilton Group NYC. We’re a meeting production and communications consultancy, and I mostly work in the fashion and beauty industries. We come in to handle their messaging, do production for them internally, and produce their internal meetings for anywhere from 30 to 2,000 people. This includes full-on staging, content creation, and video production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Max Curious Productions?

When I was part of another small business, we’d been focused on just one type of communication - primarily speaker support, slides, PowerPoint, and keynotes - and I wanted to expand the business into video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve had a wide range of scopes in the over 50 projects we’ve done together in two and a half years. Typically, I’ll work with the client in order to understand what they do, and then Chris, a producer I always work with, will come in and help me execute whatever strategy we’ve come up with. I tell him what the scope of a project is, we discuss what the crew and budget needs are, and he puts together a crew and an editing plan. He’ll give me an estimate, which I’ll use to build my own estimate for the client. From there, if everything goes well, we’ll move onto production.

Sometimes I have to do a “talking head”—shooting executives and doing messaging - but I mostly handle direct-to-client communication. There are also training situations that involved different types of roleplaying and scripts. Sometimes I’ll start a script and then give it to Chris, just to get his input, and see if he thinks it would work well in the context of the video.

Chris and his team are brought in to do the actual execution because I don’t have a video crew or editors. I also go to Chris in order to find talent, including voiceover artists and professional actors that handle some of the roleplaying, speaking, or demonstrating. Chris takes care of this for me, which is a huge burden off my head. He’ll pre-audition people and send me some selects. It’s a tedious piece of work, but he does it extremely well. He also handles the animation and motion graphics.

What is the team composition?

Chris is an executive producer, but I also work with whatever team he puts together for each project, so I’ll interact with the crew, as well as any editors that are working on that specific project.

How did you come to work with Max Curious Productions?

A client recommended Chris (Producer, Max Curious Productions) about 12–13 years ago. We made a connection and have worked together ever since. I always consider whether I can do something less expensive or different, based on client needs, and I’ve experimented with other things on small projects, but it’s not worth it for me to risk my reputation using teams or people who don’t always come through. There have been a few times when I hired other people to shoot, but Chris and Max Curious were involved in pretty much any project I’ve done that involved video.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $90,000 in 2017 across 15 or more projects. In the past two and a half to three years, we’ve spent anywhere from there to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Max Curious in November 2015. We’re currently finishing an internal video explaining a customer’s brand purpose.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With internal communication and engagement programs, it’s difficult to have any kind of metric or measurement, but the clients’ responses have been overtly positive, and they have brought us back, which indicates that the work is successful. Based on engagement, the numbers are typically high and the response is good. The fact that my clients keep asking me to come back for this type of work is the only metric I have for our success.

How did Max Curious Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Chris is fast to respond whenever I assign him a project. He’ll start to put something together, find a crew, book everything, and plan it all out. We work seamlessly. Editors are scheduled, so I’ve never had any problems in terms of production or flow with Max Curious. I’m present for on-site shoots, giving my input and direction, and Chris will sometimes be there to support me, or to come up with another idea, if something isn’t working.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In terms of production, they’re responsible and on the mark. They respond quickly, their crews are professional, they’re highly creative, and they’re collaborative in working with me and the clients. It’s a highly collaborative process, focused on the end-project. I obviously think highly of them. They stand out in terms of creativity and collaboration.

They continue to be a trusted vendor to whom I subcontract my projects. Chris is also a great partner in terms of coming up with a plan, being creative, and staying on budget. I won’t work with anyone else for the same type of services. I really look to them as my partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whenever I’ve tried anyone else, I’ve always gone back to Max Curious. I’ve never not been happy with the work or the relationship. I’m not very objective in this sense, but I’m very happy with his team, and I’m always happy to engage them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They’re going to perform and they’re going to deliver, so letting them do what they do best and not interfering in the process, are important things to remember. I have an honest and transparent relationship with them, in terms of what the expectations and budget are. The key to working with them is to allow them to be creative, let them do what they do, and trust that they’re going to do it well.