MS StoryWorks

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Managing Partner at a Commercial Real Estate Development Firm

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MS StoryWorks, and what were your goals?

We provide vision and Master Development for large urban parcels in College Towns. They are complicated and multi-phased and have deep economic impact. We needed to tell the story of how this project will transform the downtown area by fusing Campus, Commerce, Community, and Culture.

SOLUTION

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

Mike at MS StoryWorks was a reporter in my city. He was well known for providing "story" and sharing with the viewer a deeper understanding of the situation. He worked with me to understand the project, visit the city, then work with us to create a Script that we jointly edited.

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

Mike dove in and traveled to our project in NC. He got video footage of the project in its early phase and video taped a TON of footage. Both onsite, in our offices, and other Testimonials in the city of the project. Mike worked with me to edit and reshoot what was necessary.

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

Mike and I collaborated daily to make this the best story it could be for many audiences.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video highlighted the project's economic impact with video, script, and graphic overlays. The message of its impact is helpful to depict to State and local leaders the huge economic impact of our project. The goal was to help garner economic incentives that help lift the project to construction.

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

Mike communicated constantly and worked closely with me to get the vision I had to tape.

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

Mike dove into the deep end of taping like no one else! It was an incredibly hot day for taping, and Mike was hopping with his equipment all over the city and taping for most of the day. I was impressed with their energy and resolve to get more tape -- in case he needs it later -- not just for this story. Excellent forethought.

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

No. Wouldn't change a thing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior pastor at the Memorial Episcopal Church, a medium-sized Episcopal church in Baltimore. We have a strong commitment to justice and racial reconciliation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MS StoryWorks?

We wanted to tell the story of our church’s journey in the racial reconciliation process. It’s been a six-year journey for us, so it was a complicated story to tell.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MS StoryWorks created a video to tell our church’s story. First, they asked about our needs and mapped out what they thought could work. They ran their ideas by us and started shooting many videos and one-on-one interviews with people from the church. They mostly filmed at the church and other significant places.

Then, MS StoryWorks came back and showed us what they created. Additionally, they took more footage.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with Mike (Owner).

How did you come to work with MS StoryWorks?

We found them on Twitter.

How much have you invested with them?

Most of the work was pro bono, but we paid about $2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March 2020–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MS StoryWorks helped us figure out what we wanted to say and then put it in a format that was easily accessible to the public. We published the video on YouTube, and it was tremendously successful. Everyone was impressed and proud of the work. Moreover, it helped us get additional support for the project.

How did MS StoryWorks perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a natural process. MS StoryWorks didn’t disrupt our regular mode of operation; our only delays were due to us. Overall, they were a huge asset.

We were in constant communication via email and text messages.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They didn’t put their own voice into the story. The team wanted to capture the voice of the people involved.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should expand their capacity to serve more clients simultaneously.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time with your team beforehand and ensure you know what you want to say. Also, make yourselves available as much as possible. However, I’d encourage anyone who wants to tell their story to work with MS StoryWorks. We’d definitely work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of the marketing team of a home improvement supplier.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MS StoryWorks?

We wanted to produce a series of videos that would showcase our community-giving efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MS StoryWorks was our video production partner. They kicked off our video project with a production plan containing the creative process, scriptwriting, storyboarding, and post-production. They also utilized their own equipment for the entire duration of the filming.

We’re currently working on a project for this year.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Mike (Owner).

How did you come to work with MS StoryWorks?

I’ve known Mike for many years, and his company’s reputation for producing top-quality content in the video storytelling industry.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any particular metrics, but the video series has been well-received by people who see it.

How did MS StoryWorks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent from a project management perspective, and we typically communicate through phone, email, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MS StoryWorks’ process makes it easier for clients to achieve high-quality production with minimal pre-planning and unnecessary meetings.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t need to improve on anything, as I’m 100% satisfied with our partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to provide MS StoryWorks the freedom to exercise their creativity while accomplishing your business goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of SustainaMetrix. We do work around the world of the interrelationship between land, water, food systems, and transportation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MS StoryWorks?

We needed someone who was a competent storyteller and understood the complex work that we do to produce a video for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did what we call a learning journey to Iceland, and I invited Mike (Owner) to join our team and produce a 30-minute mini-documentary of the process. They brought their own equipment and handled all pre- and post-production work.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mike.

How did you come to work with MS StoryWorks?

I’ve known Mike for 25 years, and I knew that he was an outstanding storyteller.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2021–April 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We published the video on Vimeo, and we’ve received positive feedback from viewers.

How did MS StoryWorks perform from a project management standpoint?

MS StoryWorks performed well in terms of project management. We typically communicated through email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MS StoryWorks brought many years of experience. They were committed to having a detailed understanding of the story's context and worked very hard to get the story right. They had an enormous network of talented storytellers, photographers, videographers, editors, and sound people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a great experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to be clear about what you want and to listen to their ideas. Being open to the creative process is incredibly important.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We run an old time soda fountain and lunch counter. We opened in September 2020. Im the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MS StoryWorks, and what were your goals?

We wanted to bring awareness to our new restaurant and get the word out that we had opened.

SOLUTION

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

I met Mike previously and remembered he had shifted from being a newscaster to producting videos. Knowing Mike and his work made me feel comfortable hiring MS StoryWorks.

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

We were only in production 1 day we took many shots with employees and customers .

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

I worked with Mike and he communicated very well throughout the whole process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was a success! It was viewed locally thousands of time and brought us the immediate business we needed.

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

They were very straightforward and open to our ideas and vision.

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

They took a very personal approach and truly wanted to make us thrilled with the final product.

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

No.