Nostairway Creative

Introduce your organization and what you do there.

I'm the director of a retail company that sells eco-friendly products. We’re a little shop with an online presence, and we go to outside events regularly. The company has one employee besides me, and we’re located in Hampton Court, London.

What business challenge were you trying to address with Nostairway Creative?

We used them to create awareness in our local area when we launched the shop.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nostairway Creative did two one-minute videos for us. We had a crowdfunding campaign at the beginning of the year, and they helped us put our message out with the visuals and a video, which included little snippets of the shop explaining the campaign’s purpose. To jumpstart the project, we had a meeting where I gave them my expectations of the video and its style, and Nostair Creative gave me options.

Then, they filmed some of our products and me in my work environment. They put it all together, and I relied on them to decide which was the best edit.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Rob (Creative Director) and his assistant.

How did you come to work with Nostairway Creative?

I’m in a neighborhood group, and I put in a request for recommendations. I got loads of them and picked the nearest to me, and it worked pretty well.

How much have you invested?

I probably spent about £2,000 (approximately $3,000 USD) altogether.

What is the status of the engagement?

We started working together in November 2020 and did another project in January 2021. The partnership is over for now, but I’ll probably ask them to help me later on with the visuals for my social media and website.

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

The video did really well, and we used it on our social media and other websites. We also got local organizations to show an interest in our opening, so they shared it as well. We had more views than I expected.

Additionally, one of the videos was published on the crowdfunding website. It was the introduction, so it got a lot of hits. It was a success on social media and a successful campaign for us. Overall, Nostairway Creative was friendly, reasonable with their prices, and great for our small business. I’d use them again.

How did Nostairway Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. They worked out what we wanted and took it off our hands a bit. I entrusted them with the project, and I was happy with the results. We mostly communicated via phone calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great at understanding what we wanted and supporting us. Nostairway Creative provided a customized service, and Rob was really friendly and approachable. They didn't make it too complicated for me.

Any areas they could improve?

I don't particularly know because I got a good service from them. Maybe if it were a larger project, they’d have to bring in a bit more of the project management. However, I didn't need it.

Any advice for potential customers?

Sit down with them and give them a vision of what you want. Then, work with them and listen to their advice.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m Andrea Black and I work in the entertainment industry to create and perform in content. My main fields are acting, production, music, and writing children’s books. I also have two companies: AKR Records, for music, and Skippity Hop Limited, for publishing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Nostairway Creative?

I've worked with Nostairway Creative and Rob (Creative Director) on various levels. He's an excellent producer of music as well as visual film — truly an all-around person who understands what's needed in the professional world and for audiences. Specifically, they’ve produced videos for my musical albums and recorded the audio of my children’s stories, among other projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’d worked with them in the past and they delivered excellent service on all levels, going beyond the norm with their attention to detail. Rob (Creative Director) is very experienced in the entertainment industry so far as film and video. 

In terms of the music and the videos, Rob has contributed a huge amount, doing both videos for my current album, which we shot at the studio where I recorded the project. Rob filmed me around the grand piano; he’s able to work within constraints very creatively. 

When we did the audio for my two children's books, there were 5–6 actors involved in the audio, and Rob handled it extremely well.

Another large project was recording the music and a trailer for a musical I was in. The show was a one-woman play that I performed in London about the life of Beethoven, Immortal Beloved Antonie Brentano, and The Love Child called Yosef. Rob captured the performance by recording it to BBC standards and beyond. He then did a very good job in his studio, editing the whole performance with lots of sound effects to make it a really visual audio piece. Currently, Rob and I are trying to drive interest to make a feature film.

What is the team composition?

There are normally other performers around me while Rob films and works, but he’s the only person I work with from Nostairway Creative. 

How did you come to work with Nostairway Creative?

I own fish, and the man who worked at the pet store recommended Rob as someone who could record songs after he learned that I was a musician. Rob met with me, I played him a few songs, and we started recording. 

That's how I got to meet Rob. We've been together on many collaborations, and I wouldn't hesitate in working with him at any opportunity.

How much have you invested with them?

I can't say how much I've spent with him, but it’s probably around over £1,000 pounds per project. It fluctuates depending on how long we’re filming for and how many filming days we need his services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We might've started working together in the first quarter of 2008. I'm not quite sure to be honest, as it was a long time ago. Right now, we’re trying to generate ideas for film and TV projects. 

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

Nostairway Creative is a fantastic professional service that I wouldn't hesitate to use now or in the future. Rob has a team of people that can step into the frame when needed. These are very professional people around him that handle booking crews, (if we’re talking about film) and outdoor locations. 

How did Nostairway Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Rob goes beyond meeting deadlines to acting immediately; he doesn't waste time. Projects receive his 100% attention thanks to the way he dives in. 

As for communication, Rob communicates directly as needed. I'm always on the end of the phone when we're doing a project. He also sends me snippets and continually asks if we’re moving in the right direction. I've never received anything from him that was substandard. He works on a brief and always delivers well within the time that's needed. He's very reliable and honest.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rob's personal approach of getting involved and taking responsibility to deliver the best possible product stands out. Additionally, he’s moving into the world of filmmaking, which I wasn’t aware of when I first met him. He has a great eye and ear for what’s current in the world of film. I know that he just edited a large feature film that won an award, as well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I had a larger budget, then we would be able to do more. I'm working up to that, but I think the way Rob developed and expanded his company so far shows that he's very committed. He has a vision.

Any advice for potential customers?

Speak to Rob and tell him exactly what you need. He will come up with the framework and strategy to meet the requirements. Be honest with him, explain what the budget is, what is needed, what it's for, and don't leave anything out. That's the best formula.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of Stagecoach Teddington, a kids’ theater group.

What challenge were you trying to address with Nostairway Creative?

We’ve used Nostairway many times before for creating online content, doing short films, and recording live shows.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our process with Nostairway is we come up with a brief for the video content, and we talk it through with Rob (Creative Director) to get his recommendations. The content then gets posted on our website and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Basically, they’re focused on video production, including pre- and post-production.

Sometimes when we do live performances, we get Rob to come into the theater to set up a multi-camera set with a live feed, so if parents can’t make it to the theater, they can watch it online or they can buy a DVD of the show.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–4 people, and I’ve used Rob’s services in other capacities or on much bigger shoots. Those shoots typically involve 7–10 people.

How did you come to work with Nostairway Creative?

I was doing a job for an Israeli company a long time ago, and they wanted to record some voice extracts. I then Googled recording studios nearby and Rob’s studio came up. I gave them a ring, made an inquiry about the job, and we’ve been working together since.

How much have you invested with them?

On average, I spend around £2,000 ($2,800 USD) for every video project we work on.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership started in March 2008 and it’s still ongoing.

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

Off the top of my head, we always get great feedback from the parents, saying the videos are an amazing memory to have and how they’re professionally done. 

How did Nostairway Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really good. Rob is a can-do-it guy, which is part of the reason why we keep going back to them. He’s one of those rare people who always finds ways to get things done. If he says he’s going to do something, he does it and he does it really well — Rob is really good at what he does.

From a project management point of view, he runs everything. He delegates things to really good people such as makeup artists, camera operators, and sound engineers, so obviously, he’s got a good network of contacts.

We usually talk over the phone, emails, and texts. We’re old school because the project is fairly small scale.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their can-do attitude — They’re just always up for doing stuff. Whenever I have an idea, they’ll find a way to do it even if there’s no money involved. They’re always up for collaborating on creative projects, because it’s not all about the money. Sometimes, it’s about creating something meaningful and worthwhile. Rob is a kindred spirit in that way and he’s happy to find ways to execute our projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. Rob keeps it small, so he can keep delivering the quality of service. On the other hand, we’d all love to see Rob really expand and spread his wings and fly, but we don’t want to lose that personal touch. I believe he’s in transition to find a new studio so hopefully, he can find a studio that’s big enough to be a flexible set.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say to try and include Rob as early as possible in the process. He has so much experience and he’s very good at knowing when things can and can’t be done for the budget. Therefore, before you nail down the brief too much, involve Rob because he knows what he’s doing and It’ll save time and money in the long run.