Oldstorm Studios

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of SplyceHouse; we’re a video production agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Oldstorm Studios?

We partnered with Oldstorm Studios to work on a video campaign for one of our Chicago-based clients. Our client was expanding their service offerings, so our goal was to increase their brand awareness and generate sales via social media.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Oldstorm Studios helped us produce a video series for one of our clients. We spent the beginning stages of the project collaborating on the concept and writing the script. The team assisted with art direction and was responsible for designing the overall look and feel of the video series. 

From there, we moved on to the production phase, where they helped us film an actor in a studio setting. The team also handled props and art direction during the shoot. The final deliverable was a 2–3 minute long-form video and various shorter cuts for social media. Our end client posted the videos to their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Bill (Owner), who helped us source an art director. 

How did you come to work with Oldstorm Studios?

I found Oldstorm Studios through my network.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from January–May 2022.

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

Oldstorm Studios was a great partner, and we couldn’t have delivered this video series to our client without their support. The videos have received about 10,000 plays, and our client started seeing successful conversions on Facebook a couple of months post-launch. 

The client has been pleased with the metrics and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from viewers. One YouTube viewer shared that they placed an order due to the spokesperson in the video, which was nice.

The engagement went so well that we decided to use Oldstorm Studios for additional projects. 

How did Oldstorm Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Bill was invaluable to the project. He was involved in every phase, from pre-production to post-production, ensuring that the client was pleased with the result. The art director was also very helpful. Oldstorm Studios played a key role in helping us overdeliver for the client.

They submitted deliverables on time and communicated with us weekly, if not daily. We had a minimal budget, which they helped us stick to. We mainly spoke via phone and email, but occasionally we met in person and via Zoom to work on the script. They also used storyboarding software at the beginning of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength was the creativity they brought to the table. Bill and the team were very invested in the concept and script. Our collaboration went smoothly, and they always felt like a part of our team rather than an external vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Oldstorm Studios could improve on; we learned a lot by working together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Projects can be scary, and sometimes it’s hard to visualize the final video, but trust the creative process and keep your goal in mind. Bill is great, and you’re in good hands.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a 10 year old Distillery specializing in small batch gins with an extremely small staff. We have been looking for ways to reach a wider audience with our brand and our unique production processes.

For what projects/services did your company hire Oldstorm Studios?

Oldstorm studios helped us take our manufacturing efforts and turn them into a fun, easy to understand video for the public. Oldstorm took our input for style and look and did everything from script writing, filming, editing to final marketing release plan.

How did you select Oldstrom Studios?

I have known several people involved with Oldstorm for years and knew they were fun, professional, talented people. I also had several other business peers who had used them to high praise.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After a beginning scope of work meeting, Bill met with me weekly as we progressed down the concept stage. Our production is quite unique and Bill and team came out several times to make sure they understood the science and concepts of our manufacturing.

They planned every concept of the video including script, props, costumes, locations and shot setup. After the video was shot we had several meetings to discuss length and once finished together we planned the marketing strategy behind the release.

What was the team composition?

I, as the person in charge of both marketing and operations, met with Bill - president and lead creative. Before filming we met several times with the directory of photography. During the shoot there was a film crew as well.

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

Being in liquor, direct sales numbers aren't the same due to legal issues but we have seen a dramatic increase in our social media followers on all used platforms (Facebook, instagram, twitter) and a huge increase in our youtube followers. We've also seen more engagement on our website as well an increased knowledge of our brand with people coming out to visit us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

During pre and post, we had weekly meetings. During the editing stage we were less involved, at our request.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The creativity and commitment to fulfilling our unique vision while also educating were impressive. They were able to take a very vague, high-concept and turn it into a fun and worthy video. We think it could be nominated for an Oscar if they had a commercial category.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

For anything scripted, some on my staff aren't used to 'filming' procedures and didn't understand why something were done a certain way. I should have held a 'walkthru' meeting with my entire staff about how film shoots work.