PRODUCERS

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sagamore Spirit is committed to inspiring a global passion for Maryland Rye Whiskey. Its award-winning five-acre waterfront distillery in Baltimore is reclaiming the city’s rightful place in America’s whiskey history, where storied distillers perfected rye whiskey for more than 150 years before Kentucky was founded. Maryland Rye Whiskey was known to be full bodied yet notably smoother than other regional rye styles, and Sagamore Spirit has picked up the torch. Its straight rye whiskies have earned more than 100 awards internationally, including “World’s Best Rye Whiskey” in 2019 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Sagamore Spirit’s distillation team blends two different rye mash bills – a high rye and a low rye – and then adds pure Maryland limestone-filtered spring water, transported 22 miles from Sagamore Farm, to craft the brand’s Signature 83-proof Maryland-Style Rye Whiskey. I am the Director of Marketing Operations for Sagamore Spirit.

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

Our brand has been working with the Producers team over the past few years to curate various branded content. This project was to provide a storytelling vehicle that would serve as an authentic brand sentiment within a integrated ad campaign that would be the first to have the consumer as the core audience. The intention was to broaden our brand awareness across the US market.

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

We have had an existing relationship and trusted they knew and understand the brand personality to produce a story that would resonate with the rye whiskey consumer.

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

The process began with a storyboarding session to outline what moments needed to be captured, the locations, the equipment, the schedule and the overall budget. The concept centered around a piece of music that would serves as the sound bed for the entire production. The Producers team created a production schedule and aided in coordinating logistics with the musical talent.

Both of our teams worked in tandem to identify the proper locations to film and the steps involved to produce the entire project in a pandemic safe manner. Our production schedule got impacted by the difficulties of navigating in-person filming in a challenging time but the Producers team kept everything on task with as much efficiency as possible.

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

We worked with a nimble team of a pre-pro producer, producer, director, and Director of Photography. This was the core team to bring the vision to life. We met on a regular basis to map out each location and the needs. Once the 4 locations were wrapped there was ample times spent in the studio for editing to bring it all together.

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

The campaign content was deployed across an integrated advertising plan inclusive of social media ads, print ads and traditional TV spots throughout Q4 of 2020. It provided brand impressions to keep us top of mind in the busiest time of year in our industry.

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

The Producers team was always reliable with timely responses to needs and a keen eye on our budget, willing to work to find efficiencies when needed. They made themselves available through all communication channels to keep everyone aligned from top to bottom.

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

They make themselves feel like they are part of your team and fully invested in the end goal. They show tremendous hospitality when meeting in-person and virtually.

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

They are considered a trusted partner and have no present concerns.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief strategy officer at MESH, an advertising agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Producers?

I’ve been using them for medium- and large-scale media projects in the video production space for 15–16 years. Our videos range from 15 seconds to one minute, and their purposes run the gamut.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our very first project was for a government client that want a series of PSAs. It was a large production job we did together in Washington, DC, and Baltimore. Producers has also done some animation work for me for financial clients.

Another time, they worked with our creative director and an in-house musician to create a new rendition of a popular song and adapt it to one of our campaigns. It involved lots of CGI to complement the story we want to tell.

Most recently, Producers worked closely with my team to create branding work for a healthcare client in Louisiana.

What is the team composition?

I think I’ve worked with everyone there. I work with Ross (Executive Producer, Production), Karen (Executive Producer, Post), and Rip (President/Director); they’re definitely hands-on in every project we do together.

As far as editors go, I most recently worked with Dave (Senior Editor/Director). They also hire consistent crews for each day of shooting. I can expect to see the same people over the same project or similar projects with the same client. That familiarity with the location and client makes it easier. You don’t have a bunch of strangers on set.

How did you come to work with Producers?

I met Rip at an advertising networking event and got to know each other. They seemed like a great match as a media production partner.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2008 or 2009, and the partnership is ongoing. Producers is always my go-to when I need a partner of caliber for a campaign. They make my life easy. They’re always looking to make our ideas better; they don’t just take orders.

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

Every single campaign we’ve done together has performed really well. In our most recent campaign, our healthcare client saw a pretty decent uptick on awareness and market share.

Producers stays on budget even when our clients change the scope. We’re fair to each other, and I’ll have a conversation with them if something costs more than expected, but they try to work within the budgets already created as much as possible. I have nothing but good things to say about their services. They’ve never let me down.

How did Producers perform from a project management standpoint?

Producers is very professional. They have lots of expertise from doing many projects over the years. Whenever a challenge comes up, 9 times out of 10, they’ve dealt with it before. The team’s structure is well-defined. In preproduction, Ross and his team make sure everything is in order. However, if something doesn’t go as planned, they have backup plans at the ready.

At the end of the day, communication is critical. I want face-to-face, hands-on collaboration with people I’m working with. Producers really knows how to keep communication open, whether it’s over the phone, texts, or email. It’s nothing revolutionary, but they do it well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate the organization of their projects. everything — permits, release forms, schedules —is where it’s supposed to be so that we fully understand what a day will be like. When we work with high profile personalities, Producers is very respectful and professional. They’ve also been patient with me and my younger staff. I was fairly new to the industry when I first met them, and they brought me along, helped me understand, coached me, and became almost mentors along the way. Now I see them doing the same thing for my staff.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone can improve on something. But off the top of my head, nothing comes to mind right away. Producers is always one step ahead for us.

Any advice for potential customers?

Go in as a partnership — that’s how you get the best work out of a vendor. Be open to collaboration and suggestions.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of an advertising company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Producers?

We need video production and creative for our clients on a month-to-month basis. They’ve been supplying me with that for about six years.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work with a few large clients with a monthly need for content and coverage. They work with us on building concepts for creative and executing. From there, they also shoot videos and edit visuals and audio. In fact, they completely took charge of both ideation and execution for a recent spot we collaborated on.

They also handle both live and animated video projects. If we have a data-centric story that would benefit from an infographic and motion design, we decide on that together. The team has great motion designers at their disposal with the ability to craft storylines as well as filmed production. We broadcast their content for our sponsor through major news stations in the mid-Atlantic.  

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked often with two lead producers. Additionally, I’ve been able to work directly with editors, designers, and audio technicians as well. 

How did you come to work with Producers?

I’ve worked with them and many other production companies for years. Because we’re creating high volumes of video content regularly. Over time, we became confident in their skills because they were always able to deliver. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in 2014, we’re still actively collaborating.

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

They consistently deliver very high-quality results. Our company’s clients are also thrilled with the work they’ve created. Their commercials look like they could be run during the Super Bowl.  

How did Producers perform from a project management standpoint?

Video production can be a crazy industry in terms of structure, but each team member understands their role in the development. Their plans are executed accurately and quickly compared to other companies we’ve worked with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve developed a strong relationship. They’re able to take my ideas and make them better. Their skills in visual, design, and audio are second to none.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Approach them with an open mind. Be willing to work with them and share visions to make your project better at the end of the day.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of communications for an independent school. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Producers?

We’re in a really competitive market, so we wanted to make a big marketing splash through video. Producers helps us create videos to reach our target audience.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Initially, Producers created a video to introduce our head of school to the greater community. They were laser-focused on our end goal and really understood our overall vision. As a result, we had a popular video that resonated well with the public.

Since then, we’ve worked on 5–6 smaller videos that ranged from live recording to animation. Most pieces are about 2–5 minutes in length and support our marketing efforts, fundraising department, and even development teams.

What is the team composition? 

Morgan (Marketing Manager) is our main point of contact. But, when we would go to the studio for viewing, there were about 4–5 others.

How did you come to work with Producers?

I knew Rip (Founder) because his daughter went to our school and graduated a few years ago.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $30,000–$35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them since 2016. They’re still working on a few videos to help us launch our next campaign, but we’ve had to pause due to COVID-19.

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

The first video we did was the most popular of all time, with almost 5,000 views. That’s pretty impressive for a small school like ours. It got a lot of positive response from current parents and hyped up our next chapter for our constituent groups.

We published it along with the other videos on our main website as well as through social media channels. Facebook was where we got most of our views, and people still talk about the videos to date.

How did Producers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re phenomenal to work with because they take the time to listen to our angle. What’s more, they’re willing to work with us no matter our budget and come up with exactly what we need.

Even before we started working with them, they were pushing through all of the details to get a quote nailed down and had a larger vision in mind. That made them responsive and in tune with our goals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s just an easy working relationship. They take our ideas, tweak them, and make them even better. Rather than pushing large changes that obscure the original concept, Rip brainstorms with us to think everything through. Those slight changes really make a difference — they amplify our ideas. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be flexible and open to their suggestions. They’re experts in this field, so we’ve deferred to their call on a lot of things because we trust in their experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of admissions and financial aid at the Potomac School. We’re a co-ed, independent school that teaches over 1,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12th.

What challenge were you trying to address with Producers?

We hired Producers to create various videos for marketing purposes to potentially increase inquiries and applications.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They produced three videos for us: an all-encompassing video and two divisional videos. Producers created each from scratch, handling the photoshoots, voiceovers, etc. Essentially, the videos convey what a day in the life at Potomac School is like, focusing on the classroom, extracurriculars, athletics, theater, and others. We use these videos on our site, social media, and send them out with to potential applicants. 

What is the team composition?

Overall, I worked with 7–8 people from Producers, but Rip (Director & President, Producers) and Morgan (Producer & Marketing Manager, Producers) were my main contacts. 

How did you come to work with Producers?

We vetted 3–4 companies, but we were impressed with Producers’ past work, especially the projects they did with other schools. We met with their team, liked their vibe, and they seemed very open to new ideas and like they’d think outside the box, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent in the ballpark of $10,000–$50,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2017–January 2018.

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

Their ability to really listen to all the different constituents at Potomac School and incorporate their own ideas into the final product was their biggest strength. We didn’t look for a correlation between the videos and the number of applicants, but they helped me keep my sanity by producing exactly what we wanted. 

How did Producers perform from a project management standpoint?

We were able to go to their headquarters and see their editing process. Their team worked with the 30–40 different parties involved at Potomac School, including faculty, staff, parents, and students, to make sure they understood the goals. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Producers didn’t stop until they got everything exactly right—they went the extra mile to meet our needs. We were certainly picky and it was awesome that we were able to see the progress they were making on the voiceovers, edits, and more. They had a vision and were great at blending it with what we wanted. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really think of anything they could’ve done better—we were really happy with their work. We were actually sad when the project came to an end because we enjoyed working with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them. We let them incorporate their vision and they produced fantastic final products because they knew what they were doing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president and executive creative director of Marriner Marketing. We’re a full-service advertising agency, specializing in food, beverage, and hospitality. We’re also the agency of record for Maryland tourism.

What challenge were you trying to address with Producers?

We have in-house production capabilities but needed a partner to support our first big campaign for Maryland tourism. Given the size of the job, we wanted to outsource components of the project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Producers supported our rebranding process for Maryland tourism. First, they reviewed our storyboard to understand our vision and how we wanted to bring this campaign to life. While their team knew the story we wanted to tell and how we wanted to tell it, they also brought their own ideas to the table. Their team produced three 30-second and three 15-second videos for full broadcast: on-air, network, and cable. They provided motion graphics and scored original music for the products. Their team also helped edit content for online platforms and distribute the videos.

After the tourism campaign launched, Producers helped develop a whole series of online content for a client who produces serving lines. Together, we created an educational video series.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a team of between 7–8 people. They’re a collaborative agency so maybe up to ten people have worked on this project.

How did you come to work with Producers?

There was a bid process for the whole job. When working on a state account, you’ve got to open it up and triple bid everything. An agency producer introduced our team to Producers, who had a great reputation. He really sold us on them. Their team bid on both shooting and postproduction. We looked at the work they’d done, the style of their editors, and their history. They immediately jumped out as the right fit for us. We met and connected. It was a good match.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in October 2018. We’re not actively collaborating with them right now but will be working with them again in the near future. We’ve got a campaign refresh coming up in addition to other projects.

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

It has been a good relationship. There were strict KPIs and metrics that we followed based on state tax codes. Maryland hasn’t really had a solid campaign in the market for some time now. Their team supported a good brand launch, which resulted in revenue far exceeding what the state has seen in the last several years. We have all kinds of tracking and marketing automation in place to identify the results of our campaigns. The increase in revenue was directly tied to the advertising Producers helped create.

How did Producers perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team had all the right equipment. They have had the right attitude and have been really easy to work with. Producers has taken the time to understand the story we were trying to tell including mood and pacing. The whole team has been collaborative. They take direction very well. I’ve worked with a lot of editing shops in my career: from the biggest in New York to smaller shops. Producers has been as buttoned-up as any of the best agencies. We have let them go to work before we even get in there. We were always presented with content in line with our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Producers offers top-notch creative talent. The original music scoring, all the way down to their motion graphics people are skilled. They know what they’re doing and do it very well. They’ve understood our vision. Their team’s collaborative nature and attention to detail have been their great assets. It has been an extremely positive experience working with them. Some editing houses have an idea in their head and ignore the tempo of the spot that’s presented, which we have to recut. Producers nailed it. We’ve had a really good relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, no. They've produced high-quality content so there’s nothing negative I could say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a professional, passionate firm that understands and can enhance our vision, consider Producers. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a member of the Admissions team at Roland Park Country School, a pre-school through 12th-grade college preparatory school.

For what projects/services did your company hire PRODUCERS?

We were looking to showcase our physical school space for our prospective students and families during the COVID 19 pandemic when we could not host as many families physically on campus.

How did you select this vendor?

RPCS has worked with the PRODUCERS a multitude of times and they always present a wonderful product.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I presented the idea to the PRODUCERS. We discussed viability, price, scope and timeline. I worked with Morgan on the script for the 4 separate videos we wanted to create to showcase the 4 different divisions. We spent 2 full days filming and a day doing the voiceovers for the videos; we used student voices. We worked together to edit and make sure the video was showcasing all aspects of RPCS.

What was the team composition?

I worked mostly with Morgan who managed the PRODUCERS team.

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

We have been able to share our videos with families who are unable to come to campus because they do not live in the area, or because they did not feel safe coming to campus. We were able to use the videos in a lot more ways than we initially thought, which was wonderful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great. Morgan and her team were responsive, they were helpful and helped keep us on track in terms of our timeline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How much they already knew about RPCS, which made the process so much easier.

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

nope