Shadow Puppet Films

Introduce your business and what you do there?

I’m the assistant brand manager for a flooring solutions company that offers a one-day response. We offer SBC tiles, carpet tiles, wall-to-wall carpet, and artificial grass.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shadow Puppet Films?

We wanted to produce a video for one of our products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shadow Puppet Films created a four-minute-long live-action corporate video. They handled everything from start to finish, including post-production and editing. We provided an overall script, but they were responsible for the ad-hoc portions that occurred. The video is intended to be used internally as a supplement to our sales pitch.

What is the team composition?

Shyam (Founder) was our main point of contact. On the day of the shoot, there were 6–7 additional people, including a director and a sound production person.

How did you come to work with Shadow Puppet Films?

We considered several companies, but we chose them because they offered the best services to meet our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $7,000–$8,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–September 2021.

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

We haven’t showcased the video yet, but what we’ve seen is extremely clean. The process went smoothly, and the team knew what they were doing — we were more than happy with their work.

How did Shadow Puppet Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked well, keeping things moving on their own without needing us to micromanage them. They delivered the video on time; any delays in finalizing the project were on our end. In terms of communication, we used email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were proactive, using their knowledge to make the process easier for us. They were also patient and accommodating throughout the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have some technical limitations that resulted in specific shoots they couldn’t do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly explain your requirements, goals, and the importance of the project for you — they do best with as many details as possible.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Service Delivery Lead and am responsible for the execution of all projects and programs across the organization.

For what projects/services did your company hire Shadow Puppet Films, and what were your goals?

We needed a production partner as we had a contract for having multiple video shoots with a premier B school in Hyderabad. The shoots involved having a professor deliver a lecture in front of a green screen based on the inputs being provided over a zoom call from another team based out of Mumbai. The challenge was to have a professional unit that could coordinate with the professor and the team sitting in a different location to ensure the right takes were happening.

This involved having the professor prepped for the shoot, helping him/her understand the cues that were being sent over the zoom call, and tracking the multiple takes which were consolidated at the end of the day's shoot. Given the seniority of the professors and their limitations in front of a camera, the unit had to go the extra mile to make them comfortable.

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

The vendor was decided based on their previous experience, the portfolio they presented, their professional approach and their openness to suggestions 

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

The professor and the shoot location is decided by our client and we reach there alongwith the vendor around 4 hrs prior to the shooting start time to set up the set and have a dry run. We also set up a laptop with the camera feed routed to it and get onto a zoom call with client. once the professor comes in, the shots are discussed over the call and we start rolling. the vendor is responsible for all the communication and coordination between the three parties and totally responsible for the video output.  At the end of the day's shoot, the final takes are copied on to a hard disk and handed over to us for post production

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

I worked with Shyam from Shadow Puppet and the process was as described above. he was responsible for making the professor comfortable on the set and guiding him on the different aspects of where to stand, body language do's and dont's while the camera is rolling and giving instructions.

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

The client was pleased with the quality of output and adherence to schedules that we are now the preferred vendor for all shoots with this particular institution 

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

Shadow Puppet works out a detailed plan and creates a WhatsApp group with the key stakeholders a week before the scheduled shoot and shares updates on the team, equipment bookings, etc.   

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

We are impressed with their openness to adapt to different situations and troubleshooting capabilities. They work as partners instead of vendors.

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

They should invest in some of their own equipment to reduce their dependencies on vendors at times.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder-President of SAFA and NGO working In India on women Livelihoods & Education. We are working since 2009 in over 170 slums in Hyderabad and currently work of 20 projects with over 90 employees. We have created innovative social enterprise models & work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders across projects.

For what projects/services did your company hire Shadow Puppet Films?

Our organisation works in a hybrid model which is a combination of a not for profit & for profit . We also work with the most marginalised communities & are about breaking stereotypes with positive stories of impact. We get many opportunities to showcase our work with multi national corporates in Hyderabad.

For this purpose we get extremely short time slots & we usually go for short films which only skilled & clued in movie makers can do. Also we are active on social media & capturing the essence of some of our most striking women stories does get a lot of traction.

The trick remains to tell a compelling story in a short span & with the soul of the story remaining intact. We have hired Shadow Puppet many times as listed below :

• Organisation Vision film
• Fund raiser films - 3
• Case study of a lac bangle worker
• Showcase of a social enterprise- Community kitchen

What were your goals for this project?

1. Organisation vision film - It was for the website to depict our vision & has been used repeatedly as we give our organisation introduction/ orientation to guests, prospective partners, volunteers.
2. Fundraiser - Raising funds for educating children from underprivileged homes
3. Fundraiser - To raise awareness on the importance of basic adult literacy
4. Fundraiser - To raise funds for sewing machines for illiterate women as a source of income for their families
5. Case study - To showcase the life of an expolited lac bangle single mother & her transition to another source of livelihood
6. Social enterprise showcase- We run a kitchen as a livelihood for underprivileged single women & the same is an innovative concept as we are catering to on line food/party orders .

The uniqueness is the authentic traditional cuisine women are trained to make. We were doing a soft launch on a Face book Foodie group which has over 125000 members and a short film was done to introduce the concept & brand the program

How did you select Shadow Puppet Films?

We were introduced to Shadow Puppet through a common collgeue who had used their services .

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

There were a number of meetings in which the vision of the founders & the organisation were exchanged. Field trips to the area of work / interactions with beneficiaries & their children , the pulse of the community & the dynamics there were all understodd in details with maximum investment of time.

Interviews of concerned teams who worked on the project were also conducted. The entire process began with a deep & engaged understanding of the objective we were trying to achieve. The viewers & their expectations were also discussed.

Post the understanding a choice of 2-3 themes was given in a short script format & was also discussed. Initially we selected the themes but after more interactions & result oriented engaging films ,we let the movie makers use their creativity.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

A 4-5 person filming crew with the high end equipment was allocated & as we usually have restrictions on budgets ,suggestions were given to us around how adding on more resources could capture better footage or what could be eliminated to match our budgets.

The entire process was transparent & engaging for us with creative inputs coming in all the time . The engagement of the decision maker in the company was at all levels and his discerning eye for detail is praise worthy. Aspects that we missed were redone by them.

Most of the times we worked on tight short notice films & their schedules to fulfill the time lines & deliver were appreciable. We have also asked for pro bono work on short notices to which they have obliged by sharing ideas and doing some work out of their interest as they love the art of story telling through films.

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

We have won an award at the RIFF film festival (California USA) for the year 2017 in the category of social films. We have raised Rs900000 for the fundraisers all at one go in a span of 30 minutes from employees of a multinational known company. Engagement on social media platforms raised 110% on movie posts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The understanding was perfect Time was invested in understanding the need for the film Objectives of the film were throroughly reviewd multiple times Schedules given on time Preparation for the shoot & readiness on ground understood & planned perfectly TIMELINES adhered to always Follow ups & reviews taken frequently

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The skills & commitment to the art & craft of movie making & their commitment to create value for the client is the most impressive. they are movie-makers with a soul & go about their work professionally.

Their creativity & connect to the film is seen once the movie is completed. Comprehending situations & objectives, audience mind set is also at the forefront.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We got the results that we were looking for & more than that we now know whom to go to when we need a impactful film ! Their marketing efforts for their growth have been lacking as I feel that they can amp it up .

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am working as a Business development associate at Dhruva Space Pvt Ltd.

For what projects/services did your company hire Shadow Puppet Films?

We hired Shadow Puppet Films to direct our corporate video.

What were your goals for this project?

Dhruva Space wanted the video to communicate our technical expertise, goals, vision, work atmosphere and a glimpse of what Dhruva is, which the video has done perfectly and we received an overwhelming response for it.

How did you select Shadow Puppet Films?

Based on one of our friends' suggestion.

Describe the project in detail.

Before the shoot Dhruva had long discussions in giving inputs and explaining the requirements which were well received by the Film house.

Finally all of it culminated in a day long shoot where Shadow puppet films were very patient, skillful and creative in getting corporate shots and interviews from technical people who generally are conscious in-front of cameras.The quality and output that they guarantee is impeccable.

What was the team composition?

Director, script writer, cinematography team, sound engineer, editor, colourist, voiceover artist and production assistants

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

The Corporate video elevated our branding and marketing activities, helped in accentuating our presence at multiple national and International conferences, especially in the backdrop of Covid-19 where everything has become digital. 

The video has played a special role in showing our presence. Dhruva being National Startup Award winner-2020 was featured in a DD Show Start-up Champions in which this video was used extensively.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Director was interactive and tried to understand the output we were expecting and matched the requirements. They were extremely supportive in every step throughout the making process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Best part of working with them was that they made cameras invisible by creating extremely comfortable, patient and friendly atmosphere thereby bringing best outputs from each person.

Their keenness on quality, attention to detail, and passionate work are applaudable. Communications pre- and post- work were very easy. The team was available to us whenever required.

Absolutely recommend them to reach your expectations and beyond.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Addverb, its a mobile robotics company & I am heading brand management here.

For what projects/services did your company hire Shadow Puppet Films, and what were your goals?

To build a video for the independence day campaign from script writing to the final video production

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

Came across through some online aggregator platform. Script was good & they shared it quickly, given the limited time frame we went ahead with them

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

Script finalization pre-production works Live shooting music composition post production works Final video deliverable

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

Shyam They shared the original draft, we gave feedback & the final draft was shared. 3/4 rounds of f/b loops.

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

On time deliverables & responisove

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

Through emails, collaborative working style & overall friendly approach. Tried their best to get the best o/p within the limited time frame.

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

Their punctuality and transparency were impressive.

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

None

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a leading Glass Processing Unit in India. Am one of the Directors of the Company. Inception.... till Date.

For what projects/services did your company hire Shadow Puppet Films?

We were looking for a agency to get us off the ground. We had just started and were looking to create some content to create awareness in our target market. Shadow Puppet stepped in and delivered.

What were your goals for this project?

Brand Awareness. Being the youngest kid on the block , we needed to create content, which would be noticed

How did you select Shadow Puppet Films?

Shadow Puppet films already had a reputation for creating what we needed and were referred by our inner circle

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Corporate Film. Had multiple sittings, before we tied up the story board. The concept was sketched in detail.

What was the team composition?

worked directly with their Creative Director/CEO.

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

We were able to accomplish our objectives. The film did its work thanks to the team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had regular conversations throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Creative and Committed to the client.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Film making is a ever evolving stream. Hope they keep pace technically.