Silverman Studios

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the public information officer for the City of Corvallis, Oregon, a medium sized city of about 60,000 people in western Oregon. We are a full-service municipality that is home to Oregon State University.

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

Recruiting quality candidates for the many and varied jobs in local government has always been challenging. The pandemic only exacerbated this problem. We wanted to tell our story and find creative ways of attracting new hires, with an emphasis on short, bite-sized content for social media.

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

We had an existing relationship with Silverman Studios so they were an obvious first choice when we came to exploring video production.

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

We produced four (4) videos in this project, each one focusing on a different department or area of city services. Each video involved 2-3 short, on-camera interviews with city employees under the direction of Silverman Studios. These were unscripted, casual interviews that were intended to tease out singular statements and remarks that could be stitched together to create a video montage.

We also included extensive b-roll footage of city workers on job sites and facilities around the community. It was important to show "a day in the life" of these dedicated employees. Silverman Studios took all of this content back to the editing studio and produced four 3-4 minute videos that covered all of the topics and concepts we wanted to showcase.

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

We worked with Jeff Silverman, CEO of Silverman Studios. Jeff was flexible and easy to work with. He accepted feedback with no ego or snark. He was 100% focused on helping us bring our vision to life.

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

The videos have helped polish our image in the community. In particular, several of our elected city councilors were pleased with the videos. One of the remarked: "These videos make me proud to live in Corvallis!"

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

Jeff provided in-progress drafts via Youtube (private channel) and delivered the final files via Dropbox.

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

The best part about Silverman Studios was that they were local, yet they had corporate-level production skills. It's nice to have such a competent resource located right here in Corvallis.

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

I wish I could have dialed up some more sunny days for our outdoor filming! :)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a nondenominational online church. We ordain people online so that they can officiate weddings for friends and family members. In line with that, we provide the initiation services as well as the documents and training materials needed.

What challenge were you trying to address with Silverman Studios?

We wanted to create a multimedia version of our high-performing web pages, basically taking the written content there and turning it into video format.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I simply provide Jeff (Video Producer) with our script, and he handles the rest of it. Silverman Studios is in charge of scouting locations, casting the actors, shooting the scenes, and editing the shots into a final video. We’re planning to do a series of ten videos, three of which we’ve already published. 

What is the team composition?

Apart from Jeff, he also had an assistant who called me from time to time. 

How did you come to work with Silverman Studios?

My former assistant was the one who found them for me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $13,000–$14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together last November 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. 

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

It’s still too early to tell if there’s any impact since we’ve yet to publish the other videos in the series. We intend to publish these videos on YouTube, and some of them might end up on our Facebook page, but all of them will be embedded on certain pages on our website. Overall, it’s been great working with Silverman Studios. They’re very professional.

How did Silverman Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We do all of our correspondence via text, phone calls, and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve got a good eye for video production, and they’re very experienced in the field. We appreciate that they’re able to get things done quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no issues with the way they’re handling the project. They’re doing a great job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great partner for video or multimedia projects, and I highly recommend working with them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president. We complete risk assessment services for commercial real estate. That includes environmental site assessments and property condition assessments, which is more of an engineering evaluation.

It’s really in support of assessing the risk of a site, whether it be the maintenance of the property or the environmental risk, so the risk of contamination before somebody will purchase a property or before somebody like a lender considers it for collateral.

What challenge were you trying to address with Silverman Studios?

What we were primarily looking for was a video projection because we’re sponsoring an upcoming virtual bankers convention. Part of that sponsorship came with the opportunity to provide them with a video that serves as an advertisement that would play between speakers.

We contacted Jeff (Owner) for that, but the video would also be posted on our website as a marketing tool.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I reached out to Jeff to let him get a feel of what we were doing. He immediately discussed options with me in terms of where we could film, how we could film, and if we wanted to bring in personnel. If needed, he said that he could drive to individual staff member locations and film them at individual times.

He reviewed our website and information I sent to him, so he could come up with a few concept questions that he could ask as interview questions. He helped us design what questions we would like answered to target specific pieces of information that we wanted to get across.

During the filming, we decided to bring a few folks to one location. Everything was set up and arranged before we arrived. He put our staff members at ease during the mock interview process, since some of them were nervous about being on camera. During the interview process, he would ad-lib with things based on how questions were answered.

After the filming, Jeff had a draft within a few days.

What is the team composition?

It was primarily Jeff, but during the filming day, he had an assistant with him to set up the cameras and lighting. There might’ve been more assistance behind the scenes, but I think it was mainly Jeff.

How did you come to work with Silverman Studios?

Jeff is a power sponsor of an organization based out of Portland that specializes in educating commercial brokers and keeping a network together to learn about the real estate business. There are several vendors, including us. We had a need for this video project, and I had saved Jeff’s information in my email. After calling him up about our tight timeline, he said that was no problem. Another company we reached out to said that would be a struggle.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $3,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project in July 2020.

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

Jeff’s final cut was perfect. We didn’t have to make any suggestions. Not even being a member of our industry, he found the best pieces of content. We’ve had many staff members and one client that was in the project review the video.

Everybody has been surprisingly impressed with the general quality of the video. I’d have to think there are a lot of groups that can produce the same quality, but I doubt they do it for the fair fee that Jeff does it for.

How did Silverman Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Jeff was able to quickly meet timing needs, which were pretty tight for this project. He was always accessible. He always picked up when I called.

He immediately got samples and ideas in the hands. On day one, he gave me different options for the video. Once we made the decisions, he was available to schedule the video within days. Everything moved really quickly, and it all remained under control.

After the fact, we wanted to make small edits to some of the text on the video and to some of the coverage we sent him. He was able to make the changes as quickly as possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve never worked with another provider in this market. It’s obvious to me, based on past discussions with other companies and Jeff, that he’s quicker. His quality is more reminiscent of something I would expect out of a longer process. He did it in a matter of days. He also has the ability to put people at ease in front of the camera. All around, I can’t say enough positive things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of a single thing. He’ll be getting my business again when we need another video.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time upfront to discuss what exactly you’re looking to get out of the project. Provide Jeff with as much information about your company and industry as you can. He does a great job of adapting his work to suit what you’re after if you provide him as much detail as possible.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of Hope for the Homeless Foundation. We are nonprofit organization that vets organizations that help the homeless in Portland, Oregon return to stability.

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

We hired Silverman Studios to do a promotional video that explains in a 3 minute video who Hope for the Homeless is to those who visit our website.

What were your goals for this project?

See above.

How did you select this vendor?

I have used Jeff Silverman on four other occasions and knew the excellent quality of his work.

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

Jeff came to my house and in one sitting lasting about two hours he interviewed three people about our vision and mission for our nonprofit.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We would regularly communicate via email or phone as needed.

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

Over the years I have used Jeff Silverman's videography skills on five occasions. I am a perfectionist and because of that personality bent, most creative types that I do business with such as graphic artists, book editors, etc. don't like working with me. I'm too picky they would say.

But each time I've employed Jeff he has exceeded my expectations. And when I do ask for a change, he gladly does it. I highly recommend Jeff's skills as a videographer.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. Jeff did everything he could to make us feel comfortable in front of the camera.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The outcome of his video showed great creativity.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We take any kind of plastic and convert it into renewable gases. We then distribute those gases and to generators to create power to put back into the grid. I'm the CEO.

What challenge were you trying to address with Silverman Studios?

We kicked off a fundraising campaign, and we hired them to create a video to support that effort. After we started, we realized we were on the wrong crowdfunding platform, so we're looking for other options now.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked on the project for about two weeks. We filmed at a hotel, and the whole process ran smoothly. They knew exactly how to position us, and they filmed a lot of footage and added some of their archival video to round it out. I'm not an actor, but they knew exactly what to do with me. They did all the storyboarding, videography, and post-production work.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact, there were two people on the shoot, and the whole team included about five people.

How did you come to work with Silverman Studios?

I've known our point of contact there for quite some time, and I saw some of his work on Facebook and LinkedIn. I was impressed by what I saw, so I reached out.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $4,000-$4,300.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July or August 2019, and they completed everything within two weeks. We plan to use them again for future projects to show our progression to our funders.

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

The video has probably been seen worldwide, and it performs very well in our local market. We have a lot of good responses from people in our state, and we feel it will help us gain revenue in the future. Everyone who sees it comments on how professional it looks.

How did Silverman Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good, and they had everything laid out very well. They delivered on time and within our budget. Most of my communication with them is through email, phone, and LinkedIn.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attitude and enthusiasm are terrific. They knew how to make us comfortable, and they worked with us to make sure we had exactly what we needed. They made me look good, and the work they did was impeccable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm ok with all the work they did for us, and there's nothing they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Show up on time and communicate with them. If you have a problem, tell them right away.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We manufacture consumer goods and electronics for sale around the world. I'm the senior project manager.

For what projects/services did your company hire Silverman Studios Inc?

We needed a video to launch a new product on Kickstarter. Silverman Studios helped with every step of the project, from script development to delivering the final video.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a really funny, well-produced professional video.

How did you select this vendor?

We found them by looking for local studios that could meet at our offices for a consultation.

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

They made a video for a next-generation alarm clock, walking us through writing the script while taking on our feedback and input. They helped us find a location for the shoot, hired the talent, and did basically everything we needed.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We were in constant contact, providing information and asking for feedback. Everything was done well and it was very smooth.

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

We’re very happy with our final product, and our Kickstarter was over 50% funded in its first few days.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. They helped us keep on task and got everything done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The personal touch was wonderful. They were always available to talk, and even visited our office for face-to-face meetings when requested.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are none.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of Evergreen Valley Construction & Landscaping LLC

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

Video advertising & Video testimonials

What were your goals for this project?

To increase traffic to our website & visual content for the customer

How did you select this vendor?

Silverman studio has great advertisement for services & was an easy choice. Quality of work is amazing.

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

Jeff Silverman came to project sight and took video of completed project as well as video testimonial of client and there feedback on the quality of services provide.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Jeff Silver personally managed all aspects of this project and was very timely on scheduling and getting a completed product for us to use as video advertisement.

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

Our company has got great feedback on the videos he produced and it has definitely helped drive more customers to our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Jeff Silverman was easy to work with & our customers appreciated his level of professionalism while interviewing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The end result every time exceeded our expectations. Very well packaged with great content.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None I can offer at this time.