Small Films

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am one of the directors at Launch. We are a performance marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have great clients. We have lots and lots of great testimonials and reviews on platforms such as The Drum. However, we wanted to bring those clients to life in video so that prospective clients could see what our clients say about us, in their own working environment.

SOLUTION

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

We had been talking about doing this suit of videos for ages, but we never quite met the right company. George and his team gave us great confidence that they would be able to deliver great videos, which they did.

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

We firstly got a number of our clients to agree to do the videos. Small Films then took over and liaised with our clients to sort filming dates and a venue. We then work with George's team to develop the brief, the questions and the format that the videos would take. There was then a full editing and appraisal process with us and our clients to ensure both were happy.

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

We worked with George. It was an open and collaborative process throughout.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have used the videos to bring the case studies on our website to life, and we have used them on social media to great effect.

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

All done through email. The process was smooth and we experienced no issues. They communicated with our client really well and we were able to be very hands off and let them manage the process.

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

They got us quickly and understood what we wanted. They also managed our clients well.

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

We improved on the brief each time, using learnings from the previous shoots.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing secretary at Dumpton School, a UK-based independent day school for children aged 2–13.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Films?

We needed their expertise in video production.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Small Films produced promotional videos to help boost our school’s digital presence. The package we availed of consisted of three two-minute short films and some 15-second video advertisements. Our headmaster relayed our goals to Small Films, and they were responsible for conceptualizing and executing those ideas into videos.

Their team handled the entire process, including the pre-production phases that involved script writing and location scouting. They filmed all the videos onsite, featuring our facilities, staff, and students. Once they concluded the production phase, they moved forward with the editing process.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about three members from Small Films.

How did you come to work with Small Films?

Small Films made it to our shortlist along with a few other production companies. I reached out to their previous clients and heard great things about their work. Additionally, they were a small dedicated group, and we thought it was advantageous to hire a team that could focus solely on our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £15,000 (approximately $20,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from September 2020–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our videos evidently improved our web traffic and social media reach, particularly on Facebook and Instagram. Small Films kept our school’s image at the forefront of our target audience’s attention —  that was our main success metric for their work.

How did Small Films perform from a project management standpoint?

Small Films was on top of their project management game — they met all our deadlines and promptly addressed our requests. Overall, we were happy to have worked with such an accessible and responsive team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were a highly genuine and accommodating team that respected our deadlines and budget. Small Films delivered personal yet professional services, which set them apart from other service providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They met all our expectations — there wasn’t any area that needed improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest in relaying your goals and needs and prepare your project brief ahead of time. If you allow Small Films to showcase their creativity through their ideas and deliverables, you’ll surely achieve what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Quantock, a brand creative and marketing communications agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Films?

We initially hired Small Films to create our headline proposition video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The headline proposition video is animated and outlines what our business stands for, our purpose, and our promise.

Small Films also created another video that lets clients see our team environment. In addition to videography, they created unique GIFs for each of our team members’ bios and uploaded them to the team page on our website.

Over time, they’ve become our video marketing partner and so we’ve worked on several client-facing projects with them.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 4–5 team members, including George (Founder & Creative Director), Anthony (Senior Producer), and a videographer.

How did you come to work with Small Films?

They work in the same sector as us, so we were familiar with their product. When we met with them, it felt like we had a natural synergy with them. Their business operates in a similar way as ours. They have the same attitude and outlook as our team.

How much have you invested with them?

Our project cost £8,000 (approximately $11,000 USD), but if we include the client projects we’ve worked on, we’ve probably spent £80,000–£100,000 (approximately $110,000–$140,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re incredibly pleased with the production quality of the videos they’ve created. We’ve been able to use the videos at many events and in several different circumstances.

How did Small Films perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re professional and organized. They always meet deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really honest and trustworthy business partners. They’re grounded and professional people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time with them at the beginning of the project, don’t rush the process, and listen to their experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Manager for The Oratory School, an independent co-educational Catholic boarding & day senior school in Oxfordshire.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Small Films?

Lockdown meant that we were no longer able to offer virtual open mornings or personalised showrounds, therefore we needed a way of showing our school to prospective parents. Filming a virtual tour of our school and grounds became the obvious solution.

What were your goals for this project?

To provide a virtual tour of the school to prospective parents who were no longer able to attend open mornings or showrounds due to lockdown. An "online prospectus" that would boost interaction and engagement as an addition to our website in these virtual times.

SOLUTION

How did you select Small Films?

Small Films were originally recommended to us by one of our Design Agencies. They had produced a fantastic drone video for The Oratory School a couple of years previously, so we knew they would be the right company for this particular project.

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

Small Films were already familiar with our school having filmed our drone footage. A selection of 1 minute videos were taken of key areas within The Oratory's 100-acre countryside estate. The final result was a selection of 20 videos (of up to 1 minute in length), which were then placed on an interactive campus map, which can be accessed at https://virtualtour.oratory.co.uk/

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had a 2 man crew, one to oversee the project alongside myself and one to do the actual filming. There were 3 video edits to get to the final approved versions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The virtual tour videos have become one of the most viewed pages on our website. Prospective parents have commented on the ability to gain a feel for our school from just a few short videos, with leads that have become actual visitors as our gates become open to personal tours once more. The videos have also become a great resource for virtual events, such as our open mornings. They are played between speakers to provide smooth transition and natural breaks that are also engaging to watch.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very. I provided an "ideal" list of what we would like to film and Small Films were able to accommodate that within a suitable time frame to suit our budget. The first draft of videos came through 1 week after filming and the completed third edit of videos were returned to us within 2 weeks of filming.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Both crew members were very skilled and knowledgeable about what was needed on the film. They understood the brief from the get-go and performed the project to a high standard in record time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Small Films completed everything that was asked of them and we are very satisfied with the results. We would definitely like to use them again for our next video production - watch this space!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am CEO and founder of Sales for Startups. We’re a sales consultancy company focused on building and optimizing sales operations for B2B companies to increase their revenue and secure further funding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Films?

Our engagement with Small Films is around brand and marketing awareness. We want to make our brand more visible in the marketplace as well as make it consistent across our channels, which include our social media, website, and YouTube channel. 

One project they’ve done with us was around the promotion of an event through video, which we felt was one of the best ways to engage potential attendees. Previously, we suffered from low attendance rates. As a result, we enlisted Small Films to help us grow the attendance for our events. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

George (Founder) is the advisor for everything that’s related to video content to help us get the most out of our marketing output. 

In a specific project, we created a film for an event. The video showcased what it was like to go to a Sales for Startups event. Small Films’ work involved understanding our goals for the video, capturing the entire event, editing the film, and giving feedback. Then, we optimized the video to get the best reception and searchability on platforms like Google and LinkedIn. 

They’ve also done quite a lot of discovery on us. They initially picked out a few of the video assets we already had. Then, they showed us the disparity between those existing assets and their recommendations. They explained how they wanted the videos to look like and how they’d rebrand them to achieve maximum results. 

What is the team composition?

We work with around four people from Small Films. George’s role is to understand our requirements in terms of video creation and finding value therein. He also helps us optimize the video to achieve the greatest ROI we can make. 

We also work with Anthony (Senior Producer), who is focused on the actual production of the video. He ensures the videos are on brand and help deliver our message. He makes sure that the video edit is of the highest quality. 

There’s also a videographer, whose job is to help capture the footage on the day. Meanwhile, a coordinator helps us in terms of logistics, preparation time, and similar things. Basically, she was the scheduler of all the activities we do for the filming. 

How did you come to work with Small Films?

I found Small Films through a referral by someone I like, know, and trust. Initially, we reviewed a few video agencies and checked out 2–3 quotes and pictures from various suppliers. Eventually, we found that Small Films truly understood our brand and what we were trying to achieve. 

On top of that, they came in with an effective rate in relation to their work’s quality. They weren’t the cheapest, but the speed of production was more of a buying factor for us than the costs. They were very engaged in the process of understanding our needs, and they mapped out what should be done to achieve our goals, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around £5,000 (approximately $7,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019, and we've worked with them since then on a couple of projects. The partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the publication of that specific video they created, we’ve signed two clients, and the ROI from those clients has been around £50,000 (approximately $69,000 USD) — or 10 times our initial investment. 

We also gained a strategic partnership with one of our attendees after the video was published. We’ve worked with them to publicize our brand as one of the top tech communities in the UK. Off the back of this partnership, we’ve signed another business opportunity, which can be another £25,000 (approximately $35,000 USD) in revenue. 

In total, we’ve gained around £75,000 (approximately $103,500 USD) ROI from our modest investment in Small Films. 

How did Small Films perform from a project management standpoint?

Adhering to the timelines and providing timely feedback are a large part of the video editing. Small Films coordinate the timelines of when the drafts will be received, so they meet all deadlines. I know when things are coming and, more importantly, when they need my feedback. 

We use a couple of technologies for video production and editing, and we see the evolution of videos as we go along. As a result, the projects are quite easy to navigate and manage — I know what’s going on, when it’s happening, and where it needs to be done. Apart from that, they’re one of the first video agencies to actually hit the timelines we’ve discussed from signing the contract to the point of YouTube publication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

First and foremost, if we’re creating a video, we need to understand what we’re trying to achieve and what our ROI is. George gives us a good explanation on what we can do with the video and how we can make that ROI really count. This is really impressive because videographers often focus on capturing the video rather than knowing how we can make our investment multiply in terms of ROI. 

Secondly, the way they hit the deadlines they set is magnificent. I haven’t witnessed anything like that in any other video agency. 

Thirdly, in terms of the financial reward our business gets, I’m impressed with our ROI. We’ve had a fairly small project, but it clearly counts toward our revenue — it’s made a big impact on our business. We still reap rewards from the customers and partnerships that we acquired as a result of Small Film’s work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have the opportunity to review our other existing assets and improve them as well. This isn’t a part of the original brief, but they probably can start a secondary or tertiary project off the back of our initial engagements. They’ve already done a great job, but they can still step up a gear. They can provide more valuable service to us to make sure that all of our video assets are in line with the ones we’ve created with them so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First, they should ask the Small Films team how to gain the greatest ROI when investing in video. They should listen to the team’s strategies and advice. Then, they should understand when things need to be done; the timing of the video release and marketing also contribute to the ROI. In other words, if they can hit deadlines, they can get a greater ROI. 

Thirdly, they should ask Small Films for their advice on how to improve the other areas of their business, marketing, or video strategy. They should ask them to scope out what that will look like for future engagements or projects. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and founder of MCH London - The Responsible Advertising Agency. We are a full-service digital agency based in London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Films?

At the height of COVID-19, we had a project for a virtual boat race. We needed to stitch together several video assets of rowers rowing home along with a virtual course that represented the famous Oxford vs. Cambridge boat race. We hired Small Films to help us stay within budget and meet the short, four-week turnaround time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a five-step approach: briefing, discovery, production, post-production, and distribution.

At the beginning of our conversation, we introduced Small Films to our preferred video provider for the briefing. We entered the discovery phase with the production team and the rowers to finalize the project plan. Three weeks were allocated for the rowers to film themselves individually, after which we proceeded to put the videos together in the post-production phase. 

Small Films’ final video was then published through a fundraising website, various broadcast media channels, and social media platforms. The project was meant to improve the interface and online reputation of our client. 

What is the team composition?

There were between 4–6 people working with us.

How did you come to work with Small Films?

We went through a briefing process that included known and unknown suppliers. We had to make a quick decision due to the short turnaround time, so I chose Small Films because I knew George (Founder) through the International Advertising Association. He had become a trusted supplier because of that link. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve given between $15,000–$20,000 to Small Films. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was first spoken about at the beginning of May 2020. The brief was undertaken mid-May, and the video was released on June 13, 2020. We are still engaged for the long-term and I’m thinking of working with them again this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The initial target of the fundraising was £10,000 (approximately $14,000 USD). Since the virtual boat race generated an excess of £25,000 (approximately $34,000 USD) in donations, this allowed the organizing charity to deliver 30 powerhouse games which will directly benefit 2,250 children. 

Small Films’ video gained 505,000 views on the fundraising website, which led to a great uptake on the event. It was covered by a huge variety of media including Radio 5 Live and BBC Local News. Write-ups were present in UK national papers like The Times, Evening Standard, Metro, and Time Out. The event even made the BBC Sport website. 

The estimated global reach of the PR was over 700 million people.

How did Small Films perform from a project management standpoint?

The Small Films team is incredibly good to work with. They’re also highly responsive. We communicate with Small Films via phone, Zoom, and WhatsApp. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very collaborative agency, which is why we love working with them. The team bent over backwards to deliver the project within a very short period of time. The level of their work was phenomenal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, there is nothing for them to improve on. There was nothing they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with a creative, open mind and trust Small Films’ judgment and process. Always consider the content, the strategy, and the amplification or distribution. 

BACKGROUND

I am head of multimedia at the UK's second-largest direct-to-consumer investment platform, Interactive Investor. I oversee strategy and production across video, audio and graphics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

To create a series of three short animations to explain how SIPPs (self-invested personal pensions) and ISAs (individual savings accounts) work to a beginner audience. Previous animations failed in that they took too long to get to the point. We wanted to rectify that this time with direct answers to these direct questions: What is a SIPP? What is an ISA? ISA vs SIPP: which is best? We wanted to improve the searchability of the relevant product pages on ii.co.uk, enhance the customer journey, and fill gaps in our educational content.

SOLUTION

Former colleagues recommended Small Films to me, and this was the perfect project for them to pitch for. Each video was 40-50-seconds long (including necessary legal disclaimers) and presented answers to the above questions in a visually compelling way. The project management was excellent from start to finish. Each stage was clear, including script work, feedback, edits, voiceover etc, and any changes were discussed and implemented to ensure the purpose of the animations was at the heart of every tweak.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The subject of the animations were selected with a wider SEO project in mind and have contributed to improved Google search results, page sessions and bounce rate for the company website. All three videos have average view durations of +80% - a ringing endorsement considering the patience of viewers. Outside of the finished animations, the workflow and project management were standouts with Small Films. The communication was excellent, edits prompt and we settled into a rhythm very quickly.