Somerville Media Video Production Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Business Development Manager for Asia for the Associated Press Global Media Services department. We provide live broadcast and production services for our media clients around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Somerville Media Video Production Agency?

We had to record a few episodes of the "This is My Architecture"' show for Amazon Web Services in Singapore. We engaged Somerville Media Video Production Agency to be our production partners for the project. Greg and his team will help direct, produce and shoot these episodes in Singapore over a two day period in January 2021.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to provide a quality broadcast studio environment for the recordings and also direct and produce the episodes to be recorded in a structured and easy to manage way for the guests and staff of AWS in Singapore.

SOLUTION

How did you select Somerville Media Video Production Agency?

I selected Somerville Media Video Production Agency based on their excellent reputation in Singapore and our previous experiences working with Greg and his team. Greg is very meticulous in his pre-production and always provides good technical support and creative inputs during our projects.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope of work included pre-production meetings on the staff and equipment setup needed for the two production days. There was also a pre-light and rehearsal day with the client dialling into the set remotely to give feedback and critique. The actual two days of recording included a three camera setup with associated directing, lights, audio and clip recording facilities.

What was the team composition?

The team composed of Greg as the main director, with a three man crew of camera operators, gaffer, audio and associated production assistants.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Greg was a great help from pre-production to the actual execution of the project. His team was very professional and did especially well to manage the time needed for the recordings as well as to prepare the guests and talents for their on-air performance. The client also praised the production team for their professional setup and execution.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Greg and myself chat on a weekly basis to update the production status of the project. He is always on hand to give good advice and reacts quickly to certain style and technical changes as required by the client.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Somerville Media Video Production Agency is a very experienced production in Singapore. They offered a wide range of services for a range of clients from corporate work to media production. I enjoy working with them professionally as their crew is very good and Greg himself is a great resource for production matters.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The pre-production part took a longer while than expected. On hindsight, I would have engaged Somerville Media Video Production Agency earlier in the production cycle to prepare them adequately for the project and we would have more time to factor in changes needed by the client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former managing director of Vitisasia, an event company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Somerville Media Video Production Agency?

We needed help with organizing and filming interviews with high profile individuals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We reached out to Somerville Media because we had three high-profile French chefs to interview. We also wanted them to film inside the kitchen, so we engaged them to speak to the chefs and kitchen staff in order to get the right footage. The team shot the interview for a national French television channel, coordinating logistics, filming, and post-production. 

Somerville Media drafted each set of questions for each interviewee beforehand, after we explained to them what we wanted from the interview. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Greg (Owner) and one other person.

How did you come to work with Somerville Media Video Production Agency?

Greg was referred to us by a friend of a friend. All of the staff is local, which ensures he gets the right price. They were also well-dressed and on time, which was important to me because we deal with high-profile clients. 

How much have you invested with them?

The video cost between $8,000-$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This particular engagement lasted from October 2012-July 2014. We’re working with them again now, but we haven’t done anything because the country is shut down due to coronavirus.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our video went on national television, and we use it for our clients. It’s a private investors’ club, so it gets sent to very high profile clients. They’re the best producers I’ve worked with, by far. When I changed companies after six years, they were the first team I reached out to.

How did Somerville Media Video Production Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went well. They’re a professional team, and they also speak Chinese. 

When I reached out to them again after joining a new company, they didn’t know anything about my current trade. I sent Greg some links on my industry, and when I had a chat with his staff 2-3 weeks ago, I knew they read it. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Somerville Media is a very elegant and eloquent team to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They interview clients but we also have to integrate data onto the video with the number of users, number of hosts, number of clients, etc. It’s digital animation that needs to be included in the video. Somerville Media recruited another provider to do it, but they could improve by offering those services on their own. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Speak to Greg. He manages his business very well. He’s incredibly creative. You just need to be clear with what you need, and Somerville Media can deliver.